15 BEST Minecraft Server Hosting, Ranked (2023)

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Minecraft is a beloved game by many, and it continues to dominate as one of the best forms of entertainment in both single-player and multiplayer experiences. Nowadays, the best way to play the game is online with friends and communities. The best way to do so is by finding the best Minecraft server hosting!

There are plenty of Minecraft server hosting options around, but not all of them are reliable or trustworthy.

We’ve come up with the list below based on a variety of specifications. These include server uptime, server location numbers, user limit, security, performance, and latency. 

Here’s a handpicked list of the best server hosts available in the market right now.

Apex Hosting

Do you want a hosting provider with a large RAM capacity and exceptional loading speeds? If yes, you may want to give Apex Hosting a try.

Apex Hosting kicks off the list as one of the best Minecraft server hosting providers, boasting virtually zero downtime with its 24/7 live servers. It comes with an easy-to-use control panel that makes controlling your server and monitoring your performance simple and intuitive. It also features air-tight security with advanced DDoS protection protocols of up to 300 Gbps.

Aside from that, you also get to enjoy this provider’s lag-free gaming experience with its server data centers spread across 18 different locations on 5 different continents. You won’t have to worry about slow performance either, as Apex Hosting is dedicated to using the best processors with the fastest SSD hardware for their servers.

Over 300,000 servers have been hosted through Apex Hosting. You can rest assured that these guys know the ins and outs of hosting a server that runs smoothly.

Why Choose Apex Hosting?

Since you’re getting a free sub-domain name and guaranteed 100% uptime, Apex Hosting is fairly worth its higher average price point. You also have eight pricing plans to choose from, making it easy to pick the right plan for your hosting server needs.

People who want a quality server that’s guaranteed to run smoothly 24/7. Also, it’s good for people looking to build a large community in Minecraft with virtually zero lag, thanks to top-of-the-line hardware.

Shockbyte

With an average score of 4.5/5 from over 4000 reviews on Trustpilot, you’re in good hands with Shockbyte’s paid and free Minecraft server hosting solutions.

Shockbyte differentiates itself from the rest with a plethora of unique features that no other hosting provider can offer as a package. These include free subdomains, 100% uptime, MCPC, and MCPE cross-compatibility.

On top of that, this Australian-based game server provider has expert talent that has been working in the industry since 2013. With its stunning repertoire, it’s hard to find any faults with this nearly free Minecraft server hosting solution.

Why Choose Shockbyte?

Shockbyte’s cheapest hosting plan is ridiculously cheap compared to its competitors – Dirt cheap, if I may jest. Coupled with the fact that it comes with lots of features in its latest Minecraft 1.19 update, Shockbyte’s reliability makes it a good option.

While there are recommended player slots per server based on RAM capabilities, Shockbyte servers also boast unlimited player slots.

Shockbyte is well worth the price if you’re looking to host Minecraft servers for friends and communities. Since Shockbyte offers plenty of plans, players who have specific requirements but don’t want to spend too much they can afford may also like this server hosting platform. Shockbyte is also a good option if you want a free Minecraft server domain.

Do you want a fully customizable Minecraft server? Are you on the lookout for a hosting provider with fast SSDs, a super easy setup, and a ton of modpacks?

With Hostinger, you can enjoy all these features plus more. Hostinger makes running a Minecraft server easier than ever before. And if you’ve been wanting to run a popular Minecraft map like Bedwars or HermitPack, you’ll be able to do so lag-free with Hostinger’s most powerful plans.

Why Choose Hostinger?

At its cost, Hostinger isn’t the most affordable server hosting website out there. Its most expensive plan, however, isn’t that much expensive at all, hosting up to hundreds of players and large maps easily. It doesn’t have a very comprehensive cPanel (or hPanel, as they call it), though.

People who run communities that enjoy many players, like Bedwars and Hunger Games, would find great value in the Herobrine plan.

Do you want 24/7 servers, the best industry support, and a quick and easy setup?

Look no further, Bisect Hosting is one plan to consider!

