8 Ways How to Host a Minecraft Server (Beginner to Advanced)

Minecraft is all about creativity, and that doesn’t stop at building farms. Hosting your own server is one way to explore creative boundaries: install plugins or mods, and play with friends whenever you want.

But here’s the thing: there’s no single “right” way to host a Minecraft server. From free options to professional hosting, the choice depends on your budget, technical knowledge, and goals.

In this guide, we’ll explore 8 different ways to host a Minecraft server, including how to set each one up, what its pros and limitations are. Whether you’re just inviting a couple of friends or planning a large community, you’ll know exactly which option works for you.

Quick Overview Table

Paid Hosting Providers

If you want the easiest, most reliable option, paid hosting is the way to go. Paid Minecraft hosting providers (like WiseHosting, Apex, Shockbyte, and GGServers) rent you a server that’s always online, optimized for Minecraft, and equipped with tools that make setup and management simple. Unlike DIY hosting, the heavy lifting is done for you: performance, uptime, and security are guaranteed by the host.

✅ Pros:

• Always-online (no need to keep your PC running)
• Dedicated resources (RAM/CPU) optimized for Minecraft.
• Features that make management easy.

⚠️ Limitations:

• Requires a monthly fee (typically $10-$20/month for small servers).

Best Paid Hosting Provider - WiseHosting

When it comes to running a Minecraft server long-term, reliability and ease of use are key. That’s where WiseHosting shines. Unlike free or DIY solutions, WiseHosting gives you dedicated performance, 24/7 uptime, and support you need to run a server.

Easy Backups Management

One of the biggest fears of any Minecraft server owner is losing progress to world corruption, griefing, or accidental deletion. WiseHosting solves this with backups and restore points. Instead of relying on clunky FTP downloads, you can schedule daily or weekly backups directly from the control panel.

Modern & Easy-to-use Game Panel

Running a Minecraft server shouldn’t feel like managing a Linux terminal. WiseHosting provides a modern web-based panel that’s beginner-friendly but powerful enough for advanced admins. From the dashboard, you can start, stop, or restart your server, track performance (RAM/CPU usage), and access console logs in real time.

Install Plugins without Configuring

Installing plugins used to mean downloading .jar files, uploading them manually, and editing confusing config files. WiseHosting changes that with Plugin Presets: curated, pre-configured plugins that you can install with a single click.

Easily Change Game Versions

Sometimes you want the latest version of Minecraft to try new features. Other times, your favorite plugins or mods only work on an older build. With WiseHosting’s Server Type & Version Changer, switching between Vanilla, Paper, Spigot, Forge, Fabric, or even Bedrock is as easy as selecting from a dropdown menu.

Manage Players Directly From Control Panel

WiseHosting’s Live Player Manager gives you a real-time dashboard of all connected players, so you can moderate without relying on in-game commands. Need to ban a griefer? Heal a struggling player during an event? All of this can be done visually, without typing /ban or /give.

Install Mods & Plugins with One Click

Customizing your Minecraft server with plugins, mods, datapacks, or entire modpacks is often the most intimidating part for beginners. WiseHosting removes that barrier with a One-Click Installer. Browse a curated library of safe, verified content (from sources like CurseForge and SpigotMC), then click “Install.” The system automatically installs and matches versions correctly, so you don’t have to worry about crashes or incompatibility.

LAN World (Local Multiplayer)

LAN (Local Area Network) hosting lets you turn your singleplayer world into a temporary multiplayer server for people on the same Wi-Fi.

✅ Pros:

• No setup or downloads required.
• Great for quick games at home with family/friends.

⚠️ Limitations:

• Only works on the same network;
• Server shuts down when you leave the game;

How to set it up:

1. Open a Singleplayer world.
2. Press Esc and click Open to LAN.

3. Click Start LAN World.

4. Server appears automatically for friends that are on the same network.

Use the e4mc Mod

e4mc is a mod that turns your singleplayer world into an online server which can be accessed from anywhere in the world. It's like a LAN server that anyone can access.

✅ Pros:

• Free and simple.
• No port forwarding needed.

⚠️ Limitations:

• No 24/7 uptime
• No DDoS protection
• No support
• No file access
• Performance depends entirely on your PC's specs

You can just play but not change anything.

How to set it up:

1. Download the e4mc mod.
2. Drag and drop the mod in the mods folder. It only needs to be installed on the host's PC.

3. Open your singleplayer world, Press Esc and Click "Open to LAN"

4. You'll get an IP in the chatbox that everyone can join with.

Minecraft Realms

Minecraft Realms is Mojang’s official subscription-based hosting service. It’s built into the game menu. Although it's an official hosting service, it is quite expensive compared to other subscription-based options.

✅ Pros:

• Very beginner-friendly.
• Secure and stable (hosted by Mojang).

⚠️ Limitations:

• View distance capped at 12 chunks;
• Only the newest version available;
• You get kicked for AFKing;
• Expensive for what it offers;
• No plugins or mods available;
• Limited to 10 players;
• No cross-play support;

How to set it up:

1. Open Minecraft and Click Minecraft Realms.

2. Open their website and buy a package according to your needs.
3. Every Minecraft Realms server has three world slots and one minigame slot.

