SyncCrate
Stellaris guide · Updated
Same Stellaris mods for every empire.
Modded Stellaris multiplayer only works when every player has the host's mods. SyncCrate copies the host's local mods, and saves if you want, to each friend, fixes mod paths that only work on one PC, and after the first time sends only what changed.
FreeOpen sourceNo cloudWin · macOS · Linux
// 01 Why
Why modded Stellaris multiplayer desyncs
Stellaris compares a checksum of the game and the active mods between players, and a galaxy can take many sessions to finish. Over that time mods get updated, a patch comes out, and somebody's copy of a mod ends up different from the host's. The result is a checksum mismatch or a game that goes out of sync mid-war.
Local mods, like species packs from outside the Workshop or your group's own balance changes, each come as a folder plus a .mod file, and that file often points at a full path that only exists on the PC that made it.
SyncCrate copies the host's local mods to every PC, compares every file by content, and only the differences are copied. You see the list before anything changes.
// 02 What syncs
What SyncCrate syncs for Stellaris
| Folder | Path in the game folder | Files |
|---|---|---|
| Mods | mod/Local mods: each mod's folder and its .mod descriptor. Descriptors for Steam Workshop mods (ugc_….mod) are skipped, because they point at Steam's folder. | All files |
| Save Files | save games/Saves (.sav), one folder per empire. Optional; the host decides whether friends may sync them. | .sav |
// Where it looks
- Documents folder
Paradox Interactive/Stellarisinside your Documents folder- macOS
~/Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris- Linux
~/.local/share/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris- Anywhere else
- Point SyncCrate at the folder yourself, once
Built in for Stellaris
- Turn mods on and off. Disabled mods move to a
_Disabledfolder the game doesn't load. - Game-running warning. SyncCrate warns you before syncing while Stellaris is still open.
- Undo and history. Undo the last sync in one click, and put back any single file a sync replaced or deleted.
// 03 How it works
Sync Stellaris in three steps
Install and add the game
Install SyncCrate on every PC and add Stellaris in the Game Browser. Its folder is found automatically.
One PC hosts
The PC with the setup everyone should have clicks Start Hosting. The others pick it under Scan for Hosts on the same network, or paste its join code from anywhere.
Compare and sync
Check the list of new, changed and conflicting files, then Sync Now. Only the files that differ are copied, PC to PC.
TipEvery player needs the same game version and the same DLC. After a patch, wait until the mods are updated for it, then sync from the host.
// 04 Common problems
When Stellaris mods don't match
Mods out of date after a patch
Stellaris patches often break mods, and players who update the game or the mod at different times drift apart.
Agree on one game version. The host updates the mods, everyone syncs and gets the same files.
The mod path only works on one PC
The launcher often writes a full path like
C:/Users/<name>/Documents/…into a local mod's.modfile. On other PCs the launcher doesn't find the mod.The mod health check finds descriptors with a path that only exists on one PC and, on the host, makes them portable (
path="mod/<folder>") in one click. The old versions stay in File history.Continuing the galaxy without the host
The save is on the host's PC, and a long game stops when the host is away.
Allow the Save Files folder, and the next host syncs the latest save of that empire.
Mods present, playset different
Which mods are active, and in what order, is saved in the launcher's playset, not in the
modfolder.SyncCrate copies the mods. Set up the same playset in the same order on each PC once.
// 05 Stellaris
Good to know
- Steam Workshop mods are kept by Steam in its own folder, outside the game's folder, so SyncCrate can't sync them. The Content page says how many you have, and friends subscribe to the same items.
- Real mod names. The Content page reads each mod's descriptor and shows its name and version instead of the file name.
- DLC isn't copied. Species packs and story packs from Paradox are DLC, and each player needs their own.
- Your settings stay yours. Only the
modandsave gamesfolders sync.
// FAQ
Stellaris questions
Do all players need the same mods in Stellaris multiplayer?
Yes. Mods that change the checksum must match on every PC, in the same versions. Syncing the host's local mods and subscribing to the same Workshop items gets everyone there.
Where are Stellaris local mods stored?
In Documents\Paradox Interactive\Stellaris\mod on Windows and Mac, and ~/.local/share/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/mod on Linux. SyncCrate finds it automatically.
Does it sync Workshop mods?
No. Steam keeps them in its own folder. SyncCrate syncs local mods and skips the ugc_….mod descriptors the launcher creates for Workshop items.
Can I move my Stellaris saves to another PC?
Yes. Host on the PC with the saves, allow Save Files, join from the other PC and Compare & Sync. Each empire's saves arrive in their own folder.
// Related game guides
All games · SyncCrate supports 100 games.
// Free · Open source · Windows, macOS, Linux
Same Stellaris setup on every PC.
Install SyncCrate on each PC, one of you hosts, everyone else joins. No accounts, no cloud, nothing uploaded anywhere.