Best Minecraft server hosting in 2024

PRICE
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
Best Minecraft server hosting providers: Hostinger, ScalaHosting, Apex Hosting, Shockbyte and BisectHosting logo on a desktop with the Minecraft game background
(Image credit: Future)
Best Minecraft hosting: Quick menu

1. Best overall: Shockbyte
2. Best out-of-the-box : Hostinger
3. Best for hardcore gamers: Scalahosting
- Best Plans up to $10 -
4. Best new host on the block: InMotion Hosting
5. Best on a budget: ScalaCube
6. Best for speed: Apex
- Best plans up to $20 -
7. Best for add-ons: MCPro Hosting
8. Best for flexibility: BisectHosting
9. Best for switching between games: Nodecraft
- Best plans up to $30 -
10. Best for easy management: GG Servers
11. Best for beginners: Minecraft Hosting Pro
- Best plans over $30 -

Opting for the best Minecraft server hosting brings many benefits to your gaming experience. The top providers deliver unparalleled reliability with no interruptions to your gaming sessions. On top of that, you get much-needed security, better performance, and bundled Modpacks that make your multiplayer experience so much better.

While the best dedicated server hosting will let you play Minecraft in multiplayer,  a suboptimal choice could expose your IP address to a third party and lead to security risks. In this guide, we've taken full account of your safety, ensuring a secure and enjoyable gaming experience. As expected, all the big names in the Minecraft server hosting business are represented and some new contenders have shown up this year too.

When it comes to bang for your buck, it's not just about RAM. Other factors like bandwidth, storage, and vCPUs need to be taken into account too. Some providers are completely transparent with what you get while others will only tell you how many player slots they recommend (or limit) for each plan. We've included a few handy tables to help you make an informed decision at each price point.


Reader offer: Get up to 60% on VPS hosting with Hostinger

<a href="https://www.hostg.xyz/aff_c?offer_id=61&aff_id=1631&url_id=3273&aff_sub=minecraft" data-link-merchant="hostg.xyz"" target="_blank">Reader offer: Get up to 60% on VPS hosting with Hostinger

Enjoy a host of benefits with Hostinger's plans - dedicated IP shields from DDoS attacks, automated backups for easy restores, ensuring uninterrupted gaming regardless of your configuration. Level up your gaming journey with Hostinger today.

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To pick the very best Minecraft server hosting right now, we tested all the top providers for speed, DDoS protection, mod support, security, reliability and uptime guarantee: read on to find the best Minecraft hosting deals for you.

Top 3 Best Minecraft server hosting deals in 2024

Shockbyte Shockbyte

<a href="https://shockbyte.com/billing/aff.php?aff=6583&promocode=TECHRADAR" data-link-merchant="shockbyte.com"" rel="nofollow">Best for beginners: Shockbyte
Shockbyte is offering TechRadar readers an exclusive offer of 26% off the first month on all Minecraft server hosting plans. If all you need is 8 player slots, Shockbyte’s Dirt plan offers that plus DDoS protection and unlimited bandwidth and disk space.  

Best for elite gamers: ScalaHosting

<a href="https://www.scalahosting.com/minecraft-vps.html#5f50ee0e05dfe&data1=hawk-custom-tracking" data-link-merchant="scalahosting.com"" rel="nofollow">Best for elite gamers: ScalaHosting
You can rent a pre-built Minecraft server or you can set it up yourself on ScalaHosting's VPS hosting solution. ScalaHosting offers significantly faster load times, unlimited bandwidth, and a robust cybersecurity solution.

Hostinger

<a href="https://www.hostg.xyz/aff_c?offer_id=61&aff_id=1631&url_id=2445" data-link-merchant="hostg.xyz"" rel="nofollow">Best bang for buck: Hostinger
With Hostinger game panel, you can launch your dedicated Minecraft VPS server in just five minutes. Buy a 4-year VPS Alex plan for $6.99 per month that includes 4GB RAM, 1 vCPU, and a dedicated IP.

Best Minecraft server hosting services 2024 in full

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Best Minecraft host overall

(Image credit: Shockbyte)
Minecraft hosting from a specialist game server provider

Specifications

DDoS protection: Yes
MySQL Databases: Yes
RAM: Up to 16GB
vCPU: Up to 6

Reasons to buy

+
Specialist game server provider
+
100% uptime guarantee
+
Powerful high-end plans

Reasons to avoid

-
Customer support needs some improvement
-
Money-back guarantee only lasts 24 days

Shockbyte have specialized servers and support for various games like Minecraft, Ark: Survival Evolved, Rust, Arma 3, and several others. So, it's no surprise that Shockbyte is one of the best options for Minecraft enthusiasts. 

The service immediately caught our eye for its wide range of plans. While many providers give you three or four options to choose from, Shockbyte offers no less than 13. These start at only $2.50 a month for a 1GB RAM plan with 8 recommended slots, to a monster 32GB product that can handle 640 slots for a still-reasonable $80 a month.

We like to see providers offer a strong set of default features across every plan, and Shockbyte doesn't disappoint. Even the cheapest plans come with DDoS protection, unlimited bandwidth and NVMe storage, automated instant setup, a free subdomain, a 100% network uptime guarantee and 24/7 support. 

Shockbyte has an established reputation in Minecraft hosting and it's easy to see why. The service offers up-to-date Java Edition and Bedrock Edition support for all server versions and types (Spigot, CraftBukkit, Forge, Sponge, BungeeCord, Fabric, Vanilla, and more).

This all translates to a slick multiplayer gaming experience for all levels of user. And even if your needs change in future, it's not a problem: Shockbyte allows you to update your service at any time, and can even customize a plan to ensure your requirements are met.

Read our Shockbyte review

Best out-of-the-box Minecraft server

A top choice Minecraft server host

Specifications

DDoS protection: Yes
MySQL Databases: Yes
RAM: Up to 8GB
vCPU: Up to 8

Reasons to buy

+
Instant setup
+
Great support
+
Easy server management

Reasons to avoid

-
Doesn’t offer dedicated hosting
-
VPS plans not customizable

Hostinger is well known as one of the best web hosting services out there, but it doesn't just have the standard shared hosting and VPS offerings: there are some very capable and low cost Minecraft server hosting plans, too. You might not find the plans on their main page but they do exist.

We love Hostinger's mix of power and ease of use. There are all kinds of Minecraft Java Editions and server types available (Java 8, 11, 15, 16; Official, CraftBukkit, Spigot, Paper, Purpur, Forge and many more), yet the well-designed Game Panel means you can have your server set up and ready-to-go in barely 5-10 minutes after purchase.

Whatever game configuration you use, Hostinger's plans deliver a lot of under-the-hood benefits. We were happy to see all plans come with a dedicated IP, protecting your server from DDoS attacks, while automated backups make it easy to restore your setup if anything goes wrong.

But there's also plenty of fine-tuned control if you need it. Most server types come with automatic mod and plugin installers, for instance, but with full control over the server, we had no problem manually installing mods from File Manager.

All this can be yours for only $6.99 a month on the annual plan for a 1 core, 4GB RAM and 2TB bandwidth setup, in your choice of Hostinger's US, Lithuania or Netherlands data centers. But a couple of other products offer even more power, and the VPS Enderman plan includes 16GB RAM, 4 cores and 8TB bandwidth for only $29.99 a month.

Read our Hostinger review

Best for simple setup & server management

Screenshot of ScalaHosting's Minecraft server hosting homepage

(Image credit: ScalaHosting)
Look no further for those top-end plans

Specifications

DDoS protection: No
MySQL Databases: Yes
RAM: Up to 32GB
vCPU: Up to 8

Reasons to buy

+
Huge product range
+
Limitless scalability
+
Highly configurable VPS plans

Reasons to avoid

-
Average sharing hosting speeds during testing
-
Minimal content on the support site

Minecraft servers that are cheap are often limited due to low-spec technology that can handle the Minecraft basics, but not much else.

