As an avid Minecraft player or enthusiast, one of the best ways to enjoy the game is to get your server from a good hosting company. This gives you absolute power over the Minecraft World on the server and the overall user experience. You can make your server available to only a few close friends, a closed group, or paid members.
But with the number of Minecraft server hosting services out there, how do we know the top ones in 2024? To get this question off your mind, we decided to test and review a few popular Minecraft server hosting companies and give you the best of them.
With any of our picks, you will get a great dedicated Minecraft server and an amazing gaming experience.
5 Best Minecraft Server Hosting Services for 2024
We expertly reviewed all the hosts and they performed absolutely well to have made our top 5 picks for Minecraft server hosting. You can see how we picked them after this section.
1. Hostinger
Hostinger is the best hosting company to trust with your Minecraft server. This web host is based in Lithuania but serves users worldwide. Our findings show that Hostinger uses the best technologies available to create a state-of-the-art hosting environment for your Minecraft server.
During our research, we saw that Hostinger is very easy to set up. It has a 5-minute onboarding process which starts from when you pick your plan until your game server is up. That is how easy it is to get a Minecraft server running on Hostinger. Besides, it has a powerful and intuitive Game Panel that makes it easy to manage your server without encountering stumbling blocks. It comes with full root access too.
Hostinger servers are configured for high performance and power. It uses LiteSpeed, the fastest web server software on the planet. They use high-clock-speed multi-core Intel Xeon processors with a network speed of about 100 MB/S. They are coupled with fast NVMe SSD storage drives that increase the speed of file transfers, especially the loading of your World graphics. This combination leads to a lag-free gaming experience.
In addition, the web host has a lot of data centers worldwide, and you can choose your preferred location to reduce latency for players on your server. If the player base ever changes in the future, you can move it closer to them.
Drawing from our experience, another reason why Hostinger is the best Minecraft server provider is security. All its servers have automated backups feature to create copies of your files and data against disasters. Moreso, it uses a RAID-10 array for your storage drives to enable redundancy. It protects your server against DDoS attacks through Wanguard as well.
As indicated by our tests of Hostinger services, you will have endless gaming and management opportunities. You can install unlimited modpacks and plugins using the straightforward one-click installer in your Game Panel. Alternatively, you can manually install them through your File Manager or FTP/SSH since you will have full file access. Besides, there are many server types available for you to choose your favorite. You can switch between them at a whim too.
Based on our firsthand experience, Hostinger customer support is impressive and has many competent agents. You will enjoy 24/7 customer support through live chats and emails. There are very helpful and illustrative articles in the Knowledge Base that could help you out too.
Pricing
Affordability is another reason we recommend Hostinger as the best hosting company for your Minecraft server. The web host has 3 Minecraft server hosting packages, starting with the VPS Alex Plan, which costs only $7 per month. This server has 1 vCPU hardware, 40 GB SSD storage, and 4 GB RAM to support multitasking. You can use it to host the game for a few friends or any group of 40 to 50 members.
The next package, VPS Creeper Plan, costs about $15 monthly. It has double the power of the VPS Alex server. It runs on 2 vCPU hardware with 80 GB SSD storage and 8 GB of RAM. Hence, it is suitable for more tasking purposes, including commercial use.
The VPS Endermann Plan has the most powerful server on Hostinger. It costs around $30 per month, with a server that runs on 4 vCPU hardware, 120 GB SSD storage, and 16 GB of RAM. This machine can power numerous players worldwide without failure or lagging.
All the plans are PCI-DSS compliant, so you can securely charge players and accept payments through credit cards. Additionally, they all have a 99.99% uptime SLA and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Buy Hostinger Minecraft Server
2. Shockbyte
Our findings show that Shockbyte is a reliable hosting service from which you can get your Minecraft server. Shockbyte is an Australian-based company that rents game servers to users, and Minecraft happens to be one of its leading services.
Shockbyte has an automated initial setup. Once you choose your server specifications, it is automatically configured for you. You can now start installing modpacks, plugins, and custom JAR files through your Multicraft Control Panel. If you don’t want to do this yourself, Shockbyte experts can help you. However, it is a paid add-on.
Another reason why Shockbyte is among the best providers for Minecraft server hosting is the configuration of its servers. They are configured using high-powered Intel Xeon CPUs to eliminate all forms of lag during gameplay and give users the best experience.
At the same time, they use extremely fast NVMe SSD storage drives and DDR4 RAMs. This connection now runs on a 1 GB/S network. Therefore, data transfers and multitasking are fast and consume fewer resources. It even supports BungeeCord so that your players can move back and forth on multiple servers without getting disconnected.
For security, you will get a free SSL certificate to prevent your players’ information from being hijacked. Automated backups and snapshots are also available to make restoring your data from your control panel after a major disaster effortless. Moreso, you will get DDoS protection against attackers.
What’s more, Shockbyte has several data center locations worldwide. As a result, you can eliminate lag for players during gameplay. You cannot really choose a data center close to a particular city or country since their locations are grouped by continents. If the location of your main players changes, you may change the data center of your server for free. Although, if the new location is more expensive than the former, you have to pay for an upgrade. Shockbyte promises 100% uptime on all its plans, irrespective of the data center location.
Our findings show that there’s no limit to how far you can build your World or how big it is. You can install unlimited modpacks, plugins, and even custom JAR files. This is quite easy since you have full root access through FTP and a Java version switcher.
While reviewing Minecraft server hosting providers, we discovered that Shockbyte has amazing 24/7 customer support. You can get help through its live chat and ticket channels. Alternatively, you can review the articles in its Knowledge Base to find answers to the questions that bother you. The host has a YouTube channel that is filled with almost 300 tutorial videos regarding account management and Minecraft-related stuff.
Pricing
Shockbyte has powerful servers starting at very affordable prices. The DIRT PLAN, for example, costs only a little over $2 per month. This server has 1 GB of RAM and can host at least 8 players for the highest performance. Although, there is no limit to the number of player slots.
The next package, SAND PLAN, has a powerful server with 2 GB RAM. This machine can power at least 16 players and give them the best experience. It costs around $5 monthly. The COBBLESTONE PLAN costs less than $8 per month. The server can handle more than 30 players without lagging and has 3 GB of RAM for multitasking.
You can get a Minecraft server with up to 16 GB of RAM for $30 monthly on Shockbyte. This server can handle an unlimited number of players and still remain at its best state and performance.
If none of these plans satisfies you, you can create a custom server with up to 64 GB RAM. All plans include unlimited storage drives and bandwidth. Also, you will get a free custom subdomain on all plans to replace IPs that can be hard for players to remember.
3. BisectHosting
Another great option you should consider for hosting your Minecraft server in 2024 is BisectHosting.
BisectHosting has been in the Minecraft server business for over 11 years and provides top-notch services. From our research, we found out that the host uses the latest generation Intel Xeon processors with a base speed of 3.4 GHz and DDR4 RAMs on its servers. Not only that, the storage drives are NVMe SSDs, giving you a very powerful machine that exceeds all the minimum requirements for a Minecraft server. Players will not experience a millisecond of lag on these servers.
Furthermore, you will be able to install more than 1000+ modpacks on your server with just a few clicks. If those available aren’t up to your taste, you can install modpacks manually from your control panel. Luckily, all BisectHosting plans have unlimited storage space, so there is no limit to how many modpacks you can install or how big your World can be.
Another reason BisectHosting is one of the best choices for great Minecraft server hosting is that it has many server types and versions. You can choose the server you want during sign-up, and it will be automatically set up for you. After a successful sign-up and purchase, you may switch between servers anytime you want from your control panel. Moreover, you will get a monitoring plug-in to track the performance of your server and access detailed statistics.
To fully secure your server, BisectHosting provides free SSL certificates, dedicated IP addresses, and DDoS protection. With these, attackers can’t touch it easily. What’s more, you will get free automated daily backups. You may also manually back up your server files to prevent losing your data after a failed customization attempt.
