How to Make a Minecraft Server in 2026 (Java & Bedrock, Free & Paid)
Playing on someone else’s server is fun. Running your own is a different game entirely: you pick the rules, the plugins, the world seed, and the people you play with.
The good news is that making a Minecraft server is much easier than it sounds. A small server for you and a few friends can run on the PC you already own, for free, in about 15 minutes.
This guide walks through every realistic option — from a free home server to rented hosting — for both Java Edition and Bedrock Edition, and ends with the part most guides skip: how to actually get players once the server is online.
Quick Answer: Which Option Should You Choose?
| Option | Cost | Difficulty | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open to LAN | Free | ⭐ | Friends in the same house / network |
| Your own PC | Free | ⭐⭐⭐ | Small group of friends, learning |
| Free hosting services | Free | ⭐ | Testing, small servers that can sleep |
| Minecraft Realms | Monthly | ⭐ | Friends-only, zero maintenance |
| Paid Minecraft hosting | Monthly | ⭐⭐ | Public servers, 24/7 uptime |
| VPS / dedicated server | Monthly | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Large communities, full control |
If you just want to play with two or three friends tonight, start with your own PC or Realms. If you want to build a public community that anyone can join at any time, go straight to paid hosting — a server that is offline half the day will never grow.
Step 1: Java or Bedrock?
Before anything else, decide which edition your server is for. Java and Bedrock servers are different software and are not interchangeable.
Java Edition servers
- Played on PC, Mac, and Linux.
- Huge plugin and mod ecosystem (Paper, Fabric, NeoForge).
- The standard choice for public servers and communities.
Bedrock Edition servers
- Played on Windows (Bedrock), mobile, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch.
- Uses the official Bedrock Dedicated Server software.
- Much smaller plugin ecosystem.
- Consoles can only join custom servers with workarounds.
Want both? Run a Java server and add Geyser (a plugin/mod that translates Bedrock connections), optionally with Floodgate so Bedrock players don’t need a Java account. This is how most crossplay servers work today.
Rule of thumb: if you’re not sure, make a Java server with Geyser. You get the best tools and Bedrock players can still join.
Option 1: Open to LAN (the 30-second server)
If everyone is on the same Wi-Fi network, you don’t need a server at all.
- Open your single-player world.
- Press Esc → Open to LAN.
- Choose game mode and whether cheats are allowed, then click Start LAN World.
- Friends on the same network will see the world in their Multiplayer list.
Limits: the world only exists while you’re playing, and it only works on your local network. For anything more, keep reading.
Option 2: Host a Minecraft Server on Your Own PC (Free)
This is the classic free option. It’s also the best way to learn how servers work.
What you need
- A reasonably modern PC (a quad-core CPU and at least 8 GB of RAM in total is comfortable).
- A 64-bit Java installation that matches your Minecraft version. Recent versions need a modern Java release (Java 21 or newer, and the newest releases require Java 25). If the server crashes with
UnsupportedClassVersionError, your Java is too old. - Access to your router’s settings (for port forwarding), or a tunnel service — more on that below.
Setting up a Java server
Create a folder for the server, for example
Minecraft Serveron your desktop. Everything the server generates will live here.Download the server software. Either the official
server.jarfrom minecraft.net, or — recommended — Paper from papermc.io (see Vanilla, Paper, Fabric or NeoForge below).Create a start script in the same folder.
On Windows, create
start.bat:java -Xms2G -Xmx4G -jar server.jar nogui pauseOn macOS / Linux, create
start.shand make it executable (chmod +x start.sh):#!/bin/sh java -Xms2G -Xmx4G -jar server.jar nogui-Xmx4Gis the maximum RAM the server may use. Replaceserver.jarwith the actual file name you downloaded.Run the script once. The server will stop almost immediately and create an
eula.txtfile.Accept the EULA. Open
eula.txtand changeeula=falsetoeula=true. By doing this you agree to the Minecraft End User License Agreement.Run the script again. The server generates the world. When you see
Done! For help, type "help", it’s running.Test it. Open Minecraft → Multiplayer → Add Server, and use
localhostas the address. If you can join, the server works.
Setting up a Bedrock server
- Download Bedrock Dedicated Server for Windows or Ubuntu Linux from minecraft.net.
- Unzip it into its own folder.
- Edit
server.propertiesif you want (name, game mode, difficulty). - Run
bedrock_server.exe(Windows) orLD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./bedrock_server(Linux). - Connect from a Bedrock client on the same network using your PC’s local IP and port 19132.
Letting friends join from the internet
Right now, only devices on your own network can connect. To let friends join from their homes, you have two choices.
