NapNodes
Free tool · Minecraft Java

How much RAM does my Minecraft server need?

Tell us what you're going to run, how many of you will play at once and at what view distance. We'll give you the GB it takes, without inflating them to sell you more.

What kind of server are you running?

Paper or Vanilla, up to about 15 plugins

Players online at once

6at the same time, not signed up

View distance (view-distance)

10the default

Your server needs about

3 GB

At NapNodes: Wood plan€6/month

3 GB yours alone · up to 8 players

Create your free serverSee the Wood plan

It's an estimate to start with: if it falls short, you move up a plan without losing your world.

How we work it out

Each type of server starts from what it needs just to start up and run smoothly: about 2 GB for Paper with a few plugins, about 5 for a modpack of around 100 mods and about 7 for one with 200 or more. On top of that come the players online at once, because each one keeps the chunks around them loaded, and that grows with the view distance. The result is rounded up to the nearest half GB.

It's a starting point, not an exact measurement: a modpack with lots of automation or a huge farm needs more. It's explained in more detail in “How much RAM a Minecraft server needs” (in Spanish), and if it stutters with RAM to spare, in the lag guide (in Spanish).

Frequently asked questions

Does more RAM make the server faster?

No, not beyond what it needs. Java uses the memory you give it, but lag on a properly sized server comes from per-core CPU speed, the disk and the view distance, not from having spare GB.

Why does the panel show the memory almost full?

Because Java reserves almost all the RAM when it starts and keeps reusing it. What tells you it's falling short is stuttering and “Can't keep up!” warnings in the console, not the bar.

Do all the server's players count, or only those online?

Only those playing at the same time. A server with 40 members and 8 online in the evening needs what 8 need.

What if it falls short?

Lower the view distance first (from 10 to 8 makes a big difference). If it's still not enough, at NapNodes you move up a plan from My plan & invoices in the panel, with the same server and the same world.

RAM that's yours alone

At NapNodes there's no overselling: the GB in your plan aren't shared with anyone, and each machine's load is public on the status page. Try it with a free 3 GB Minecraft server, no card and no end date.

Create your free server

Already have a server? Check whether it responds with “Is my Minecraft server online?”.

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