Minecraft is today more than just a video game. It is on its way to becoming one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. More than 200 copies of the game have been sold so far, and it is still counting.
Not just the young, Minecraft has managed to captivate even the adults. The insanity of its popularity can be seen from the fact that many web hosting companies have now come forward to offer Minecraft hosting.
Yes, you can purchase a hosting plan and host Minecraft on a server to enjoy a multiplayer game! So, if you are looking forward to hosting your own Minecraft server, there are multiple options to select from. In this article or blurb, I will give you a rundown of the best Minecraft servers available today.
The first five on this list are my favorite in order of preference. There is no ranking involved for the remaining! It is a simple list that explains the core features of each Minecraft hosting provider. So, without further ado, let us begin.
Most Preferred Minecraft Server Hosting Providers
1. BISECT Hosting
BISECT hosting focuses mainly on Minecraft hosting. However, that doesn’t mean you cannot host any website or other web applications with this hosting provider. You can!
Since they focus primarily on Minecraft, they ensure that their servers are optimized for the game. There are two types of Minecraft hosting that they provide. One is for the original JAVA version, and the other is for BEDROCK (mobile version).
They offer both VPS and Dedicated hosting for Minecraft. So, if you are looking for a big and fast server at an affordable price, BISECT is the one for you.
Some of the most famous hosting plans that you can get with BISECT are:
| RAM | PLAYERS | PRICE |
| 1 GB | 12 | US Dollars 2.99 |
| 2 GB | 24 | US Dollars 5.98 |
| 4 GB | 48 | US Dollars 11.96 |
| 10 GB | 96 | US Dollars 29.90 |
| 20 GB | 160 | US Dollars 59.80 |
| 32 GB | 160 | US Dollars 95.68 |
It is not necessary that you have to stick with the number of players, as mentioned above. You can always change the number of players. That’s your choice. The numbers reflect the optimal load that your server should have against the allocated resources.
In case you are wondering about the core features of the Minecraft server hosting provider, here is a quick snapshot of the features:
- Custom JARs.
- DDoS protection.
- Unlimited SSD storage.
- FTP access to the server.
- Easy control panel.
If you purchase one of the available plans with BISECT, you can enjoy easy setup, mod pack updates, free MySQL, free subdomain, and various other things. They have strategically placed globally. You need to ensure that you select the right server for low latency. If latency increases, players will have a bad experience.
Their servers are available in the US, Canada, Russia, Germany, Brazil, Poland, France, and the UK.
Their customer support is great, and the average response time is 13 minutes. You can find customer service executives in various time zones. They also have a good history of compensating for the downtime.
In case you are not satisfied with their services, you can ask for a refund within 3 days from the date of purchase. If you fail to make a refund request within 3 days, you will not get any refund – partial or full.
2. Hostinger
Hostinger is one of the most famous hosting providers in their world. They are known for offering amazing web hosting solutions. However, they have stepped into the world of Minecraft hosting, and they are performing great! Hostinger offers only VPS hosting plans for Minecraft sever hosting.
There are different hosting plans available. Though some of them are expensive compared to what BISECT has to offer, they are still quite affordable, and considering the type of services and features the hosting company has to offer; such pricing makes sense.
Some of the most famous hosting plans offered by Hostinger for Minecraft hosting are:
| RAM | CPU | PRICE |
| 2 GB | 2 cores | US Dollar 8.95 |
| 3 GB | 3 cores | US Dollar 12.95 |
| 4 GB | 4 cores | US Dollar 15.95 |
| 6 GB | 6 cores | US Dollar 23.95 |
| 8 GB | 8 cores | US Dollar 29.95 |
Some of the key features of Hostinger’s Minecraft hosting plans are:
- Install mod packs and plugins from the control panel.
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android.
- Cloud-based automatic backups (off-site).
- Full-time development team available.
- Simple password changing facility.
Hosting plans come with DDoS protection, free MySQL, and full-time support. They have servers available in the US, the UK, Lithuania, Singapore, and the Netherlands. Server deployment takes only a few seconds. The control panel provided is super easy, and you will also get several tutorials to get started with Minecraft hosting.
In case you are not happy with the Hostinger services, you can always ask for a refund within 30 days of purchase.
3. Apex Hosting
Apex hosting makes Minecraft hosting pretty attractive with over 200+ single-click mod pack installers! Not just that, they also offer unlimited players across all plans in addition to full server control, various server version options, latency-free fast connections, and more.
Just like every other hosting provider, they have different plans available that you can select. Here is a quick list:
| RAM | PLAYERS | PRICE |
| 1 GB | Unlimited | US Dollar 4.99 |
| 2 GB | Unlimited | US Dollar 7.49 |
| 3 GB | Unlimited | US Dollar 11.24 |
| 5 GB | Unlimited | US Dollar 18.74 |
| 6 GB | Unlimited | US Dollar 22.49 |
| 7 GB | Unlimited | US Dollar 26.24 |
Some of the core features of the hosting provider are:
- JAVA server edition.
- BEDROCk server edition.
- 200+ single-click mod pack installers.
- 24/7 support.
- MySQL database access.
- Full FTP access.
The control panel offered by Apex is very simple and powerful. They also provide an automated backup service, which is yet another USP of the provider. Above all, they have low-latency servers spread globally. The major server locations include Singapore, China, Poland, Brazil, Germany, the UK, the US, France, Canada, Israel, Russia, and Australia.
They have dozens of video tutorials available in case you are stuck somewhere. However, you are free to contact their customer service department anytime you feel you require some expert help.
Their 24/7 customer service is available throughout the year. However, they do not provide any SLA. Despite this, they usually respond within 1 hour.
As far as refund policy is concerned, they have a 7-day refund policy available. If the refund fails for some reason, they provide compensation for an entire month.
4. Shockbyte
Specializing in game server support, Shockbyte is one of the leading Minecraft hosting providers in the world. It doesn’t only excel in Minecraft hosting but also offers hosting for other games like Hytale, Arma 3, Ark: Survival Evolved, and Rust.
As far as Minecraft is concerned, you can get a free subdomain, 100% protection from DDoS attacks, and a 100% uptime guarantee.
The company has quite some reputation in Minecraft hosting and uses state-of-the-art hardware. Shockbyte also offers both up-to-date JAVA and BEDROCK editions on all Minecraft server versions that include Sponge, Forge, CraftBukkit, Spigot, Snapshots, Vanilla, and BungeeCord.
Here is a quick snapshot of the different hosting plans available with Shockbyte:
| RAM | SLOTS | PRICE |
| 1 GB | 20+ | US Dollars 2.50 |
| 2 GB | 40+ | US Dollars 5.00 |
| 3 GB | 60+ | US Dollars 7.50 |
| 4 GB | 80+ | US Dollars 10.00 |
| 5 GB | 100+ | US Dollars 12.50 |
| 6 GB | 120+ | US Dollars 15.00 |
| 7 GB | 140+ | US Dollars 17.50 |
| 8 GB | 160+ | US Dollars 20.00 |
| 9 GB | 180+ | US Dollars 22.50 |
| 10 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 25.00 |
| 12 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 30.00 |
| 16 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 40.00 |
They have 24×7 customer support available on three different continents, and I must admit that’s quite rare.
Some of the core features of Shockbyte include:
- Automatic nodding.
- Automatic updates.
- Dedicated IP support.
- Multicraft CP.
- DDoS protection.
- Automatic backup.
- NVMe SSD for three highest-tier plans.
- Server console.
- Instant setup.
- Free MySQL database.
They, too, have a refund policy in place, but you need to ask for a refund within 24 hours from the time of purchase. That’s unfair. It may take more than 24 hours to understand whether their servers are perfect for your gaming requirements or not. They should have provided at least one week to ask for a refund. It is because of this reason that I didn’t put Shockbyte high on the list.
5. ScalaCube
Offering one-click instant setup, the ability to create your own launcher using custom forge servers, to one-click installation for mod packs, ScalaCube is one of the best options if you are running on a budget.
This hosting provider will allow you to set up unlimited number of game servers on a single VPS server. Each game server can have unlimited number of slots! That’s amazing!
As with every other hosting company, ScalaCube also offers a number of hosting plans. You can always select the one that fits in your budget or your gaming requirements. Here is a quick list of the pricing structure they have to offer:
| RAM | PLAYERS | PRICE |
| 768 MB | 10 | US Dollars 2.50 |
| 1.5 GB | 20 | US Dollars 5.00 |
| 3 GB | 40 | US Dollars 10.00 |
| 4.5 GB | 70 | US Dollars 13.00 |
| 6 GB | 100 | US Dollars 18.00 |
| 8 GB | 150 | US Dollars 24.00 |
| 12 GB | 225 | US Dollars 36.00 |
| 16 GB | 300 | US Dollars 48.00 |
| 32 GB | 600 | US Dollars 96.00 |
Among the most important features that this company has to offer are:
- Complete access to files.
