How much does a Minecraft server cost?
A Minecraft server on Spot.gg costs from $3.90 per month, and a server sized for a modpack from $7.55 per month. You can run any server free for 24 hours first, no card required. What you end up paying depends mostly on RAM, which in turn depends on how many people play and whether you're running vanilla, plugins or mods.
Here's how the main options stack up:
| Option | Cost | Online 24/7 | Mods & plugins | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free hosting (e.g. Aternos) | Free, ad-supported | No – shuts down when everyone leaves | Only from the host's library | Small groups playing at set times |
| Spot.gg hosting | from $3.90 / month, 24 h free | Yes | Anything, including your own .jar files | Regular groups, modpacks, public servers |
| Your own PC | Free hosting, you pay for power | Only while your PC is on | Anything | Learning, playing at home |
| VPS | VPS price + your time as sysadmin | Yes | Anything | People comfortable with Linux |
| Minecraft Realms | from $3.99/month (Bedrock), $7.99/month (Java)* | Yes | No custom mods or plugins | Small vanilla friend groups |
* Realms prices as listed on the official minecraft.net site in October 2026 (USD). Prices outside the US vary by region and store, and Mojang can change them.
What affects the price of a Minecraft server?
RAM is the biggest factor. Player count, mods and storage decide how much RAM you need; location decides your ping. On Spot.gg the monthly price is simply the RAM you pick plus the disk you pick – there are no per-slot player fees.
- RAM. The single most important spec. Too little and you get lag, slow chunk loading and crashes once a big modpack is involved.
- Player count. Every player loads chunks around them, so more people exploring different parts of the map means more memory in use.
- Mods and plugins. Vanilla or Paper with a handful of plugins is the lightest setup. Forge, NeoForge or Fabric servers – and especially big modpacks – need several times more RAM.
- Storage. Grows with your world. Big maps, extra dimensions and packs with hundreds of mods take more space.
- Location. It doesn't change the price, but it changes your ping. When you activate a server on Spot.gg you pick a location from a map – we have data centers in Europe as well as in Canada and India.
You don't pay per player slot. How many players fit comes down to RAM and what's going on in the world.
How much RAM does a Minecraft server need?
2–4 GB is enough for vanilla or Paper with a few friends, a modded server usually needs 6 GB, and a large modpack needs at least 6 GB – more with a bigger group. Treat these as starting points: mob farms, lots of entities or players spread across the map all push usage up.
| Server type | Players | Recommended RAM |
|---|---|---|
| Vanilla or Paper, no plugins | 1–5 | 2 GB |
| Vanilla or Paper with plugins | 5–15 | 3–4 GB |
| Public server with lots of plugins | 15–40 | 6–8 GB |
| A few dozen mods (Fabric, Forge, NeoForge) | 2–10 | 6 GB |
| Large modpack (200+ mods, e.g. ATM, Better MC) | 2–10 | from 6 GB, often 8–10 GB |
| Large modpack, bigger group | 10+ | 10 GB or more |
You don't have to guess on Spot.gg: when you launch a modpack, the setup wizard sets the RAM recommended for that pack, and modded loaders (Forge, NeoForge, Fabric) start at 6 GB. If you run short later, you can add RAM mid-term with "Change parameters" in the panel and only pay the difference for the days left in your billing period.
For pack-specific needs, see the best Minecraft modpacks or browse the modpack catalog.
Free hosting, paid hosting, your own PC or a VPS – which is cheapest?
For a group of friends who want to play whenever they like, paid hosting is usually the simplest and cheapest option overall. Free hosting is fine for occasional sessions, your own PC is great for learning, and a VPS only pays off if you already know Linux.
Free hosting (Aternos and similar) costs nothing because it runs on ads. The trade-off: the server stops when the last player leaves, there can be a queue to start it, and mods and packs are limited to the host's library.
Paid hosting gives you a server that's always on, plus a panel where you install a loader, a modpack or plugins in one click, upload files and change settings – no Linux or networking knowledge needed.
Your own PC is free, but it has to stay on whenever anyone plays. You also need to port-forward on your router (many ISPs don't give you a public IP at all), pay for the electricity, and share RAM with the game you're playing on the same machine.
A VPS is a rented virtual Linux server where you do everything yourself: install Java, set up the firewall, backups, updates and auto-restart after crashes. It's worth it if you have those skills or want to learn them.
What's the best VPS for a Minecraft server?
If you go the VPS route, pick one with enough RAM (at least 4 GB for vanilla with a few players, 8 GB or more for mods), a fast CPU, NVMe storage and a data center close to your players. What to look for:
- RAM – size it from the table above and add around 1 GB for the operating system.
- CPU – the Minecraft server does most of its work on a single thread, so single-core speed matters far more than core count.
- NVMe storage – speeds up loading and saving the world.
- Location – as close to your players as possible.
- Your time – on a VPS, updates, security and backups are all on you.
If you'd rather play than administer a box, a hosting panel gets you the same result without the setup. Compare a VPS quote with Minecraft server hosting on Spot.gg.
Realms vs server hosting: which is better?
Minecraft Realms is the easiest option for a small vanilla group; a hosted server gives you more player capacity, any mods or plugins you like, and full access to the server files. According to the official minecraft.net site, Realms costs:
| Realms plan | Price (USD / month) | Players at once |
|---|---|---|
| Realms for Bedrock | $3.99 | You + 2 |
| Realms Plus for Bedrock | $7.99 | You + 10 |
| Realms for Java | $7.99 | You + 10 |
Prices as of October 2026. Local pricing differs by country and platform and can change, so check in-game before you buy.
Realms makes sense if you're 2–10 people playing vanilla and don't want to configure anything. Pick a hosted server when:
- you want to play with mods or a modpack (you can't upload your own mods or plugins to a Realm),
- more than 11 people need to be online at once,
- you want access to server files, the console and
server.properties, - the server is going public, with ranks, an economy or minigames.
Can you buy a lifetime Minecraft server?
No. There's no such thing as a lifetime Minecraft server – hardware, power and bandwidth cost money every month, so servers are paid for by period and renewed. If you see a "lifetime" server for a one-off fee, ask who's going to keep paying to run it a year or two from now.
What you can do instead:
- Pay for a longer period. On Spot.gg you can renew for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months, and longer periods are cheaper: 10% off for 3 months, 20% for 6 and 30% for 12.
- Stack the loyalty discount. Renewals also get a loyalty discount based on how long you've had the server, up to 20%, on top of the period discount.
- Self-host. Running a server on your own PC is the only "forever" option with no subscription – but only while the PC is on.
Also worth knowing: when a paid period ends, a Spot.gg server is locked, and you have 7 more days to unlock it by renewing. After that the server and its data are deleted, so don't leave renewal to the last minute.
How do you get a Minecraft server on Spot.gg?
On Spot.gg you start any server free for 24 hours, then renew it for the period you want and keep playing on the same world. Step by step:
- Create an account and confirm your email. No card needed.
- Click "Start a free server" and pick the game, a loader (Paper, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and more) or one of over 1 200 modpacks.
- Choose RAM, disk and location. For a modpack, RAM is set to the recommended amount automatically.
- Play. The server installs itself, and the panel shows the address to paste into Minecraft.
- Renew. In the server panel click "Extend", pick 1, 3, 6 or 12 months, check the summary with your discounts, and click "Buy and pay".
You can have one free server per account at a time. Free servers don't get backups – those start once the server is paid for.
How can you pay for a Minecraft server?
Spot.gg accepts card payments and PayPal in most currencies, plus Przelewy24, BLIK and a prepaid wallet for payments in Polish złoty. You pay upfront for the period you choose and renew yourself from the panel – there's no subscription quietly charging your card.
- Card – available in every supported currency. You can save a card in your account settings.
- PayPal – in most supported currencies, including EUR, GBP and USD.
- Przelewy24 / BLIK – fast bank transfers for payments in PLN.
- Wallet (Polish złoty only) – top it up with "Top up wallet" and pay for renewals from the balance.
Prices are shown in your local currency (including USD, EUR, GBP, INR and more), and a renewal takes effect as soon as payment goes through.
FAQ: Minecraft server cost
How much does a Minecraft server cost per month?
On Spot.gg, from $3.90 per month for a regular server and from $7.55 for a server sized for modpacks. The price is the RAM plus the disk you choose. Renewing for 3, 6 or 12 months knocks 10%, 20% or 30% off.
How much RAM do I need for 10 players?
For 10 players on vanilla or Paper with a few plugins, 3–4 GB is usually enough. With mods you'll want around 6 GB, and for a large modpack at least 6 GB. You can see the price for each RAM size on the Minecraft hosting page.
Is there a lifetime Minecraft server?
No. Every server has ongoing costs for hardware, power and bandwidth, so it's paid by period and renewed. The closest you'll get is a long period with a discount (up to 30% for 12 months) or a server running on your own PC.
Can I try a Minecraft server for free first?
Yes. Every Spot.gg server can be started free for 24 hours, with no card and no payment. Renew it within 7 days of the free period ending and you keep the same world.
Can I upgrade RAM later?
Yes. Click "Change parameters" in the server panel and pick more RAM or disk – you only pay the difference for the days left in your current period. Downgrading is free and available from 5 days before the end of the billing period.
Is Realms cheaper than a server?
For 2–3 players on Bedrock, the basic Realm is often the cheapest option. For a bigger group, or once you want mods or plugins, hosting usually wins: for similar money you get full file access, any mods you like, and a player limit set only by RAM.
What VPS specs do I need for Minecraft?
At least 4 GB of RAM (8 GB or more for mods), a CPU with strong single-core performance, NVMe storage and a data center near your players. Remember that on a VPS you install and update the server, set up the firewall and handle backups yourself.