7 Best Minecraft Server Hosting Providers for 1.21 (Updated for 1.21.9)

Minecraft’s 1.21 update cycle has been one of the most exciting in years. Mojang has been rolling out content-rich patches like 1.21.6 and 1.21.9, adding new mobs, mechanics, and features that keep the game feeling fresh. From the Happy Ghast soaring across the skies to the Copper Golem and copper-themed builds, these updates bring more than small tweaks, they change the way we play.

But here’s the challenge: every new feature puts extra strain on Minecraft servers. More entities, AI movement, and redstone activity mean you need hosting that can handle the demands of 1.21.x without lag.

That’s where the right server provider comes in. In this guide, we’ll compare the 7 best Minecraft server hosting providers for 1.21.9 (and all recent 1.21 patches). Whether you’re upgrading your world or starting fresh, we’ll help you find the perfect balance of performance, price, and reliability, so your server stays smooth.

The 7 Best Minecraft Server Hostings For 1.21 (Overview Table)

1. WiseHosting — Best Overall for Minecraft Server Hosting

WiseHosting is built exclusively for Minecraft, not as an afterthought to a generic “all games” hosting platform. Founded by Shulkercraft (2.3M+ YouTube subscribers), one of the community’s most respected creators, WiseHosting was designed with the realities of Minecraft servers in mind: performance, support & panel.

That’s why WiseHosting consistently delivers faster performance and easier server management than multi-game hosts. Everything, from hardware selection to the control panel is optimized to give Minecraft players the best possible experience.

Server Type & Version Changer

• Instant switching: Change between Vanilla, Paper, Spigot, Forge, or Fabric with a single click in the control panel.
• Always up to date: WiseHosting updates server versions quickly after Mojang releases them, so you can move to the latest patch (like 1.21.9) the moment it’s available.
• Safe experimentation: Want to try snapshots or pre-releases? Switch to them instantly without wiping your main world, perfect for testing new features.
• Beginner-friendly: No need to upload JAR files or mess with server configs. Everything is built-in by default.

Performance Built For Minecraft

• High single-core CPUs: Minecraft thrives on single-thread power, and WiseHosting uses only modern Ryzen processors.
• Paper pre-installed: Unlike most hosts that default to Vanilla (slower, lag-prone, and plugin-limited), WiseHosting runs Paper by default. It saves players the step of switching server software, while giving better performance out of the box.
• NVMe SSD storage: Every server runs on ultra-fast NVMe drives, meaning instant chunk loading and smoother saves.
• Global locations: Servers across North America, Europe, and Asia, giving players the lowest possible ping.

Built for Mods & Plugins

WiseHosting makes it easy to install and manage mods, plugins, datapacks, and custom configs:

• Install mods, plugins, modpacks and datapacks with just one click.
• Preconfigured plugins and mods ready to launch in minutes.
• Clean, beginner-friendly control panel with advanced options for power users.

24/7 Minecraft-Specific Support

WiseHosting’s support team is made up of Minecraft server admins, system administrators and developers. That means you’re not just talking to tech support, you’re talking to someone who knows what it’s like to debug plugins or optimize tick rates. Support is 24/7 and highly responsive.

If you want a hosting provider built only for Minecraft players, with hardware, software, and support optimized for the game, WiseHosting is the clear choice.

I've never had customer support this good. It's clear how they went out of their way to teach me how to mod a minecraft server.
— Jorge

More Key Features:

• Live Player Manager: Keep control of your server community in real time. You can see who’s online, kick/ban players instantly, and manage permissions without touching the console. Perfect for quick moderation.
• Built-In Managers: WiseHosting comes with built-in managers for files, mods, and properties. Upload datapacks, tweak configs, or install new mods right from your dashboard. It’s everything you need in one place
• Automated Backups: Never lose your world again. WiseHosting automatically creates daily backups of your server and makes them easy to restore with one click.
• 24/7 Uptime & Support: 99.9% uptime backed by always-on monitoring, plus 24/7 live support from Minecraft experts.
• Instance Manager: Run multiple server instances from the same account. Survival, creative, modpacks server? The Instance Manager makes it simple to start, pause, and switch between them instantly.