ScalaHosting's Minecraft plans do things differently. They're not stripped back or underpowered in any way: they're full-strength VPS packages which deliver everything you need for a Minecraft server, but can be used for other tasks, too.

This means you get all the Minecraft goodies you'd expect, and more: support for all server types and mod packs, automated installation and backups, 'Region Fixer' integration to automatically repair your world, and more.

We were impressed to see that you can also use your VPS to host a website for your server (or any other purpose), to create email accounts, and just generally use it for all-purpose web hosting.

You can even combine the two approaches, create multiple hosting accounts on a single VPS, and give each one their own Minecraft server. ScalaHosting suggests you could use that feature to make money, by effectively reselling its Minecraft servers to friends or family.

We think ScalaHosting's system specs are excellent, with even the starter plan offering two cores, 4GB RAM, 4TB bandwidth, a dedicated IP, 1Gbps connection and more.

The catch? All this power comes at a high price, at least compared to the budget competition, with even the starter plan priced from $61.95 a month. That's enough to rule out the service for many people, but if you need this level of power and configurability, we think ScalaHosting is a must for your shortlist.

Read our ScalaHosting review

Best plans up to $10

Swipe to scroll horizontally
ProviderPlanRAMvCPUBandwidthDiskspaceSlotsCost
ShockbyteIron 4UnspecifiedUnlimitedUnlimited40$10.00
Apex2GB RAM2UnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecified$9.99
BisectHostingBudget Plan 3GB3UnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecified$8.97
NodecraftKeelo4UnspecifiedUnspecified20GB + 40 CloudUnspecified$9.99

Best new Minecraft host on the block

Inmotion hosting logo

(Image credit: Inmotion)

4. InMotion Hosting

Best new hosts on the block

Specifications

DDoS protection: No
MySQL Databases: Yes
RAM: Up to 32GB
vCPU: Up to 8

Reasons to buy

+
Reputable host
+
Easily add resources
+
Helpful guides

Reasons to avoid

-
Only US servers

By all means, InMotion Hosting are not new to the hosting world but they are new when it comes to hosting Minecraft worlds. Don't let that put you off though because they've got 20+ years of hosting experience and help pages for Minecraft like they've been doing it for a decade.

Minecraft hosting from InMotion Hosting has everything you need for a custom Minecraft server. You can run any server version, whatever plugin you like, and your pick of Modpacks. This choice is often a double-edged sword. On the one side, you have more flexibility, but on the other, it can be hard to understand what you need for what you want. 

InMotion Hosting make choosing a plan easy by providing a RAM recommendation guide right at the top of their list of options. The guide acts as a cheat sheet with the baseline recommendations for each Modpack. If you need to add more resources later, you can, and there are also some FAQs on the page to help you make a decision. 

InMotion Hosting use premium hardware on their servers like NVMe SSD storage and Intel Xeon CPUs for the best Minecraft hosting performance. In addition,  the servers are located in data centers positioned at internet exchange points (IXPs) and are supported by redundant Tier1 internet service providers. This provides super fast connections and the lowest latency possible. 

Read our InMotion Hosting review

Best Minecraft server hosting on a budget

(Image credit: ScalaCube)
An affordable choice if you're working to a budget

Specifications

DDoS protection: Yes
MySQL Databases: Yes
RAM: Up to 16GB
vCPU: Up to 16

Reasons to buy

+
Impressive value for money
+
Easy to use
+
Plenty of server locations

Reasons to avoid

-
Free plan is limited to 1 player slot
-
Support tools limited to online ticket service

ScalaCube offers ultra-affordable and reliable server hosting for Minecraft, with the price starting at $2 for the first month and after that $4 per month. This particular server supports up to 10 players and is a bit underpowered with just 768MB RAM. Still, it doesn't seem fair to complain at this price, and if nothing else, it's a low-cost way to explore the Minecraft management basics and see just what you can do.

One-click installation for any modpack you might use is supported, and what’s more, you can use custom forge servers to create your own Minecraft launcher. This is advantageous since with just a few clicks you can configure your server settings.