- Monitor number of players online.
- Edit server list of mods for every server.
- Create launcher or change launcher design.
- Free MySQL.
- Mod Pack and BungeeCord support.
The company offers a wide range of Minecraft game server. You can choose the one that you want. Here is a quick list some of the many options available with ScalaCube:
- FTB
- ATLauncher
- Snapshot
- Forge
- Void’s Wrath
- Spigot
- PaperMC
- Bukkit
- Cauldron
Unfortunately, the company doesn’t offer any refund policy. This means that if you are not satisfied after you purchase a plan, there is no way you can get your money back. All purchases are final.
ScalaCube offers 99.9% uptime guarantee and they promise to compensate for the lost time. As far as customer support is concerned, you need to approach their support team during the week days. They are not operational on weekends.
Other famous Minecraft server hosting options
If you want to scout through other players in the market that offer Minecraft server hosting, here is a quick list to get started:
Sparked Host
This company offers quality services and it is quite reliable. Depending on your budget, you can select from different plans. Here is a table that shows the pricing structure of Sparked Host:
| RAM | PLAYERS | PRICE |
| 512 MB | Unlimited | US Dollars 0.60 |
| 1 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 0.75 |
| 2 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 1.75 |
| 4 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 3.75 |
| 6 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 5.75 |
| 8 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 7.75 |
| 10 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 9.75 |
| 16 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 15.75 |
| 32 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 19.75 |
Some of the key features offered by this hosting company include:
- Instant setup.
- Enterprise-grade hardware.
- DDoS protection.
- Premium server locations.
- 99.99% uptime guarantee (if their servers go down for more than 10 minutes consecutively, they will compensate).
- Refund only for valid reasons like service interruptions caused by the hosting company.
GGServers
Minecraft is one of the several game hosting services that GG Servers offers. They have nine data centers spread globally. Here is a quick table of their pricing structure:
| RAM | PLAYERS | PRICE |
| 1 GB | 12 | US Dollars 3.00 |
| 2.4 GB | 24 | US Dollars 6.00 |
| 3 GB | 36 | US Dollars 9.00 |
| 4 GB | 48 | US Dollars 12.00 |
| 5 GB | 60 | US Dollars 15.00 |
| 6 GB | 72 | US Dollars 18.00 |
| 8 GB | 96 | US Dollars 24.00 |
| 12 GB | 144 | US Dollars 36.00 |
The primary features offered by this hosting company include:
- Full support for BEDROCK and JAVA editions.
- MySQL database and FTP access.
- Unlimited 1-click installations for plugins and mod packs.
- Unmetered NVMe SSD storage.
- Multicraft control panel.
- 24-hour refund policy. You need to ask for refund within 24 hours.
- 99% uptime guarantee.
- Live chat support within 5 minutes.
MCProhosting
The company offers modded Minecraft server hosting and has support of BEDROCK and JAVA versions. They also have a multicraft control panel that allows users to control the server directly from a browser. Using the browser, you can modify and upload files, install various server types, manage the console and more.
The pricing plans of MCProhosting includes:
| RAM | PLAYERS | PRICE |
| 1 GB | 25 | US Dollars 7.99 |
| 2 GB | 35 | US Dollars 9.99 |
| 4 GB | 70 | US Dollars 19.99 |
| 6 GB | 100 | US Dollars 29.99 |
| 8 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 39.99 |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | US Dollars 49.99 |
The core features of the hosting provider include:
- Easy setup
- Mod/plugin support
- Full file access
- Custom control panel
- Enterprise-grade hardware
- 7-day full refund
- Live chat and ticket support
Unfortunately, you cannot make any changes outside the initial server configuration.
ServerMiner
If you are new to Minecraft, ServerMiner is a good option because it is far friendlier to novice players. Their popular hosting plans include:
| RAM | PLAYERS | PRICE |
| 1.5 GB | 15 | US Dollars 7.58 |
| 2 GB | 20 | US Dollars 9.89 |
| 3 GB | 30 | US Dollars 14.66 |
| 4 GB | 40 | US Dollars 19.37 |
| 6 GB | 60 | US Dollars 28.88 |
| 8 GB | 80 | US Dollars 38.32 |
| 10 GB | 100 | US Dollars 47.74 |
The core features of ServerMiner include:
- Player tracker.
- 1-click installation for mod packs and Minecraft game versions.
- 50 GB storage.
- SMPicnic control panel.
- DDoS protection.
- Full root access.
- 72-hour refund policy.
