Minecraft, the king of all sandbox games, has five game modes: survival, creative, adventure, hardcore, and spectator. Multiplayer gameplay is available by four methods: direct game-to-game multiplayer, LAN play, local split screen, and servers (player-hosted and business-hosted).
Minecraft players can self-host, meaning they run their own servers, rent server space from a third-party web host, or directly linkup to another gamer’s Minecraft came via Xbox Live. Here, we’re going to unpack multiplayer via servers, and reveal the best Minecraft server hosting provider.
Minecraft Multiplayer Servers
Server Operators (better known as Ops), control and administer Minecraft multiplayer servers. Through server commands, the Op can change game settings such as turning on or off rain/snow in the current world (toggledownfall), add to or set the world time (time <add/set>) or summon entities such as mobs, projectiles, items, vehicles, etc. (summon <EntityName> [x] [y] [z] [dataTag]). With the proper minecraft.command.op permissions, through the (op <player>) command, a player can be turned into a server operator.*
*These Minecraft server commands are based on the CraftBukkit out-of-the-box commands.
Inside This Article...
1. Hostinger (Best Minecraft Web Host)
Server Locations
Pricing
Control Panel
Hostinger Hosting
- Affordable
- Reputable hosting company
- Includes mod support
Hostinger Hosting Cons:
- Advertised price is for 48-month term
Customer Support
Hostinger are well-known for their unique approach to customer service. You can contact Hostinger 24/7 via live chat, and if no one is there to respond, your message will be replied to as soon as someone becomes available, via email.
Hostinger’s support agents are not only friendly, but fun too. They get the job done but also make you feel like family which is a really nice touch. Maybe not to everyones tastes, but for me it made me feel at home and comfortable, safe in the knowledge someone was there to help.
If you’re struggling with adding mods to your server or having issues getting them to work, Hostinger includes mod support with all of their Minecraft hosting packages.
Minecraft Versions
Hostinger’s Multicraft Minecraft Server Manager allows you to run many different versions of Minecraft including non-official Minecraft launchers as well as pre-installed game servers with Vanilla default, Pocket Mine, CraftBukkit, and Spigot just to name a few.
Servers
Hostinger’s Minecraft servers are located in 5 global locations including US, UK, Netherlands, Singapore, and Lithuania). Monthly prices start from just $8.95 per month and all include Mod support, full root access, DDoS protection, free MySQL, PCI-DSS compliant, automatic off-site backups, and include a 99.99% uptime guarantee.
One of the things Hostinger does really well is offer an easy to use service. Their hPanel is notoriously simple to use and this is no different for Multicraft panel. All servers use SSD storage so your server will run smoothly.
Server Customization
Hostinger’s Multicraft lets you customize your Minecraft server in almost every aspect. You can define your server name, player slot, allocate memory, adjust difficulty, game mode, spawn monsters, and so on.
Everything is clearly labelled in Multicraft and if you ever get to a point where you feel you don’t understand something, Hostinger’s helpful support staff are on hand 24/7.
Apex Hosting Pros:
- Affordable
- Reputable hosting company
- Includes mod support
Apex hosting Cons:
- Advertised price is for 48-month term
2. Apex Hosting
Server Locations
Pricing
Control Panel
Apex Hosting
- Quick setup
- Easy to use Forge mods
- Pre-install with FTB
Apex Hosting Cons:
- Have to pay for premium support
Customer Support
Apex Minecraft server hosting truly puts their customers first and has some of the best support around. If you’re new to Minecraft server hosting, or not the most technical of gamers, then I’d recommend you check out Apex for their top-tier setup support. Features and benefits include Java and Bedrock support, 24/7 uptime, one-click mudpack and plugin installs, ultra-low latency, full file and database access, and of course their highly rated live chat support. Automated backups and DDoS protection also come standard.
Minecraft Versions
Apex hosting supports mostly any Minecraft server setup: Java Edition on Feed The Beast, ATL, Voids Wrath, Technic, Bukkit, Spigot, Vanilla, Sponge, Snapshots, MCPE or Minecraft: Bedrock edition on PocketMine. Changing server versions, adding/removing plugins, and swapping out mods is super easy with the Apex enhanced control panel.
Servers
Server locations cover West North America, East North America, Europe, South America, and Australia; a robust global network providing very low ping for global games.