4. It's very easy to configure settings although it's quite limited.

Lunar Client Hosting

Lunar is a custom Minecraft client that adds some new features and a new look to the Minecraft client. For example you can host your own server by just clicking "Host World" in the menu.

Pros:

• Easy to set up

⚠️ Limitations:

• Limited flexibility for mods and plugins;
• No 24/7 uptime;
• No DDoS protection;
• No support;
• No file access;

It's pretty much the same as e4mc but with a lot more unnecessary features and ads.

How to set it up:

1. Download Lunar Client.
2. Launch your game.
3. Open the menu and click "Host World"

4. Choose your settings such as Game Mode, difficulty, slots etc.

5. Click "Host World"
6. Copy your server IP from the chatbox.

Aternos (Free Hosting)

Aternos is a free, web-based Minecraft hosting platform. It's one of the most popular free providers on the market today but it doesn't mean it's the best.

✅ Pros:

• Free forever.
• Easy setup.

⚠️ Limitations:

• Server shuts down when idle;
• Startup queues can be long;
• Your server barely has any power to function;
• Ads are everywhere making the experience quite annoying;
• World upload limit is 1GB;

How to set it up:

1. Go to Aternos.org and sign up.
2. Click on "Create" to create a new server.

3. Click Start and your server is up (you probably have to wait in queue to start your server during peak times).

Self-Hosting (Hosting on Your own PC)

Run Minecraft’s official server software from your own computer.

✅ Pros:

• Its 100% free
• You have full control.

⚠️ Limitations:

• Requires strong PC + good internet;
• only online when your PC is on.

How to set it up:

1. Download server.jar from the official Minecraft website.

2. Place the jar file in a folder

3. Create a notepad in the same folder and name it "Start" for example.

4. Open the notepad and paste this script in it: java -Xmx1G -Xms1G -jar minecraft_server.1.21.8.jar nogui

If you want to allocate more RAM to your server change this number: "-Xmx1G". For example if you want 6GB RAM you should have it "-Xmx6G"

5. On the new line, just below your script write "pause"

6. Save the text file and change the file extension from .txt --> .bat

7. Double click on the .bat file and the command prompt will show up. Once everything is loaded, press any key to continue.

8. Open "eula.txt" and change "eula=false" to "eula=true".

9. Run the .bat file again and you are done.
10. To get your server IP go to http://whatismyipaddress.com/

But here is the big problem: Your server still only runs on LAN which means people from other networks cant join. If you want to make it into a public server that anyone can join you need to "Forward A Port" which leads us to the next way to host.

Server with Port Forwarding

Makes your self-hosted server accessible to everyone by opening router ports. The default port for Minecraft Java is 25565.

✅ Pros:

• Free, no third-party software.
• Lets friends join from anywhere.

⚠️ Limitations:

• Security risks if configured wrong;
• Hard to setup if you don't know what you are doing;

How to set it up:

1. Go to portforward.com
2. Choose your router from the list.
3. Follow the tutorial here.

Sometimes you might not be able to forward the port yourself so you might have to call your internet provider and ask them if they can open the port 25565.

Port Forwarding Alternative (ngrok)

There is an alternative to port opening: ngrok. It's basically like a middleman between the local host and another player. This makes it possible for everyone to join your LAN server.

✅ Pros:

• Bypasses router setup.
• Secure and fast to start.

⚠️ Limitations:

• Free tier only gives temporary addresses.

How to set it up:

1. Go to ngrok.com and create an account.
2. Download Ngrok and extract the zip file.
3. Go back to ngrok.com and copy this command here (Setup & Installation - Connect step):

4. Open ngrok.exe file. Paste the command you just copied and press ENTER. You can now see that you Authtoken is saved:

5. Next type in: ngrok tcp --region (region abbrevation) (your server port) and then just press enter (check final command example in the screenshot below)
   1. Region abbrevations:
      ap - Asia/Pacific (Singapore)
      au - Australia (Sydney)
      eu - Europe (Frankfurt)
      in - India (Mumbai)
      jp - Japan (Tokyo)
      sa - South America (São Paulo)
      us - United States (Ohio)
      us-cal-1 - United States (California)
   2. Check port your server is running on:
      1. If you just opened a LAN world, the port will be shown in chat.
      2. Open your server.properties and check "server-port=(port)"

6. Ngrok will give you the IP and you are done:

Final Thoughts

There are plenty of ways to host a Minecraft server: from quick-and-easy LAN play to free hosts like Aternos or advanced setups with port forwarding and Ngrok. These methods are great for experimenting or casual sessions, but they all come with trade-offs: downtime, limited performance, or technical headaches.

If you want a stable, always-online Minecraft server, paid hosting is the best long-term choice. It gives you scalable RAM/CPU power, security, and freedom to run mods/plugins without worrying about lag.

If you'd like a video breakdown of this article watch our video on YouTube: