Aternos Queue: Why You're Waiting and How to Wait Less

Why there's a queue

Aternos has limited capacity. Their help pages explain it like this: when more people want to start a server than there's room for, a queue forms and each person waits for others to stop theirs. It doesn't depend on your world, your mods or your connection.

That's also why it stops servers that are left empty: it's what makes room for the next person in the queue. And it's why it doesn't let you keep one on all day either (more on that below).

How long the queue takes

Aternos doesn't give a figure in its help pages: it depends on how many people are starting a server at that moment. On its forum some users mention 10 to 20 minutes, others one or two hours and a few cases of several hours; these are old user accounts, not official data.

What their forum does repeat is the pattern: weekends have longer queues than weekdays. If you only play on Saturday afternoons, that's when you'll get hit the most.

How to keep your place

When you get near the front of the queue, a green confirm button appears. If you don't press it in time, you're removed from the queue and start over. Leaving the queue yourself also costs you your place.

1. Keep the page open

   Stay on the page, especially when you only have a few places to go.

2. Watch for the confirm button

   If you step away and don't get back in time, you're out and start again.

3. Restart, don't stop

   Once it's on, use restart rather than stopping and starting: according to their staff on the forum, restarting a running server doesn't send you back to the queue, and stopping it does.

How to wait less

1. Start it before you meet up

   If you've agreed a time, have someone start it with time to spare. It's the only thing in your hands, and it's worth more than any trick.

2. Avoid the busiest times

   There's usually less of a queue on weekdays than at weekends.

3. Don't let it stop between sessions

   If someone's still inside, there's no need to start it again. When the server is empty a countdown appears; the “+1” button adds a minute when it's about to run out, in case a friend is about to join.

What doesn't work

Leaving a bot or an AFK account so it never stops is against their rules. Their help pages say servers kept online with bots or similar methods can be detected and shut down, and that the account may end up restricted or suspended. Don't risk your world for that.

Their help pages don't offer any way to pay to skip the queue either. Their staff said on the forum that codes to skip it existed, only at their own or partner events. If a website promises to skip it in exchange for your account or a program to download, be suspicious.

If the queue stops you playing

If it happens now and then, stay: Aternos is free and it works. If it's what decides when you play, you have three ways out.

A server on your own PC: no queue, but it's only there while that PC is on, and you have to open ports (how to do it).

Another free server: NapNodes has a free one too, with 3 GB of RAM and no card. To be clear: it's also free in exchange for limits. If there's no room there's a queue here too, although we email you when it's your turn and you get 5 minutes to confirm. It waits an hour empty before stopping, but it's deleted after 7 days with nobody playing and it has no backups. Aternos keeps servers for quite a bit longer.

A paid server: the queue is gone for good and it's always on, even with nobody there, with the RAM reserved for you. Prices are on the pricing page, and how to take your world with you is in moving from Aternos to another host.

Frequently asked questions