MelonCube
Trusted by thousands, MelonCube offers high-performance Minecraft hosting at affordable rates. They offer some incredible features including a 3-day refund policy from the date of purchase. Here is quick table summarizing their pricing structure:
| RAM | PLAYERS | PRICE |
| 1 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 3.00 |
| 2 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 6.00 |
| 3 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 9.00 |
| 4 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 12.00 |
| 5 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 15.00 |
| 6 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 18.00 |
| 7 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 21.00 |
| 9 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 27.00 |
| 10 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 30.00 |
The core features of hosting provider include:
- Free MySQL database
- Multicraft panel
- 3 Tbps DDoS protection
- phpMyAdmin access
- 1-click plugin installer
- JAVA 8 support
- Enterprise-grade hardware
- 24/7 support
Anvilnode
Yet another famous Minecraft hosting provider, Anvilnode offers free trial for Buycraft, Enjin, and Minetrends for each of their plans. The company has some interesting hosting plans for Minecraft server. Here is a quick summary of their hosting plans:
| RAM | PLAYER | PRICE |
| 1 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 4.00 |
| 4 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 16.00 |
| 8 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 32.00 |
| 10 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 40.00 |
| 12 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 48.00 |
| 14 GB | Unlimited | US Dollars 56.00 |
The core features offered by the hosting company include:
- Easy plugin installer
- Instant setup
- Latest, stable and most secure versions of Minecraft
- Full FTP access
- Full refund within 48 hours
- Support team trained on Minecraft server
General FAQ on Minecraft Server
If you are reading this, I will assume that you have either played Minecraft or you intend to. Either way, Minecraft is way more enjoyable when you play it in a multiplayer mode. Minecraft helps you develop many skills and one of them is teamwork.
A Minecraft server refers to a private network that you can create and allow other people to join in and play together as a team. The server you create can have several restrictions in place like IP and username that can prevent unwanted access.
The server can have different commands and settings and you can set different rules, enable PvP, limit the number of players who can join the game and more.
Now, Minecraft server is essentially a type of software that can run on hardware. So, you need the hardware setup. There are two ways of getting that. First, you can buy the physical server and second, you can rent some space on a physical server against a monthly fee.
The problem with the first option is that a physical server is enormously expensive. Purchasing a physical server for hosting Minecraft server is not an ideal thing to do. The amount of money you need to invest in purchasing the physical server is ridiculously high. On top of that, you will have to find a place for keeping that expensive machine. You need to provide 24×7 electricity and high-speed internet. That will incur additional costs.
Big hosting companies have invested hundreds and thousands of dollars for creating data centers. Some have spent millions. Thinking of spending such amount of money for hosting a Minecraft server is plain, RIDICULOUS. Please drop that thought!
The second option is what people opt for. Different hosting companies allow people to rent a space on the physical servers they already own and run. You pay a monthly fee for using that space. The more space and power (resources you want), the higher the price you pay.
Technically, YES! You can always host a Minecraft server on your PC or computer. That may sound a tempting thing to do, but think again!
Your PC is never as powerful as a physical server (which is also a computer). It can give up under the network load it gets when you host Minecraft server on your PC. The worst part of all is that you need to a nerd – an extremely tech-savvy person who has a thorough knowledge of network and other geeky stuff.
Additionally, when you set up a Minecraft server, you make your PC available for DDoS attacks and other online threats. You need to know how to mitigate all those threats.
What else? You need to account for the electricity consumption, internet usage and similar stuff. Those expenses will increase. You cannot have your regular internet connection. You will need a very highspeed connection to prevent latency. Your computer needs to have highspeed SSD disks, and your entire setup needs to have power backup to ensure that the server remains online continuously.
What does that mean? You cannot turn off your computer! Well, you can by simply asking all the online members to exit so that you can turn off your PC. That will leave a very bad impression, don’t you think so?
There are many benefits! Since you have asked this question, I will tell a few of those benefits.
Benefit 1: Better privacy and tighter security
When you play Minecraft on a third-party server, you are joining a server with a public IP. This is where the risk begins. If the server is not properly fortified against online threats, hackers can easily get in and gain access to your data and the data of every other user playing on that server.
If you are running the server, you are not going to run into that risk because you will be in a position to keep the security in check. Others joining your server can run into that risk, though because you will have access to some of their data.
Benefit 2: Install as many mod packs as you want
Why not? That’s your server, and you have the right to and freedom to install as many mod packs as you want to customize your gameplay experience. After all, who doesn’t want a completely customized experience?
