Rent a Minecraft server or host it yourself?Rented server vs. home PC compared

Published on October 20, 2026

Hosting the server yourself at home

Your own PC sounds free, but it rarely is: it has to run 24/7, uses electricity, gets loud and warm. As soon as you switch the computer off or play on it, the server is gone or stutters. On top of that come security risks from open ports in your home network, usually no DDoS protection, a changing IP address and the effort of router configuration (port forwarding), updates and troubleshooting.

Renting a server in a data centre

A rented server runs around the clock in a data centre in Frankfurt am Main - independently of your PC, with a fast connection, DDoS protection up to 250 Gbit/⁠s and a fixed server address made of IP and port. Setup, console, config editor and WebFTP run conveniently in the browser; you do not have to worry about electricity, hardware or the network. At MainHoster.de, you pay prepaid from €2.99 / month, without a contract.

Direct comparison

Conclusion

For trying things out with a friend for an afternoon, the home PC is enough. For a server that runs reliably, is reachable and protected and does not open up your home network, renting is almost always the better choice - and thanks to prepaid, without risk. Take a look at the Minecraft plans.

What self-hosting really involves

The calculation "I already have the PC" overlooks a few items that only become apparent in operation:

• The computer has to run. A server that is only online while you sit at the PC is useless for your group. Permanent operation means electricity costs and wear.
• Upload instead of download. For fellow players, what counts is the upload speed of your connection, and with most contracts it is a fraction of the download. Four players on a modpack server notice that clearly.
• Port forwarding in the router. This opens a way from outside into your home network. That is manageable but needs to be understood - and many connections technically no longer allow it at all.
• Your changing address. Private connections usually get a new IP regularly. Without a dynamic DNS service, you constantly have to send your group new details.
• Game performance suffers too. If you play on the same computer, server and game share the same CPU. With modpacks, that quickly becomes noticeable.

None of this rules out an afternoon for two. Taken together, however, these points explain why most groups switch after a few weeks.

When self-hosting is the right choice

There are cases in which your own computer is clearly ahead, and they should not be played down:

• For trying things out. Testing a pack, looking at a world, building briefly with a friend - none of that is worth an order.
• Everyone in the same network. If all fellow players are in the same household, half the effort disappears and the connection is unbeatably fast.
• Very large modpacks on a small budget. If you already have a powerful computer that may run continuously, you get more memory there than in a cheap plan.

Switching later is possible at any time: you simply upload the world, and progress is kept completely - see Upload a world. So it is not a decision you make once and then keep. If you want full control but not at home, a Minecraft server on a VPS is the middle way.

What you still do yourself when renting

For completeness: a rented server takes the infrastructure off your hands, not the administration. Configuration, plugins, permissions and above all backups remain your job - backups are self-service with us throughout, via WebFTP or SFTP, see Create backups.

In return, electricity costs, port forwarding, changing addresses and the worry that the server is off while you sleep all disappear. How much performance your group needs is covered in Plan your server size; the comparison with Realms is in Realms vs. your own server.

Frequently asked questions