Minecraft is the game with the most adjustment screws: Java or Bedrock, Vanilla or Paper, plugins or mods, one world or an entire network. The following guides are sorted in the order in which these decisions come up when building a server - first get it running and secure it, then world and configuration, then software and extensions.
Three facts apply to every guide on this page. Your server has a fixed server address made up of IP and port - all game servers share one IP, so the port is part of the address unless you put a domain in front of it. Slots are unlimited; what actually limits the number of players is the plan's memory and the load of your world. And backups are self-service: you create them yourself via SFTP or WebFTP, ideally before every update.
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View plans & pricesGetting started: the first steps
Right after ordering: connect, assign permissions, secure the server. The order is worth keeping - a server without a whitelist is visible to anyone who knows the address, and an operator who was set up carelessly can do everything.
Connect with the server address made up of IP and port - in the Java and the Bedrock Edition.
Set operators via the console or ops.json and understand the OP levels correctly.
Set white-list=true, manage players and avoid typical pitfalls.
Back up world and configuration via SFTP/WebFTP - self-service step by step.
Your own domain instead of an IP
Point a domain to your server via an SRV record - without a port.
play.yourclan.com for Java and Bedrock - choose a domain, set records, several servers.
World & configuration
The server.properties file and everything that concerns the world. Some values take effect after a restart, others only when a new world is generated - knowing the difference saves the most common futile troubleshooting.
gamemode, difficulty, level-name, motd, view-distance and the other core values.
Display the seed, set level-seed and generate a new world - including a backup.
Upload the world folder via SFTP, set level-name and start cleanly.
Java and Bedrock on one server: Geyser and Floodgate explained and set up.
Survival, creative and minigames side by side - including separate inventories.
Start a new season or renew individual dimensions such as the Nether and the End.
Order, world conversion and why a downgrade does not work.
Appearance & extensions
Your appearance in the server list, your own look and content beyond plugins.
64x64 PNG in the server list - plus a MOTD with color codes.
Your own textures for everyone: URL, SHA-1 and mandatory or optional.
Change recipes, loot and world generation - without any plugin or mod.
Voice in the game instead of Discord alongside - spatial and with its own range.
Prevent, log, restore - on three levels.
Server software: which variant fits?
The software decides whether plugins, mods or both run. An overview per variant. The decision is not final: in the game server panel, you switch the server type with a click.
The widespread, high-performance basis for plugin servers - the standard for communities.
The classic among plugin servers and the basis of many tutorials.
Lightweight mod loader with fast availability of new versions.
The established mod loader behind most big modpacks.
For console, mobile and the Windows edition - differences to the Java variant.
What a modpack server needs and what to watch out for with RAM and version.
Bundle several servers under one address - structure and requirements.
Modpacks: the individual packs
For twelve popular modpacks, there is a separate page each with a profile, a RAM matrix by number of players and the pitfalls of that pack.
All the Mods 9 on 1.20.1 with Forge - the kitchen-sink classic with around 400 mods.
All the Mods 10 on 1.21.1 with NeoForge - strictly requires Java 21.
Hardcore survival on 1.12.2 - the Java 8 special case among the packs.
Vanilla+ and adventure, in Forge and Fabric editions maintained in parallel.
Above and Beyond, Astral and co. - tick-bound rather than memory-bound.
Roguelike with vault dimensions - RAM scales with simultaneous runs.
Skyblock in the void - the world generator has to be right before the first start.
A big single mod on NeoForge - sidemods instead of Bukkit plugins.
FTB Skies, StoneBlock and Direwolf20 - server files via SFTP or CurseForge.
Open-source collecting mod on Fabric or NeoForge - the server only needs the mod.
Souls-like RPG on 1.18.2 with Forge - the combat system is sensitive to the tick rate.
Story RPG on Fabric with a talent tree - Forge mods do not fit here.
Installing plugins & mods
Adding extensions - the difference between plugin and mod is decisive. If you do not want to use a ready-made pack, switch the loader yourself in the panel under server type to Forge, NeoForge or Fabric and build your own modpack mod by mod.
Plugin vs. mod, 1-click from Modrinth/CurseForge or manually via SFTP.
Add ready-made modpacks with 1 click or upload them manually as a server pack.
Choose the loader via server type, assemble mods yourself and pass the pack on to your fellow players.
Troubleshooting
If the server does not start, nobody can get in or everything lags - this is where to look first. In almost all cases, the answer is in the server log.
Read latest.log: EULA, Java version, broken plugin, damaged world or RAM.
Connection refused, timed out, Outdated client and Failed to verify username.
Separate TPS from FPS, measure the tick rate and eliminate the real causes of lag.
Which Java version belongs to which Minecraft version - plus mod loader pitfalls.
Guideline values for Vanilla, Paper and modpacks - and when more RAM does not help.
How the server address is made up of IP and port - for every game.
Decision guides
The questions most frequently asked before buying.
Platforms, plugins, mods and crossplay in direct comparison.
Slots, plugins, modpacks, control and price - with a clear recommendation.
Availability, electricity costs, DDoS protection and effort in an honest comparison.
Edition, software, extensions, play style - and four typical projects.
What does a Minecraft server cost?
The four packages with prices and which one suits Vanilla, plugins or a modpack.
Price factors and entry prices of all thirteen games at a glance.
Frequently asked questions
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