Which Minecraft Server Hosting is Best to use in 2024?
Server.pro
Server.pro offer free plans so its super easy to try
Apex Hosting
Apex Hosting offers dedicated servers for the Bedrock and Java versions of Minecraft
Hostinger
Hostinger has an easy-to-use control panel with good customer support.
Shockbyte
Customizable cost-effective plans starting from $2.50 with good hardware choices.
Top Minecraft hosting providers
Many gamers enjoy playing the popular video game called ‘Minecraft’. While it is really fun on its own, it can get boring and repetitive being in a vast world alone. That’s why many players decide to have more fun and play with friends. Although, you need a Minecraft server running, so your friends can join your world and share the fun. It can be quite a hustle creating a working Minecraft server, and you need some knowledge about ports and networks. Fortunately, there are a lot of websites that can provide you and your friends with powerful Minecraft server hosting, without all the complicated things. Here we will talk about a few websites and compare them so you can choose the best hosting service for yourself.
As you might expect, hosting a game server is not just challenging, but it also requires quite a lot of horsepower, as it is much more resource-hungry than typical applications. Fortunately, Minecraft isn’t a big resource hog, so you can easily host it on regular web servers that meet the minimum requirements.
Although we are talking about the most basic setup of Minecraft, it’s called Vanilla, the basic game with no additions or mods. For an installation like this, and an average number of users of up to 10 players, you can get by using the bare minimum with a VPS hosting service.
Minecraft Server Host Requirements
The requirements of storage space are not really a playing factor since we are not trying to store large amounts of data. Just make sure the storage is SSD-based so the server will be fast and lag-free.
However, if you want to add more content to the game with mods, and want to play with more people, and use Minecraft seeds, these basic requirements will not cut it. For such things, you will need a beefier setup, and you might want to look at hosting setups that provide the hardware needed. In cases like these, we would recommend a VPS hosting plan like Minecraft Villager Plan, which you can find on Hostinger. This plan includes 3GB of RAM, and it costs $12.95/month. As you can tell, the more players you want on your server, the more you’ll have to pay monthly.
So as a bare minimum, the requirements for a basic Vanilla Minecraft hosting in numbers:
1GB RAM
1 CPU Core
What specs do I need to host a Minecraft server?
As you can see, with the amount of hosting available, it can be quite hard to choose the correct one suitable for your needs.
Here are 6 things to look for in a Minecraft Server Hosting.
1. CPU: When hosting a large Minecraft Server, threading is king. Look for a server with a generous clock speed (higher will, of course, be better) and the most cores and threads. You’ll be much better off with a 2.4GHz octa-core than with a 3.5 GHz quad. When running a small server, that will be better, but as your server scales, you’ll notice that the server will begin to distribute among the threads (cores + virtual cores) for a better all-around experience.
2.RAM: If you’ve played Minecraft for more than a week, you know that it is a very ram-hungry game, both client-side and server-side. When buying any type of server, dedicated or virtualized, more ram is always better. Ram is usually the most direct correlation between the hardware and how many players you can comfortably allow. The smallest amount you’d want to use is typically no less than 1GB dedicated to the JavaVM (this is usually specified in your server’s startup file). Please be aware that this is not a hard limit and the JavaVM may allocate more ram dependent on the plugins being used and the number of players. It’s recommended to leave a buffer between the max ram and the available ram in the system. Over-allocation can make your server run badly.
3. Storage: Traditionally, space is king. However, a Minecraft server’s typical bottleneck is drive speed. If you want your server to be able to handle a large number of players, always use an SSD for the server OS and the working/running copy of the server files/world. For the sake of your budget, the most economical configuration is to store your world and server files on the SSD and use a typical SATA drive as the backup drive.
Another more optimal configuration is to use raid 1. Raid one is two drives of the same type that mirror the data between them. This means that if one drive fails, we can simply put in a new drive, and your server will copy the data from the good drive.
Depending on your world size, you may need anywhere from a 60GB SSD to 256GB to store a large server’s files.
4. OS: If you’re planning on running a large server, using Linux (preferably without a GUI) is a must. Otherwise, you’ll be sacrificing CPU, RAM, and disk on running the graphical user interface. While using Linux you’ll be squeezing up to 8x the performance out of your hardware by not using an OS such as Windows.
