How Much Does a Minecraft Server Cost in 2025? (Buyer's Guide)

Minecraft is more popular than ever in 2025, but if you want to play with friends, mods, or communities, you’ll need a server. That brings up the big question: how much does a Minecraft server actually cost?

The answer depends on factors like:

• RAM and player slots
• Are you going to use mods, modpacks or plugins?
• Whether you choose free, cheap, or premium hosting
• Extra features like mod support, DDoS protection, or backups

In this guide, we’ll break down the real costs of Minecraft servers in 2025. From free options to premium hosts, we’ll compare pricing tiers, explain what you get for your money, and help you decide what’s best for your needs.

💵 Minecraft Server Costs in 2025: Quick Overview

Here’s a quick overview of typical Minecraft server costs in 2025. Prices depend on your RAM needs, how many friends you’re playing with, and whether you pick a budget or premium host.

Free Minecraft Servers ($0)

Free hosting is the most accessible option for anyone who just wants to try Minecraft servers without spending money. Services like Aternos and FalixNodes make it possible to create a server at no cost, but you pay with performance, reliability, and features.

💰 Price: FREE

✅ Free Minecraft Server Pros:

• $0 cost
• Easy setup, no credit card required
• Good for testing or short play sessions
• Fun way to experiment playing with friends for few days

❌ Free Minecraft Server Cons:

• Long queues
• Frequent downtime
• Heavy lag
• Ads.

Free Minecrat Server Providers:

• Aternos - Most popular option
• FalixNodes - Best overall
• MineHut
• Freemcserver.net

👉 Great if you can’t afford hosting at all but expect lag, small worlds, and frequent downtime. If you’re serious about Minecraft, you’ll quickly outgrow free hosting.

Budget Minecraft Hosting ($1 – $3/GB)

Budget hosting providers are the cheapest paid option. They often advertise extremely low prices, but the trade-off comes in the form of weaker hardware, limited server locations, and upsells for add-ons like backups or extra storage.

💰 Price: $1-$3/GB

✅ Budget Minecraft Hosting Pros:

• Affordable entry point
• Always-on server (no queues or downtime)
• Better performance than free hosting
• Good for small groups of friends

❌ Budget Minecraft Hosting Cons:

• Lower-quality hardware & support
• Limited locations -> high ping
• Add-ons (backups, storage) often cost extra
• You have to buy more add-ons to support better performance with heavy modpacks or large worlds

Budget Minecraft Hosting Providers:

Here’s a quick look at some of the best budget Minecraft server hosts:

👉 A good step up from free hosting if you want 24/7 uptime on a budget. Expect trade-offs in performance and support.

Premium Hosting ($3-$6/GB)

Premium hosting providers focus on performance, reliability, and ease of use. These plans cost a little more, but they save you headaches with better hardware, more server locations, and beginner-friendly support.

💰 Price: $3-$6/GB

✅ Premium Minecraft Hosting Pros:

• High-performance hardware
• Great support & onboarding for beginners
• Many global locations → lower latency
• Handles large modpacks and heavy plugins

❌ Premium Minecraft Hosting Cons:

• More expensive per GB than budget hosts

Best Premium Minecraft Server Providers

Here’s a quick look at some of the best premium Minecraft server hosts:

👉 The best choice for beginners and serious players who want a seamless experience. Fewer compromises, great for both casual and community servers.

Self-Hosting (DIY Servers)

Self-hosting means running a Minecraft server from your own computer or a rented dedicated machine. While it seems “free,” the costs of electricity, hardware, and technical headaches add up.

💰 Price: Technically free if you’re running it on your own PC, but you’ll pay in electricity costs and long-term hardware wear. If you rent a dedicated machine from a data center provider, expect $20–$100+/month depending on specs.

Renting a dedicated machine? Yes. This means leasing an entire physical server from a hosting company (like Hetzner or OVH) instead of using shared Minecraft hosting. You get full control of the hardware (CPU, RAM, storage, bandwidth) to install and configure Minecraft however you like.

✅ Self-Hosting Pros:

• No monthly hosting bill
• Full control over the server
• Can be fun for tech-savvy players

❌ Self-Hosting Cons:

• Complex setup and maintenance
• PC must stay on 24/7
• Internet bandwidth often limits performance
• Risk of world corruption or crashes

👉 Works if you’re tech-savvy and just want to host a LAN or private game. Not practical for long-term or public servers unless you are going to rent a dedicated machine.

How Much Will Your Minecraft Server Cost in 2025?

Now that you know the hosting tiers (budget, premium, self-hosting), let’s translate that into real-world examples based on what kind of server you want to run.

Vanilla Server (2-8 players)

Vanilla Minecraft (no mods) doesn’t need much as much RAM. It is recommended to always play with Fabric or Forge since they are way more optimized than Vanilla Minecraft. For 2-8 players, 4-5 GB RAM is usually enough.

💰 Expected Cost:

• Budget hosting: $4–$15/month
• Premium hosting: $12–$30/month

✅ Best fit: Budget hosting works fine here although if you want zero headaches and reliable uptime, go premium.

Lightly Modded Server (2-8 players)

Light modpacks (Fabric/Forge with a few mods) need a bit more power. You’ll want 5–6 GB RAM to avoid lag.

💰 Expected Cost:

• Budget hosting: $5–$18/month
• Premium hosting: $15–$36/month

✅ Best fit: Budget hosts may work, but performance can dip. Highly recommended to go premium here.

Heavily Modded Server (2-8 players)

Heavier modpacks like RLCraft, All the Mods, or SkyFactory require serious resources. Expect to need 8–10 GB RAM even for a small group.

💰 Expected Cost:

• Budget hosting: Not recommended
• Premium hosting: $24–$60/month

✅ Best fit: Go premium. Budget hosts tend to throttle performance and nickel-and-dime with add-ons.

Public Server (20+ players)

Running a public or community server requires much more RAM, bandwidth, and CPU power. You’ll need 10–16 GB RAM minimum, plus strong hardware.

💰 Expected Cost:

• Budget hosting: Not recommended
• Premium hosting: $50+/month (best experience for players)
• Dedicated server rental: $70–$150+/month (if you’re building a large-scale network)

✅ Best fit: Premium hosting or a dedicated machine if you’re building a serious community. Reliability and support matter a lot here.

Final Takeaway: What’s the Right Minecraft Hosting for You?

At the end of the day, the cost of a Minecraft server in 2025 comes down to how many players you’re hosting and how complex your setup is.

If you just want the cheapest possible server, go with a budget host. But if you value performance, uptime, and support, and don’t want to waste time fixing issues, premium hosts like WiseHosting are the best long-term investment.

👉 Rule of thumb: The more mods and players, the more RAM you’ll need and the higher your costs.