How to Make a Minecraft Server in 2026
Two ways to make a Minecraft Java server: rent one and be online in minutes, or host it yourself with Java, a server JAR and port forwarding. What each costs, and how your friends connect.
How to Make a Minecraft Server in 2026
Short answer: there are two ways. Rent a server from a host: pick a plan, choose your Minecraft version in a control panel, press start and share the address. It takes a few minutes and costs a few dollars a month. Or host it yourself: install Java, download the server JAR, accept the EULA, forward port 25565 on your router and keep your computer on. It's free, but it's more work and it only runs while your PC does.
Which path is right for you?
| Rent a server | Host it yourself | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | A few minutes | 30–60 minutes, more if port forwarding fights you |
| Cost | Monthly fee, sized by RAM | Free, plus electricity |
| Online when you're not | Yes, 24/7 | Only while your computer is on |
| Friends connect with | The host's address | Your home IP address |
| Port forwarding | Not needed | Needed (or a tunnelling service) |
| Backups and DDoS protection | Usually included | Up to you |
| Best for | A server your friends use without you | Testing, learning, a quick session |
For a deeper comparison, see Minecraft Server Hosting vs Hosting at Home.
Before you start: pick your server software
Whichever path you take, decide what the server will run. This decides what you can add later.
| Software | Choose it when |
|---|---|
| Vanilla | You want plain Minecraft, exactly as Mojang ships it |
| Paper | You want plugins (permissions, land claims, economy) or better performance. Players join with a normal client |
| Fabric | You want lightweight mods, or performance mods such as Lithium |
| Forge / NeoForge | You want a modpack or large content mods. Players need the same mods |
If you're unsure, start with Paper. It plays the same as vanilla, runs faster, and you can add plugins later. See Vanilla vs Bukkit vs Modded for more.
Path 1: Rent a server
Here's how it works on Beacon. Other hosts follow similar steps.
- Pick a plan in the Minecraft store. Plans are sized by RAM: 2 GB suits a few friends on vanilla or Paper, and modpacks need 6 GB or more. See How Much RAM Does a Minecraft Server Need? if you're unsure. You can change plan later without losing your world.
- Choose a location close to your players, and check out. Most servers are online within a couple of minutes.
- Open your server from your servers.
- Choose the software and version in Package Manager: click Browse packages, open Paper (or Vanilla, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge), pick the Minecraft version your players use, and click Install. The panel sets the right Java version for you.
- Start it from Console and wait for the line that says
Done. - Copy the address from Network and send it to your friends.
That's it: no Java install, no EULA file to edit and no router settings. The server keeps running when you log off.
Tip
Want to try first? Beacon has a free trial, with nothing to pay up front. See How the Free Trial Works.
Path 2: Host it yourself
You'll need a computer that can stay on while people play, with at least 4 GB of RAM free for a small server, and a wired connection if you can manage it.
1. Install Java
Minecraft servers run on Java, and each Minecraft version needs a particular Java version:
| Minecraft version | Java version |
|---|---|
| 1.20.5 and newer | Java 21 or newer (the newest releases may need a newer one; their release notes say) |
| 1.18 – 1.20.4 | Java 17 |
| 1.17 | Java 16 |
| 1.16.5 and older | Java 8 |
Install a 64-bit JDK, for example Eclipse Temurin from adoptium.net. To check it worked, open a terminal and run:
java -version
2. Download the server
Make a new, empty folder for the server, and put one of these in it:
- Vanilla: the server JAR from minecraft.net/download/server.
- Paper: the build for your version from papermc.io/downloads.
Rename the file to server.jar to keep the next steps simple.
3. Run it once and accept the EULA
In a terminal opened in that folder, run:
java -Xms2G -Xmx2G -jar server.jar nogui
-Xmx2G gives the server 2 GB of memory; raise it for more players or mods, but leave enough for your operating system.
The first run stops straight away and creates eula.txt. Open it, change eula=false to eula=true to accept Mojang's EULA, save, and run the command again. When the console says Done, the server is running.
Tip
On Windows, save the command in a file called start.bat (add a line pause after it) so you can start the server with a double-click.
4. Configure it
Stop the server with stop in its console, then open server.properties in a text editor. The settings most people change:
motd: the description shown in the server list.difficultyandgamemode.max-players.white-list=trueto let only people you add join.view-distanceandsimulation-distance: lower them if the server struggles.
See the server.properties guide for every setting.
5. Let friends reach it: port forwarding
Friends on your home network can join with your computer's local IP address. Everyone else needs your router to pass Minecraft traffic to your computer:
- Find your computer's local IP address (
ipconfigon Windows, the network settings on macOS). Give it a fixed (reserved) address in your router so it doesn't change. - In your router's settings, forward TCP port 25565 to that local IP.
- Allow Java through your computer's firewall when it asks (or add a rule for port 25565).
- Find your public IP address by searching "what is my IP". That's the address friends use.
If port forwarding doesn't work, your internet provider may use CGNAT, which shares one public IP between many homes. You can't forward ports through it. Use a tunnelling service such as playit.gg instead, or rent a server.
Warning
Everyone who joins learns your home IP address, and your server is only as safe as your home connection. Turn the whitelist on, and don't post the address publicly.
How friends connect
- In Minecraft Java Edition, click Multiplayer, then Add Server.
- Paste the address into Server Address:
- a rented server: the address from your host's panel;
- self-hosted, outside your home: your public IP address;
- self-hosted, on your Wi-Fi: your computer's local IP address.
- Click Done and join.
The default port, 25565, doesn't need typing. Any other port goes after a colon, like play.example.com:25570. Everyone needs the same Minecraft version as the server (and the same mods, on a modded server). See How to Join a Minecraft Server for the common join errors.
Friends on Bedrock Edition (consoles, phones, Windows Bedrock) can't join a Java server on their own. Add Geyser to let them in: see How to Install Geyser and Floodgate.
What does a Minecraft server cost?
- Self-hosted: nothing up front if you already own the computer. A PC left on around the clock adds to your electricity bill, and the server stops when the PC does.
- Rented: priced by RAM. A 2–4 GB server for friends costs a few dollars a month; large modpacks need 8 GB or more. See How Much Does Minecraft Server Hosting Cost?.
- Realms: Mojang's own subscription. Simple, but no plugins or modpacks and a small player limit. See Minecraft Server Hosting vs Minecraft Realms.
After it's running
- Turn on the whitelist so only your friends can join: How to Whitelist a Minecraft Server.
- Make yourself an operator with
op YourNamein the console: How to Grant OP Permissions. - Set up backups before anything else goes wrong: How to Back Up and Restore a Minecraft World.
- Add plugins or mods once the basics work: How to Install Plugins on a Minecraft Server or How to Host a Modded Minecraft Server.
Start a server on Beacon
Beacon's Minecraft servers run 24/7 on AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D processors with NVMe storage. DDoS protection and backups are included on every plan, Package Manager installs Paper, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and modpacks in a few clicks, and you can change plan at any time. Compare plans in the store, or see every plan's specs on the facts page.