Minecraft hosting platform is a service that provides players with a dedicated online server to play Minecraft with others. These servers offer features like increased performance, customization options, and the ability to play with friends from around the world.
While premium Minecraft server hosting starts around $2/month, there are free options that don’t require credit card information, thanks to the community. Free Minecraft hosting offers lower RAM, minimum customization and a limited number of player slots, which is expected.
The Geekflare team has compiled a list of the best free Minecraft server hosting platforms based on factors such as RAM allocation, player slots, Modpack support, and automatic backups.
- Aternos – Best Overall
- ScalaCube – Best for Uptime Reliability
- Minehut – Best for Larger Servers Usage
- Minefort – Best for Secure Hosting
- Falix – Best for Free Modpacks
- Gaming4Free (Previously Skynode) – Best for Customization
- Server.pro – Best Freemium Option
- OMGSERV – Best Minimalist Hosting
- Free MC Server – Best for Small, Private Servers
- MagmaNode – Best for Maximizing Player Slots
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Aternos
Best Overall
Aternos was created in 2013 by a group of students. The service is completely free and provides features like fully customizable servers, support for mods and plugins, automatic backups, DDoS protection, and customer support. Aternos’ servers support both the Bedrock and Java Editions of Minecraft.
While Aternos offers most of the features that are provided by paid Minecraft server hosting, there are some limitations. Its servers support up to 10 slots at the most. More players slot engagement in a single server leads to crashes and bugs.
Aternos Pros
Completely free (no hidden paywalls).
A high degree of server customization.
Custom domains for accessing servers.
Aternos Cons
Improperly installing mods and modpacks causes crashes.
Some mods don’t work properly.
An active VPN prevents you from joining servers.
ScalaCube
Best for Uptime Reliability
ScalaCube is a Minecraft server hosting platform renowned for its uptime reliability and affordable premium plans. In its free Minecraft hosting plan, ScalaCube offers vanilla servers and support for specific modpacks like FTB (Feed the Beast), Technic, CurseForge, and even custom packs created by users. On ScalaCube’s website, you’ll also find helpful resources that provide in-depth information on server hosting, including videos and articles.
Despite modded gameplay support, ScalaCube’s marketing and promotion of its services are often questioned. Due to sometimes unclear wording, players believe their chosen server can support certain modpacks, only to find out later that this is not the case. In such situations, players have to contact ScalaCube’s 24/7 customer support for more information.
ScalaCube Pros
Many available modded servers.
Mods and plugins don’t cause issues often.
Servers all over the world reduce bad latency.
ScalaCube Cons
Awkward wording occasionally results in customer confusion.
Some complain about poor customer service.
The free server option only has one player slot, so no multiplayer.
Minehut
Best for Larger Servers Usage
Compared to other free options, Minehut is a streamlined server hosting service. Unlike Aternos and ScalaCube, there’s no fanfare, features, or promises on Minehut’s homepage. What you’ll find is a convenient list of modded servers—including mini-game server options—and a few buttons that lead to signup pages.
There are relatively few user complaints about lag, crashes, and other technical problems. However, security is a concern for some, as there are reports of account information leaks and those without user permissions entering private Minecraft worlds. When security risks appear, players need to contact Minehut through email, as there are no live customer support options.
Minehut Pros
It’s quick and easy to set up a server.
Users don’t have to worry about technical aspects when setting up a server.
Good website optimization lets you search for server options efficiently.
Minehut Cons
Poor security.
Slow customer support.
Time-limited to four hours per day for the free server plan.
Minefort
Best for Secure Hosting
If file organization is important to you, Minefort is a solid choice. Minefort is a Minecraft server hosting service that invests resources in helping users sort and customize their servers and related server files. Through its user-friendly server panel, you have considerable control over your game world. Minefort’s free server hosting plan gives you full FTP access, an intuitive file manager, and up to 10GB of storage.
While the technical specifications are high, Minefort does have issues with server resets. On occasion, whenever a server is updated, there’s a chance that the world will be wiped clean. This is reversed if users load a backup, but world wipes will remove all unsaved game progress.
Minefort Pros
The free plan supports up to twenty players.
Excellent file management.
No major issues with lag and crashes.
Minefort Cons
Updates can delete world progress.
Servers go down slightly more often than other hosting services.
Players using cracked versions of Minecraft have login problems.
Falix
Best for Free Modpacks
Since 2018, Falix has been providing free Minecraft server hosting services to players in the US and Europe. With allegedly over one million users, it has been able to increase the size and strength of its servers. Falix now has 32,000 free Minecraft servers!
Falix’s bot hosting service has raised some customer concerns on Reddit, but very few have issues surrounding this company’s Minecraft servers. Other Reddit users have complained about connectivity issues; however, such threads are almost exclusively about players trying to get around Falix’s policies. As such, the company cannot be blamed for these complaints.
Falix Pros
Plenty of servers to choose from.
The game server control panel is beginner-friendly.
Unlimited plugins.
Falix Cons
Rare issues with commands not working.
Cracked versions of Minecraft don’t work well.
Occasional errors when interacting with player logs.
Gaming4Free (Previously Skynode)
Best for Customization
Gaming4Free was previously known as Skynode but has recently updated its website and services. However, Gaming4Free continues to provide free Minecraft server hosting. One of the unique features provided is the potential to increase uptime hours after a server is renewed.
There are rare reports of users facing connection issues with Gaming4Free’s servers. Nonetheless, most players agree that Gaming4Free’s server hosting is efficient.
Gaming4Free Pros
Fast and reliable servers.
Active and helpful customer support.