5. Price: The main factor in choosing a Minecraft Server Hosting is the pricing. You’ll have to consider how you’ll want to play that server. If you want more players, mods, and additions to your Minecraft server, and other useful things such as backups and easy plugin installs, the prices will only go up.
6. Uptime and Support: 100% Uptime guarantee means that someone is always watching the server’s operation. And given any potential points of failure and the cost of maintenance, this is the main reason many gamers opt to buy a server from a Minecraft Server Hosting, instead of running it themselves.
The other important factor is 24×7 support. The fact that you’ll need help to manage the server, or if some type of problem occurs, having 24×7 support is key.
How to start a Minecraft Server
Learn how to start a Minecraft server with the help of Hostinger.
Related Articles
For the record, it’s important to us that this site remain completely free and of the highest possible standard for you. To assist us in this endeavour, we’ve collaborated with some of the companies we endorse and will receive a commission if you purchase through our links. Here’s where you can find a complete list of our partners and our affiliate disclosure.
What is the Best Minecraft Server Host
1.
Shockbyte
Pros and Cons of Shockbyte:
- Shockbyte Pros:
- Relatively inexpensive hosting plans, which you can customize.
- 100% Uptime Guarantee
- Dedicated Video Game Server Hosting
- DDos protection
- 24/7 Support
- Shockbyte Cons:
- Inconsistent and unreliable customer service
- Difficult refund process
Key Features:
Shockbyte offers one of the most cost effective plans out there, and you can even customize the plans to fit your needs. You can set up a Minecraft server from Vanilla through to Forge. Customer Service is available throughout the day however, the support they provide is not always helpful and straightforward. Shockbyte also has a limited money-back program, meaning it’ll be hard to get your money back if you are unhappy with its services.
Pricing:
Shockbyte offers 12 plans from $2.50/mo which includes 1GB of RAM and 8+ players to $40/month which includes the best hardware including the fastest Nvme SSDs, DDos protection, Unlimited player slots, and locations from NA to EU.
Shockbyte review rating:
2.
Hostinger
Pros and Cons of Hostinger:
- Hostinger Pros:
- Very easy to set up, you don't need much knowledge, few clicks and your server will be running.
- Excellent Customer Support, they help you with everything, and they respond fast.
- 100% Uptime Guarantee
- Mod support on all packages
- DDos protection
- Hostinger Cons:
- Relatively expensive package prices compared to other Minecraft hosts
- Only available in 5 countries, latency may be an issue
Key Features:
Hostinger gives you a control panel through which you can easily install plug-ins and mods. Hostinger’s support team is available to answer any questions you may have, all their packages include Mod support, automatic backups, and DDoS protection. The only main drawback of Hostinger is that its availability is limited. They only operate Minecraft Servers in the United States, Lithuania, Singapore, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Because of this, people outside these 5 countries have to find a different options.
Pricing:
Hostinger offers 7 packages, from $6.95/mo to $77.99/mo each including different things. The most popular plan is the Villager plan clocking in at $9.95/mo with 3GB of RAM and 3 vCPU Hardware.
Hostinger review rating:
3.
Apex Hosting
Pros and Cons of Apex Hosting:
- Apex Hosting Pros:
- Really good customer service
- Very low latency thanks to their servers all around the world
- High levels of server control
- Plugin and mod support
- Apex Hosting Cons:
- No VPS access
- Only available language is English
- You won't get a dedicated IP address when you sign up
Key Features:
If you’re looking for full server control, Apex Hosting is one of your best choices. Offering dedicated servers for the Bedrock and Java versions of Minecraft, Apex stands out with plugin and mod support. It offers easy installation of both, with most being installable in a single click. Apex Hosting’s servers even allow you to upload custom maps and mini-games to your server.
Apex also has many servers around the world providing you with a low latency service.
Apex is still not perfect though, while they have low latency servers, superb customer service, and great server control, they lack some of the higher-end stuff like VPS access and dedicated IP.
Pricing:
Apex Hosting offers 7 plans starting at 2GB RAM and some modpacks for $9.99/month all the way to 10GB of RAM with all modpacks for $49.99/month
Apex Hosting review rating:
4.
Sparked Host
Pros and Cons of Sparked Host:
- Sparked Host Pros:
- Supports unlimited amount of mods and plugins
- 24/7 customer service
- Unlimited player slots
- Free DDos protection for all plans
- Sparked Host Cons:
- Refund may be hard to accomplish
- Not very user friendly interface
Key Features:
Sparked Host offers high performance Minecraft hosting with a wide range of customizations and control options.
