How do you make a Minecraft Bedrock server?
The fastest way is to start a Bedrock server with a host, copy the address and port from the panel, and add it in-game under "Servers". The alternative is to download Mojang's official Bedrock Dedicated Server (BDS) and run it on your own computer – free, but you'll need to forward ports and keep the PC on whenever people play.
| Option | Best for | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | A world that's online 24/7 so friends can join any time | Paid after the free trial |
| Your own PC (BDS) | Occasional sessions, a few friends, home network | Port forwarding, public IP, PC must stay on |
| Realms | Mostly console players | Mojang subscription, 10 players at once, few settings |
Minecraft Bedrock is the edition on Android, iOS, Windows, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch, and all of them can play together on one server – that's its biggest selling point. Players on Minecraft Java Edition can't join a Bedrock server.
Should you host a Bedrock server yourself or pay for hosting?
Your own PC is fine for testing and casual sessions; if the world should stay up while you're offline, hosting is far less hassle. BDS is lightweight, but a home server only runs while your computer does, and friends outside your network can only connect after you forward ports on your router.
Self-hosting makes sense when:
- you play with people on the same home network, or you can change your router settings,
- your ISP gives you a public IP address (behind CGNAT – common on mobile broadband and some fibre providers – port forwarding simply won't work),
- you don't mind the world disappearing for everyone when you shut your PC down.
Hosting gives you a fixed address, 24/7 uptime and backups you don't have to think about.
How do you set up a Bedrock server on Spot.gg?
Create an account, click "Activate a free server", pick Minecraft Bedrock and a version – the server is ready in seconds. The first 24 hours are free, no card needed.
- Sign up at Spot.gg and confirm your email.
- Click "Activate a free server" and choose Minecraft Bedrock.
- Pick the server version – the same one you and your friends have in-game (usually the latest).
- Set the RAM and choose the server location closest to your players.
- In the server panel click "How to connect?" – you'll see the address and port to copy (Bedrock takes them in two separate fields).
New Bedrock Dedicated Server releases show up in the panel automatically shortly after Mojang publishes them. To switch versions later, go to "Information" → "Modify" → "Change engine".
How much RAM does a Minecraft Bedrock server need?
2 GB is plenty for a handful of friends; with more players, a big world or add-ons, go for 4 GB or more. Bedrock Dedicated Server is written in C++, so it uses noticeably less memory than a Java server.
| Server | RAM (rough guide) |
|---|---|
| 2–5 players, no add-ons | 2 GB |
| 5–10 players or a few add-on packs | 4 GB |
| Bigger group, large long-running world | 6 GB and up |
On Spot.gg a Bedrock server starts at $3.90 / month with 2 GB RAM, or $5.99 / month with 4 GB. You can scale RAM and disk up or down later. Keep an eye on view-distance in server.properties too – a higher view distance costs the server more than almost anything else.
How do you run Bedrock Dedicated Server on your own PC?
Download BDS from minecraft.net (Windows or Linux), unzip it and run bedrock_server. There's no Java and no installer involved.
- Go to the official Bedrock Dedicated Server download page on minecraft.net and grab the build for your OS (Windows 10/11 or Ubuntu Linux).
- Extract the archive into its own folder.
- Run
bedrock_server.exeon Windows or./bedrock_serveron Linux. The console will tell you when the server has started. - Change the name, game mode, difficulty and player limit in
server.properties. Edit it while the server is stopped, then start it again. - On your home network, join via your PC's local IP; friends outside it join via your public IP once the port is forwarded.
When updating BDS, don't blindly overwrite server.properties, allowlist.json and permissions.json – Mojang's zip ships default copies of them. Back up the worlds folder before every update.
What port does a Bedrock server use, and what do you forward?
The default Bedrock server port is 19132 UDP (IPv4) and 19133 UDP (IPv6). For a home server, forward it on your router to the PC running BDS and allow it through the firewall.
One catch with recent versions: since BDS 1.26.50 Mojang uses a new connection transport (NetherNet). The handshake runs over TCP on the server port and gameplay over UDP, so forwarding UDP 19132 alone often isn't enough any more – you'll also need TCP on that port and fixed UDP ports set in server.properties (see the bedrock_server_how_to.html file that ships with the server). Behind NAT or CGNAT, this is the most common reason friends can't get in.
On Spot.gg ports are assigned to your server and configured automatically on every start, including the extra ports Bedrock uses for player connections. You'll find them all in the "Network" tab. Your server's port is usually not 19132, so always type it in-game.
How do you join a Bedrock server on mobile, Windows, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch?
On mobile and Windows you add the server in-game: "Play" → "Servers" → "Add Server", then the address and port. Consoles have no button for adding custom servers, so you'll need a workaround.
| Device | Can add a custom server? | How to join |
|---|---|---|
| Android, iOS | Yes | "Servers" → "Add Server" |
| Windows 10/11 | Yes | "Servers" → "Add Server" |
| Xbox | Not directly | Through a friend or a workaround (below) |
| PlayStation 4/5 | No | Through a friend or a workaround (below) |
| Nintendo Switch | No | Through a friend or a workaround (below) |
Mobile and Windows
- Launch Minecraft (Bedrock Edition), click "Play" and open the "Servers" tab.