We gave ScalaCube high marks for its intuitive and user-friendly interface, its stability, excellent support team and lag-free service. ScalaCube also offers BungeeCord and modpack support, full file access, free MySQL, a backup system, a website/forum, and more besides.

You get a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and unlimited slots within servers are available to optimize your gaming experience. It also helps that there’s a good selection of server locations across the US and UK, Europe, Asia and Australia.

When it comes to choosing your Minecraft game server, ScalaCube offers a wide variety of options including Forge, Snapshot, ATLauncher, FTB, Void’s Wrath, Cauldron, Bukkit, PaperMC, Spigot and a lot more.

Read our ScalaCube review

Best lag-free Minecraft server hosting

(Image credit: Apex Hosting)
Great for lag-free servers with high quality support

Specifications

DDoS protection: Yes
MySQL Databases: Yes
RAM: Up to 16GB
vCPU: Up to 16

Reasons to buy

+
Lots of server choices
+
High level of control
+
Automated backups

Reasons to avoid

-
“Unlimited player slots” are actually limited
-
There are cheaper options on the market

Does the convenience of installing and playing your modpack of choice with just one click sound tempting? Apex Hosting has made that possible, and from plugins to mods, to even mini-games and maps, this provider makes Minecraft hosting an easy task. 

Additional advantages for this provider include well distributed servers, and we were impressed to see no less than 16 hosting locations spread around the globe. These include the US, Canada, Brazil, the UK, Turkey, Germany, France, Israel, Japan, Singapore, and Australia, ensuring low-latency gaming for the maximum possible number of gamers.

One of the main reasons Apex is preferred by a lot of Minecraft enthusiasts is probably the full server control it gives, along with world class support, fast connections, and tons of server version options. Apex Hosting’s automated backups are another attraction in terms of safety for your files, too.

The lag-free servers of Apex Hosting have helped this provider make quite a name for itself. It also helps that these servers are fully protected and provide a simple and easy-to-navigate control panel for users, along with quality help and the likes of video tutorials for novices (as well as 24/7 customer support if you get stuck with anything).

Read our Apex Hosting review

Best plans up to $20

Swipe to scroll horizontally
ProviderPlanRAMvCPUBandwidthDiskspaceSlotsCost
ShockbyteEmerald8UnspecifiedUnlimitedUnlimited80$20.00
Apex4GB RAM4UnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecified$19.99
ScalaCubeMinecraft 3G3UnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecified$20.00
HostingerVPS Creeper824TB80GB NVMeUnspecified$19.99
BisectHostingBudget Plan 6GB6UnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecified$17.94
NodecraftOmega8UnspecifiedUnspecified40GB + 80 CloudUnspecified$19.99

Best Minecraft server hosting service for add-ons

MCProHosting Artistic Logo

(Image credit: MCProHosting)
A top pick if you want more service add-ons

Specifications

DDoS Protection: Yes
MySQL Databases: Yes
RAM: Up to 16GB
vCPU: 16

Reasons to buy

+
22 server locations across six continents
+
No upload limits
+
99.9% uptime
+
Very powerful servers

Reasons to avoid

-
Pricier than other providers
-
Add-ons can become quite expensive

MCProHosting has been in the hosting business since 2011. The company has 22 server locations spread out on 6 continents and offers real-time mitigation thanks to a partnership with Cloudflare Spectrum. Other features include multiple traffic routes, over 37tbps (37,000 gbps) of mitigation bandwidth and latency reduction by up to 17%. All of this costs $8.99 per month.

In our tests, the service performed very well, and what really got our attention is the time machine feature that enables automatic backups for the server every hour. In addition, from the control panel, we could download all automatic backups, and hourly backups last for 72 hours.

MCProHosting also offers server management services should you need assistance or not want to manage your own Minecraft server. The Express plan comes with 20 mods and 25 plugin setups for $7.99 per month, the Premium plan comes with 50 mods, 35 plugin setups and unlimited slots.

There's also Ultimate and Extreme packages that give you 100 or 150 mods, 45 or 60 plugin setups, unlimited slots and discord support. The Extreme plan is the only package that offers extra GB RAM.

