About RSPS.org
RSPS.org has been listing RuneScape private servers since 2002. We built it because every list we used at the time was full of dead servers and pay-to-win shops. There was nowhere honest to find a server worth playing.
Twenty-plus years later, the problem is the same. Most lists still rank by whoever paid the most or cheated the vote count hardest. We still do it the same way we always have: real votes, real editorial checks, no paid placement.
What we stand for
These are not policies that change based on who is asking. They are the reason the list has been trusted by players since the scene barely existed.
Rankings are never for sale
Position on the list is decided by real player votes. Server owners have offered money to move listings up since 2002. The answer has always been no. That is not a policy. It is the only reason the list has any value.
Every submission is reviewed by hand
No automated system approves new servers. A person checks every submission before it goes live. If a server stops responding, ghosts its players, or starts selling power, it comes off. We would rather list 30 active servers than 100 dead ones.
Votes are verified, not just counted
Every vote runs through IP checks, timestamp validation, and callback verification. Bot traffic and incentivized voting get filtered before they touch the rankings. A smaller real number is worth more than a large fake one.
How the list works
Servers are submitted for review
Any server owner can submit a listing. A member of the team checks it before it goes live. Servers that do not meet basic standards do not get listed.
Players vote to set the rank
Position is determined by player votes, not by how much a server owner spent. Votes reset monthly so new servers have a real chance to rank.
We check the votes for fraud
Every vote is verified against IP history, vote frequency, and callback confirmation. Gaming the system gets you removed, not promoted.
Active monitoring keeps the list clean
Servers that go offline, get abandoned, or start misleading players come off the list. We check regularly rather than waiting for reports.
Why this matters for players
- The top server is there because players put it there, not because it paid.
- Every server you see has been checked and is currently active.
- Vote counts reflect real player interest, not bot traffic.
- If a server turns bad, it comes off before it can waste your time.
Why this matters for server owners
- Ranking up means your server genuinely appealed to players.
- Traffic from here comes from people actively looking to play.
- Being listed alongside only quality servers helps your reputation.
- No server can buy its way above yours in the rankings.
A brief history
The RuneScape Classic protocol is reverse-engineered for the first time. The first private servers appear. RSPS.org is born.
Jagex adds code obfuscation to the client. Developers break through it within months. The arms race between protection and reverse-engineering begins.
RuneScape 2 launches with an entirely new 3D client. Developers immediately begin studying its protocol. The first single-player emulators appear the same year.
The first publicly distributed RS2 private server is released. It is barely playable but proves it is possible. Multiplayer follows within weeks.
The 317 protocol becomes the foundation every developer builds on. The first dedicated private server client launcher launches and the scene goes truly public.
A controversial update removes beloved features from the official game. Players leave in huge numbers and discover private servers for the first time. RSPS.org feels the rush before anyone else.
The first major legal campaign targets the largest servers. Several are forced to close. The community responds by distributing server code more widely, making the scene impossible to shut down entirely.
A new server framework built entirely from scratch raises the technical standard. Servers become more stable, more featured, and harder to run off a home computer.
A beginner-friendly open-source server base makes development accessible for the first time. Hundreds of new servers launch from it. The golden era of RSPS begins.
A fully modular plugin-based server framework arrives, pushing architecture quality higher. Community infrastructure matures around forums, toplists, and developer hubs.
A major combat overhaul alienates a huge portion of the official playerbase. Players flood private servers offering the old experience. RSPS.org sees its biggest surge in new listings to that point.
An official nostalgia server launches and hits over 85,000 concurrent players on day one, validating what private servers had been doing for a decade. The scene adapts and keeps growing.
Developers start building servers targeting nostalgia-era content. A third-party client project begins development quietly that will reshape expectations for everyone.
The official nostalgia server goes free to play, growing its audience fast. RSPS servers respond with custom content the official game will never add. Dedicated hosting replaces home servers.
A third-party client releases publicly and introduces plugin-based customisation. RSPS developers adapt it for private servers within months. The professional era begins.
Ironman mode becomes a standard feature on private servers. Raid-style group content follows shortly after. The content gap between official and private keeps shrinking.
A legal threat against the community client is resolved in six days after massive backlash. The episode shows how much players and private servers depend on shared open tooling.
The third-party client receives formal compliance approval. RSPS developers can now build on it openly. Client quality rises across the entire scene.
Pandemic lockdowns drive record player counts across the scene. Major servers hit their highest concurrent numbers ever. RSPS.org grows alongside them.
An HD rendering plugin six years in the making launches after a brief standoff. Private servers adopt it immediately. The scene looks better than it ever has.
The community client receives an official endorsement from the game it was built for. Private servers now run clients visually identical to the official product.
A wave of domain disputes targets the scene. Operators adapt, rebrand, and keep going. The community has survived this kind of pressure before.
The official game announces its own community server initiative. The private server scene, built over two decades without permission, is acknowledged as something worth replicating.
The official community server project is cancelled before launching a single server. The RSPS scene, which never needed official permission, keeps going.
The scene is bigger than ever. New servers launch every week and new players discover RSPS for the first time. RSPS.org is more popular than it has ever been.
Talk to us on Discord
Our Discord is where players share server recommendations, ask questions, and where server owners get listed. It is the fastest way to reach the team if something needs sorting.
- Get your server listed faster by opening a ticket
- Report a server that has gone bad
- Ask questions about vote callbacks or the API
- Connect with other players and server owners
Ready to find your next server?
Browse the full list. Every server ranked by real player votes.