Premium server setups are relatively affordable, beginning at $1.99/month for 512MB RAM and support for 10 players. The most popular plan is $7.99/month for 2GB RAM and up to 44 player support, which is more expensive than the other solutions listed here on a hardware-to-hardware basis, but keep in mind you’re also paying for the best support in the business with Apex Hosting. Quarterly and annual discounts help to save on your server costs, and payments are available in USD, Euro, Pound, and the Australian Dollar, making it convenient for international gamers.
Server Customization
If you’re looking to scale your setup, Apex Hosting does offer setups above 6.5GB, but those are configured on a custom request basis. Keep in mind Apex is recommended to those who may require premium support and setup assistance, not to experts looking to run 100+ player setups. If that’s the case, there are cheaper hosting options on this list to give you more ‘bang for your buck’ for larger setups.
Apex Hosting Pros:
- Quick setup
- Easy to use Forge mods
- Pre-install with FTB
Apex hosting Cons:
- Doesn't use cPanel
3. MelonCube
Server Locations
Pricing
Control Pannel
MelonCube Pros:
- SSD on all servers
- Multi-user support
- Cheap per GB
MelonCube Cons:
- Not many server locations
If you place a priority on performance, price and uptime, look no further than MelonCub Minecraft servers (or “cubes” as they call them). With top hardware, a lag-free hosting environment, and a ridiculously quick 60-second setup time, you and your players will be up and gaming in no time.
Features
MelonCube features are many, with dedicated RAM, DDoS protection, unlimited SSD storage, phpMyAdmin access, auto-restarts on crash, free MySQL database, full FTP access, managed support, free backups… just to name a few.
MelonCube claims a 100% uptime SLA on all MelonCube services. This is a bit unheard of, as 99.99% is typically the gold standard, but their stats back up their bold ‘perfect uptime’ claims.
Server Locations
Their four distributed server locations include Montreal, Canada; Miami Florida; France; and Los Angeles, California, giving wide network coverage.
Minecraft Versions
Supported Jars include: CraftBukkit, Spigot, Vanilla, BungeeCord. With custom jar functionality, MelonCube hosting allows for Snapshots, jars and modbacks like: Technic Platform, FTB (Feed The Beast), ATLauncher, Resonant Rise, Voidswrath, and more!
Price & support
MelonCube support is great, available when you need help, with expert advice from fellow enthusiasts (not just from IT nerds).
Their pricing is straight forward with no “budget” & “premium” tier segments to choose from. All plans enjoy the same benefits across the board, plain and simple. USA pricing begins at just $2/month for 512MB RAM, unlimited player slots, and unlimited SSD storage, and all USA plans are based on a simple $4.00 per GB of RAM model (France and Canada are $3/GB).
Scaling with MelonCube will never be a problem, as their plans go all the way up to a whopping 46GB DDR4 RAM plan with “unlimited” player slots and unlimited SSD storage. If you end up running a Minecraft server of that size, let me know – I’d love to jump into a slot on that ridiculously massive hardware allocation!
MelonCube Pros:
- SSD on all servers
- Multi-user support
- Cheap per GB
MelonCube Cons:
- Not many server locations
4. GameServers
Speed & Performance
Pricing
Features
GameServers Pros:
- Awesome server performance
- Tons of server locations
- McMyAdmin included
GameServers Cons:
- Only up to 6GB RAM
- Dated & Confusing website
A big name in the gaming community, GameServers hosts a variety of popular games, including: 7 Days To Die, ARK: Survival Evolved, Call of Duty: Blackops III, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Rust, Space Engineers, Team Fortress 2, The Forest, Unturned, and of course, Minecraft. They offer a variety of worldwide server locations so you can host locally in your region and avoid lag. They also offer low latency voice servers, and a variety of other services including dedicated servers, enterprise hosting, and more.
Minecraft Versions
GameServers Minecraft servers include McMyAdmin control panel, which offers daily backups, Bukkit, one-click plugin installs, a static IP address, and the option for a free website with MySQL database management. The control panel comes pre-loaded with Tekkit, ChestShop, CommandBook, iConomy, Essentials, GodPowers, Factions, McMMO, WorldGuard, WorldEdit – just to name a few! And, users now have the option to upload their own custom plugins, giving admins even more control over their Minecraft server. One nice benefit to GameServers is that the memory allocation is guaranteed, unlike most other gaming hosts that will virtually redistribute RAM on their shared servers as needed.
