Everything you need to know about hosting, requirements, and getting your friends playing together on a dedicated server.
Minecraft multiplayer works in two ways: you can join public servers (which anyone can join), or you can run your own private server where you control everything.
Your own server means you control the rules, who plays, what mods are installed, and how the world works. You're not at the mercy of some public server owner banning you or shutting down without notice.
The catch? You have to actually maintain it. But if you have a solid group of friends who want to play together long-term, your own server is worth it.
Pure Minecraft, no mods. Just you, your friends, and the blocky world. Simple to set up, runs on lower specs, and everyone has basically the same experience. Good for chill, long-term worlds.
Add mods to the server and everyone playing needs those same mods installed. This is where servers get complex and resource-hungry. A modpack like All The Mods eats significantly more RAM and CPU than vanilla.
These run on a modified version of Minecraft's server that supports plugins. Plugins add features (protection, economy systems, teleportation) without requiring clients to install anything. Players connect with regular Minecraft. Paper is the best-performing option here.
Creative mode where people can build whatever they want, or minigame-focused (Bedwars, Skywars, etc). Usually lighter on resources than survival because there's less world generation and entity processing.
This is where most people mess up. They undersell their specs and end up with a laggy nightmare. Here's what actually works in practice:
| Server Type | Player Count | Recommended RAM | CPU | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla | 1-10 players | 2-4GB | 3.5GHz+ | 20-50GB |
| Vanilla | 10-20 players | 4-6GB | 3.5GHz+ | 50-100GB |
| Light Mods / Plugins | 5-10 players | 4-6GB | 3.8GHz+ | 50GB+ |
| Heavy Mods (ATM, RLCraft) | 5-10 players | 8-10GB | 4.0GHz+ | 100GB+ |
| Tech Modpacks | 5-10 players | 10-16GB | 4.2GHz+ | 150GB+ |
RAM: This is your server's working memory. Not enough RAM means constant stuttering, chunk loading lag, and crashes. If you're cheap on RAM, your players will hate you.
CPU: Minecraft is weirdly CPU-heavy, especially on a single thread. You need a fast processor (high GHz), not necessarily many cores. A 4.2GHz CPU beats a 3.0GHz CPU with 16 cores.
Storage: The base game takes space, but your world files also grow. A 1-year-old active server world can be 5-20GB. Add backups and you'll want plenty of space.
You run the server on your own PC. Free, full control, but your computer has to be on 24/7 and your internet connection is the bottleneck. Not ideal unless it's just a few friends playing occasionally.
You rent a server from a hosting company. They handle the hardware, uptime, backups, and support. You just upload your world and configure settings. Costs money, but it's reliable and your home internet stays separate.
Hosted is the way to go for any serious server.
Not all hosts are equal. Here's what to look for:
BisectHosting is a solid choice for Minecraft hosting. They have good performance, one-click modpack installation, and actually decent support. Plans scale from small vanilla servers to massive modded instances.
When you set up your server, use the code:
This gives you 25% off your first month (and beyond). Head over to their site: bisecthosting.com/lupin
Prices are reasonable, their control panel is straightforward, and they'll actually answer support tickets. Start small (4GB RAM for vanilla) and scale up if you need it.
If you're running it locally (not recommended), download the server .jar from minecraft.net, create a startup script, and run it. This works but ties up your PC and internet.
Cause: Usually insufficient RAM or CPU. Check your server's TPS (should stay at 20). If it's below 18, you're undersped.
Fix: Upgrade your hosting plan. No amount of tweaking fixes bad hardware.
Cause: Incompatible mods, corrupted world data, or not enough RAM allocated.
Fix: Check server logs, remove recently added mods, or increase RAM allocation.
Cause: Server is down, wrong IP, firewall blocking, or server is full.
Fix: Check server status, verify the IP address, and make sure your hosting provider's firewall isn't blocking connections.
Cause: Server crashed during a save, hardware failure, or mod incompatibility.
Fix: Restore from a backup. This is why backups matter.
Paper is a drop-in replacement for vanilla that's way more optimized. Same features, better performance. No client-side changes needed.
Old unexplored chunks take space and processing power. Occasionally delete far-away chunks to keep things snappy.
Mobs and items build up over time. Configure your server to prevent entity spam (too many animals, dropped items, etc).
When storage hits 90%, things get weird. Keep an eye on it and upgrade when needed.
Minecraft, mods, plugins – updates often include performance fixes. Stay current but test before major updates.
Before launching your server: