Exaroton and Aternos are both from the same company. Aternos is free with limitations. Exaroton is the paid upgrade. But which one makes sense for you?
Quick Overview
Aternos is 100% free. You watch ads, wait in a queue, and get basic server hardware. Your server goes offline when nobody is playing.
Exaroton uses a credit system. You pay per hour of runtime. No ads, no queue, better hardware. Server still goes offline when nobody is playing.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Aternos | Exaroton |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | ~0.02 to 0.08 EUR/hour |
| Queue to Start | Yes (1 to 30 min) | No |
| Advertisements | Yes | No |
| RAM Options | Limited | 2 to 16 GB |
| Server Software | Vanilla, Paper, Forge, Fabric | Vanilla, Paper, Forge, Fabric |
| Mod Support | Yes (limited) | Yes (full) |
| Plugin Support | Yes | Yes |
| 24/7 Online | No | No |
| Player Slots | Up to ~20 | Configurable |
| Performance | Shared, variable | Shared, better |
| File Access | Yes (web panel) | Yes (web panel + SFTP) |
| Auto-shutdown | When empty | When empty |
| Custom Domain | No | Yes |
Performance Comparison
Aternos runs on shared hardware that serves millions of free servers. During peak hours (evenings and weekends), performance suffers. TPS drops below 20 are common with more than 5 players or any mods.
Exaroton provides better hardware allocation. Performance is noticeably smoother. But it is still shared infrastructure. Heavy modpacks or large player counts still cause issues.
Neither platform offers dedicated CPU cores. Your performance depends on how busy the host is at that moment.
Cost Breakdown
Aternos: Free. Always. You pay with your time (queue wait) and attention (ads).
Exaroton with light use (2 hours/day, 4 GB):
- Daily: ~0.08 EUR
- Monthly: ~2.40 EUR
Exaroton with moderate use (6 hours/day, 4 GB):
- Daily: ~0.24 EUR
- Monthly: ~7.20 EUR
Exaroton with heavy use (12 hours/day, 8 GB):
- Daily: ~0.96 EUR
- Monthly: ~28.80 EUR
At heavy use levels, traditional monthly hosting is cheaper and provides better hardware.
When to Use Aternos
- You have zero budget
- You play casually once or twice a week
- You do not mind waiting in queue
- Your server is vanilla or lightly modded
- You have fewer than 5 regular players
When to Use Exaroton
- You want a step up from Aternos without a monthly commitment
- You play a few hours daily with friends
- You want faster startup and no ads
- You run a small modded server
When to Use Neither
- You need 24/7 uptime
- You have 10+ regular players
- You run heavy modpacks (ATM10, Create, Pixelmon)
- You want consistent, predictable performance
- You want SFTP access and full server control
For these use cases, a dedicated host is the right choice.
Alternatives
Space-Node offers monthly Minecraft hosting on dedicated Ryzen 9 7950X3D hardware. Your server stays online 24/7 with consistent performance. No credit systems. No shared resources. Netherlands and Canada locations.
Minehut offers a free tier with paid upgrades. Similar model to Aternos but with a different community focus.
Self-hosting on a VPS gives you full control but requires technical knowledge for setup and maintenance.
The Verdict
Start with Aternos if you are testing whether Minecraft multiplayer is for you. Move to Exaroton if you want a smoother experience without a monthly bill. Move to a dedicated host when your community grows or you need reliability.
Ready to skip the queues and credits? View Minecraft Hosting Plans
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