Aternos vs Essential: Which is better?

If you’re trying to host a Minecraft server for your friends, the debate often comes down to two very different approaches: Aternos, a traditional free server hosting service, vs Essential Mod, a peer-to-peer/world-hosting mod that turns your client into a “server.” Which works better?

Let’s dig in.

What Is Aternos?

Aternos is a free Minecraft server hosting platform. It provides servers with plugin and mod support. Users can start up a server, choose mods or plugins, invite friends, and run a multiplayer world, all without paying, though with some restrictions (queue times, limited hardware, ad support, etc.).

It’s widely used for casual servers, small groups, or test environments where cost is more important than performance.

What Is Essential?

Essential Mod (often just “Essential”) is a Minecraft mod that changes how multiplayer works: rather than relying on a dedicated server, it allows you to host your singleplayer world and invite others to join, using peer-to-peer technology.

Instead of using a remote server hosted in a datacenter, the mod uses your PC’s resources and network to act as host. The idea is that you don’t need to rent or depend on a separate service, your computer becomes the “server.”

Essential also offers additional features: social features, world invites, chat & group management, compatibility with mods and modpacks, etc.

Aternos vs Essential: Feature & Performance Comparison

Here is how they compare across important dimensions:

Setup & Ease

Aternos: More “plug and play.” Go to the website, click “create server,” choose settings, wait for it to start.

Essential Mod: Requires installing the mod, ensuring compatibility with mods and modpack, properly opening invites, making sure your network allows incoming connections (NAT/port forwarding or peer connectivity).

Server performance & hardware

With Aternos, performance is one of the biggest limitations. Many users complain about lag, rubber-banding, or servers being outright unplayable at times. It’s imperfect for medium or high loads, but that’s the trade-off for free cloud hosting.

With Essential Mod, your PC does all the heavy lifting. The better your hardware and internet, the better the server runs. If your setup is weak, performance will drop, but if your PC is decent, you’ll often experience smoother gameplay than Aternos ever provides.

Essential is definitely a game-changer for small groups because most players today have better hardware at home than the underpowered free servers Aternos uses.

Customization & plugins/mods

Aternos gives you more traditional server controls (console, plugin management, restarting, backups, world editing). Aternos server management can be slightly difficult due to the amount of ads they are showing you in the process (that's how they make money and are able to provide free servers).

Essential mod may offer some UI tools, but lacks many of the full server admin features you'd expect.

Uptime & reliability

Aternos servers (once running) stay online (until idle/shutdown rules apply). Essential depends entirely on your PC: if you turn off your computer, lose power, or crash, your world becomes unavailable.

If you want continuous availability independent of your own device, Aternos is better.

Location / Ping

All of Aternos servers are located in Central EU which means players in other parts of the world could experience high pings and lag, making it unplayable.

Essential Mod uses a completely different approach: you host from your own PC using peer-to-peer (P2P) technology and then invite friends.Because the “server” is actually your PC (wherever you are), the “location” is effectively wherever your host machine is connected to the internet.

Aternos vs Essential User Reviews

Aternos user feedback

⭐ Trustpilot rating: 2.4/5

Overall sentiment with many 1-star reviews citing lag, queues, and restricted control; a smaller share of positive posts praise “free and easy setup.” Users also mention startup queues (up to ~15 minutes).

Complaints about limited plugin/mod freedom, inability to upload custom jars, and ad-heavy, cluttered flows. Some mention server deletion after inactivity (months).

A minority praise the free, automated setup as a good starting point.

Essential user feedback

Many users appreciate what Essential Mod brings to the table:

• Very easy to host a server for free.
• The features like in-game invites, friend lists, screenshot manager, cosmetics (optional) are all praised as nice extras.

At the same time, there are significant issues raised by the community:

• If your PC isn’t strong or network upload is limited, experience is bad.
• Many debate whether Essential is safe because the code isn't fully open. But so far there has never been issues with it, only debates.

“One of the most annoying things … is how much it seems like they put their store in your face.”

WiseHosting – The Best Alternative to Aternos and Essential for Minecraft Server Hosting

Compare WiseHosting vs. Aternos head-to-head

Aternos and Essential Mod both serve a purpose, giving players free or low-barrier ways to play with friends. But if you’ve outgrown the limitations of lag, queues, or dependency on your own PC, there’s a third option.

WiseHosting is the ultimate upgrade from Aternos or Essential Mod. It’s a premium Minecraft-only hosting provider built by Shulkercraft (2.4M subscribers) and trusted by thousands of dedicated players worldwide.

Unlike generic multi-game hosts, WiseHosting is built exclusively for Minecraft, optimized down to every tick. That means whether you’re managing a small survival world or a massive modded server with plugins, WiseHosting gives you top-tier performance, full server management and instant setup – all without ads, queues, or your computer acting as the host.

WiseHosting Eliminates Every Limitation of Free and Local Hosting

Both Aternos and Essential Mod come with trade-offs. Aternos servers lag, queue, and shut down when idle. Essential Mod depends entirely on your PC’s power and internet speed. WiseHosting removes all of it.

With Ryzen-powered CPUs and global data centers, your worlds stay smooth even under heavy player or mod load.

Unlike Aternos and Essential, WiseHosting gives you:

• 24/7 online servers — no time limits, no queues or dependency on your PC
• One-click modpack & plugin installs
• Automatic backups with full data access
• Crossplay-ready (Java + Bedrock via GeyserMC)
• Minecraft-specific support team available 24/7
• And so much more!

WiseHosting Pricing

Alright, we know that Aternos and Essential are free so that begs the question: how much it costs to run my server on WiseHosting?

WiseHosting customer reviews

⭐ Rating: 4.8/5

WiseHosting is not the highest rated by accident, it's by design. Here are a few real customer review pulled from the Minecraft community:

"What really sets WiseHosting apart from Minehut and other server hosts, is their fantastic support team. Every issue we’ve run into (usually due to mistakes on our end) has been resolved within the hour, with clear communication and professional help."
– Nicholas

"I’ve been using WiseHosting for my Minecraft server for a long time now, and I honestly can’t recommend them enough. From the moment I signed up, the setup process was incredibly smooth and user-friendly."
– Youjo

"Shortly after Youtube identity Shulkercraft launched their service, Wisehosting, I have been a client. Without a doubt, using their service has been the easiest thing about becoming a Minecraft server administrator. Absolutely a customer for life."
– Marcus C.

The Question Isn’t Aternos Vs. Essential, It’s Why Not WiseHosting?

If you just want to play casually with a few friends, both Aternos and Essential get the job done. But the truth is that neither is reliable for long-term or modded servers.

If you ever decide to create a serious world, upgrading to a premium host like WiseHosting will make an immediate difference: smoother performance, 24/7 uptime, and zero queues plus ton of more you don't get from free hosting.