Best FiveM Anticheat Scripts 2026: Free & Paid Protection Compared
Cheaters are the single biggest threat to any FiveM server. This guide breaks down how anticheat detection works, compares the top paid and free solutions, and helps you choose the right protection for your server size.
Every FiveM server owner eventually faces the same problem: cheaters. Whether it is a griefer teleporting into your PD with god mode, someone injecting a Lua executor to drain the server economy, or a clown hitting headshots from 500 meters through a wall, cheat abuse ruins roleplay and drives away legitimate players. A solid anticheat script is not optional — it is infrastructure.
This guide covers everything you need to know to protect your server in 2026: how modern cheating actually works, how detection systems catch it, a full comparison of the best paid and free anticheat solutions, and how to configure them without generating a flood of false positives.
Why FiveM Servers Get Targeted
Before you can defend against cheats, you need to understand what you are defending against. FiveM's architecture gives clients more control than traditional game servers, which creates specific attack surfaces.
Lua Executors
The most common exploit category. FiveM runs a Lua runtime client-side, and attackers use tools that inject code directly into that runtime. A Lua executor lets a cheater run arbitrary scripts — spawning vehicles, teleporting, manipulating their inventory, or calling server events as if they were a legitimate resource. Basic anticheats watch for unexpected native calls or event triggers from the client; more advanced ones monitor which resources are executing code.
Movement Hacks
Speedhacks, teleportation, and no-clip exploits let players move in ways the physics engine would not normally allow. Detection requires server-side position validation: tracking player velocity, comparing reported positions against expected movement, and flagging coordinates that no legitimate player could reach in a given timeframe. Simple checks are easy to bypass; behavioral analysis over time is much harder to game.
Combat Cheats
Aimbots, spinbots, recoil removers, and damage modifiers. Some of these operate entirely client-side and are difficult to catch via server validation. The most effective detection combines server-side damage sanity checks (was this player in a position to deal that damage?) with client-side file integrity checks (is the player running modified weapon metadata?).
Economy Exploits
Event injectors that trigger server-side economy events the attacker was never supposed to trigger. A player calling esx:addMoney or a QBCore money event directly from their client. This is less about traditional "anticheat" and more about proper server-side validation — but many anticheat scripts include event monitoring as part of their feature set.
How Anticheat Detection Works
Modern anticheat systems operate on multiple layers. No single method is reliable on its own.
Client-Side Monitoring
The anticheat runs a resource on the player's client that monitors the local environment. This includes:
- File integrity checks — comparing game files against known-good hashes to detect modified assets or injected DLLs
- Native call monitoring — watching for calls to natives that should never be triggered by legitimate gameplay
- Resource enumeration — detecting resources running on the client that are not whitelisted by the server
- Memory scanning — checking for known cheat signatures in process memory
Client-side checks have an inherent weakness: a sufficiently motivated attacker controls their own client. A cheat that spoofs or disables the monitoring resource can evade client-side detection entirely. This is why client-side checks are only one layer.
Server-Side Validation
The server validates what clients report. This includes:
- Position validation — is this player moving faster than the fastest vehicle? Did they teleport across the map between two ticks?
- Damage validation — did this player have line of sight? Were they within weapon range? Does the reported damage match the weapon's data?
- Event filtering — are clients triggering server events they should not have access to? Rate limiting suspicious event calls?
- Inventory sanity checks — did a player's cash balance increase by an impossible amount between two snapshots?
Server-side validation cannot be spoofed from the client side. If your server says a player cannot move faster than 150 km/h, no client-side manipulation changes that rule. The trade-off is performance: heavy server-side checks add overhead to every tick.
AI and Behavioral Analysis
The newest generation of anticheat systems moves beyond rule-based detection. Instead of asking "did this player do X?" they ask "does this player's behavior over the past 30 minutes look like a human or a bot?"
Behavioral profiles flag patterns that would never appear in legitimate play: perfectly consistent aim angles, movement that matches no human reaction curve, resource calls that follow automated scripts. These systems have higher infrastructure costs but catch cheats that rule-based systems miss entirely, particularly new exploits that haven't been added to signature databases yet.