When I checked my website’s URL against Bitcatcha’s server response tool, I was impressed to see my server speeds with SiteGround were consistently good. If you’re looking for a cheap web host that also offers incredible performance and speeds, who won’t let you down, I can highly recommend SiteGround.
Server Locations
Upon GameServer setup, they’ll automatically recommend the best Minecraft server hosting location, based on your geo-ping distance from their server network. Have additional questions? GameServer offers 24/7 support.
Get your own server from GameServers and create a custom gameplay by utilizing the power of the McMyAdmin control panel for Minecraft servers.
Pro Tip: Based on my testing, 512MB of RAM is sufficient for most multiplayer Minecraft setups. If you’re running a lot of plugins, however, then increased RAM is recommended.
The 512MB plan is suitable for 1-8 players and will run you $3.99/month. Plans scale up in tiers to a large 6GB RAM setup suitable for up to 96 players.
GameServers Pros:
- Awesome server performance
- Tons of server locations
- Great customer service
GameServers Cons:
- Only up to 6GB RAM
- Dated & Confusing website
5. BeastNode
Speed & Performance
Pricing
Features
BeastNode Pros:
- Fast SSD servers
- Powerful Xeon CPU's
- Great range of plans
BeastNode Cons:
- Not enough server locations
BeastNode is, well, a Beast! (And aptly named at that.) Their California based high-performance platform is built for enthusiasts with the latest Intel Xenon CPUs, datacenter-grade SSDs, 99.9% uptime, unmetered gigabit connection speeds, a top-tier network and the most popular Minecraft server admin control panel, Multicraft.
Server Locations
Server locations include Chicago, IL; Phoenix, AZ; and Amsterdam, NLD (great for players in Germany, UK, France, and greater Europe). The Chicago, IL location is most central, and is personally recommended for your initial server setup. The Amsterdam location retains low-latency for US players, and the Phoenix, AZ location performs well in South America, Asia and even Australia.
Pricing
Pricing options are flexible, starting at just $2.99/month for the initial Budget Minecraft Plan which includes 1GB of RAM, suitable for up to 15 simultaneous players. Plans scale from there, with the most popular budget plan coming in at $11.99/month with 4GB RAM (suitable for up to 60 players).
The Premium Minecraft Plans showcase some added benefits including: unlimited disk space, technical support included, and up to a 15% discount with longer billing cycles. These premium plans begin at $5/month for 512MB RAM (up to 10 players), with the most popular plan at $20/month for 2GB RAM (suitable for up to 40 players). A 4GB+ plan is recommended for mods across both plan types.
Server Configuration
For scaling, BeastNode plans run up to 12GB in RAM allocation, for those wishing to host over 100 players.
BestNode also offers SSD-powered cloud VPS solutions, with instant upgrade/downgrade scaling capabilities, starting at just $5/month for the VPS-512 plan (1 core, 512 MB RAM, 25 GB disc space, 1TB bandwidth), with the most popular VPS-1024 plan at $10/month (2 cores, 1GB RAM, 35 GB disc space, 2TB bandwidth).
BeastNode Pros:
- Fast SSD servers
- Powerful Xeon CPU's
- Great range of plans
BeastNode Cons:
- Not enough server locations
6. AnvilNode
Speed & Performance
Pricing
Features
AnvilNode Pros:
- Free SSL certificate
- Recommended by WordPress
- 100% uptime
AnvilNode Cons:
- Only 50GB storage on lowest plan
Server Performance
AnvilNode servers are reliable, up to date, secure, affordable, and blazingly fast. They boast the latest gen hardware (Intel Xenon or i7 CPUs and fast SSDs), robust DDoS protection and 24/7 multi-lingual support in English, Dutch and Spanish. Other perks include daily server backups with 1-month data retention, and a super-fast gigabit connection to make lag a non-issue.
Pricing
Plans start at $4/month for the 2GB Anvil plan, or the 1GB Gold plan. All plans include other benefits such as Java 8 support, multi-user support, UE & EU server locations, a plugin installer, full FTP access and free MySQL database support. These plans go all the way up to 24GB, making scaling your Minecraft server a breeze. They also have dedicated server options upon request.
