7 Best Minecraft Server Hosting Platforms

Cox Pettersson

Aug 25, 2022 • 6 min read

As of 2020, Minecraft has sold over 200 million copies and has garnered a fairly large community with more than 126 million active players. The game is a true classic and the demand to have more resources for it doesn't seem likely to change. From modpacks to standalone mods, plugins to servers, players are constantly on the lookout for ways to keep their game fresh, creative, and optimized.

We've already covered some popular Minecraft mods in our updated Minecraft Mods Guide for Parents. We also have a list of the best Minecraft Texture Packs. In this article, we're going to look at Minecraft Servers.

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Minecraft servers are essentially dedicated to secure online platforms that allow Minecraft players to play and interact with other Minecraft players. It allows them to customize their games and hosts multiplayer game modes without using up all of their computer resources.

Can anyone create a Minecraft server? Yes, actually! In our How to Make a Minecraft Server guide, you'll find that the process, while a little daunting, is actually very doable.

It can take some time to set up and it takes a lot of trial-and-error! That's why people prefer specialized Minecraft server hosting platforms. They are much more user-friendly and convenient.

The Best Minecraft Server Host?

To say that there are quite a few options on the market would be an understatement. There are dozens of established Minecraft server hosting platforms out there, and plenty more are popping up. Some of these platforms require that you pay a monthly or annual fee.

If you're not willing to pay upwards of $10 just to experience running a Minecraft server, don't worry; there are plenty of free and affordable servers out there. We've listed seven of the best below!

Server.pro

Server.pro offers professional Minecraft servers that are "easy to setup" and "easy to use." This Swedish game hosting company offers both paid and free plans to suit low-risk, high-reward hosting schematics. The paid plans will have more perks than the free accounts. For example, you'll get daily backups and multi-admin access.

The free option is not bad, however. It's just about as fast, customizable, easy to edit, and lag-free as its paid counterpart.

If you do want to avail of Server.pro's paid packages, you can get the Premium setup for $5 to $10 a month or the Pro setup for $20 to $40 a month. Server.pro only offers the Pro setup, which includes a dedicated IP and MySQL Server with root access.

Pricing: Free Plan

Aternos

Ever since its launch in 2013, Aternos has gathered over 28 million dedicated users, with roughly 600,000 daily players. It's a fairly common and fairly popular platform that offers all its features - from the RAM to the plugins to the customizations - at zero cost.

Everything is 100% free. Aternos' motto is, in fact; "Minecraft Servers - Free. Forever."

What's so special about this? The catch? You get what's on your side.

Don't get us wrong; for a platform that is totally free, Aternos is one of the best there is. They offer a lot more than basic or starter plans from other hosting providers. You can add upto 20 players, up to 1.7GB of RAM and access to their 24/7 Customer Service (which, by a side note, is very quick to respond).

Aternos will never ask you for your credit cards details.

We think this is a very big pro that makes all its possible cons (i.e., limited plugins and inability to modify configuration files) worthwhile.

Pricing

Minehut

Like Server.pro, Minehut offers both paid and free plans to suit specific Minecraft server needs. You get two (2) free servers as a free user. They are available to 250,000 monthly users who visit the lobby. You also get 12 plugin slots and 1GB RAM, with a maximum of 10 users.

It is pretty good, all things being equal. It's especially impressive when you consider it in comparison to Server.pro and Aternos' "no-cost” packages.

However, because Minehut is more popularly known as a "freemium" (free premium) server hosting provider than a paid platform, people often approach with cautious curiosity. Truly "free" servers are few and far between, and many of them come with plenty of drawbacks (i.e., lag, crazy limitations, hidden fees, hundreds of ads, etc.). Minehut seems to pass the test.

If anything, plenty of reviews say it's a good hosting platform for pre-servers, or Minecraft servers that aren't ready for public opening. It provides a safe place to test your server and refine it without having to spend a penny.

Upgrades are also reasonable priced. They start at $5 per month for 10 more slots and an additional 1GB of RAM (for total of 2GB).

