Hosting your Minecraft at home using your PC or a server presents a lot of problems. Fortunately, many hosting server companies can help you manage your server while removing most of those hassles. And if you think subscribing to a hosting service company is expensive, some hosts on this list will change your mind.
This post will list the best Minecraft server hosting options to help you design and run your server instantly. We also considered some of the most important factors, such as server performance, value for money, ease of use, and the amount of customization available.
The Best Minecraft Server Hosting Companies
There’s no arguing that the best free Minecraft server hosting alternative is your PC or Virtual Private Servers that host multiple users. However, these setups are only ideal for a small community of less than a dozen people.
If you want your Minecraft server to host more players, you need to rent a dedicated server. Below are some of the top-performing server hosting companies for Minecraft and other online games.
1. Apex Hosting
Hardware: 3.9 GHz Ryzen 7 3800X NVMe SSD with 15GB DDR4
Control Panel: Modified Multicraft Cpanel
Cheapest Plan: $9.99 per month for 2GB RAM
Most Expensive Plan: $49.99 per month for 10 GB RAM
No. of Locations: 18
Apex Hosting is one of the most innovative players in the Minecraft hosting space. The company has 18 locations around the globe, including two in the Middle East. They also disclose the specifications of the hardware they use for each of their sites. North America, for example, features the 3.9 GHz Ryzen 7 3800X NVMe SSD with 15 GB DDR4.
Furthermore, this Minecraft server hosting company has a 24/7 live customer support chat tool. Apex Hosting offers one-click installation of 150 modpacks, including SkyFactory, Pixelmon, and RLCraft. If you are low on budget, you start with their 512 MB Proxy server at just $2.99 per month.
They also offer server management, which uses custom multicraft back-end panels. The control panel has tutorials and ready-to-go information on the left-hand side of the page to help you with usage issues.
Moreover, Apex Hosting offers mini-games and downloadable premade worlds.
Pros
- Full FTP and MySQL Database
- They offer a money-back guarantee
- Strong gigabit per second connections
Cons
- Its plans max out at 7 GB RAM.
- Some plans are more expensive than their competitors.
2. Nodecraft
Hardware: 3.8 GHz Intel Xeon E-2174G; Enterprise Grade SSD; 32 GB ECC RAM
Control Panel: Multicraft Cpanel
Cheapest Plan: $9.98 per month for 2 GB RAM
Most Expensive Plan: $39.98 for 8 GB RAM
No. of Locations: 12
If you want a premium hosting service that’s worth the extra money, then Nodecraft is the place to be. You can set up as many server instances as you need and switch your bot between them.
They also utilize Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection and provide dedicated Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. Hence, you can easily switch from any server type, such as a skyblock, to a bucket.
However, you can only have one kind of active server at any time. This feature is helpful if you want to experiment in a test server or play multiple modpacks with your friends. So far, Nodecraft is the only Minecraft hosting company that can do this.
Nodecraft also has a one-click install feature, plus it supports about 120 modpacks. You can take advantage of their seven-day free trial to determine if their service is a good fit. Nodecraft offers unlimited player slots across all plans.
Pros
- It has numerous layers of protection
- Simple layout with a user-friendly dashboard
- Saves a backup of your data daily
Cons
- Subpar 24/7 customer support
3. Hostinger
Hardware: Intel Xeon processors with SSD hard drive (Full-model not disclosed)
Control Panel: Custom Multicraft panel
Cheapest Plan: $8.95 per month for 2 GB RAM
Most Expensive Plan: $77.99 per month for 16 GB RAM
No. of Locations: 7
Hostinger is the go-to place if you want to get more bang for your buck from your Minecraft server hosting. This Lithuania-based hosting company has been around since 2004. They have since expanded to locations such as the US, UK, Singapore, and the Netherlands.
One of its best features is its custom virtual private server (VPS) control panel, which is easy to operate and navigate. You can easily configure your dedicated IPv4 and IPv6 addresses and install new web scripts.
