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.

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Aternos

Best Overall

Aternos' homepage showing the company logo and the text "Minecraft servers. Free. Forever."

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

  • Advantage

    Completely free (no hidden paywalls).

  • Advantage

    A high degree of server customization.

  • Advantage

    Custom domains for accessing servers.

Aternos Cons

  • Advantage

    Improperly installing mods and modpacks causes crashes.

  • Advantage

    Some mods don’t work properly.

  • Advantage

    An active VPN prevents you from joining servers.

Host on Aternos

ScalaCube

Best for Uptime Reliability

ScalaCube's homepage showing a list of features and a menu bar that lets users select servers to rent.

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

  • Advantage

    Many available modded servers.

  • Advantage

    Mods and plugins don’t cause issues often.

  • Advantage

    Servers all over the world reduce bad latency.

ScalaCube Cons

  • Advantage

    Awkward wording occasionally results in customer confusion.

  • Advantage

    Some complain about poor customer service.

  • Advantage

    The free server option only has one player slot, so no multiplayer.

Play on ScalaCube

Minehut

Best for Larger Servers Usage

Minehut's homepage showing a few servers in the center of the page and server categories in the bottom-right corner.

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 serversโ€”including mini-game server optionsโ€”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

  • Advantage

    It’s quick and easy to set up a server.

  • Advantage

    Users don’t have to worry about technical aspects when setting up a server.

  • Advantage

    Good website optimization lets you search for server options efficiently.

Minehut Cons

  • Advantage

    Poor security.

  • Advantage

    Slow customer support.

  • Advantage

    Time-limited to four hours per day for the free server plan.

Try Minehut

Minefort

Best for Secure Hosting

Minefort's homepage depicting a Minecraft house made of wood next to a nether portal alongside the text "Host & Manage Minecraft Servers."

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

  • Advantage

    The free plan supports up to twenty players.

  • Advantage

    Excellent file management.

  • Advantage

    No major issues with lag and crashes.

Minefort Cons

  • Advantage

    Updates can delete world progress.

  • Advantage

    Servers go down slightly more often than other hosting services.

  • Advantage

    Players using cracked versions of Minecraft have login problems.

Host on Minefort

Falix

Best for Free Modpacks

Falix's homepage stating that it has 32,000 free Minecraft servers, 1,100,000 trusted users, and 2,500 great reviews.

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

  • Advantage

    Plenty of servers to choose from.

  • Advantage

    The game server control panel is beginner-friendly.

  • Advantage

    Unlimited plugins.

Falix Cons

  • Advantage

    Rare issues with commands not working.

  • Advantage

    Cracked versions of Minecraft don’t work well.

  • Advantage

    Occasional errors when interacting with player logs.

Play on Falix

Gaming4Free (Previously Skynode)

Best for Customization

Gaming4Free's homepage illustrating a large building with a bright beacon on top of it near promises of user servers being online 24/7.

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

  • Advantage

    Fast and reliable servers.

  • Advantage

    Active and helpful customer support.

  • Advantage

    Intuitive control panel.

Gaming4Free Cons

  • Advantage

    Server launch times can be slow.

  • Advantage

    There are (rare) bugs preventing renewal.

  • Advantage

    There isn’t much documentation on how to transfer save files between servers.

Try Gaming4Free

Server.pro

Best Freemium Option

server-pro-hosting

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

  • Advantage

    The website is clean and neat, making navigation and research easy.

  • Advantage

    Upgrading to a premium server is straightforward.

  • Advantage

    Rare user complaints about lag, crashes, and other major issues.

Server.pro Cons

  • Advantage

    Time on free servers is temporary.

  • Advantage

    Free servers have ads on them.

  • Advantage

    No daily backups for free servers.

Try Server.pro

OMGSERV

Best Minimalist Hosting

OMGSERV's homepage showing the main menu options and advertising for its free Minecraft servers.

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

  • Advantage

    Reliable for European and North American users.

  • Advantage

    Over 30,000 plugins are available.

  • Advantage

    SSD storage is given based on what you need with no restrictions.

OMGSERV Cons

  • Advantage

    No mod support.

  • Advantage

    Limited to 4 players per server.

  • Advantage

    Reliability outside of Europe and North America isn’t guaranteed.

Host on OMGSERV

Free MC Server

Best for Small, Private Servers

Free MC Server's homepage showing a paragraph about its free Minecraft servers that have up to 1.5 GB of RAM.

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

  • Advantage

    Unlimited player slots.

  • Advantage

    Mod and plugin support.

  • Advantage

    Full FTP file access.

Free MC Server Cons

  • Advantage

    The RAM on servers have variations.

  • Advantage

    The free servers have ads.

  • Advantage

    Frequent renewals add reset-related issues.

Play on Free MC Server

MagmaNode

Best for Maximizing Player Slots

MagmaNode's homepage showing text that implies choosing it for free Minecraft servers is "the right choice."

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

  • Advantage

    Uptime monitor is accurate and consistent.

  • Advantage

    European users rarely face problems with the servers.

  • Advantage

    Unlimited player slots.

MagmaNode Cons

  • Advantage

    The free servers have ads.

  • Advantage

    Connection quality outside of Europe is not guaranteed.

  • Advantage

    No Minecraft-specific optimization.

Host on MagmaNode

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 HostingRAMPlayer SlotsAutomatic Backups
Aternos2.4GBUnlimitedYes
ScalaCube6GBUnlimitedYes
Minehut1GB10Yes
Minefort1GB20No
FalixUnknownUnlimitedNo
Gaming4FreeUnknownUnlimitedNo
Server.pro2GBUnknownNo
OMGSERV1GB4No
Free MC Server1.5GBUnlimitedYes
MagmaNodeUnknownUnlimitedNo

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.

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.

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