Pricing

BUDGET-FRIENDLY SERIES

Shockbyte is one of the most user-friendly Minecraft server hosting platforms in the market. Although it's not free, it's very cost-friendly. Plans start at $2.50 per month and you can upgrade or downgrade as many times as you want. It's been around for a while, and has certainly made a name of itself.

Under the $2.50 Dirt plan (which is represented by a Minecraft dirt block), you get 1GB of RAM and a recommended 20+ slots. To help you attract more people, your server will be activated immediately after subscription. Other standard features include 24/7 support on standby and 100% uptime guaranteed.

Shockbyte is the perfect choice if you are looking for something secure and safe without breaking the bank.

Pricing: Dirt ($2.50/month)

ScalaCube is undoubtedly one of the most flexible, accommodating and accommodating game-hosting platforms. They offer a multitude of servers along with Minecraft (like Hytale Ark). This widespread experience gives them the foresight they need to create packages that perfectly suit different Minecraft server needs.

These modpacks allow users to customize and control how their game launches. They also allow server owners the ability to monitor players via a website or forum. With just one click, users can install thousands of modpacks.

(Want to know how to create your own modpacks? Get our Ultimate Guide to Minecraft Modding using Java!

ScalaCube pricing is comparable to Shockbyte. It may not have as many levels, but ScalaCube does offer a 50% discount on any server you order after your first.

Pretty neat, huh?
minecraft servers

Package prices start at 2.00 per month and do not exceed $13. The $13-a month package includes a staggering 4.5GB RAM and 70 slots for players, among other things.

Pricing: Minecraft VPS 768 MB ($2.50/month) | Minecraft VPS 1.5G ($5.00/month) | Minecraft VPS 3G ($10.00/month) | Minecraft VPS 4.5G ($13.00/month)

MelonCube Hosting

MelonCube Hosting was founded with the goal of "providing the best possible service and product at an affordable price."

MelonCube is a restructured and redesigned Minecraft hosting company in 2013. It has many unique features that make it stand out. Comprehensive SSD storage, for instance. Full FTP access is also available and customizable JAR functions. It also supports modpacks and provides excellent Bukkit plugins.

Plans start from $3.00 per mois (1GB RAM, unlimited player slot) and can go all-the way up to $144.00/month (48GB DDR4RAM with unlimited player slot).

If you play offline on your personal computer, you can allocate more RAM to Minecraft. You can find our complete guide on how to allocate more RAM to Minecraft.

MelonCube Hosting has 22 plans available at different price points.

Pricing: Zombie ($3.00/month)

Marketed specifically as a "budget hosting option" for Minecraft servers, PebbleHost's standard plan is pretty inclusive compared to most. For $3.00 a quarter (not a month! ), you get 1GB of RAM allocated, 250 Mbps uplink, unmetered enterprise-grade SSDs, and unlimited player slots.

PebbleHost's Budget Minecraft Hosting 1GB package gives you access to its unique Control Panel. This is an intuitive control center that allows server hosts to run commands from console and auto-reboot after a crash. It also allows them to manage plugins and run usage statistics. PebbleHost is one of the most secure hosting providers on the market thanks to its 2-factor authentication, 160Gbps DDoS protection, 24/7 Discord Support and 2FA authentication.

There are currently three pricing tiers available: Extreme, Premium, or Budget. There are 12 Budget plans - starting at $3.00/quarter and ending at $25.00/month - 12 Premium Plans - starting at $2.25/month and ending at $56.25/month - one Extreme Plan.

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There you have it. Our top picks for Free and Budget-Friendly Minecraft Server Hosting Platforms.

Let's recap the list of the best Minecraft server hosting platforms:

- What is a Minecraft Server? - The Best Minecraft Servers? - Server.pro - Aternos - Minehunt Shockbyte ScalaCube MelonCube Hosting PebbleHost

Creating and hosting a Minecraft server may be a little intimidating at first. There are many things you need to do and many other factors to consider. That's why having top-tier resources - such as a great server hosting platform - is crucial for smooth gameplay and a good time.

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