We found the dashboard to be clear and relatively easy to use, with all the features in tabs on the left-hand side for easy access to add-ons and features included in the package we chose.

The Minecraft server hosting provider also offers 24/7 customer support via a ticketed live chat feature on the website, guarantees 99.9% uptime, and its secure payment system runs on a secure SSL-encrypted connection. 

Read our full MCProHosting review

Best flexible Minecraft server hosting

(Image credit: BisectHosting)
Flexible options to fit your needs

Specifications

DDoS protection: Yes
MySQL Databases: Yes
RAM: Up to 48GB
vCPU: Up to 16

Reasons to buy

+
Flexible options
+
Solid wallet-friendly plans
+
DDoS protection

Reasons to avoid

-
No dedicated IP with “Budget” packages
-
No telephone support

BisectHosting server hosting for Minecraft has always been about ease of use and low-cost. It helps that the founders have direct experience in owning servers both in the present and in the past. As such, no matter the size of your multiplayer community, small or big, Bisect has got your back with unlimited player slots.

We're impressed by BisectHosting's flexibility in Minecraft server hosting with budget and premium packages offering from 1GB up to 48GB of RAM (starting at $7.99 per month for premium and $2.99 for budget plans). Bisect Hosting provides easy setup, unlimited slots as mentioned (in premium packages), free MySQL, free subdomains, modpack updates and more, making this provider an attractive choice. 

Budget and premium package options allow you to pick the necessary features tailored to your exact needs, and 24/7 support will ensure you get all the help you might need. 

With multiple server locations across the globe, you’ve got some good options for ensuring latency is kept to a minimum. Those servers are strategically placed around the US (in California, Florida, Texas, Oregon and New York), as well as in the UK, France, Poland, Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, Singapore and Canada. It’s also worth noting that your server is safe from DDoS attacks at no additional cost. 

Read our BisectHosting review

Best Minecraft hosting if you play other games

Website dashboard screenshot of Nodecraft Minecraft hosting homepage

(Image credit: Nodecraft)
Ideal if you play a wide library of games

Specifications

DDoS Protection: Yes
MySQL Databases: Yes
RAM: Up to 8GB
vCPU: N/A

Reasons to buy

+
Servers all around the globe
+
Unlimited player slots
+
Ability to switch to game servers

Reasons to avoid

-
High end plan not that powerful as some of the others
-
Short money back guarantee time (7-days)

Founded in 2012, Nodecraft is a US-based company that offers server hosting services for various games, Minecraft included. Nodecraft has servers in 12 countries spread out across 5 continents.

All the plans, even the beginner offering have no player limit, allowing for unlimited player slots. Setting the server up is hassle-free and very fast with Nodecraft's instant setup ability. If you play any other games or plan to, a very interesting feature called save&swap is available that lets you switch to a different game server while simultaneously saving your progress on the current one you’re playing.

As for the Minecraft offering, Nodecraft has four plans, with the cheapest starting at $9.98 per month. This will get you 2GB RAM, 10GB SSD storage, 20GB cloud backup, and 5 save&swap servers. All four plans have DDoS protection and free subdomain and dedicated IP.

All in all, we think Nodecraft is a good choice for Minecraft and gaming enthusiasts, and their servers are powerful enough for players to have a lag-free experience. There’s a free trial too with no credit card required, so you can try it out before you commit.

Read our full Nodecraft review

Best plans up to $30

Swipe to scroll horizontally
ProviderPlanRAMvCPUBandwidthDiskspaceSlotsCost
ShockbyteZeus12UnspecifiedUnlimitedUnlimited200+$30.00
Apex6GB RAM6UnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecified$29.99
ScalaCubeMinecraft 6GUnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecified$26.00
MCProHostingWitch4UnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecified70$22.99
BisectHostingPremium Plan 6GB6UnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecified$29.94
Row 6 - Cell 0 Row 6 - Cell 1 Row 6 - Cell 2 Row 6 - Cell 3 Row 6 - Cell 4 Row 6 - Cell 5 Row 6 - Cell 6 Row 6 - Cell 7

