Free Minecraft Server: the Real Options and Their Drawbacks
You can play with friends without paying anything. The question is what you're willing to put up with in return: queues, leaving your PC on, or a server that shuts itself down.
1. Open your game to LAN
The easiest: in a singleplayer world, “Open to LAN”. It only works for people on your own network (your home), and the world only exists while you're playing.
Rather not set it up yourself? Minecraft servers from €6 a month, no contract and a full refund within 72 hours. Or create a free Minecraft server, no card needed.
2. A server on your own PC
Free and with no limits, but the PC has to be on for your friends to play, you have to open port 25565 on the router (some ISPs with CG-NAT don't allow it) and your PC plays and hosts at the same time. We explain it step by step in the guide to making a server.
3. Free services (like Aternos)
They really are free and fine for trying things out, in exchange for limits: queues to start the server at peak hours, the server shuts down on its own when nobody's on, and resources are tight for lots of mods or lots of players. When it's worth staying and when it isn't, in Aternos alternative.
4. A hosting company's free server
On NapNodes, a 3 GB Minecraft (Paper) server, with no card and no end date, one per person. It has the same panel as the paid ones, one-click plugins and its own address. It shuts down after 20 minutes empty and you start it yourself from the panel; if nobody plays for 7 days it's deleted, with a warning email 2 days before, and it has no backups. If it gets too small for you, you move to a plan and it stays the same server, with its world. If the free slots are full, you join the waitlist and it's created automatically when there's room. The queue and the turns to start it are in the free server guide.
When is paying worth it?
When the server has to be on even when you aren't, when there are several of you or you use mods, or when you don't want to fight with the router. You pay monthly with no commitment: what each plan costs is on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get a Minecraft server for free?
Yes: on your own PC, by opening your game to LAN, or with free services like Aternos, each with its limits. There are also paid hosts with a free server, like NapNodes: no card, it shuts down when nobody's on and you start it yourself.
What are the downsides of Aternos?
Queues to start it at peak hours, it shuts down when nobody's on, and resources are tight for lots of mods.
How much does a paid Minecraft server cost?
On NapNodes you pay for RAM, per GB per month, with no commitment and a full refund within 72 hours the first time. The price of each plan is on the pricing page.
Shall we set it up for you?
Minecraft servers from €6 a month, never oversold: your RAM is yours alone. And if you'd rather start without paying, there's a free Minecraft server, no card needed.
Your server doesn't show up in the game? Check it in a second with “Is my Minecraft server online?”: players, version and MOTD, free. Need a player's UUID for the whitelist or permissions? Look it up here. Handing out enchanted items? Build the command with the /give generator.
Free tool: What does it cost in electricity?. What it costs in electricity to keep the server running on your PC at home, side by side with a plan and the free server.
Keep reading
- Aternos Alternative: When to Stay, When to Pay and How to Take Your World
Aternos falls short when there's a queue, mods or friends who play daily. What changes on a paid server, what it costs and how to bring your world over safely.
- Minecraft Server 24 Hours a Day: How to Keep It Always On
How to keep your Minecraft server on all day: your PC, an old computer, a free cloud tier or a host. What each option really costs, with numbers.
- How to Choose Minecraft Server Hosting: What to Check Before You Pay
What to check when renting a Minecraft server: dedicated or shared RAM, CPU, location, backups, mods and refunds. For comparing any host.