Partners
AnvilNode is also partnered with some big Minecraft names, offering extended trials of Enjin (hosted platform for creating websites and gaming communities), Buycraft (the best donation plugin for Bukkit and Minecraft servers), and Minetrends (detailed insights and stats on your Mineraft server).
After signup and payment, your Minecraft server is activated instantly, so you can get setup and gaming within minutes.
AnvilNode Pros:
- Free SSL certificate
- Recommended by WordPress
- 100% uptime
AnvilNode Cons:
- Only 50GB storage on lowest plan
There are millions of people online, right now, across the world. They’re running Minecraft on their PC, console, or even their phone – connecting to a Minecraft community server. Learn more about Minecraft server hosting with answers to the most common questions below.
What is a Minecraft Server?
A Minecraft server is simply a form of a dedicated gaming sever, specifically designed to host Minecraft online play. Minecraft servers host a huge online world created by community members. If you have your own Minecraft server you can host a game, controlling every element from total users, who gets to play and who is banned, host online parties, and much more!
When you choose to play Minecraft in multiplayer mode, you need to connect your computer or console device to another computer to play against others. The other computer that is hosting the game is a Minecraft server.
Best Minecraft Server Hosting
When searching for the best Minecraft server hosting you’ll want to focus on a provider that has virtually no lag, a robust dashboard, and great support. Price is obviously a consideration, but the cheapest Minecraft servers often are laggy, causing frustrating gameplay and server administration (as seen here). Consider our top recommendation, Apex Hosting, for the best balance of price-to-features, or any of our 5 best Minecraft servers listed above. If none of those options meets your needs and budget then see the results here for alternative hosting providers.
How do I Connect to a Minecraft Server?
To connect to a Minecraft server, you’ll need launch Minecraft, navigate to the Multiplayer section of the menu, and select “Add Server”. Here you’ll name the server, and add its unique address, which is either a website URL or the IP address of the host. Make sure to select “Done” before returning back to your server list. Once you select the “Join Server” button you’ll be transported to a new Minecraft world ready for new adventures.
How much does it cost to run a Minecraft server?
Hosting a Minecraft server is affordable. Apex Hosting, our #2 recommended hosting provider, begins at $2.99/month for a 1GB plan capable of hosting 25 players. This is a basic server plan, which doesn’t include modpacks. The next-level plan begins at $4.99 for 2GB and 50 player seats, and includes some modpacks. At $9.99/month, you get 4GB, 100 player seats, and all available modpacks. The modpacks include the best from FTB, ATL, Voidswrath, and Technic platforms. They’re all one-click installs, changing the way you play Minecraft with a simple click of a button.
Apex hosting also offers quarterly discounts of 5%, and an annual discount of 10%. Plans with Apex hosting scale up to 16GB, 1,000 player packages. If you’re looking to play Minecraft or Minecraft Java Edition in a hosted environment, Apex hosting is the way to go.
What is a Minecraft Modpack?
A Minecraft modpack is simply a collection of modifications to Minecraft in one installation file, or pack. A modpack changes, or modifies, the way standard Minecraft gameplay is run.
Included in a modpack are the config files that enable the mods to run without issue. The modpack creators, or developers, typically resolve all ID conflicts for blocks and items, and eliminate duplicate worldgen items. Each modpack is styled differently, bringing new rules, designs and adventures to Minecraft. Some of the most popular modpacks include SkyFactory and Stoneblock by CurseForge. See the current CurseForge modpack list sorted by popularity here.
Join the Minecraft Community
The vibrant global community of Minecraft is one thing that makes this game so great. You can connect with hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of other Minecraft gamers worldwide.
Looking for an interactive way to play Minecraft, that isn’t as broad as the entire Minecraft ecosystem? Minecraft Realms are a great place to connect with your friends. Realms can host up to 10 friends at the same time. It’s a great way to play Minecraft in a controlled and friendly environment! Realms are always online, so you and your friends can access that world 24/7, any time of day or night. Another cool benefit to Realms is that your friends get to play for free — only the owner of the Realm needs to pay. Get more info on Realms here.
Looking for more ways to connect with the community? See the official Minecraft social profiles below:
Don’t have Minecraft yet? You can learn more about Minecraft from the official website here.