Best for easy server management

GG Servers Minecraft hosting website homepage screenshot

(Image credit: GG Servers)
Make it easy on yourself

Specifications

DDoS Protection: Yes
MySQL Databases: Yes
RAM: Up to 32GB
vCPU: N/A

Reasons to buy

+
Plan variety
+
Easy server management
+
Powerful CPU

Reasons to avoid

-
Have to pay extra for MySQL and additional locations
-
Unlimited databases are only in premium plans

GG Servers is a Canadian hosting provider that specializes in game servers. The provider has 9 server locations around the globe, spread out in Canada, the US, the UK, Finland, Germany, France, Singapore, and Australia.

GG Servers gives you the option to choose between standard and premium servers, the difference being that the premium servers have faster RAM and CPU as well as access to all locations. Also, if you choose standard you’ll have to pay extra for MySQL database, and unlimited slots, whereas if you go premium that’s already included.

The Minecraft hosting plans have a lot of variety, going from 1GB RAM to 32 GB RAM. The beginner 1GB RAM plan, called Stone, is priced at $3 per month ($6 per month if you go premium) and has 12 player slots, while the high-end Beacon plan is priced at $96 per month ($192 per month for premium). This gets you 32GB RAM and the ability to choose your own player slots.

All servers come with 480 Gbps DDoS protection, in addition to having the option to instantly activate them, in a matter of seconds. You’ll be managing the server, including the chat & server logs, using the company’s own Multicraft control panel, which is easy to get a hang of, even if you’re a beginner.

Both Java and Bedrock Edition are supported. The company also offers 24/7 support, and you can ask for a refund, but only within 24 hours.

Read our full GG Servers review

Best Minecraft server hosting for beginners

A screenshot of Minecraft Hosting Pro's website homepage

(Image credit: Minecraft Hosting Pro)
Best for noobs

Specifications

DDoS Protection: Yes
MySQL Databases: Yes
RAM: Up to 20GB
vCPU: N/A

Reasons to buy

+
Free server
+
Powerful hardware
+
Unlimited player slots and unmetered storage

Reasons to avoid

-
No servers in Asia
-
No clear option to change the pricing from euros to other currencies 

As the name applies, Minecraft Hosting Pro is a specialized Minecraft server provider, offering only hosting services for that game so you can expect some nice features. The company doesn’t have as many server locations as some of the other providers but it should still suffice for most users. There are 6 locations, 4 in the US, and one in Europe and Australia.

All servers have DDoS protection, automatic backups, unmetered storage, a 100 MB MySQL database, and instant setup, meaning you can get it running in a few seconds. In addition, all servers have a 99.9% availability and you get a free domain and subdomain.

The offering starts at $9 per month, $7.20 per month if you choose the yearly payment. This will get you 3GB RAM, unlimited player slots, and a Ryzen 3900X CPU with 2 cores. You can have the 6-core version if you pay an extra $7.5. You can also pay extra for automated tasks, custom domains, and advanced backups. In addition, the provider has a free server as well, which you can use for 10 days, giving you the option to test the service out.

Minecraft Hosting Pro servers are low-latency with dedicated 24/7 support via tickets. Their own server hosting control panel is intuitive and user-friendly so even if you’re a newbie you shouldn’t have much trouble figuring things out.

Read our full Minecraft Hosting Pro review

Best plans over $30

Swipe to scroll horizontally
ProviderPlanRAMvCPUBandwidthDiskspaceSlotsCost
ScalahostingSlime825TB160GBUnspecified$89.95
Apex8GB RAM8UnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecified$39.99
ScalaCubeMinecraft 16G16UnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecified96$300
HostingerVPS Enderman1648TB120GB NVMeUnspecified$39.99
MCProHostingEnter Dragon32UnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecified$.99.99
BisectHostingPremium Plan 20GB20UnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecifiedUnspecified$99.80

Best Minecraft server hosting: FAQs

What is a Minecraft server?

If you’ve ever played Minecraft, you’ll know that the multiplayer mode makes it a more worthwhile and enjoyable game, enriching the experience considerably. After all, one of the many skills that Minecraft can help you develop is teamwork. 

