Minecraft has become one of the most popular video games in recent years. The game is known for its expansive open world, creative building elements, and online multiplayer, making it an excellent choice for gamers of all ages. It's the quintessential sandbox game, allowing players to build whatever they wanted in an expansive world with no boundaries.
As of January 2023, the number of peak players in a day Minecraft has seen was 17.5 million. With this popularity comes the need for reliable server hosting services. After all, you don't want to be in the middle of building your dream castle only to have your server crash, right? That's why choosing a quality hosting service for your Minecraft server is essential.
The best Minecraft server hosting services provide a reliable and secure platform where players can create their unique worlds – without having to deal with technical difficulties.
Why You Need Minecraft Server Hosting?
Sandbox experiences like Minecraft are designed to be played online, allowing multiple players to join the world simultaneously. For this reason, it is essential for gamers who want to create a public server for their friends or a larger group of players to invest in dedicated server hosting services.
Minecraft Server Hosting can enhance the gaming experience, providing players with more control over their settings and a better connection to other players. Server hosting also offers additional features such as modding capabilities, larger worlds, increased player capacity, and more.
When selecting a Minecraft server host, there are two main types of hosting to consider: VPS (Virtual Private Server) and Dedicated Hosting. Each type has its own unique benefits that make them ideal for different scenarios.
Hosting Minecraft on VPS Hosting
VPS hosting is a popular choice for gamers because it provides more control and flexibility than shared hosting services. They’re essentially virtualized versions of dedicated servers, meaning that the resources are isolated from other users on the same physical server.
This allows players to customize their gaming experience without any interference from others, as well as providing greater security and stability compared to shared hosting. Furthermore, VPS hosting offers better scalability than dedicated hosting, allowing players to upgrade or downgrade their server’s resources as needed.
Hosting Minecraft on Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated server hosting is ideal for gamers who want to create a large-scale public server with a higher player limit and more features. This type of hosting offers the highest level of performance and customization, as well as enhanced security since all users are hosted on one physical machine.
However, dedicated servers come with a much higher price tag than VPS hosting, since they require more resources. They usually require more technical expertise to manage and maintain as well.
While some people go for the DIY approach and host their own servers, most players prefer the convenience of renting from a provider. Our research provides serious gamers with the best options for reliable Minecraft server hosting services.
Without further ado, here are our top picks for the best Minecraft server hosting services.
1. ScalaHosting
On top of our Best Minecraft Hosting Providers List: ScalaHosting. Having been around since 2007, you can count on them to provide reliable, top-notch hosting services. Uniquely, they partner with Amazon AWS to bring gamers dynamic cloud VPS servers tailored to all their Minecraft needs.
What Makes ScalaHosting Best for Minecraft Gamers?
ScalaHosting’s plans come with plenty of one-of-a-kind features like local server builders, your own VPS, Automatic World Repair (so you won’t lose a single block!), Advanced Cybersecurity Protection, and more. You can add 24/7 monitoring for just $15/month, so dedicated technical support engineers can ensure everything is running smoothly.
Learn more about ScalaHosting in our review.
ScalaHosting Pricing
Other providers on this list boast a wide variety of plans, but ScalaHosting offers just four – Zombie, Slime, Guardian, and Giant. Each plan differs in CPU cores, RAM, SSD space, and bandwidth. The most affordable Zombie plan starts at $61.95/month, while the most expensive Giant plan starts at $249.95/month.
Pros
- Automatic world check & repair
- Guaranteed 1 Gbps uplink ports
- Custom plugin ports
Cons
- Costly plans
- Limited server locations (Europe/US only)
2. Hostinger
Widely regarded as one of the best providers in the market, Hostinger offers premium server hosting services at an affordable price. They provide a wide range of plans to suit every budget and need, and their servers are optimized for both vanilla and modded Minecraft.
Benefits of Hostinger Minecraft Hosting
Hostinger is a top choice for gamers who need reliable and secure hardware to host their servers. Their servers also have powerful processors, plenty of RAM, and fast SSDs to ensure smooth performance. And with their basic plan, you can already support up to 70 players on the server!
Learn more about Hostinger in our review.
Hostinger Pricing
Their pricing plans are aptly named after Minecraft characters, starting from the basic Alex Plan at $8.95 and going up to the Wolf plan for $77.99/month. The main differences between them is the vCPU cores and the amount of RAM you get.
Pros
- Dedicated VPS server
- DDoS protection
- Automatic backups
- 99.99% uptime guarantee
Cons
- No phone support
- Apex Hosting
3. Apex Minecraft Hosting
Apex began solely as a Minecraft hosting service but has since expanded into other popular games such as CS:GO, Ark, Rust, and Terraria since the Summer of 2021. Their plans are vast, from beginner-friendly packages to more advanced options like dedicated servers and managed service providers.
Benefits
With Apex, you can choose from over 70 worldwide locations for your server, allowing players to select the best option based on their latency requirements. Their services also include one-click mod installs, automated backups, and the ability to switch between multiple versions of Minecraft.
Pricing
Pricing plans are based around RAM, starting from the basic 2GB plan at $7.49 for the first month and going up to the 10GB plan at $37.49 for the first month.
Pros
- 24/7 customer support with live chat
- First-month discount for new customers
- 99.9% uptime
- 1-click installation
Cons
- Not available in multiple languages
- No dedicated IP
- No advanced features like VPS dedicated servers
4. Shockbyte
On the thread of top-of-the-line hosting providers, Shockbyte provides powerful hardware and unlimited slots at a lower cost.
In operation since 2013, they have earned a great reputation among the Minecraft community. Their interface is also easy to use, making it a great choice if you’re new to server hosting or want something simple and straightforward.
Benefits
Shockbyte boasts a robust control panel, allowing you to customize your server with options like mod packs and plugins. They also support every Minecraft server type imaginable – we’re talking Spigot, CraftBukkit, Forge, Sponge, BungeeCord, Fabric, Vanilla, Snapshots, and all Bedrock Edition (MCPE) server types.
Pricing
The company presents some terrific deals for gamers on a budget – the basic Dirt Plan starts at just $2.50/month! You can even configure a custom plan if you want to get creative.
Pros
- Offers unlimited game slots
- AMD Ryzen 5600X cores for ultimate performance
- Low prices
Cons
- Additional hosting costs in Asia
- No dedicated servers
5. BisectHosting
BisectHosting was started by two friends with a shared love for Minecraft, Andrew and Max. The pair pinpointed two things lacking from other hosting services – customer experience and product features – and set out on a mission.
Benefits
Besides being incredibly easy to use, BisectHosting specializes in modded Minecraft servers. You can seamlessly install and update modpacks and operate your server with MultiCraft. Even if you haven't used MultiCraft before, the UI makes customizing your server a piece of cake!
Pricing
BisectHosting offers premium and budget plans to accommodate all. When it comes to their budget plans, they start at $2.99/month for 1GB of ram and go up to $143.52/month for 48GB. For premium plans, it’ll cost you $7.99/month for 1GB up to $239.52/month for 48GB.
Premium plans come with auto modpack installs, adjustable player slots, dedicated IP, automated daily backups, and more, while budget users will have to fork out a little extra to get access to those features.
Pros
- Upscale 24/7 customer support
- Shared hosting plans packed with plenty of features
Cons
- Inaccessible premium plans
- Budget plans don’t come with dedicated IP
Things to Consider Before Buying
Now that we’ve gone through our top picks, let’s talk about some of the things you should consider when choosing your Minecraft hosting service.
What Makes a Great Minecraft Server Hosting
- Price: Most services will offer different packages for different prices. Be sure to check out what features are included in each package and choose one that fits your budget and needs.
- Location: Server location can have a significant impact on performance. Try to find one close to where most of your players are from so they can have a better connection.
- Support: Make sure the hosting service you choose has good customer support. You don’t want to be stuck waiting for hours if something goes wrong.
- Player Accommodation: Different hosting services offer different levels of player accommodation. Some only allow a few players, while others can handle hundreds or thousands at once.
- Technicality: Depending on your technical skills, you may want to choose a hosting service that is easier to set up and manage. If you don’t have the technical know-how, choose a provider with simple control panels for managing your server.
Final Thoughts
The Minecraft hosting you choose will significantly impact the game experience you provide. More importantly, it also affects the time and resources you’ll sink into technical server management.
Choosing the correct server isn’t just a matter of cost, but finding the best all-around fit for your needs.
