Free Minecraft Server Hosting: The Truth
Free hosting exists, but comes with serious trade-offs. Here's an honest look at your options.
Free Hosting Options Compared
| Service | RAM | 24/7? | Mods? | Queue? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aternos | 4GB | Limited | 5-30 min | |
| Minehut | 1GB free | None | ||
| Self-hosting | Your PC | None | ||
| Paid Hosting | 4-16GB | None |
Aternos - Most Popular Free Option
Pros
- Completely free
- 4GB RAM available
- Some mod/plugin support
- Easy setup
Cons
- Queue times of 5-30 minutes
- Server stops when empty
- Forced ads on website
- Limited modpack support
- Can't always start when you want
Best for: Casual players who don't mind waiting and only play occasionally with friends who are online at the same time.
Minehut - Easy but Very Limited
Minehut gives you 1GB RAM for free with no queue, but that's barely enough for 2-3 players on vanilla. The free tier doesn't support Forge/Fabric mods at all.
Best for: Testing server setups or playing with 1-2 friends on vanilla only.
Self-Hosting - Free but Requires Effort
You can host a Minecraft server on your own computer for free. This gives you complete control but comes with challenges:
- Your PC must stay on 24/7 (electricity costs, noise, wear)
- Need to configure port forwarding
- Your home IP is exposed to players
- No DDoS protection
- Performance depends on your hardware
See our complete server setup guide if you want to try this.
The Hidden Costs of "Free"
What You Give Up
When Free Makes Sense
Free hosting is fine if:
- You're just testing or learning
- Playing with 1-2 friends occasionally
- You don't need mods
- You don't care about 24/7 availability
- You have patience for queues
When to Pay for Hosting
Paid hosting makes sense if:
- You want friends to join anytime (server always online)
- You're running modpacks
- You have more than 5 regular players
- You want a custom server address
- You don't want to deal with technical issues
Cost Comparison
Premium hosting starts at just $4.99/month - less than a coffee. For that, you get:
- 4GB RAM (enough for 10-15 players)
- 24/7 uptime - always online
- Full mod and plugin support
- Custom subdomain
- No queues, no ads, no waiting
- DDoS protection included
Skip the Frustration
For the cost of one fast food meal per month, get a server that just works.