With 20 data centers all across the globe, excellent backup, a DDR5 RAM capacity, and free sub-domains and FTP access, you’re looking at one of the most feature-packed services that Minecraft players can enjoy.

Another cool perk about this site is that it has its own plan selector—enabling gamers to know right away what server version would suit their needs without further research. Perfect for beginners.

Why Choose Bisect Hosting?

Bisect Hosting offers 40 different pricing plans with room for more in the future. While other services have cheaper budget plans, Bisect Hosting’s Premium plan blesses users with unlimited SSD space and superior performance.

For people who are terribly picky about their pricing and features, Bisect Hosting gives a lot of options for first-time admins and experienced Minecraft community city builders alike.

With 2,639 4.5-star reviews based on Trustpilot, there’s certainly a ton of appeal that this modded Minecraft hosting provider has in its arsenal.

For one, GG Servers supports both Bedrock and Java editions—giving you the relief of being able to host across different game versions. You’ll also get full FTP and MySQL database access, opening the door for you to configure and modify your server however you wish.

GG Servers is secure, easy to use, and has global locations that span four continents and nine different countries. The feature we love the most about this Minecraft server provider is the Multicraft control panel—which has a comprehensive dashboard where you can manage all your Minecraft servers and access your console and chat.

Why Choose GG Servers?

GG Servers is highly affordable, perhaps one of the best budget-friendly Minecraft server hosting platforms on the list. While it’s not as feature-laden in its cheapest plan, it offers great performance on a budget. The highest plan is expensive but worth it if you want a more comprehensive control panel.

People who want to host a cheap, easy-to-use server for a small or medium-sized group of friends would love this plan. It’s also ideal for people who want a server that takes less than 5 minutes to set up.

Sparked Host offers hosting solutions for an outstanding starting monthly price of just $1. Thanks to its state-of-the-art Apollo Panel and enterprise-grade hardware, managing a game server is also made much easier. Under Sparked Host, setup is a breeze, too — taking less than a few clicks and a few minutes tops.

Sparked Host is also acclaimed for having the best industry support out there. But frankly, there’s a more-than-slim chance you’ll ever hear from them cause the quality of the hosting service and its ease of access makes it simple to just set up and play right away!

But you don’t have to take it all from me. Check their Trustpilot rating. Right now, it’s sitting at 4.7/5 stars to quench any doubts you may have.

Why Choose Sparked Host

If $1/month doesn’t convince you, then I don’t know what does. The performance and quality levels aren’t that much different compared to other services – you’re just spending less in the long run.

If you get to play random Minecraft multiplayer games with your friends every night or once a week, this price is a chump change.

Anyone who’s looking for the cheapest Minecraft server should get Sparked Host, period.

Scalacube is an excellent hosting provider if you are someone who plays around a lot with plugins and modpacks. Featuring a wide array of customization, you’ll be able to pick between FTB, Technic, Spigot, and countless other modpacks and plugin frameworks.

Moreover, as the name suggests, Scalacube offers tons of scalability with your server being upgraded instantly with one click of a button. You also won’t be limited to a selective number of player slots. Instead, you can pick the number of slots you desire, and if your server seems to lag, scale immediately.

Why Choose Scalacube?

If you’re from the Americas, Europe, or the UK, you’ll have a cheaper price than players from parts of Asia or Australia due to server locations. One downside is that the most expensive plan doesn’t have an unlimited user seat. The cheapest plan is similar to other decent Minecraft server hosting options on the list.

Americans, Europeans, and Britons get a better deal on this service compared to their Eastern counterparts. If you’re from any of those areas, Scalacube is highly recommended.

NodeCraft is a fast Minecraft hosting server where you can set up and play in a matter of seconds.

It comes with a host of great features: little to no lag, an interactive GUI, good RAM capabilities, a Save & Swap feature between servers, and a free Minecraft server hosting trial for those still on the fence.

One more thing: the developer team behind Node Craft has just recently announced Node Craft 2 — which makes server hosting more reliable than ever before.