A Minecraft server is basically a private network that anyone can create, making it possible for other people to join if they wish to play in multiplayer. Owners can control who gets to join via simple restrictions such as an IP or username. There are additional settings and commands too, for example, rules, PVP mode, limiting the number of players, and several more. 

Minecraft servers require hardware to run on, of course, so entail an expense in that regard – and if you’re going the hosting route, that means a fee to rent the actual hardware required.

What's the minimum requirement for a Minecraft server?

The minimum recommended RAM for running a Minecraft server used to be 2 GB. However, with the addition of new biomes, mobs, and other features along the way, this has increased to 4 GB or more for a server with a moderate number of players. 

This is especially true for newer versions of Minecraft, such as 1.16 and later, which have added even more content and features with larger-scale moves like the Nether update, Caves and Cliffs update, The Wild update, and more. 

For larger servers with many players and a large world, the recommended RAM can now be 8 GB or more, depending on the size and complexity of the server. Beyond this, modded Minecraft servers typically require even more RAM than vanilla servers. 

This is because mods can entirely redesign or introduce massive features to the game, which can significantly increase the memory usage of the server. As a result, modded Minecraft servers often require at least 8 GB or more of RAM, with some reaching 16 GB and beyond.

This steady growth is made all the more complicated by Minecraft’s optimization issues when it comes to multi-thread performance, though this has been improved over time by mod and plugin developers.

How will things change with Minecraft 1.20?

The next major update in line, as it stands, seems a bit bare-bones in comparison to the last handful of major game updates. This means it will have less of an impact on the server hosting economy, at least in its current form. Should the update introduce more new gameplay features like Archaeology, technical requirements minimum and beyond will continue to grow, and it will be more important than ever to choose a server hosting service that’s capable of standing up to this process. 

Minecraft gaming image of a cow and pig in a digital field with a house behind

(Image credit: Mojang)

Minecraft server hosting pros and cons

You can think of a Minecraft server as your personal space in the game where you control things such as who gets to play with you. While you can set one up using your PC, it requires quite a bit of knowledge around technology and networking. 

Lacking those skills, setting up a server would be a nightmare, in more ways than one, starting from the fact that you’ll leave yourself very vulnerable and susceptible to breaches and hacker attacks.

Security isn’t the only issue, your bandwidth would suffer too, to what extent would depend on your internet connection you have where you live.

Those are the reasons why many people don’t want to bother with installing and maintaining a Minecraft server. Instead, they pick a hosting company to do the work.

This kind of game server hosting is much like hosting a website. In web hosting, a third-party manages the website’s file storage including images, videos and the like. The web host rents out the server hardware on which the website is run – and without that hardware, the site obviously wouldn’t exist. 

Game server hosting is pretty much identical, and as with web hosting, renting out a server will necessitate a monthly payment. At this point, you’re probably wondering, does the cost justify this kind of service?

Let’s look at some pros and cons of running your own Minecraft server via a hosting company, starting with the advantages:

Tighter security and privacy. As you may have heard a couple of hundred times, joining public IPs (third-party Minecraft servers) may increase the risk of your data being pilfered somehow. Running the server yourself can have obvious benefits in terms of keeping security in check.

Install one modpack after another, because why not? Switching is made easier, and with tons of modpacks made available in your private Minecraft server, who’s to stop you from making your experience as optimized as you want?

The potential to generate income. Okay, so this might be a long shot, but if you can set the slim odds aside and believe that it is a possibility after all, this might be a good reason to start investing in a Minecraft server. As a rule of thumb, keeping the server afloat with merely the (expected) donations is not advisable – aim higher, if you can. Successful Minecraft servers are able to start generating profit, but always remember that’s usually after tedious – not to mention nerve-racking – efforts to gain visibility. 

Having full control. Not that you have to be a control freak to enjoy this advantage, but running a Minecraft server allows you to stay in control – configuring restrictions, permissions, giving commands, setting up rules and so forth. You become the master of your own Minecraft destiny, as it were.