During our search for the best hosting providers, we discovered that BisectHosting has up to 20 data center locations worldwide for Minecraft servers. This gives you the opportunity to choose the location that works best for you and your players. Hence, you can prevent lags due to high latency before, during, and after gameplay.
BisectHosting’s customer support is another notable factor that makes it one of the best hosts we recommend for Minecraft server hosting. Why? The host offers 24/7 customer support comprising agents with “over 150 years of combined Minecraft experience.” The web host does not have a live chat feature, but the average response of its support through the ticketing channel is great. Most of the time, you will get connected in less than 15 mins. Alternatively, you can get support by reading the help articles in its Knowledge Base.
Pricing
One reason why BisectHosting is a top Minecraft server hosting company is that it offers pretty affordable plans and highly flexible pricing.
It has a total of 50 server configurations that are categorized into Budget and Premium plans. While the Premium plans have all the features, the Budget packages have restrictions that might require you to purchase add-ons.
Features like dedicated IPs, automatic modpacks installations, and automatic backups are not available on the Budget plans. What’s more, you will have only 2 slots for manual backups, 5 location choices, and 2 instances (the number of servers you can switch to and from).
For both categories, you can choose from a server with 1 GB to 48 GB RAM. The first plan in the Budget category with 1 GB RAM costs around $3 per month, while the most powerful one with 48 GB of RAM costs almost $144 monthly.
In contrast, the Premium plans start at almost $8 monthly for the 1 GB server. The most powerful Premium server with 48 GB of RAM will cost you about $240 per month.
The plans in both categories are almost equally powerful. The only restriction that actually makes a difference is the dedicated IP address since it ensures faster and safer file transfers. In the end, irrespective of your plan’s category, you will get a free subdomain.
4. Apex Hosting
Apex Hosting is a Minecraft server host on our list that can be your favorite. This host specializes in hosting many game servers and Minecraft just happens to be its forte.
Once you purchase a plan, Apex Hosting sets up the server for you automatically based on your options during the onboarding and signing-up process. Thus, all the modpacks and plugins you choose will be installed for you. You will even get some pre-configured minigames that you and other players can play while you create yours. In your control panel, you will get free one-click pack installers and can install an unlimited number of modpacks. You can change your server type comfortably from your control panel too.
From our research, we saw that the host uses quad-core CPUs with clock speeds of 4.7 GHz and 4.8 GHz, NVMe SSDs, and DDR4 RAMs on its servers. You will also get a free dedicated IP to make your file transfer swift and secure. Additionally, you will get free automated backups and full DDoS protection.
What’s more, Apex Hosting has data centers in 15 locations worldwide. You have the chance to choose the initial location you want, and you can change to a better data center in the future for free.
One of the reasons Apex Hosting is a top provider is that it has a well-established customer support approach. You can contact its support department through live chats, emails, and tickets 24/7. Alternatively, you can use the Knowledge Base to find helpful articles that address your issues. You can join their Discord as well.
Pricing
Apex Hosting pricing starts at about $10 monthly after the first month which costs $8. With this plan, you will get a server with 2 GB RAM. The next one costs almost $15 monthly for recurring payments after the first month.
You will get 3 GB RAM on this one. You can get the best server with up to 16 GB RAM for almost $60 per month. All the plans have the same features such as unlimited storage space, automatic backups, DDoS protection, unlimited player slots, etc.
5. ScalaCube
This list cannot be complete without ScalaCube. Its great services in Minecraft server hosting make it a great option in 2024.
ScalaCube is an Estonia-based hosting company with more than a decade of experience. It has a 4.3-star rating on Trustpilot, indicating that customers are pleased with its services.
After trying out this product, we can say that setting up your Minecraft server on ScalaCube is straightforward, even for beginners. All you have to do is choose your preferred server, and Scalacube does the trick for you.
The control panel for your game server is very intuitive and allows you to install modpacks and plugins like a pro. You can even install custom servers using their JAR files easily from your control panel. Moreso, you can switch between multiple servers since you will have access to many of them. It gets even better since it supports BungeeCord. This allows your players to move between different servers without getting disconnected.