✅ Pros:

• Minecraft-only hosting (deep expertise into one area)
• Every feature you need to run and manage a Minecraft server
• Very easy to use
• Using only premium hardware

❌ Cons:

• Not hosting other games
• Only 8 locations

💵 Pricing

• 4GB Plan - $12.99/mo
• Avg price per GB - $3.25/GB

⭐ Reviews

• Trustpilot: 4.8/5.0 (top 3 highest-rated providers)

There is very clearly a lot of care placed into WiseHosting as it is. The response time to a server issue I had is incredible.
— Kaeden

2. BisectHosting — Best for Multi-Game Players

BisectHosting is a popular choice for players who don’t just play Minecraft. With support for 90+ games, it’s great if you want one account to manage different servers. Their Minecraft hosting offers good plugin and modpack support with a user-friendly panel. They have been offering hosting services reliably since 2011 and they have shown to keep up with frequent game updates.

✅ Pros:

• Hosting for 90+ other games
• Hosting since 2011 (old-school host)
• User-friendly control panel
• Lots of locations available
• Budget and premium plans

❌ Cons:

• Not specialized in Minecraft. Can become a problem if you have complicated Minecraft issues.
• Quite expensive vs. competitors
• Entry-level plans have limited resources
• Some advanced features require higher-tier plans

💵 Pricing

• 4GB Plan - $19.96/mo
• Avg price per GB - $4.99/GB

⭐ Reviews

• Trustpilot: 4.8/5.0 (top 3 highest-rated providers)

Outstanding customer service. Customer service was lightning fast, I was actually surprised by how fast they got back to me
— Teagan Peters

👉 Best for: Multi-game players who want everything under one host.

3. SparkedHost — Best for Budget Players

SparkedHost is one of the cheapest hosting providers, with a 4GB server at just $9.56/mo. It’s attractive for players who want to test running a server without committing too much. They also offer higher-tier “premium” plans for stronger performance.

SparkedHost generally rolls out new Minecraft versions fast, and their Apollo Panel lets you swap between Vanilla, Paper, Spigot, Forge, and Fabric with ease. For 1.21.9, you can switch versions quickly.

✅ Pros:

• Offer hosting for other games
• Custom control panel "Apollo Panel"
• Majority of features you need to host a Minecraft server
• Quite cheap vs. competitors

❌ Cons:

• Not specialized in Minecraft.
• If you want support you have to pay extra. Not included in plans.

💵 Pricing

• 4GB Plan - $9.56/mo
• Avg price per GB - $2.39/GB

Because the advertised prices can vary by location, plan type, and promotional offers, you’ll want to double-check the current rate.

⭐ Reviews

• Trustpilot: 4.8/5.0 (top 3 highest-rated providers)

Everything I want is here.
It is easy to setup hosting.
— Ahmed

👉 Best for: Budget-conscious players looking for the cheapest entry option.

4. GGServers — Best for Longevity

GGServers has been around a long time and built a reputation as a stable, established host. They offer worldwide server locations and a simple control panel that works well for most players.

GGServers keeps pace with Mojang’s updates, making 1.21.x available shortly after release. Players can switch server types easily but some users report mixed performance during content-heavy updates.

✅ Pros:

• Hosting for 90+ other games
• Hosting since 2011 (old-school host)
• Solid features built-in to run a Minecraft server
• Strong global reach: many data center options

❌ Cons:

• Not specialized in Minecraft. Can become a problem if you have complicated Minecraft issues.
• Hidden fees. Some features require add-ons to be bought for example premium support or unlimited slots cost extra.
• Support is mixed: while some users report fast responses, others complain of laggy or unhelpful replies.

💵 Pricing

• 4GB Plan - $12.00/mo
• Avg price per GB - $3.00/GB

⭐ Reviews

• Trustpilot: 4.6/5.0

Sometimes their customer support is really helpful and fast other times they're quite rude and sassy for lack of a better world.
— Thomas Frost

5. ScalaCube — Best for Beginners & Advanced Users

ScalaCube is best known for its pre-installed modpacks and custom launchers, making it easy for both beginners and advanced players to set up complex modded servers. That said, pricing is a concern: while their first month is discounted, costs jump to $13.00/mo for 4GB afterwards. Their control panel also feels less polished compared to WiseHosting or Apex.

ScalaCube supports the latest Minecraft versions and modpacks, including 1.21.9, and even lets you run multiple instances (Vanilla, Forge, Fabric) from the same account.

✅ Pros:

• Hosting for wide variety of other games
• Hosting since 2017
• Global locations
• Strong entry-level value for first month.
• Free plan available for testing (limited to 1 slot)

❌ Cons:

• Not specialized in Minecraft.
• One of the most expensive providers after first month. Not recommended for long-term.
• Some features that many expect to be included are optional or paid extras
• There are complaints of unhelpful support and server hardware issues (more than normally for some other higher rated hosts)

💵 Pricing

• 4.5GB Plan - $26/mo (first month is 50% OFF)
• Avg price per GB - $5.8/GB

⭐ Reviews

• Trustpilot: 4.4/5.0

Good server host for the most part, minecraft servers can be difficult to manage through them.
— Samantha Sanford

👉 Best for: Players focused on playing short-term.