Overall, this Minecraft hosting provider is one of the best ones out there and can be played immediately with your friends, family, and community.

Why Choose NodeCraft?

The good thing about Nodecraft is that they have a free server hosting plan. The not-so-good news is that it’s a free trial and the cheapest monthly plan is more than double Shockbyte and even GG Hosting.

Still, if you’re looking to test the waters without spending a single penny, it’s a no-brainer to get this one.

Nodecraft is good for people who don’t have the money but still want to play Minecraft with friends. You don’t even need a credit card – just set up and play. You can easily choose to opt-in for a paid server later on seamlessly too.

If you want your server host to have existed ever since Minecraft’s earlier years, you should give GTX Gaming a try. Ever since the start, they’ve continually improved their control panel to enable server admins to create the best Minecraft server possible. And they aren’t losing steam anytime soon.

From 1-click installations to scalable, high-performing servers, you’re pretty much set to run a server with no hitches. And if by chance you encounter any hiccups, you can always contact support to run through your problems with you and give you solutions.

Why Choose GTX Gaming?

With 24/7 support and easy cPanel configuration held back by slightly uncompetitive pricing, GTX Gaming is a mid-tier choice. One upside is that the available plans are also supported on Minecraft: Java Edition, so it could be useful for that purpose.

People who want to have a taste for the longest-running server hosting platform around. Also ideal for people who want to run servers on Java mode.

A common trend found in user reviews is how easy it is to set up, taking mere seconds and minimal clicks. There’s no problem with servers crashing or delayed ticket support either, making this a highly reliable hosting solution for any Minecraft server admin, regardless of experience level.

With over 1000 unique modpacks on top of that, and you got yourself a hosting provider that’s reliable enough to last you a lifetime.

Founded in 2011, McPro is one of the most reputable and largest hosting service providers out there.

With nearly 700,000 users all claiming to love this provider, it’s easy to see the reputation this provider has in its ability to host excellent Minecraft servers.

The guarantees are fantastic. Twenty-two data centers (no lag!), unlimited storage, daily backups, and so much more.

What makes it stand out even more against its competitors is the site’s 7-day free Minecraft server hosting trial, an Xbox app, and unlimited RAM.

Needless to say, McPro’s a solid choice for your needs.

Why Choose McProHosting?

You’re guaranteed unlimited storage space, DDoS protection, cutting-edge hardware including a great motherboard, 24/7 support, and full file access for each plan. In other words, your server won’t be crashing anytime soon with McPro.

However, the starting price is higher than others, making it a hard sell for the penny-pinching crowd.

People who don’t mind spending a little extra on high-quality, high-performance Minecraft servers with excellent hardware.

GPORTAL aims to provide Minecraft players with accessible, easy-to-use server hosting that you can use immediately. Thanks to their unlimited slots and affordable plans, you can customize your settings for any friend group or community.

With an option to create your own configuration, this Minecraft server hosting provider is flexible and adaptable while providing 99.9% uptime and excellent performance. Additionally, with over 250+ mods available to preinstall on the server, nothing is holding your creativity back.

Why Choose GPORTAL?

GPORTAL is easy to install and expand your Minecraft world with mods. Server owners don’t need sophisticated server knowledge or to manually install modpacks. They remove the hassle of starting a server, giving you more time to play without worrying about server management.

This hosting provider is perfect for players who want to start a server for a friend group or small community. With great RAM for a great price, it’s almost too good to be true.

Zap Hosting

Are you tired of having to switch between your Minecraft client and your web browser to access your server’s dashboard? For the majority of us who lack a second monitor, it can get quite time-consuming.

Fortunately, Zap Hosting offers a mobile-optimized solution to help you out. You can use your smartphone, tablet, or any other portable device with an internet connection to access the server dashboard for control and configuration.

ZAP Hosting is a feature-packed, high-performance hosting company. It provides DDoS protection and has a scalable VPS with over 40,000 servers located in all major countries, such as the United States, Singapore, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

With an average Trust Pilot score of 4.7, Zap Hosting is also highly trusted by its userbase, making it one that’s sure to not disappoint!