In addition, they offer 24/7 support and three levels of service to fit all needs and budgets, starting for as little as $1/month.
Pricing:
Sparked Host offers hosting packages via three levels, Budget, Enterprise and Extreme, starting from $1/month for 1 GB of RAM, scaling up to 32 GB for $68/month.
Sparked Host review rating:
5.
Server.pro
Pros and Cons of Server.pro:
- Server.pro Pros:
- Free plans are available making it accessible to anyone and everyone
- Paid plans offer regular backups for your server and easy file management
- Completely lag-free gameplay thanks to the large amount of data centers
- Customized hostname
- Server.pro Cons:
- Poor customer support
- Occasional server shutdowns
Key Features:
Server.pro is a great way to get your first experience with a Minecraft server hosting as they offer free plans, although you won’t get far with these as they only offer 1GB of RAM and ads as you play. The paid plans are ranging from $5 to $40 per month. The plans offer lag-free gameplay, daily backups, a customized hostname, and a seamless file manager.
Pricing:
Server.pro offers Minecraft hosting all the way from totally free to 12 GB of RAM for $40/month with unlimited players and plugins.
Server.pro Host review rating:
6.
GGServers
Pros and Cons of GGServers:
- GGServers Pros:
- Modpack support
- Low latency, no lag
- Plenty of plans to choose from
- 9 server locations available
- GGServers Cons:
- Customer Support is not good
- Refund process is really poor
- Nvme SSD only available in the premium plan
Key Features:
Although It is a bit more expensive as other hostings, GGServers offers a great experience without any lag or latency whether you want to play Vanilla or a modpack. Thanks to their control panel, it is easy to use, you can setup a server in just a few minutes. You get a FTP protocol for file transfer, and even a MySQL database. The only downside is the customer service as it is very poor, and it’s possible you won’t get a refund if you are not happy with the service.
Pricing:
GGServers offers either Basic or Premium plans. The premium plans include a MySQL database and really fast Nvme SSD’s.
The basic plans go from $3.00/month for 1GB of RAM to $96.00/month for 32GB of RAM.
GGServers Host review rating:
7.
GameTeam
Pros and Cons of GameTeam:
- GameTeam Pros:
- Very low latency all around the world.
- Unlimited players
- Automated Backups
- 100% Uptime
- High Security
- Fast servers
- GameTeam Cons:
- Poor Customer Service
- No easy way to install modpacks, plugins
- Not a very user friendly interface
Key Features:
GameTeam is an affordable option for gamers who want fast servers with no lag, minimal latency and near-perfect uptime. They also offer DDos protection, and automated backups.
Pricing:
GameTeam offers server hosting packages starting at $3/month with 1 GB of RAM, scaling up to 32 GB for $96/month.
8.
ScalaCube
Pros and Cons of ScalaCube:
- ScalaCube Pros:
- Great value for money
- Easy to use and user friendly
- Good amount of server locations
- MySQL database
- DDos protection.
- Plugin and Mod support
- ScalaCube Cons:
- The free plan is limited to only 1 players
- Poor customer service, support tools limited
Key Features:
Scalacube support one-click installation of any modpack you may want, you can also create your own Minecraft launcher using custom forge servers. Another major advantage is the user friendly interface which is easily navigable, greatly layed out. Their customer service is great and they have a lag-free service.
Pricing:
For as low as $2.50 for the first month and $5 from then on – for a server that offers 768MB RAM and supports up to 10 players Scalacube promises affordable yet reliable Minecraft server hosting. Their middle price is at around $10/month which has 3GB of RAM and supports up to 40 players.
9.
HostHavoc
Pros and Cons of HostHavoc:
- HostHavoc Pros:
- Really high levels of security
- DDos protection
- Great customer service
- Automated backups
- Instant server activation.
- HostHavoc Cons:
- No direct support of plugins
- No dedicated IP
- Refund may be hard to obtain
Key Features:
HostHavoc was founded in 2013 and since then has grown to almost 100K users.
They offer great performance and 24/7 support at an affordable price and swear that their passion for their customers makes them stand apart from the competition.
Pricing:
HostHavoc offers Minecraft server hosting starting at $5/month with 1 GB of RAM scaling up to 16 GB for $80/month. All plans offer unlimited storage and unlimited player slots.