The power of the servers is the main reason why ScalaCube is a reliable Minecraft server hosting provider. Its servers are built with the latest generation processors with at least 2 cores and a base clock speed of 3.4 GHz. This setup, coupled with DDR4 RAMs and SSD drives, make the servers extremely fast and lag-free. Your players will have the best gaming experience possible.
Aside from that, ScalaCube has data centers in North America, Europe, Asia, the United Kingdom, and Australia. This allows you to bring your server even closer to your players so that they experience the lowest network latency possible. It gives you the opportunity to change your server location in the future too.
Additionally, ScalaCube does not joke with security. It has a highly secure backup system that automatically creates copies of your files to prevent “no means of restoration” after a sudden data loss. Moreso, you will enjoy protection against DDoS attacks, and your server will remain active and safe while working at its peak.
During our research, we discovered that ScalaCube provides one of the best customer support for Minecraft server hosting services in 2024. It has a Help Center with many how-to articles regarding Minecraft with illustrative graphics and pictures. Not only that, all the articles and topics have YouTube tutorial videos that you can follow to set up your Minecraft server and World. For human support, you can contact ScalaCube through the ticket and live chat channels 24/7.
Pricing
Another good reason why ScalaCube remains a top company for Minecraft server hosting is affordability. Whether you need a server for yourself, a small group of friends, or for commercial purposes, this host has something in stock for you.
The first package, Proxy 768M, costs about $4 monthly. This server has 768 MB of RAM and a powerful dual-core CPU with a clock speed of 3.4 GHz. You can host 10+ players on this server for optimal performance and install up to 10 GB of modpacks/plugins. Because of the small storage disk, you can’t have a very big World on this server, and deleting modpacks or plugins will negatively impact players’ gaming experience.
ScalaCube has 8 more server configurations that are only differentiated by the number of player slots for optimal performance, RAM, storage space allowed, and CPU cores. The most powerful server you can get is Minecraft 32G.
This server has 32 GB RAM, an octa-core CPU, and 320 GB SSD storage. As a matter of fact, you can fill up 600 player slots on the server, and you won’t experience a decline in performance.
How We Picked the Best Minecraft Server Hosting Services
In the spirit of transparency, we have decided to show you how we conducted our review and picked the best companies. Here are some of the factors that determine a top Minecraft server hosting provider:
Affordable Pricing
One crucial factor that indicates the best providers of Minecraft hosting services is affordable pricing.
After all, most of us are getting a Minecraft server to give a better gaming experience to ourselves and others. So, getting a server just to have fun should not inconvenience us financially or make us break the bank.
Generally, the pricing of Minecraft servers is determined by the configuration of the server (RAM and CPU), the number of mod packs available, the storage space allowed, and other general features. As such, the prices can only increase slightly as the server configuration get more powerful. Therefore, when choosing your favorite Minecraft server hosting service, ensure that it is affordable and that you can easily scale up without breaking the bank.
Ease of Setup
Another factor to consider when choosing the best Minecraft server hosting provider is the ease of setup.
Not everyone is tech-savvy enough to configure a Minecraft server, even though they love playing the game. As a result, a good provider must make the initial setup as straightforward as possible. It should merely be a matter of clicking on your preferred choices from a few lists of options on how you want your server set up. In addition to that, the instructions should be in layman’s terms or at least jargon understood by players.
Besides, top companies that provide Minecraft server hosting services have intuitive control panels that help users configure and manage their servers effortlessly. All the hosts on our list provide straightforward account setup and management.
Server Setup and Configuration
Server setup and configuration is another notable deciding factor when choosing a reliable Minecraft server hosting service in 2024.
The main service you buy is the server, and the setup goes a long way in determining how well you and other players will enjoy the games. For a game like Minecraft, you need a very fast server because it requires a lot of resources and needs to run on a very fast processor. Otherwise, players will not have a great gaming experience, and your server may lag or crash from overloading.
A good server is configured using SSD storage drives. This could be the normal type or the NVMe version. This configuration ensures that your files are loaded very fast during gameplay.