Why Choose Zap Hosting?

Zap Hosting is worth it. What Zap Hosting offers that others don’t is a custom-built mobile app that makes server handling so much easier. Besides that, the servers are not bad either, all offering DDoS protection and high user capacity.

People who like convenience. More specifically, people with smartphones who don’t have a second monitor but have plans on using the cPanel often during gameplay.

Minecraft Hosting Pro has been around since 2012, and they’re considered one of the first providers to have delved into the games hosting space. Since then, the site has amassed a surge of credibility and experience that continues to support millions of Minecraft servers and its player base.

One of the things this company prides itself in is that they built their very own in-house Minecraft servers. They don’t find ready-made ones from foreign companies unlike other server hosting sites, which makes for improved performance and accountability as well as better rates for us in the community!

Why Choose Minecraft Hosting Pro?

Unlike other hosting services, these guys don’t rely on anyone but themselves to set up and run their servers. That speaks volumes about how much effort they put into their work – and their effort naturally correlates to a higher pricing model.

If you don’t mind spending a little extra on in-house servers, get this. It offers a new layer of things that non-in-house servers can only dream of having, like feature add-ons and a more liberal pricing model.

ScalaHosting is a small US-based hosting company that runs a tad bit differently compared to traditional services like Shockbyte and Apex.

For one, ScalaHosting runs on VDS (Virtual Dedicated Servers) instead of traditional shared hosting. This opens the door for better performance with minimal latency (even on laptops) across all servers run on this platform.

Besides that, ScalaHosting also offers a free domain, advanced cybersecurity protection, and unlimited MySQL databases in each of its plans. They can even set up an entire web server for you to market and build your community’s footprint online.

Why Choose ScalaHosting?

ScalaHosting is a little more expensive than other server hosts – but it’s well worth the price. With its seamless performance and superior server technology, you’ll be looking at a lag-free experience in all of your games. Features like unlimited mySQL databases and custom plugin ports make it all the more merrier for advanced users.

Users who are tired of lag ruining the experience of players. Also ideal for players who don’t want to install any software on their computer just to run their own Minecraft server.

When it comes to choosing the best Minecraft hosting server solution, Ramshard is another contender that’s worth any server admin’s consideration.

Unlike other game server solutions, Ramshard only specializes in Minecraft servers. Their entire model is structured to serve the ultimate solution for aspiring Minecraft server admins, and with a quick glance at their features, it’s not hard to see how this is the case.

For one, they have eight data centers scattered across four continents. This makes gaming and hosting seamless and lag-free, so you won’t have to worry about pesky performance issues during your games. They also utilize an impressive Intel processor and NVMEs SSDs for top-of-the-line performance, among other neat features.

Why Choose Ramshard?

Ramshard is a well-known server provider and matches the price of competitors at the cheaper range. Setting it up isn’t as easy as compared to other server services, but its performance is pretty good.

Ramshard is good for admins who are paranoid over losing their progress or getting griefed. The support is very receptive and is willing to help out in cases like this.

Which is the Best Minecraft Server Hosting Plan?

When it comes to the best Minecraft server providers, it all boils down to your personal preferences and budget.

If you’re looking for a server for just you and your friends, then a 1GB/10-person or 4GB/60-person plan from the Minecraft server providers above should be more than enough.

However, if you are looking at expanding your server later on down the road, I would definitely recommend the more powerful hosting providers like Apex Hosting and ScalaHosting.

Is Hosting A Minecraft Server Worth it?

Hosting a Minecraft server is worth it if you don’t have the specs to host it yourself. Additionally, most hosting providers allow for mods, add-ons, and additional security. If you have no idea how to start a server or are worried about server upkeep, choosing a hosting provider is a great solution.

With peace of mind, they remove the hassle and allow players to get straight to playing Minecraft with their friends. Lastly, most hosting services offer backups, excellent performance, and customer service. It’s the most convenient way to play Minecraft on your own server.