Free Minecraft Bedrock Server Hosting: Options & Limits

Can you get a free Minecraft Bedrock server?

Yes. You can host a world from your own device, run the free Bedrock Dedicated Server on a PC, use a free host such as Aternos, or start a free trial on a paid host. None of them is free and online 24/7 forever – each one saves money by giving up something: uptime, convenience or time.

How do you play Bedrock with friends for free without a server?

Open your world with multiplayer enabled and let friends join you from the "Friends" tab – it works across phones, PCs and consoles and costs nothing. For many groups this is all they need.

1. Add each other as friends on your Microsoft (Xbox) accounts: "Play" → "Friends" → "Add Friend".
2. In the world's settings, under "Multiplayer", turn on "Multiplayer Game".
3. Friends open "Friends" and join you under "Joinable Friends".

The limits: the world lives on your device, so it's only available while you're playing, and your device does all the work. According to Minecraft's help, a hosted Bedrock world fits up to 8 players. On consoles, online play usually also requires the platform's subscription. All crossplay options are explained in is Minecraft cross-platform.

How do you run a free Bedrock server on your own PC?

Download Bedrock Dedicated Server (BDS) from minecraft.net, unpack it and run bedrock_server – the software is free, Windows and Linux are supported. You don't need Java or an installer.

What to watch out for:

• The PC has to stay on. Turn it off and the server is gone for everyone.
• Port forwarding. Friends outside your home network only get in after you forward the server's port on your router. Since BDS 1.26.50, Bedrock connects players through NetherNet, which uses TCP on the server port and UDP for gameplay, so forwarding UDP 19132 alone is often not enough – details in Minecraft Bedrock server port.
• Public IP and CGNAT. Many ISPs, especially mobile and some fibre providers, don't give you a public IP. Port forwarding then doesn't work at all.
• Updates. Phones and consoles update automatically, so after a big Minecraft update you have to download a new BDS – without overwriting server.properties, allowlist.json and permissions.json, and with a copy of the worlds folder.

Step-by-step setup, RAM and allowlist are in how to make a Minecraft Bedrock server.

Does Aternos support Bedrock?

Yes – when you create a server on Aternos you choose between Java and Bedrock. Aternos is free and ad-supported, and it works by running the server only while someone is playing.

What that means in practice:

• No 24/7. The server stops after the last player leaves, and someone has to start it again from the website. Keeping it online with bots or AFK accounts is against Aternos's rules.
• Queue at startup when free capacity is busy, especially in the evenings.
• Resources are assigned by Aternos, not chosen by you.
• Consoles still need a workaround. That's a Bedrock console limitation, the same on every host.

For a few friends who always play together at a set time, that's a fair deal. If people play at different times, or you want the world online whenever someone feels like playing, you need a server that doesn't stop.

What do you get with the free Bedrock trial on Spot.gg?

A full Bedrock server for 24 hours – no card, no queue, and it keeps running even when nobody's online. It's the same server you'd pay for, just free for the trial.

1. Create an account and confirm your email.
2. Click "Activate a free server" and choose Minecraft Bedrock and a version – the newest one, the same as your players.
3. Choose RAM, disk and a location close to your players – including Germany, plus Canada and India for players outside Europe.
4. Click "How to connect?" in the panel – the address and port are shown as two separate fields to copy.

During the trial you have the console, the file manager, SFTP, the "Network" tab with the server's ports, and the AI assistant that reads the logs when something goes wrong. Ports for Bedrock's player connections are configured automatically at every start, so there's nothing to forward.

Free server limits: one per account, no backups, no subaccounts and no task scheduler. After 24 hours the server is locked. If you extend it, you keep playing on the same world; if you don't, it's deleted after 7 days. Nothing is charged automatically, because you never enter a card.

When is a free Bedrock server enough, and when should you pay?

Free is enough when you're a few people who always play together; pay when the world should be online whenever anyone wants to play, or when the group grows.

Stay free if:

• you're 2–5 friends and always start a session together,
• the host doesn't mind keeping the game (or the PC) running,
• you don't need backups you can restore yourself.

Consider a paid server if:

• friends play at different times and don't want to wait for anyone,
• more people play than a hosted world handles,
• you want addons, your own server.properties and nightly backups,
• your home connection is behind CGNAT and port forwarding is impossible.

On Spot.gg a Bedrock server costs from $3.90 / month with 2 GB of RAM – enough for a few friends – and $5.99 / month with 4 GB for bigger groups or several addons. Plans and locations are on the Minecraft Bedrock hosting page. If you're weighing a subscription from Mojang instead, see Minecraft Realms vs your own server.

How do you move your world to a server?

Export the world as an .mcworld file, rename it to .zip, upload it to the server's worlds folder, unpack it and set level-name. Exporting works on Windows, Android and iOS (consoles can't export worlds).

1. In the game, click the pencil icon next to the world and choose "Export World". You'll get an .mcworld file. From a free host, download the world from its website instead.
2. Rename the file from .mcworld to .zip – it's a regular ZIP archive.
3. On Spot.gg, stop the server, open "Files" → worlds, create a folder for the world (for example myworld) and upload the .zip into it.
4. Click "Extract". level.dat and the db folder should be directly inside the world folder, not in another subfolder.
5. In server.properties, set level-name=myworld and start the server.

If the server starts with a new, empty world, level-name doesn't match the folder name, or the files ended up one level too deep. Addons used in the world have to be uploaded and enabled on the server too – see Minecraft Bedrock server addons.

FAQ

Is there free 24/7 Minecraft Bedrock hosting?

Not permanently. Free hosts stop servers when nobody's online, and a server at home only runs while the PC is on. A server that stays online non-stop is free only during a trial – on Spot.gg for 24 hours, no card required.

Does Aternos work for Minecraft Bedrock?

Yes, Aternos lets you create a Bedrock server for free. It runs only while someone is playing, there can be a queue at startup, and console players need the same workarounds as on any Bedrock server.

Can I host a Bedrock server on my phone?

Not a dedicated server – Bedrock Dedicated Server runs on Windows and Linux only. You can host your world from the phone and let friends join via "Friends", but it's available only while you're playing.

Is Bedrock Dedicated Server free?

Yes, Mojang provides it for free on minecraft.net for Windows and Linux. You pay only for the PC's electricity – or for hosting, if you don't want to keep a computer running.

Can console players join a free Bedrock server?

Yes, but consoles can't add servers by address. They join through a friend who's on the server, or with a DNS workaround such as BedrockConnect. A world hosted from a device or a Realm can be joined natively.

What happens after the free trial on Spot.gg?

The server is locked. If you extend it within 7 days, everything stays – world, addons and settings. If you don't, the server is deleted. You're never charged automatically, since the free activation doesn't ask for a card.