All that said, there are also some disadvantages as follows:

The inevitable hosting issues. Managing a Minecraft server isn’t all keeping order and making rules. Hosting problems are one of the main reasons Minecraft servers do not last – it might seem a relatively straightforward route on the face of it, but it can certainly have challenging aspects. Think having to switch hosting provider multiple times until you find the one you’re most comfortable with, all whilst dealing with a range of specific issues for each individual hosting company just to keep your server afloat.

Shelling out more cash. As we’ve already touched on, hosting itself obviously comes with a cost, and attempting to gain exposure to make your Minecraft server more popular will do, as well. The possibility must definitely be considered that you may be left considerably out-of-pocket by just maintaining the server in the longer run.

Say goodbye to playing? Dealing with hosting a Minecraft server (or indeed running one yourself at home) and the technical issues which might pop up, as well as potentially promoting the server, will all take time. Perhaps to the extent that you struggle to find the time to actually play Minecraft.

Minecraft gaming image of six people in a digital field with a house and trees behind

(Image credit: Minecraft)

How to choose the best Minecraft server hosting service for you

After you have decided to run your own Minecraft server via a host, the next move is to find the right hosting provider for you. Naturally, we’ve covered you on that part as we already picked the best hosting options right now (see above).

Before you pick a web hosting provider, make sure you learn all the knicks and knacks. Above, we highlighted all the key factors you should look out for before deciding on anything.

Hardware: This is of utmost importance and the primary thing to look out for when running online multiplayer games. While Minecraft isn’t a demanding game on its own, that can change when you add several players and various mods to it. Look at the CPU and RAM as those play a vital role in making sure the multiplayer experience remains optimized. It’s safe to say that the right hardware will either make a Minecraft server or break one.

Pricing: Of course, since you’re relying on third-party services to take care of hosting your Minecraft server, costs will also be a factor. Aside from the hardware, your hosting service will also be providing security, maintenance, plugins, features, the list goes on. The good news is that hosting companies offer several kinds of plans that cater to whatever your needs may be. 

Easy configuration: Let’s face it, you don’t want to waste time and get frustrated by a convoluted setup process, so providers that offer an easy and swift setup are obviously attractive. That said, it’s one thing to be novice-friendly, but also make sure that the hosting company gives you full control over your server so you can make any necessary changes in terms of settings and so forth.

Support: There’s always a chance that things will go awry, even with the best hosting companies, and so it’s safe to assume that you will need customer support at some point. Whether you find yourself unable to change an important setting, or you need help to defend against or respond to something truly nasty like a DDoS attack, it can be crucial to have customer support which responds quickly. Any downtime could put off your precious players, after all.

Maintenance: Furthermore, in general terms it’s absolutely vital for the server to always be up, otherwise players will leave, take their game elsewhere, and you’ll lose money. This is a scenario you obviously want to avoid at all costs. Some of the things you might want to look for include FTP access for when you’re switching between mods and a web-based control panel.

How we test the best Minecraft server hosting

After intensive testing of a large number of Minecraft hosting services, we first started to look at key features and then we picked the best on the market. 

Our evaluation took into account various aspects such as server locations, ease of installation, server performance and speeds, before exploring the robustness of each offering in terms of their security and stability. 

We also reviewed customer support availability and response times, and listed any discounts or money-back periods offered. Our team of experts sign up to each Minecraft server hosting service by creating a connection to the server, installing the Minecraft server, sharing port, and joining the server.

Note that if you’re just hosting a server for players on your local network, you don’t need to worry about port forwarding.

James Capell
B2B Editor, Web Hosting

James has been tinkering around with tech since a young teen. He started by soldering radios together and progressed into programming microcontrollers and building basic websites as a hobby. Professionally, James worked editing technical documentation for tech giants like Alibaba and Tencent before moving over to TechRadar. Over the course of his career he’s edited everything from the UI of the most popular social media apps to the comments in backend code.


Now, James enjoys writing and editing web hosting and eCommerce pages helping people navigate through the options to find the most suitable solution for them.

With contributions from