10.
Nodecraft
Pros and Cons of Nodecraft:
- Nodecraft Pros:
- One-click installs for Vanilla Minecraft and modpacks
- Full DDos protection
- Loads of modpacks to choose from
- User friendly control panel
- Nodecraft Cons:
- Not very budget friendly
- No Uptime Guarantee
- Poor Customer Service
Key Features:
NodeCraft is a rapidly growing startup, comprised of gamers, programmers and designers.
Their main advantage is that their platform is built on leading-edge custom technology and does not rely on lower-cost off-the-shelf products that many of its competitors use.
Nodecraft also hosts servers for other popular games, like Rust.
Pricing:
NodeCraft offers hosting plans starting at $9.98/month (first month $6.49) for 4 GB of RAM scaling up to 16 GB for $39.98/month (first month $25.99).
11.
Aternos
Pros and Cons of Aternos:
- Aternos Pros:
- Completely free forever
- It's very easy to customize and upload worlds
- Compatible with several free mods and plugins, and It's also easy to put these in your server.
- Aternos Cons:
- RAM is capped at 1.7GB with no option to increase it.
- The maximum number of players is capped at 20 guests.
- Not compatible with all mods and plugins.
Key Features:
Aternos is great for people who have a low budget, and don’t want to spend money monthly on a Minecraft Server. Although, it is great that it is, and will be free forever, with Aternos you won’t be able to build a large server as it only offers a limited amount of players, capped at 20, and also only 1.7GB of RAM. The mods and plugins you can get on Aternos are all free and a one-click install. It is without a doubt a great way to experience running a server, before considering switching to a paid hosting.
Pricing:
Aternos offers completely free servers forever to anyone, all you have to do is sign up.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Minecraft server hosting?
Minecraft server hosting means creating and hosting a Minecraft server that anyone can join. Whether you want to play with friends or want to build a large community with a big player number, you will have to host a Minecraft Server. Although you can host these by yourself, that requires quite a lot of computer power, good internet, and knowledge, because hosting your own server at home is really hard. That’s why there are services called hosting where you pay a monthly fee, they will set up your server and you won’t have to worry about all the complicated stuff.
Is hosting a Minecraft server free?
There are two ways you can host a Minecraft server for free. You either take the time to host your own server at home which requires powerful hardware, a really good connection, and a lot of effort, or you can find a hosting that offers a free plan. For example, Aternos is one of them. You can get a free server hosted there with minimum effort quickly. Although keep in mind that these options will never be as good as a server with a monthly free. As these are limited in hardware, features, and player slots.
How much ram do I need for a Minecraft server?
If we are talking about the most basic Vanilla Minecraft without any mods and a few players, a RAM of 1GB is the minimum, although as you start adding mods, plugins, and more players, this will have to increase significantly.
How much does it cost to host a Minecraft server?
Anywhere from $0 to $90+/month. This depends on your needs. The more mods, players, and features you want the higher the price will get, not even talking about all the other important things such as connection, latency, and protection.
What is the best free Minecraft server host?
The best free Minecraft server hosting in our opinion is Aternos. They offer free servers forever and although the horsepower and the player slot is limited, you can easily set one up anytime, upload your own world, and install mods, plugins with just a few clicks. They also use SSD storage, and you can backup your server files.
What Minecraft server hosting is the best?
Hostinger is our top pick as a Minecraft hosting for a number of reasons. First and foremost is that it is extremely rare to find a host that offers plans specially built to cater for Minecraft. With Hostinger you can launch a server in just a couple of minutes. They also provide great customer service, easy server management, MySQL database and DDos protection. You can get started with the Villager plan which is the most popular on Hostinger, clocking in at $9.95/mo with 3GB of RAM, 3 vCPU Hardware, Full Root Access, Mod support, Automatic Backups and a 99.99% Uptime Guarantee.
Errors
Hostinger gives you a control panel through which you can easily install plug-ins and mods. Hostinger’s support team is available to answer any questions you may have, all their packages include Mod support, automatic backups and DDos protection, and all with 99.99% Uptime Guarantee. The only main drawback of Hostinger is that it's availability is limited. They only operate Minecraft Servers in the United States, Lithuania, Singapore, Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Because of this, people outside these 5 countries have to find a different option.