A) Port forwarding (the traditional way)
- Find your PC’s local IP address (Windows: run
ipconfig, look for IPv4 Address, e.g.192.168.1.25). - Log in to your router (often
192.168.1.1or192.168.0.1). - Find the Port Forwarding / Virtual Server / NAT section.
- Forward TCP port 25565 (Java) or UDP port 19132 (Bedrock) to your PC’s local IP.
- Allow Java (or
bedrock_server) through your firewall when Windows asks. - Find your public IP by searching “what is my IP”. Friends connect to that address.
B) A tunnel service (no router access needed)
Services like playit.gg give you a public address that tunnels traffic to your PC. This is the easiest route if your ISP uses CGNAT, you’re on a dorm or school network, or you simply can’t access the router. For friends-only servers, VPN tools like Tailscale or ZeroTier also work.
⚠️ Sharing your public home IP reveals your approximate location and exposes your connection to attacks. For a small private group, that’s usually fine. For a public server, use hosting or a tunnel instead.
The downsides of hosting at home
- The server is only online while your PC is on.
- Your upload speed limits how many players can join smoothly.
- Your PC’s performance drops while the server runs.
- Your home IP is exposed.
For a friends-only server, none of this matters much. For a public server, it matters a lot.
Option 3: Free Minecraft Server Hosting & Realms
Free hosting services
Several services host small Minecraft servers for free, typically in exchange for ads, queues, or limits. Common trade-offs:
- The server shuts down when nobody is online, and someone has to start it again from a website.
- Limited RAM and CPU, so large modpacks and many players are out.
- A queue to start the server during busy hours.
- Sometimes a restricted list of plugins or mods.
Free hosts are great for testing a plugin setup or playing with a few friends. They are not suitable for a public server: a player who finds your server offline will simply go elsewhere.
Minecraft Realms
Realms is Mojang’s official subscription service. You pay monthly and get a private server that is always online, with no setup at all.
- ✅ Zero maintenance, built into the game menu.
- ✅ Always online, backups included.
- ❌ Invite-only — not a public server.
- ❌ A small cap on players online at the same time.
- ❌ No plugins; limited mod support (Bedrock Realms supports Marketplace add-ons).
Realms is the best choice if you want a permanent world for your friends and zero technical work. It is the wrong choice if you want to grow a community.
Option 4: Paid Minecraft Hosting or a VPS
If you want a public server that is online 24/7, this is where you end up.
Minecraft hosting companies give you a control panel with one-click installs for Paper, Fabric, modpacks, and plugins. You don’t need Linux knowledge, and you usually get DDoS protection and backups.
A VPS or dedicated server gives you a full Linux machine. It’s cheaper per GB of RAM and completely flexible, but you are responsible for everything: installing Java, running the server as a service, backups, firewall, and updates.
What to look for in a host
- Single-thread CPU performance. Minecraft’s main game loop runs on a single thread, so a fast modern CPU matters more than core count.
- RAM that matches your plan (see the table below).
- NVMe storage for fast chunk loading.
- DDoS protection — public servers get attacked, especially once they start ranking on server lists.
- A location near your players. Latency matters for PvP.
- Automatic backups you can restore from the panel.
How much RAM does a Minecraft server need?
| Server type | Players | Recommended RAM |
|---|---|---|
| Vanilla / Paper, friends | 1–5 | 2 GB |
| Paper with a few plugins | 10–20 | 4 GB |
| Paper with many plugins, big world | 20–50 | 6–8 GB |
| Light modpack (Fabric / NeoForge) | 5–10 | 6 GB |
| Heavy modpack | 5–20 | 8–12 GB |
| Network (proxy + several servers) | 50+ | 16 GB+ total |
More RAM is not a cure-all. Giving a small server 16 GB won’t fix lag caused by a slow CPU or a badly configured plugin. Start with the table above and upgrade when you actually see memory pressure.
Vanilla, Paper, Fabric or NeoForge?
The server software you choose decides which plugins or mods you can use.
| Software | Plugins | Mods | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla | ❌ | ❌ | Pure vanilla experience, smallest setup |
| Paper | ✅ | ❌ | Most public servers — fast and huge plugin library |
| Purpur | ✅ | ❌ | Paper plus extra configuration options |
| Fabric | ❌* | ✅ | Lightweight mods, performance mods, snapshots |
| NeoForge / Forge | ❌ | ✅ | Large content modpacks |
| Velocity | — | — | A proxy that links several servers into a network |
* Fabric has its own server-side mods that do many of the same jobs as plugins.
For almost every public server, Paper is the right starting point. It runs vanilla gameplay faster than the official server and supports thousands of Bukkit/Spigot/Paper plugins.
Essential plugins for a new Paper server
- LuckPerms — ranks and permissions.