Comparison Table
| Name | Price | Framework Support | Detection Type | Best For | |---|---|---|---|---| | WaveShield | $15–25/mo | ESX, QBCore, QBox, Standalone | AI behavioral + client + server | Large servers, premium RP | | FiniAC | ~$10/mo | ESX, QBCore, QBox | Client + server validation | Mid-size servers, good value | | FiveGuard | ~$8/mo | ESX, QBCore | Client + server | Small to mid-size servers | | RTX Anticheat | $12/mo | ESX, QBCore, Standalone | Client + server | General purpose | | PegasusAC | $10–18/mo | ESX, QBCore, QBox | Client + server + behavioral | Mid to large servers | | Electron AC | $8–15/mo | ESX, QBCore | Client + server | Budget-conscious servers | | FIREAC | Free (open source) | ESX, QBCore | Server-side + basic client | Small servers, tight budgets | | SecureServe-AC | Free | ESX, QBCore | Server-side validation | Starter protection | | Anticheese | Free | Standalone | Event filtering | Supplemental layer |
Top Paid Anticheat Solutions
WaveShield
WaveShield is the most widely deployed paid anticheat in the FiveM ecosystem, and for good reason. It runs multi-layer detection combining client-side monitoring, server-side validation, and an AI behavioral analysis engine that profiles players over time. The behavioral layer is what sets it apart from the competition — it can flag cheaters who are actively trying to evade detection by behaving "normally" most of the time.
Pricing sits at $15–25 per month depending on your server size and player slot count. The dashboard gives you real-time alerts, ban management, a shared global ban database (so cheaters banned on one WaveShield server carry that record to others), and detailed logs per player.
Framework support covers ESX, QBCore, QBox, and standalone configurations. Updates ship frequently. Customer support is responsive. If you are running a serious RP server with 50+ concurrent players, WaveShield is the industry standard for a reason.
Strengths: AI behavioral detection, global ban database, excellent logging, frequent updates Weaknesses: Higher cost, subscription-based so ongoing expense Best for: Large RP servers that cannot afford cheat-related reputation damage
FiniAC
FiniAC offers solid detection at a lower price point — roughly $10 per month — making it accessible to servers that cannot justify WaveShield's cost. Detection covers the standard client-side monitoring and server-side validation suite: movement checks, native call monitoring, event filtering, and damage validation.
What FiniAC does particularly well is low false positive rates. Its whitelist system is easy to configure and the defaults are sensible enough that most servers can deploy it without immediately triggering alerts on legitimate scripts. The configuration file is well-documented, and the developer maintains an active Discord for support.
It supports ESX, QBCore, and QBox out of the box, with community-contributed configs for less common frameworks.
Strengths: Good value, low false positives, easy configuration Weaknesses: No AI behavioral layer, smaller community than WaveShield Best for: Mid-size servers needing reliable protection without premium pricing
FiveGuard
FiveGuard targets the small-to-mid-size server segment. At around $8 per month, it covers the essential detection categories — movement validation, basic client monitoring, event filtering — without the advanced features of more expensive options. Installation is straightforward and configuration is minimal, which makes it a reasonable starting point for newer server owners.
Detection quality is adequate for catching the majority of public cheats, but sophisticated attackers using private tools may evade it more readily than they would WaveShield or FiniAC. For a server running under 48 players with a tight budget, it provides meaningful protection.
Strengths: Low price, easy setup, adequate baseline protection Weaknesses: Less effective against advanced private cheats Best for: Small servers, new server owners, budget-sensitive setups
RTX Anticheat
RTX Anticheat positions itself as a general-purpose solution at around $12 per month. It covers client-side file integrity, native monitoring, server-side position and damage validation, and event rate limiting. Framework support is broad, including a standalone mode that works without ESX or QBCore.
The configuration options are extensive, which is a double-edged sword: experienced administrators can tune it precisely, but the learning curve is steeper than FiniAC or FiveGuard. The developer community maintains a library of pre-built configs for common script combinations, which helps.
Strengths: Broad framework support, highly configurable, standalone compatibility Weaknesses: Configuration complexity, smaller user base Best for: Technically capable teams who want granular control
PegasusAC
PegasusAC occupies the middle ground between FiniAC and WaveShield in both price ($10–18/mo depending on tier) and feature depth. It includes a behavioral analysis component that, while not as mature as WaveShield's AI layer, goes beyond pure rule-based checks. Ban management is solid, including a community ban sharing system.
ESX, QBCore, and QBox support is included. Updates have been consistent. For servers in the 32–64 player range that want behavioral detection without paying for WaveShield, PegasusAC is worth evaluating.
Strengths: Behavioral analysis at mid-range pricing, community ban sharing Weaknesses: Behavioral layer less mature than WaveShield Best for: Mid to large servers seeking a WaveShield alternative
Electron AC
Electron AC is the budget pick in the paid segment, ranging from $8–15 per month. It covers client monitoring and server-side validation without behavioral analysis. Setup is minimal and the developer provides reasonable support. Detection catches common public cheats reliably.
If your server is small and you want paid anticheat without a significant monthly commitment, Electron AC is a defensible choice. Do not expect it to stop determined attackers using private tools, but for keeping the average grief-er out, it works.
Strengths: Low entry cost, simple setup Weaknesses: No behavioral analysis, limited against advanced cheats Best for: Small servers, testing environments, tight budgets
Best Free Anticheat Options
FIREAC
FIREAC is the most capable open-source anticheat available for FiveM. It is actively maintained on GitHub and covers server-side validation, basic client monitoring, event filtering, and movement checks. For a free resource, the detection quality is genuinely impressive.
The key limitation of FIREAC — and any open-source anticheat — is that the code is public. Cheat developers can study exactly how detection works and build around it. FIREAC catches public cheats reliably; it is not designed to catch private cheats developed specifically to evade it.
Configuration requires reading the documentation carefully. Default settings are conservative, which means you will see fewer false positives out of the box but may miss some cheats until you tune the thresholds. The community around FIREAC is active and produces regular updates as new exploits emerge.
For a new server or one operating on zero budget, FIREAC provides a meaningful baseline. You can find it and other free resources on our free mods section.
Strengths: Free, open source, actively maintained, genuine detection quality Weaknesses: Code is public (cheat devs can study it), requires tuning Best for: Small servers, server owners learning anticheat configuration
SecureServe-AC
SecureServe-AC focuses on server-side event validation and protection against the most common exploit vectors. It is lightweight, easy to install, and does not require significant configuration. It does not include client-side monitoring, so it functions more as an event firewall than a comprehensive anticheat.
Running SecureServe-AC alongside FIREAC gives you complementary coverage: FIREAC's broader detection plus SecureServe-AC's focused event protection. Using them together costs nothing and provides better coverage than either alone.
Strengths: Free, lightweight, easy setup, good event protection Weaknesses: No client-side monitoring, limited against movement hacks Best for: Supplemental event protection layer
Anticheese
Anticheese is a standalone event filtering resource with no framework dependency. It monitors and rate-limits server events, catching the most common event injection attacks. It does nothing for movement hacks or damage exploits, but it handles its specific use case — stopping event spammers — effectively.
Like SecureServe-AC, Anticheese works best as one layer in a stack rather than a standalone solution. If you are running a free anticheat setup, combine FIREAC + Anticheese for reasonable baseline protection.
Strengths: Free, standalone, no dependencies, focused event protection Weaknesses: Very limited scope Best for: Event injection protection as part of a free stack
What txAdmin and EasyAdmin Cannot Do
A persistent myth in the FiveM community is that txAdmin or EasyAdmin provides anticheat protection. This is false, and believing it leaves your server unprotected.
txAdmin is a server management panel. It handles server startup, monitoring, restarts, player management, and administrative tools for your server owner team. It does not monitor player behavior for cheats, does not validate movement or damage server-side, and does not detect Lua executors or modified clients. txAdmin is excellent at what it does — it is simply not an anticheat.
EasyAdmin is an in-game admin menu. It gives admins tools to spectate players, teleport, spawn items, ban accounts, and manage the server from within the game. It relies entirely on admins manually identifying and acting on suspected cheaters. Without an anticheat generating alerts, admins have no systematic way to find cheaters who are not obviously griefing in front of a staff member.
Neither tool replaces anticheat. They complement it: anticheat catches cheaters automatically, and admin tools let your staff act on those alerts. You need both.
How to Choose by Server Size
Under 32 Players
At this scale, your priorities are keeping costs low while having enough protection to maintain a good player experience. The free stack (FIREAC + SecureServe-AC) is a reasonable starting point. If you have any budget, FiveGuard or Electron AC at $8/month adds meaningfully more protection without breaking the bank.
At small player counts, you also have more capacity for manual moderation. Your admin team can realistically watch for suspicious behavior, review logs, and respond quickly. This partially compensates for less sophisticated automated detection.
32–64 Players
At this range, cheaters cause disproportionate disruption and manual moderation cannot keep up. A paid anticheat becomes much more justified. FiniAC or PegasusAC in this range give you solid automated detection, ban management, and reporting without the full WaveShield price tag.
Focus on configuring your chosen anticheat carefully for the scripts you run. Generic defaults cause false positives that frustrate legitimate players. Spend time on whitelist configuration during your setup phase.
64+ Players
At high concurrency, behavioral analysis pays off. Sophisticated cheaters who deliberately fly under rule-based detection thresholds get exposed by behavioral profiling over time. WaveShield's AI layer and global ban database are specifically valuable at this scale.
You also need robust ban management and logging. At 64+ players you will ban people regularly, and having detailed logs is essential both for ban appeals and for identifying cheat distribution patterns. Invest in a system that gives you good data, not just detection.
Avoiding False Positives
False positives — flagging legitimate players as cheaters — are the most operationally painful problem with anticheat deployment. A badly configured anticheat bans your best players and generates endless ban appeal tickets.
