Aternos queue, sleep mode and lag: what to do

Your Aternos server is in a queue because every free slot is taken at that moment. It stops on its own because Aternos shuts down empty servers, and when it lags, the usual suspects are too many mobs, a large view distance or heavy mods. For almost every problem there’s something you can do yourself. Below you’ll find the cause and the fix for each one, based on what Aternos explains in its own help centre.

Why is my Aternos server in a queue?

A queue for cake at a birthday party is fun. A queue for your own server, less so. Aternos has a limited number of servers for a huge number of players. When more people want to start a server than there’s room for, you join a queue until someone else stops theirs. You can see your position and an estimated waiting time.

• Click the green button in time. Just before your turn, Aternos asks if you’re still there. If you don’t confirm, you’re removed from the queue and have to start again.
• Don’t leave the queue. The red button takes you out, but you lose your place.
• After that it’s quick. Once you confirm, Aternos says your server starts within a few minutes.

There’s no way to skip the queue on Aternos itself. For that, Aternos points to its paid sister service.

Why does my Aternos server keep stopping?

As soon as the last player leaves, a stop countdown begins. If nobody joins before it hits zero, your server shuts down so someone else can use the slot. Aternos deliberately doesn’t offer servers that stay online around the clock. There is no playtime limit, though: as long as someone is playing, it stays on.

• Join in time. When the timer drops below a minute, a button appears that adds another minute.
• Let your friends start it. Under Access, give a friend the Start permission so nobody has to wait for you. Only add people you really trust, because changes they make can’t be undone.
• Start it from the Dawn launcher. Joining through Dawn, the official Aternos launcher, starts your server automatically if it’s offline. In the options you decide who can do that, for example only whitelisted players.
• Don’t use bots to keep it online. It’s against the Aternos rules, it gets detected and it can cost you your account.

Is Aternos down, or is my server stuck on Pending?

Pending means the machine your server runs on can’t be reached for the moment. Aternos recommends waiting until it sorts itself out; the team is alerted automatically. After ten minutes a Cancel button appears, but using it costs data. Often you lose everything since the last start, sometimes more. That’s a good reason to make backups regularly.

If your server won’t start, the cause is usually the software, a mod or a plugin. Open the log and look for lines marked ERROR; Aternos often shows a suggested fix at the top. If it says the storage is full, you’ve hit the 4 GB limit. Delete unused worlds, mods or plugins, or let the Optimize option remove unused chunks.

Server running but you can’t get in? Try again once, or use the DynIP address that Aternos shows under Connect. On Bedrock, check the port: when your server switches to the new NetherNet network protocol, it becomes 19132. From Bedrock 26.60, due on 27 October 2026 according to the Minecraft Wiki, NetherNet is required.

Is the lag on Aternos coming from the server, your internet or your PC?

Lag has three sources, and each needs a different fix. So find out where it comes from first.

• The server (low TPS). Minecraft updates the world twenty times a second. When it can’t keep up, TPS drops below 20 and everything turns sluggish: blocks pop back and mobs stutter. The Aternos server page shows your TPS (Java 1.16 and newer).
• Your own PC (low FPS). Press F3 in Minecraft Java. If your FPS drops below 30, the stutter is on your side, even when the server runs fine.
• Your internet (high ping). Aternos servers are in Europe. If the route from your provider is busy or long, you’ll notice a delay. It often clears up on its own.

If low TPS is the problem, these steps help. Aternos recommends them too:

1. Use Paper instead of vanilla. Paper is built for better performance and runs plugins as well.
2. Keep mob numbers down. Big animal farms are the classic cause of lag. If lots of items are lying around, clear them with /minecraft:kill @e[type=item].
3. Lower the view distance. At a view distance of 5 the server loads up to 121 chunks around a player; at 10 it’s up to 441. That’s almost four times the work.
4. Set random tick speed back to 3, the default. In Java 1.21.11 and newer, use /gamerule random_tick_speed 3.
5. Don’t all explore new land at once. Generating new chunks is heavy work, so try to stay fairly close together.
6. Find the culprit with spark. This plugin shows which mod, plugin or farm takes up the most time. Paper (from 1.21) and Purpur already have spark built in.

A big modpack may never run perfectly smoothly on Aternos: Aternos only tests modpacks to see whether they start and are playable.

How do I turn on keep inventory on Aternos?

The easiest way is the Worlds page: click the options button next to your world and switch the game rule on. Prefer a command? Mind the spelling, because Java changed it:

• Java 1.21.11 and newer: /gamerule keep_inventory true
• Java 1.21.10 and older: /gamerule keepInventory true
• Bedrock: /gamerule keepinventory true

On Paper or Spigot, game rules apply per dimension, so the command only affects the dimension you’re standing in. Turn it on separately in the Nether and the End, or use the per-dimension options on the Worlds page. More about keep inventory, including in your own world, is in How to turn on keep inventory in Minecraft.

Which mods and plugins can I use on Aternos?

On Aternos you can only install mods, plugins and modpacks from its own library, which draws on sources such as CurseForge and Modrinth. You can’t upload a file you downloaded yourself. If something is missing, you can suggest it; the team reviews every suggestion by hand, which can take days or weeks. Plugins need Paper, Purpur or Spigot.

When is it time to switch?

Aternos is a great place to start, and for a group that plays now and then it’s often all you need. If you keep running into the same wall, like the queue, a server that shuts down as soon as you leave or a mod that isn’t in the library, your own server starts to make sense. What you gain and what it costs is covered in Aternos alternative: when is a paid server worth it?

Your world comes with you. Download it from the Worlds page and follow How to move your Minecraft world to your own server. How uploading works in our game panel is explained in the knowledge base: Upload your Minecraft world to your server.