- EssentialsX — homes, warps, teleport requests, kits, and basic commands.
- A land-claim plugin (such as GriefPrevention) — protects builds on survival servers.
- CoreProtect — logs block changes so you can roll back griefing.
- Geyser + Floodgate — let Bedrock players join.
- A voting listener (NuVotifier) — rewards players for voting on server lists like McRank.
Keep the plugin list short at first. Every plugin is something that can break on the next update.
Configuring server.properties
server.properties sits in your server folder and controls the basics. Stop the server before editing it. The settings people change most often:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
motd | The message shown under your server in the multiplayer list |
max-players | Maximum players online at once |
gamemode | Default game mode: survival, creative, adventure |
difficulty | peaceful, easy, normal, hard |
pvp | true or false |
white-list | true makes the server invite-only |
online-mode | Keep true — it verifies players own the game |
view-distance | How many chunks are sent to players — lower it to reduce lag |
simulation-distance | How far from players the world is “ticking” |
level-seed | World seed (only applies when a new world is generated) |
server-port | Default 25565 |
Two useful console commands once the server is running:
op YourName— gives you admin permissions.whitelist add FriendName— adds a player when the whitelist is on.
Keep
online-mode=true. Turning it off lets anyone join with any username, including yours.
Before You Open to the Public: A Checklist
- ✅ Backups run automatically, and you have tested restoring one.
- ✅ Whitelist or land claims are in place so the first griefer can’t wipe your spawn.
- ✅ Rules are written down and visible (a sign at spawn, a
/rulescommand, your Discord). - ✅ A Discord server exists so players can report problems and stay in touch.
- ✅ A memorable address — a domain such as
play.yourserver.netlooks far more trustworthy than a raw IP and lets you move hosts without telling everyone a new address. - ✅ Performance is checked with a profiler such as spark under real load.
How to Get Your First Players
This is where most new servers fail. The server is running, the spawn is beautiful, and nobody comes.
A few things make the biggest difference early on:
- List your server on server lists. This is where players actively look for somewhere new to play. Add your server to McRank — it’s free, and every listing gets a page with live status, player count history, and a copyable IP.
- Set up vote rewards. Voting pushes your server up the rankings, and rewards give players a reason to vote every day. Our guide on how voting works explains the player side.
- Write a clear description. Say exactly what makes your server different, which versions it supports, and whether Bedrock players can join.
- Stay online. Uptime is everything. A server that’s offline when a player tries it gets one chance.
- Be active in your own community. Early players stay for the people, not the plugins.
For a deeper dive, read How to Get More Players on Your Minecraft Server.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
“Connection timed out” when friends try to join The port isn’t reachable from the internet. Double-check the port forwarding rule, the firewall, and that friends use your public IP — not 192.168.x.x. If your ISP uses CGNAT, port forwarding won’t work at all; use a tunnel service.
“Outdated server” or “Outdated client” The game version and the server version don’t match. Update the server, or install a plugin such as ViaVersion to accept newer clients.
The server crashes with UnsupportedClassVersionError Your Java version is too old for this Minecraft version. Install a newer 64-bit Java.
Heavy lag with only a few players Lower view-distance and simulation-distance, switch from vanilla to Paper, pre-generate the world with a plugin such as Chunky, and use spark to find the plugin or farm causing the lag.
“Failed to verify username” The player isn’t logged in to a legitimate account, or Mojang’s auth servers are having issues. Don’t fix this by turning off online-mode.
FAQ
Is it free to make a Minecraft server?
Yes. The official server software is free, and you can host it on your own PC at no cost. You only pay if you choose Realms, paid hosting, or a VPS.
How much does a Minecraft server cost per month?
A small hosted server for a group of friends usually costs a few dollars a month. Public servers with more RAM, better CPUs, and DDoS protection cost more, and large networks can run into hundreds per month.
Can Bedrock players join a Java server?
Yes, if the Java server runs Geyser. With Floodgate as well, Bedrock players don’t need to own Java Edition.
Can I make a Minecraft server on my phone or console?
Not a real dedicated server. On mobile and consoles your options are a Realm or hosting a world for friends through your Xbox/Microsoft account. For a proper server, use a PC or a host.
How many players can a Minecraft server handle?
It depends on the CPU, RAM, software, and plugins. A well-tuned Paper server on good hardware handles 50–100 players; larger networks split players across several servers behind a proxy.
How do people find my server?
Mostly through server lists, YouTube/TikTok, and word of mouth. Listing your server on McRank is the fastest first step.
Making the server is the easy part. Building a community around it is the real game — and it starts with players being able to find you. When you’re ready, add your server to McRank and let players discover it.