Hostinger’s plans offer DDoS protection and have 99.99% Uptime on their Service Level Agreement (SLA). Consequently, they also provide Free MySQL, access to Web/ FTP files, and automatic off-site backups.
Hostinger gives you full root access to the Minecraft files in your server should you want to customize game elements.
Pros
- It has a user-friendly control panel with comprehensive guides
- No downtime and excellent speed
- Uses dual-CPU hardware technology
Cons
- They don’t have phone support.
- Some plans are a bit complicated and can confuse users.
4. Shockbyte
Hardware: 4.0 GHz Intel Xeon E5-1650v4
Control Panel: Multicraft control panel NVMe SSDs in RAID 1 with DDR4 ECC RAM
Cheapest Plan: $2.5 for 1 GB
Most Expensive Plan: $40 for 16GB
No. of Locations: 9
Shockbyte is one of the best hosting companies that caters specifically to this popular sandbox game. They offer a wide range of hosting plans with a 99.99% uptime guarantee and robust DDoS protection. Each program also includes a free subdomain and an automated system for instant setup of your Minecraft server.
Moreover, Shockbytes connections are fast because they utilize a 1Gbps Network port. Shockbyte has one of the cheapest entry costs for anyone who wants to start their Minecraft server at just $2.5 for a 1 GB RAM with 20 player slots.
The Australian-registered company also has an easy setup feature. While they have 24/7 customer support that utilizes various social media channels and email support, they tend to resolve issues at a much slower pace.
Pros
- Shockbyte offers MCPC and MCPE Cross-Compatibility
- Virtually zero downtime
- Some plans offer a backup feature
Cons
- Hosting in Asia Pacific locations incur additional fees
- Poor customer support response
5. GGServers
Hardware: 4.2 GHz Intel 97-7700k NVMe SSD with DDRR4 2400 MHz RAM
Control Panel: Multicraft Panel
Cheapest Plan: $3 per month for 1GB
Most Expensive Plan: $36 per month for 12 GB
No. of Locations: 9
GGServers is one of the most budget-friendly options for hosting servers across different price points. The company is also well-known for its customer support and fast response time.
While GGServers offers great standard plans, its premium option is better packaged and has better hardware. Moreover, the premium plan opens up to more locations aside from North America and Europe.
However, GGServers fall short in the number of modpacks they support at just 92. Their multicraft panel is decently designed with a clean layout and beginner-friendly interface. Furthermore, their website has an intuitive checkout process which makes it easier to fill in your details.
Pros
- Excellent connection speed without lag
- It has a wide variety of plans that offer the best value
- Decent 24/7 customer support
Cons
- It supports fewer modpacks
- SSD NVME memory is only available in premium plans
6. BisectHosting
Hardware: 3.4 GHz Intel Xeon NVMe SSD with DDR4 RAM
Control Panel: Modified Multi-Craft Panel
Cheapest Plan: $2 for 1 GB per month
Most Expensive Plan: $159.68 for 32 GB Unlimited Slots per month
No. of Locations: 12
BisectHosting is perfect for Minecraft players looking for a budget option. While the company also offers premium plans, their budget plans aren’t undervalued since they use the same hardware. The company utilizes different models of Intel Xeon processors, depending on your Plan.
BisectHosting supports 227 modpacks plus a one-click installation feature. Moreover, they have well-designed back-ends that utilize the modified multicraft panel for fast and easy admin navigation.
However, the budget plans have fewer server locations such as Amsterdam, Canada, and France. So, if you live in the southern hemisphere, you might want to upgrade to premium, which unlocks all 12 locations. Their server management is a bit lackluster, but we’ve seen worse.
Pros
- Dark mode enabled control panel
- It has tutorials on the dashboard
- Their servers have the most number of modpacks supported
Cons
- Non-disclosure of the specific hardware they are using
- Live chat support is not always available
Crafting Since Alpha
More than 140 million active players have played Minecraft since its release in 2011. A decade later and its popularity among gamers of all walks of life hasn’t dwindled. If you want to create your world and let your friends or other players explore it, subscribing to the best Minecraft server hosting is worth the investment.