Moving Your Aternos Server to Another Host: What You Can Take
You can take your world from Aternos, but not everything else: neither backups nor plugins come out of there. Know that before you start and the move is easy. Here's what you can take, what to write down first and the steps so your friends join and find their base where they left it.
What you can take and what you can't
The world, yes. It's the important part: builds, chests and inventories. It downloads as a .zip from the worlds page.
Backups, no. Their staff are clear: backups on the backups page can't be downloaded, and restoring them to another server only works if both are on Aternos.
Plugins and mods, no. Aternos doesn't let you download them for copyright reasons. You install them again on the new server. What you can keep is their settings, by copying them by hand from the configuration files.
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First of all: write this down
With the Aternos server still running, note these four things down. They save you almost every problem.
The exact version
The new server has to be that version or a later one: a world doesn't open on an earlier version. If you change version with mods or plugins, check first that they exist for the new one.
The server type
Vanilla, Paper, Fabric, Forge… If you had plugins, Paper. If you had mods, the same loader.
The list of plugins or mods
With their versions. Also copy any settings you've changed (permissions, rules, kits): those are the files you don't want to redo.
Whether it's premium or not
Check whether the Aternos server let people in without a paid account (cracked) and set the new one the same. If you change it, players lose their inventory, because each one is stored under a different identifier (why this happens).
How to download your Aternos world
Go to the worlds page
At aternos.org/worlds, with your server selected.
Download the world
Choose the world and press “Download”. You get a .zip. Use your normal browser, with no download manager.
On Paper or Spigot, repeat it for the Nether and the End
On those servers each dimension is a separate world: world, world_nether and world_the_end. Download all three or you'll lose whatever you have there. On Vanilla, Forge and Fabric they're inside the main world, so one is enough.
How to bring it to NapNodes
On any host it's a similar job: you upload the world and tell the server which one to use. On NapNodes you do it by pasting a link, on the free server too.
Put the folders into one .zip
Unzip what you downloaded, check the folders are called world, world_nether and world_the_end, and zip them together into a single .zip.
Upload it to a link
To Dropbox or Google Drive, and copy the sharing link.
Paste it into “Bring my server”
In the panel, “Mods & plugins” → “Bring my server”. It's downloaded, unzipped and put in place by itself. Whatever was there is set aside in a folder, not deleted.
Set the same type and add the plugins
In “Mods & plugins” → “Server type”, the same one you had. Then install the plugins or mods from your list and put their settings back.
Join and check it
Go to your base, open a chest and walk through a Nether portal. If the world is from an earlier version, the server converts it on start: the first time takes longer.
Don't delete the Aternos one yet
Leave it as it is until you've played a session on the new one. According to their help pages, a server that hasn't been started for a long time (typically around 3 months) is deleted automatically, and after that it can only be recovered if you had backups enabled. You have plenty of time to check calmly, and keep the .zip somewhere safe.
When it's ready, give your friends the new address (how they join).
If you don't want to pay yet
You can try it with no card: the NapNodes free server has 3 GB of RAM and 5 GB of disk, so check how much your world weighs first. It stops after an hour empty, has no backups and is deleted after 7 days with nobody playing, so keep your .zip.
If you like it, when you move to a plan it stays the same server with your world, always on and with no queues. How much RAM to choose is in the RAM guide. If you'd rather we did it, we'll move it for free.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move my Aternos server to another host?
Yes, but only the world and the settings you copy by hand. Backups and plugins or mods can't be downloaded: you install them again.
How do I download my Aternos world?
At aternos.org/worlds, choose the world and press “Download”. On Paper or Spigot you also need to download world_nether and world_the_end.
Can you download plugins from Aternos?
No: Aternos doesn't allow it for copyright reasons. Write down the list and install them on the new server.
Can you download Aternos backups?
No: their staff say they can't be downloaded and that restoring them to another server only works within Aternos. What you download is the world.
Why did my friends lose their inventory after changing host?
Almost always because the new server has a different premium or cracked mode: each player is stored under a different identifier. Leave it as it was.
Shall we set it up for you?
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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.
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.
- Aternos Queue: Why You're Waiting and How to Wait Less
Why Aternos has a queue, how long it can take, how to keep your place and what your options are if the wait stops you playing. No tricks that don't work.
- “Connection Refused” and “Connection Timed Out” in Minecraft: What They Mean and How to Fix Them
What “Connection refused: no further information” and “Connection timed out” mean when joining a Minecraft server, and what to check in each case.