Whitelist Your Custom Scripts
Every script that triggers unusual natives or event patterns needs to be whitelisted in your anticheat config. Common culprits include:
- Custom vehicle scripts that modify handling flags or spawn natives in unusual sequences
- Admin tools that use god mode, teleport, or weapon spawn natives legitimately
- Economy systems with unusual event timing patterns
- Map editor resources that manipulate entity positions
Review the whitelisting documentation for your chosen anticheat and add every custom resource on your server before going live. This is tedious but non-negotiable.
Test in a Dev Environment First
Never deploy a new anticheat directly to production. Spin up a development server with the same resource stack and run your anticheat in logging-only mode (most paid solutions have a "monitor" mode that logs detections without banning). Play through your server's normal gameplay loops and review what gets flagged before enabling automatic bans.
Tune Thresholds Gradually
Default thresholds are designed for average servers. Your server is not average. Start with conservative thresholds (high tolerance for deviation), monitor the alert logs for a week, and tighten thresholds incrementally based on what you see. Sudden movement to very aggressive thresholds in a single change is how you accidentally ban 20 legitimate players in an afternoon.
Build a Ban Appeal Process
Even with perfect configuration, false positives will happen. Have a ban appeal system in place before you deploy anticheat. A Discord channel, a ticket system, or a web form — something that gives flagged players a way to contest their ban and gives your team a way to review the underlying anticheat logs. Players who get wrongly banned and have no recourse leave and tell others not to play on your server.
FAQ
Can anticheat stop all cheaters?
No. There is no anticheat that catches 100% of cheats 100% of the time. Private cheats developed specifically to evade a target anticheat often succeed, at least temporarily, until the anticheat developers update detection. The goal is to make cheating difficult and costly enough that most attackers move on to easier targets, and to catch the vast majority of common public cheats automatically.
Do I need a paid anticheat, or is free good enough?
It depends on your server's size and ambitions. For a small server under 32 players, the free stack (FIREAC + SecureServe-AC) is a legitimate starting point. For servers with 50+ concurrent players, a paying playerbase, or a reputation to protect, paid anticheat is a worthwhile investment. The $10–15/month cost is modest compared to the player retention damage a bad cheating episode causes.
Will anticheat slow down my server?
All anticheat adds some overhead. Client-side monitoring resources consume client CPU. Server-side validation adds tick processing cost. Well-designed systems minimize this overhead, and for most servers the performance impact is negligible compared to the protection benefit. If you are already at 90%+ server CPU usage, benchmark your chosen anticheat in a dev environment before deploying.
Can cheaters bypass anticheat by using a VPN?
VPN usage alone does not bypass anticheat — VPNs affect IP addresses, not the detection methods anticheats use. However, cheaters do use VPNs to circumvent IP bans after being caught. This is why hardware identifier bans (HWID bans) are superior to IP bans. Most paid anticheat solutions offer HWID banning. Free options typically rely on account bans, which are easier to evade.
Should I run multiple anticheat scripts at once?
Not if they are two full anticheat systems. Running WaveShield and FiniAC simultaneously will cause conflicts, duplicate bans, and performance problems. However, combining a primary anticheat with lightweight supplemental tools (like running FiniAC as your main AC alongside SecureServe-AC purely for event filtering) is reasonable, provided the tools are designed to coexist.
What happens if anticheat bans a legitimate player?
This is why you need a ban appeal process before you go live. Review the anticheat logs for the flagged player, understand what triggered the detection, and make a judgment call. If it is a false positive, unban them and adjust your whitelist configuration so it does not happen again. Transparent communication with the player about what happened goes a long way.
Does anticheat work against staff on your server?
It depends on configuration. Most anticheat systems let you whitelist specific Steam IDs or license identifiers as trusted admins who are exempt from certain checks. This makes sense for checks like god mode (which legitimate admins use) while still applying movement and damage validation to everyone. Configure admin exemptions carefully — a compromised staff account with full anticheat exemptions is a significant vulnerability.
How do I handle anticheat logs and data?
Treat anticheat logs as sensitive operational data. They contain player identifiers, detection timestamps, and sometimes gameplay behavior. Store them securely, define a retention period (30–90 days is typical), and limit access to senior staff. If your server operates under GDPR (European players), understand your obligations around storing player behavioral data.
Protecting your FiveM server from cheaters is an ongoing process, not a one-time setup. The cheat landscape evolves constantly as new exploits emerge and detection methods improve. Pick an anticheat that fits your server's size and budget, configure it carefully to minimize false positives, and keep it updated.
For premium scripts that work reliably alongside your anticheat setup, browse the VertexMods shop. For free resources including open-source anticheat options, check the free mods section. The right protection stack, properly configured, makes the difference between a server players trust and one they abandon the moment a cheater shows up.