6. Apex Hosting — Best for Beginners & Multi-Game Players

Apex Hosting is well-known for being beginner-friendly. With instant setup, tutorials, and pre-installed modpack options, it’s a smooth entry point for someone starting their first server. However, Apex is also a general game host, so while setup is easy, they are as fine-tuned to Minecraft as someone like WiseHosting.

Apex is usually quick to roll out new patch support and lets you switch to the latest 1.21.x builds from their panel with one click. They also support snapshots, which is a plus for testing upcoming features. However, being a multi-game host, they may not optimize as aggressively for Minecraft’s update-specific performance.

✅ Pros:

• Hosting for wide variety of games
• Hosting since 2011 (old-school host)
• Very user-friendly control panel
• Good entry price for beginners
• Every feature you need to play Minecraft with friends

❌ Cons:

• Not specialized in Minecraft. Some reviews mention inconsistent advice in support.
• Extra costs like premium support and DDoS protection
• Support can be slow, especially billing support.

💵 Pricing

• 4GB Plan - $18.75/mo
• Avg price per GB - $4.68/GB

⭐ Reviews

• Trustpilot: 4.3/5.0

While ApexHosting has been in the game for long time, their reviews have been rather on the low-end in the recent months due to support and user experience issues, but we are still not counting them out from this list since they are a strong competitor to many hosting providers.

7. Shockbyte — Best for Advanced Users

Shockbyte is one of the most recognized Minecraft hosts, with years of service and a strong reputation. Originally focused heavily on Minecraft hosting, but today they host many other games.

Shockbyte generally adds support for new Minecraft versions fast. That said, some users report support delays during major update rollouts, which can be frustrating if your plugins or modpacks break after a patch.

✅ Pros:

• Hosting for wide variety of other games
• Hosting since 2013 (old-school host)
• User-friendly & feature-rich control panel
• High uptime & SLA claims (100% uptime)
• No hidden fees compared to competitors

❌ Cons:

• Not specialized in Minecraft.
• Support complaints: Many users report slow, inaccurate, or unhelpful support responses.
• Unlimited slots can be deceiving since lots of players on smaller plans can become very laggy.

💵 Pricing

• 4GB Plan - $15.99/mo
• Avg price per GB - $3.99/GB

⭐ Reviews

• Trustpilot: 4.0/5.0

For the most part their services are reliable and trustworthy but if you face billing, game or server related issue they have been extremely slow with response times, some customers saying up to 7 days with no answers.

Conclusion

Minecraft’s 1.21 update cycle has proven that the game isn’t slowing down, it’s evolving faster than ever. With each patch introducing new mobs, mechanics, and features, your server host needs to do more than just “stay online.” It has to keep up with Mojang’s rapid updates, handle the added performance load, and give you the tools to manage your world.

From budget-friendly options like SparkedHost, to long-standing names like BisectHosting and GGServers, to beginner-friendly providers like Apex, each host brings something to the table. But as our deep dive shows, most providers balance Minecraft with dozens of other games, which can mean slower updates, less optimization, and support that isn’t always Minecraft-specific.

That’s where WiseHosting stands apart. Built exclusively for Minecraft by Shulkercraft (2.3M+ subs), WiseHosting is optimized for what actually matters: Paper pre-installed by default, seamless version switching, automated backups, and support from people who actually play and manage Minecraft servers themselves.

👉 Final Takeaway: If you want the safest, smoothest way to experience Minecraft 1.21.9 (and beyond), go with a host that’s built for Minecraft first. Whether you’re running survival with friends or building a large community.

FAQ: Minecraft 1.21.x Server Hosting

❓ Do I need a different server host for 1.21.6, 1.21.9, or future patches?

No. All Minecraft server hosts that support 1.21 also support its smaller patches automatically. You don’t need to switch providers or upgrade, just restart or update your server to the latest patch.

❓ Which server type is best for Minecraft 1.21.9?

For most players, Paper is the best choice. It’s faster and more optimized than Vanilla, reducing lag from redstone, mob AI, and heavy builds. WiseHosting runs Paper pre-installed by default, so you get better performance out of the box.

❓ Can I use mods and plugins on a 1.21.9 server?

Yes, hosts like WiseHosting, BisectHosting, and ApexHosting allow you to run mods and plugins. WiseHosting makes this easier with one-click installs for Forge, Fabric, Spigot, and modpacks, so you don’t need to manually upload JAR files.