Benefit 3: Earn money!
This is a long shot benefit that I am talking about. There are already thousands of Minecraft servers online. You will just be another one in the crowd. To actually make money from your server, you need to not only compete with those servers, but also outshine them to earn visibility.
This will take a lot of time and you have to keep the server online always. Of course, you can ask the players to give some donation but that is not going to make you a lot of real money.
Benefit 4: Complete control
When you are running your Minecraft server, you stay in complete control. That’s fun! To be able to set restrictions and permissions, setting rules, giving commands – it is fun! Everyone has to agree to this part! Who doesn’t like to be the master? After all, that’s our basic desire – to command others.
Benefit 5: Low cost
If you are thinking of purchasing a physical server to host your own Minecraft server, you must be filthy rich. Why don’t you give me a few hundred thousand dollars as a loan? Just kidding! Buying a physical server is a costly affair and keeping it online invites more costs. Getting a hosting plan is way cheaper.
Benefit 6: Worry-free server security
If you are thinking of buying your own physical server, you have to worry about its security. You need to safeguard it from both online and offline threats. You are possibly aware of online threats like DDoS attacks, hacking, and more.
What about the offline threats? The physical servers on which Minecraft servers run are extremely expensive hardware and the cost of each individual physical sever can run into several hundreds of thousands of dollars. People may just steal the physical server. What happens then?
What if the server is destroyed by natural or manmade events? That will be your loss! Are you ready to take such kind of losses? Opting for a hosting service gets rid of those threats because the hosting company becomes responsible for tackling them.
If there are benefits of using a Minecraft server hosting service, there are issues as well, and you have to deal with those issues. Here is a quick list of issues that you have to face with Minecraft server hosting:
Disadvantage 1: Hosting issues
No hosting company is perfect. It cannot be! No one perfect! When you start using a hosting company, you will run into various problems that may include (but not limited to):
Downtimes
Difficult (too technical)
Cost
Customer service
You may have to keep hopping from one hosting provider to another until you eventually find a hosting provider working with whom you will feel comfortable. Until you find the one that is perfect for you, you have to keep migrating from one server to another, and that’s a big hassle.
Disadvantage 2: Popularity has a cost!
While keeping your Minecraft server afloat will attract cost, you may have to invest heavily in advertising your server so that it stands out. Advertisement comes at a cost, and over time, it can keep increasing. You need to be aware of those costs and be ready to spend such money.
Disadvantage 3: You possibly can’t play
Maintaining your server is going to take a lot of time and effort. There will be technical issues that will keep popping every now and then and you have to resolve them. You have to spend time promoting your server too! At the end of the day, you may not even find time to play!
Once you decide that you will be hosting a Minecraft server on a third-party hosting server, you need to find a hosting company that suits you the best. Of course, the task is not easy and that’s why I recommended a few options that I personally prefer. You may try them or use them as a starting point.
But before you make a purchase, you have to consider several factors that will determine how good your experience remains with the hosting company. Here are the factors that you need to consider:
Hardware
Hardware is important, especially when you are trying to a Minecraft server that will allow multiple players at the same time. If you are thinking of allowing different players with different mods, Minecraft can become extremely demanding pretty soon. Unless you have proper hardware to support that demand, your gameplay experience will take a hit.
There has to be enough RAM and processing power in addition to fast SSD storage. If your hosting provider has subpar hardware, you need to find one that has better specifications. The hosting provider has to optimize the physical server for multiplayer environment.
So yes, hardware plays a vital role and you should select an option that is dependable and offers latest hardware.
Pricing
It is needless to say that the price you pay for Minecraft server hosting does not only include the price of the hardware you will be using, but also for the security you get along with maintenance, features, etc. Of course, you need to stay within your budget. Try to find an option that offers budget hosting solutions along with quality hardware.
Access
You need to have access to the server. FTP access or web-based control panel is a must. For instance, you might want to switch between mods. If you don’t have the access, you cannot do that.
Customer support
No matter how good a web hosting company is, things can go wrong and you will need some help at some point or the other. There might be important settings that need to be changed, or you may need quick resolution to something as awful as a DDoS attack. A good customer support is an absolute necessity.
Conclusion
Minecraft is an amazing game. It if you want to run your own Minecraft server and earn money from the same, it is essential that you buy an affordable hosting plan that offers enterprise-grade hardware and amazing support along with near non-existent downtime. If earning money from the Minecraft server is your ultimate motive, you should consider purchasing a hosting plan that you can trust even if the cost is a bit high.