In addition to that, Minecraft servers require high-clock speed CPUs and preferably multi-core. A good clock speed is 2.0 GHz upwards. This will ensure that you don’t experience lags during gameplay and navigation in the game. At the same time, the version of the RAM on your server should be at least DDR3 to prevent overheating, which could lead to a crash. This allows you to run multiple plugins and mods at the same time effortlessly. DDR4 is even better.
Not only that, the best hosting providers must have a lot of Minecraft server types. Some of the most important ones are Official, Spigot, Java, Bedrock, etc. You should also be able to switch between servers comfortably and free of charge.
Security Features
When choosing your favorite Minecraft server hosting company, you must consider the security the host can provide.
A vital security feature your provider must have is DDoS protection. If your server is active and thriving, it may get the attention of some nefarious individuals that will do anything to bring it down and halt its operations. They will try to crash the server by overloading it and forcing it to give up. Once the server gives up or loses its guard, the perpetrators may sneak into it through a backdoor and corrupt your Minecraft World. But with DDoS protection, the security mechanisms recognize such attacks, and mitigate them.
Additionally, a top Minecraft server hosting service lets you create snapshots of your server so that you may remember all your settings in case there is an error and they change. Hence, you can easily reconfigure them. Moreover, there should be manual or automated backups of the files on your server so that you may restore them later when necessary.
Server Locations and Uptime
If you plan on having players worldwide play on your Minecraft server, then you must consider this factor before choosing your favorite hosting provider.
Because of latency issues, hosting a server far from the users or visitors causes a slow loading speed. In the gaming world, this leads to lagging and a lot of time jumps in the games. This is deadly, especially in shooting, racing, and war games. Minecraft is not excluded.
Thus, you must ensure that the provider has a lot of data center locations worldwide or at least close to the locations of the players that would use your server.
You should also take note of a provider’s uptime guarantee and what it actually delivers. If a hosting company has an uptime of less than 99.90%, it is best not to trust it with your Minecraft server.
Available ModPacks and Plugins
Modpacks and plugins make Minecraft fun and easy to play. With modpacks, you can install many mods at once and play them under different themes. They change your games entirely and make them more interesting in the process. Plugins also make your server more intriguing. You can use them to add many features, such as user ranks, groups, multiplayer, etc., to your server.
Many top Minecraft server hosting providers let you install at least 1000 modpacks and plugins.
Customer Support
Even if a hosting provider for Minecraft servers possesses all the qualities above, you must consider its customer support before making it your favorite.
Inevitably, everyone runs into an issue when using a third-party product. This is why customer support is necessary for any company.
A good host must provide customer support through at least 2 channels, preferably through live chats and emails/tickets. Phone support is a plus, provided it is not linked to a particular upgrade or add-on. However, it does not help most of the time since you cannot share media or illustrate your issue. So it is not compulsory.
Conclusion: Which is the Best Minecraft Server Hosting Service?
Our findings show that Hostinger is the best Minecraft server hosting service in 2024.
The web host uses powerful servers with the latest generation CPUs with high-clock speed, the newest versions of RAMs, and NVMe SSDs.
Besides, it is more reliable, affordable, and secure. It offers better value for money than most competitors out there too. So, there’s really nothing to disagree with.
FAQ
Is 2 GB RAM Enough for a Minecraft Server?
Absolutely! 2 GB RAM is enough for your server as long as it is not overcrowded as this may lead to a crash. Generally, a 2 GB RAM Minecraft server can handle about 20 players. So, if you have more players than that, you may have to scale up your server. Otherwise, you are good!
How Much Does it Cost to Host a Minecraft Server?
The amount of money it would cost you to host a Minecraft server depends on how many players it would be accommodating. Ideally, there should not be more than 10 players per GB of RAM on a server.
We would use Hostinger plans since it provides the best Minecraft server hosting services. The VPS Alex Plan costs $7 monthly and is a server with 1 GB of RAM. Therefore, a Minecraft server that hosts between 40 to 50 players will cost you $7 per month and about $84 yearly.
Hostinger
