How to Install FiveM and Join Your First Server (2026 Guide)

FiveM is the modification platform that powers GTA roleplay: custom multiplayer servers where players hold down jobs, run police departments and live out storylines inside Los Santos. It runs completely separately from GTA Online.

This guide takes you from nothing to standing in a server. It takes about twenty minutes, most of which is downloading.

Before you start

• A legitimate copy of GTA V. Steam, Epic Games Store or Rockstar Games Launcher. Cracked copies do not work — FiveM verifies ownership and always has.
• GTA V launched at least once. Get to the main menu in single player before touching FiveM. This one step prevents a large share of install problems.
• A Discord account. Not technically required, but effectively mandatory — almost every server runs applications, support and community through Discord.
• Around 20–30 GB free. FiveM itself is small; the server cache is not. Asset-heavy roleplay servers download a lot on first join.

Which client do you need?

Since 21 July 2026 there are two FiveM clients, and picking the wrong one is now the most common beginner mistake.

• FiveM Legacy — runs on the original GTA V build. This is what you want. Every established roleplay community is here.
• FiveM Enhanced — runs on GTA V Enhanced. Currently in early access aimed at server owners. General player access hasn't opened yet.

Unless you're specifically setting up a server to test on, download Legacy. The two clients cannot join each other's servers, so installing Enhanced now means an empty server list. Full detail in our Legacy vs Enhanced comparison.

Make sure you still have Legacy installed

If you own GTA V on Steam or Epic you own both builds — Rockstar gave Enhanced away free to existing owners in March 2025. Some launchers now default to Enhanced. FiveM Legacy needs the Legacy executable present, so check your library and install it if it's missing.

Step 1: Download FiveM

Go to fivem.net and download the client. Only ever download from fivem.net. "FiveM installers" hosted on Discord, YouTube descriptions or random file hosts are at best pointless and at worst malware — this is a persistent problem in the community.

Step 2: Install it somewhere sensible

Two rules that save an enormous amount of pain:

• Not in C:\Program Files. Windows permissions on protected directories cause file-write errors that produce confusing, misleading messages.
• Not in a synced folder. OneDrive, Dropbox and Google Drive lock files mid-write and will corrupt your cache. If your Desktop or Documents folder is synced to OneDrive — which is the Windows default now — do not install there.

Something like C:\FiveM works fine.

Step 3: First launch

On first run FiveM locates your GTA V installation and sets itself up. This takes several minutes. Let it finish.

You'll be asked to sign in with a Cfx.re account. Create one — it's free, and it's needed for server whitelists, forum access and various community tools.

Step 4: Find a server

The in-client server list works, but it's noisy and heavily weighted toward whoever is currently biggest. Most people find servers better elsewhere.

FiveBrowse lets you filter by roleplay style, region, player count, framework and client type, which the in-game list doesn't do well. Worth using if you'd rather find something that fits than scroll past 200 identical listings.

What to look for as a beginner

• Population between 30 and 120. Big enough that things happen, small enough that you're not invisible.
• Your region. UK/EU servers if you're in Europe. Ping matters, but active hours matter more — a full server at 2am your time is useless.
• "Beginner friendly" or "new player friendly" in the description. Usually genuine, and usually means someone will actually help you.
• An active Discord. Check the message rate in general chat. A dead Discord means a dead server, whatever the player counter says.

Step 5: Whitelisted or open?

Servers fall into two camps:

Open servers let you connect immediately. Good for learning the controls and seeing whether you enjoy roleplay at all. Quality varies enormously.

Whitelisted servers require an application — usually a Discord form asking about your RP experience and testing whether you understand the rules. Better communities, better roleplay, more effort to get into. Our guide to writing an application that gets accepted covers this properly.

Start on an open server for a few hours, then apply somewhere whitelisted once you know the basics.

Step 6: Your first connection

The first join to any server downloads its entire asset pack — custom vehicles, clothing, maps, scripts. On a large server this can be several gigabytes and take a while. Subsequent joins are much faster because it's cached.

If it appears to hang, give it time before assuming it's stuck. Genuine failures usually produce an error rather than sitting still.

Your first hour: what actually matters

The technical part is done. The part people get wrong is the roleplay.

• Read the rules first. Every server has them, they differ, and "I didn't know" is not a defence anywhere.
• Stay in character. Your character doesn't know what Discord is. Use OOC channels for out-of-character talk.
• Value your life. Acting as though your character fears death is the foundation of most server rules.
• Don't shoot people for no reason. Random Deathmatch is the fastest ban on any RP server.
• Ask for help in character where you can. Walking into a police station confused is roleplay. Typing "how do I get a job" in global chat is not.

Unfamiliar terms? Our roleplay glossary covers RDM, VDM, metagaming, powergaming and the rest.

If something goes wrong

Most first-time problems come down to four things: GTA V hasn't been launched standalone, the install path is protected or synced, antivirus is blocking FiveM, or you've installed the wrong client. Our error troubleshooting guide covers the specifics.

Ready to find somewhere? Browse FiveM servers on FiveBrowse — filter by playstyle, region and client.