Intuitive control panel.
Gaming4Free Cons
Server launch times can be slow.
There are (rare) bugs preventing renewal.
There isn’t much documentation on how to transfer save files between servers.
Server.pro
Best Freemium Option
Server.pro is another streamlined option for free Minecraft hosting servers. Its website is straightforward and easy to navigate. In addition to its Minecraft servers, Server.pro has a high server count for other games as well, like Terraria, Rust, and Valheim.
Unfortunately, the free Minecraft server hosting is time-limited. Essentially, the free servers are merely demonstrations of their premium offerings. However, this wasn’t always the case; Server.pro’s free servers used dedicated hardware in earlier iterations of the service.
Server.pro Pros
The website is clean and neat, making navigation and research easy.
Upgrading to a premium server is straightforward.
Rare user complaints about lag, crashes, and other major issues.
Server.pro Cons
Time on free servers is temporary.
Free servers have ads on them.
No daily backups for free servers.
OMGSERV
Best Minimalist Hosting
With data centers in France and North America, European, Canadian, and U.S. citizens have commendable service on OMGSERV. The service also offers a fair deal for its free Minecraft servers. The website clearly outlines specifications (such as those surrounding server IP address concerns). This removes the possibility of unpleasant surprises, such as paywalls or hidden server usage timers.
The biggest downside is that you can play only vanilla Minecraft on OMGSERV’s free servers. Mods and modpacks like CurseForge and Feed the Beast are not available. Additionally, the maximum number of players on the free servers is 4. Other free Minecraft servers, like Aternos, can support up to 10 players.
OMGSERV Pros
Reliable for European and North American users.
Over 30,000 plugins are available.
SSD storage is given based on what you need with no restrictions.
OMGSERV Cons
No mod support.
Limited to 4 players per server.
Reliability outside of Europe and North America isn’t guaranteed.
Free MC Server
Best for Small, Private Servers
As the platform’s name implies, Free MC Server specializes in free high-quality Minecraft servers. In addition to its free servers, it has premium offerings that work on a “pay-as-you-go” model, which involves paying only a few cents every day. The specifications outlined are also direct; no hidden paywalls or limitations.
However, the free servers constantly have long queues. Additionally, the RAM and disk space is pretty low compared to other hosting services. Renewals also happen every four to six hours, which can cause issues surrounding resets like save file loss.
Free MC Server Pros
Unlimited player slots.
Mod and plugin support.
Full FTP file access.
Free MC Server Cons
The RAM on servers have variations.
The free servers have ads.
Frequent renewals add reset-related issues.
MagmaNode
Best for Maximizing Player Slots
Unlike other Minecraft hosting services, MagmaNode has its server status updated in real-time on its homepage. This provides ease of use to the players and lets you check whether or not a server is down. For troubleshooting server issues, MagmaNode provides users with a host programmed for server diagnostics.
Despite having robust processors for its servers, MagmaNode is located only in Germany. As a result, while European gamers are provided better service quality, users around the world don’t have access to it. With the increase in distance from the servers, there’s an increase in connection issues as well.
MagmaNode Pros
Uptime monitor is accurate and consistent.
European users rarely face problems with the servers.
Unlimited player slots.
MagmaNode Cons
The free servers have ads.
Connection quality outside of Europe is not guaranteed.
No Minecraft-specific optimization.
Free Minecraft Server Hosting Comparison Table
Here’s a comparison table of all the listed free Minecraft server hosting platforms, considering their RAM allocation, player slots, modpack support, and automatic backups.
| Minecraft Server Hosting | RAM | Player Slots | Automatic Backups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aternos | 2.4GB | Unlimited | Yes |
| ScalaCube | 6GB | Unlimited | Yes |
| Minehut | 1GB | 10 | Yes |
| Minefort | 1GB | 20 | No |
| Falix | Unknown | Unlimited | No |
| Gaming4Free | Unknown | Unlimited | No |
| Server.pro | 2GB | Unknown | No |
| OMGSERV | 1GB | 4 | No |
| Free MC Server | 1.5GB | Unlimited | Yes |
| MagmaNode | Unknown | Unlimited | No |
Why Choose Free Minecraft Hosting?
Free Minecraft server hosting platforms help players save money by offering several features that are available on paid platforms. These features include DDoS protection and unlimited player slots, among others.
Setting up your own server requires a vast amount of technical knowledge to be done correctly, and the free servers provide players with similar benefits at no cost or technical effort. Additionally, players can change from a free server to a premium server whenever they need it.
For players working with shoestring budgets or want to try a game hosting server for the first time, free servers provide a cheap and easy alternative.
Limitations of Free Hosting
Running servers is an expensive operation. Operating costs for servers are thousands of dollars, going up to $20,000. As such, services that provide server space for free need to pay for maintaining and repairing the servers in question. Therefore, other ways to generate income need to be present, such as ads and partnerships.
Such needs limit the resources that can be put into free servers to remain financially viable. However, premium servers (like Apex) don’t have finance balancing issues, as their revenue pays for the maintenance and other operating costs.
When to Upgrade to Paid Hosting
There are 4 reasons to upgrade to paid hosting, and they’re listed below.
- If you need more RAM.
- When you need more player slots.
- If the Minecraft hosting service offers mod support only on premium servers.
- When you need more storage space.
Free Minecraft server hosting is for those who share a love for the game and want an online gameplay experience. Whether you’re getting into Minecraft for the first time or are a seasoned veteran, free server hosting is an effective way to save money. Casual gamers can experiment while playing with more experienced friends online so that they can gradually learn the ropes in Minecraft.