How to make a Minecraft server

There are two ways to make your own Minecraft server: run it on your own computer, or rent one that stays online around the clock. Hosting it yourself costs nothing but electricity, but your PC has to stay on and your friends can only get in through port forwarding or a service like playit.gg. A rented server at CakeHosting starts at €4.95 a month and takes care of all that for you.

Below you’ll find what you need, how to start a server on your own PC and when renting makes more sense. Both are fine choices, as long as you know what you’re signing up for.

What do you need to host a Minecraft server?

For a Java server you need three things:

• A computer that can stay on. The server only runs while that computer is running. Switch it off and the game is over for everyone.
• Java 25. Minecraft 26.1 and newer need Java 25. Versions 1.20.5 to 1.21.11 need Java 21.
• Enough memory. For a few friends, 4 GB for the server is usually plenty, on top of what your computer needs for itself. Where that number comes from is explained in How much RAM does a Minecraft server need?

Playing Bedrock on phones, tablets, consoles or Windows? Then you need Mojang’s Bedrock Dedicated Server. On Xbox, PlayStation or Switch you can only reach your own server with a workaround: here’s how. It runs on Windows 10 or later and on Ubuntu 22.04 or later, and Mojang lists 4 GB of RAM in its system requirements.

How do you run a Minecraft server on your own PC?

1. Install Java 25, for example Eclipse Temurin from Adoptium. Then type java -version in a terminal to check that it worked.
2. Download the server. The official server is on minecraft.net. If you want plugins, grab Paper from papermc.io instead; it starts the same way.
3. Put the file in an empty folder, rename it to server.jar and start it from that folder with java -Xmx4G -Xms4G -jar server.jar nogui. The 4G is the memory the server may use.
4. Accept the EULA. On the first run the server stops straight away and creates a file called eula.txt. Change it to eula=true and start again.
5. Join your own server from Multiplayer, using the address localhost.
6. Whitelist your friends. Since Minecraft 26.3, the whitelist is on by default for new servers. In the server window, type whitelist add name for each friend.

Friends on the same network, say in the same house, connect with your computer’s local IP address. Everyone else needs one more step.

Port forwarding or playit.gg: how do friends join from outside?

Your router won’t let traffic from the internet reach your computer on its own. There are two common fixes.

Port forwarding

In your router settings, you forward port 25565 (TCP) to your computer’s local IP address. For Bedrock it’s port 19132 (UDP). Your friends then connect to your public IP address. It works, with a few catches: not every router or internet provider allows it, your public address can change, and anyone with the address knows where your home network is.

playit.gg

playit.gg acts as a middleman. You run a small program next to your server, your friends connect to a playit address, and playit passes the traffic on to you. No router changes, and your home IP stays private. There’s a free plan, and Premium costs 3 dollars a month according to playit. Your computer still has to be on, because the server still runs at your place.

What does self-hosting really cost?

• Electricity. A PC that runs day and night at an average of 100 watts uses 72 kWh in 30 days. At the EU average household price, that’s around 21 euros a month for power alone. The sum is worked out in How much does a Minecraft server cost? A plug-in energy meter tells you what your own machine really uses.
• Time. You install updates, make backups, figure out why a plugin won’t load and act as the help desk when someone can’t connect.
• Availability. When your PC restarts for an update, or your sister wants to play on it, the server is down. A server on a shared PC is like cake at a party: look away for a minute and it’s gone.

When is renting a server the better choice?

Hosting at home is a great way to learn how a server works. Renting is easier when:

• your friends want to play while you’re away or your computer is off;
• you’d rather not share your home address or touch your router;
• you want backups, a file manager and a button to switch Minecraft versions;
• the group grows and your PC can’t keep up.

A rented server comes with a game panel. There you start and stop the server, manage files, make backups and install plugins or modpacks, and the server picks the right Java version by itself. Share the address from the panel and start building.

Free hosts such as Aternos exist too, with the occasional queue and a server that shuts down when it’s empty. When it’s worth moving on is covered in Aternos alternative: when is a paid server worth it? Still weighing up LAN, Realms and a server? How to play Minecraft with friends puts every option side by side.

Java or Bedrock: which server software should you pick?

• Everyone plays Java on a computer. Go for Paper if you want plugins, Fabric or NeoForge for mods, or vanilla for the game exactly as Mojang made it. The differences are explained in Which Minecraft server software should you use?
• Everyone plays Bedrock. Get a Bedrock server. According to the Minecraft Wiki, players on Xbox, PlayStation or Switch can only reach a custom server through a workaround with a custom DNS server, or over LAN. The details are in A Minecraft server on PS5, Xbox or Switch.
• A mix of Java and Bedrock. Run a Java server with Geyser, as explained in Minecraft crossplay: Java and Bedrock together.

Not sure how big your server should be? The server size calculator works it out for your number of players and plugins.