- Scroll the left panel down to "Additional Servers" and click "Add Server".
- Enter any name, the server address in "Server Address" and the port in "Port".
- Click "Save", select the server and hit "Join Server".
Consoles: Xbox, PlayStation, Switch
On consoles the "Servers" tab only lists Mojang's partner servers (Featured Servers) and won't let you type an address. That's a restriction of the console versions of the game, not of any host – it applies to every Bedrock server. There are two common workarounds:
- join through a friend – someone connects from a phone or Windows PC, and the console player joins them from the "Friends" tab. Simplest option, but that friend has to be online,
- change your DNS (e.g. BedrockConnect) – set the console's DNS to the project's server; picking one of the featured servers then opens a menu where you can enter any address and port.
Both are unofficial: they rely on third-party projects, can break after a game update, and the DNS trick routes some of your console's traffic through someone else's server. If you play almost entirely on consoles and want zero fiddling, Realms may honestly be the easier choice.
How do you match the server version to the game version?
The server and the game must be on the same version – otherwise you'll get "Outdated server" or "Outdated client". Bedrock on phones and consoles usually updates itself, so after a major Minecraft update the server needs updating too.
- "Outdated server" – your game is newer than the server. Update the server: on Spot.gg, "Information" → "Modify" → "Change engine" and pick the latest version.
- "Outdated client" – the server is newer than your game. Update Minecraft in your store (Google Play, App Store, Microsoft Store or the console store).
Preview/Beta builds of the game can't join regular servers – use the normal release of Minecraft to play on your server.
How do you turn on the allowlist (whitelist) on a Bedrock server?
Set allow-list=true in server.properties, then add players with allowlist add PlayerName in the server console. In Bedrock the old "whitelist" is called the "allowlist", and players are identified by their gamertag (Microsoft/Xbox account name).
Handy console commands:
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
allowlist add Name |
Adds a player to the allowlist |
allowlist remove Name |
Removes a player |
allowlist list |
Shows the list |
allowlist reload |
Reloads allowlist.json after editing it by hand |
op Name |
Gives a player operator permissions |
On Spot.gg you type commands in the "Console" tab and edit server.properties and allowlist.json in the "Files" tab. Keep online-mode=true as well – only players signed in with a Microsoft (Xbox) account can join, so nobody can spoof someone else's name. The panel shows whether your server is protected.
What should you do when you can't connect to a Bedrock server?
It's usually a version mismatch, the wrong port, or blocked traffic (router, firewall, CGNAT). Work through this list:
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Outdated server" / "Outdated client" | Game and server versions differ | Update the server or the game |
| "Unable to connect to world" | Wrong port, server offline or traffic blocked | Check the port, server status and port forwarding (TCP and UDP) |
| Works on mobile, no way to add it on console | Console restriction | Join through a friend or use the DNS workaround |
| Friends outside your home can't join | No port forwarding or CGNAT | Forward the ports or move the server to a host |
| You spawn in a brand-new, empty world | server.properties overwritten (different level-name) |
Restore the old world name or a backup |
| A player can't join even with the right port | Allowlist is on | allowlist add Name |
On Spot.gg you can click "Ask the assistant" whenever something's off – the AI assistant reads your server logs and tells you what to fix. Daily backups in the "Backup" tab let you roll the world back if something goes wrong. Note that the online player list isn't available for Bedrock servers in the panel – a limitation of the latest server versions.
Can you add add-ons to a Bedrock server?
Yes – Bedrock uses add-ons (behavior packs and resource packs) instead of the mods and plugins you know from Java. How to find, upload and enable them for your world is covered in our guide to Minecraft Bedrock server add-ons. For plans and prices, see Minecraft Bedrock server hosting.
FAQ
Is a Minecraft Bedrock server free?
Mojang's Bedrock Dedicated Server software is free, and you can run it on your own PC. 24/7 hosting costs money – on Spot.gg the first 24 hours are free with no card required, then a server starts at $3.90 per month.
What is the default Bedrock server port?
19132 UDP for IPv4 and 19133 UDP for IPv6. Recent versions (1.26.50 and newer) also use TCP on the server port plus extra UDP ports. With a host, the port is assigned to your server – check it in the panel.
Can I join a Bedrock server from PS5, Xbox or Switch?
Yes, but not with an "Add Server" button – consoles don't have one. You can join a friend who's already on the server from the "Friends" tab, or use an unofficial DNS workaround such as BedrockConnect.
Can Java players join a Bedrock server?
No. A Bedrock server only accepts Bedrock Edition players. Java and Bedrock crossplay is possible with the Geyser plugin, but Geyser runs on a Java server, not on a Bedrock server.
How many players can a Bedrock server hold?
You set the limit with max-players in server.properties. In practice RAM and view distance are the real limits: 2 GB handles a few players, and bigger groups are better off with 4 GB or more.
What's the difference between a Bedrock server and Realms?
Realms is Mojang's subscription service: it works natively on consoles, but caps you at 10 players at once and offers few settings. Your own server gives you full access to files, server.properties, add-ons and backups, but console players need a workaround to join.