You want to play Minecraft with your friends on your own server. Maybe you tried Aternos and it was slow. Maybe you tried hosting on your own PC but nobody could connect when you turned it off. A proper hosted server runs 24/7, has good performance, and takes about 15 minutes to set up.
Here is how to do it.
Step 1: Pick a Hosting Provider
You have three options:
Self-hosting on your PC: Free but bad. Your server only runs when your computer is on. Your internet upload speed is probably too slow for more than 2-3 players. Your IP address is exposed to everyone who joins.
Free hosting (Aternos, Minehut): Also free but limited. Long queue times, forced shutdowns after inactivity, no plugin freedom, and ads.
Paid hosting: Costs a few euros per month. Runs 24/7, good hardware, full control, no queues. This is what serious servers use.
For this guide we will use a paid host with a Pterodactyl panel (this is what Space-Node uses). The control panel runs in your web browser. No command line required.
Step 2: Choose Your Server Software
When you create a server, you choose which software to run. Here are the options:
| Software | Best For | |---|---| | Paper | Most servers. It is Vanilla Minecraft with performance optimizations and plugin support | | Vanilla | Playing exactly like single-player, no modifications at all | | Fabric | Lightweight mods (performance mods, small tweaks) | | Forge / NeoForge | Heavy modpacks (Create, RLCraft, All the Mods) | | Purpur | Paper but with extra configuration options |
Recommendation: Start with Paper. It runs plugins, performs well, and works with any Minecraft version.
Step 3: Create Your Server
After signing up with a hosting provider:
- Log into the control panel
- Select your server
- Choose the Minecraft version (use the latest stable release, currently 1.21.x)
- Choose Paper as the server software
- Click Start
The server takes 30-60 seconds to generate the world and load. You will see console output scrolling with loading messages. When you see "Done! For help, type help" the server is ready.
Step 4: Connect to Your Server
The hosting panel shows your server address. It looks like play.example.com:25565 or an IP address like 185.xx.xx.xx:25565.
In Minecraft:
- Click Multiplayer
- Click Add Server
- Paste the server address
- Click Done
- Click Join Server
You are in. If your friends want to join, send them the same address.
Step 5: Make Yourself an Operator
By default nobody has admin powers. In the server console (the text box at the bottom of the panel), type:
op YourMinecraftName
Press Enter. You now have full operator permissions in-game. You can use commands like /gamemode creative, /tp, /give, etc.
Step 6: Configure Basic Settings
server.properties
This file controls the core server settings. Edit it through the panel file manager.
Important settings:
motd=My Awesome Server
max-players=20
difficulty=normal
pvp=true
gamemode=survival
spawn-protection=16
online-mode=true
- motd: The message players see in the server list
- max-players: Player limit (set this based on your RAM)
- online-mode: Keep this
true. Setting it tofalselets cracked accounts join, which causes security problems - spawn-protection: Blocks within this radius of spawn cannot be broken by non-operators
After changing server.properties, restart the server for changes to apply.
Step 7: Install Your First Plugins
Plugins add features to your server. Download them from trusted sources:
- SpigotMC: spigotmc.org/resources/
- Modrinth: modrinth.com/plugins
- Hangar: hangar.papermc.io
Essential starter plugins:
| Plugin | What It Does | |---|---| | EssentialsX | /home, /warp, /tpa, /spawn, chat formatting | | LuckPerms | Permission groups (admin, moderator, player) | | WorldGuard + WorldEdit | Area protection, region flags | | CoreProtect | Block logging and grief rollback |
To install a plugin:
- Download the .jar file
- Go to the file manager in your panel
- Navigate to the
plugins/folder - Upload the .jar file
- Restart the server
The plugin creates its configuration folder inside plugins/ on first startup.
Step 8: Set Up Basic Protections
Whitelist (Private Server)
If your server is for friends only:
/whitelist on
/whitelist add FriendName
Only whitelisted players can join.
Spawn Protection
Use WorldGuard to protect your spawn area:
- Hold a wooden axe
- Left-click one corner of the spawn area
- Right-click the opposite corner
- Type:
/rg define spawn - Type:
/rg flag spawn pvp deny - Type:
/rg flag spawn block-break deny
Now nobody can break blocks or PVP at spawn.
Step 9: Share Your Server
Send your friends the server address. If you want to attract random players:
- Post on r/mcservers on Reddit
- List on minecraft-server-list.com
- Set up a Discord server for your community
- Create a Minecraft server voting page
How Much RAM Do You Need?
| Players | Plugins | Recommended RAM | |---|---|---| | 1-5 | Few | 2 GB | | 5-15 | Moderate | 4 GB | | 15-30 | Many | 6-8 GB | | 30-50 | Many | 8-12 GB | | 50+ | Heavy | 12-16 GB |
These are estimates. Modded servers (Forge/NeoForge) need significantly more RAM than plugin-based servers.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Giving everyone OP: Use LuckPerms for permissions instead. OP gives full access to every command
- Using online-mode=false: This lets unauthorized accounts join. Keep it true
- Not backing up: Set up automatic backups before players invest time on your server
- Installing too many plugins: Start with 5-10 essentials. Add more only when needed
- Ignoring console errors: Red text in the console means something is wrong. Read it
Next Steps
Once your server is running:
- Set up a Discord bridge to link in-game chat with Discord
- Add quality-of-life plugins that players love
- Monitor performance with Spark profiler
- Track configs with Git version control
Space-Node runs all servers on AMD Ryzen 9 3900X processors with NVMe storage in the Netherlands. Plans start at 2 GB. Get started here.
