Before you rent or build a Minecraft server, you need to know the minimum specs. The requirements have changed significantly since 1.18, and modded servers need far more than vanilla. Here is what you actually need in 2026.
Minimum specs for vanilla Minecraft
A vanilla Minecraft server (no mods, no plugins) with up to 5 players needs:
- 2 GB RAM allocated to Java.
- 1 CPU core at 3.0 GHz or higher.
- 10 GB storage (SSD recommended, NVMe ideal).
- Java 21 (required for Minecraft 1.20.5 and later).
This will run, but with default view distance it may lag during chunk generation. Reduce view distance to 8 and simulation distance to 6 for a smoother experience on minimum hardware.
Recommended specs for a smooth server
For a comfortable experience with 10 to 20 players on Paper or Spigot:
- 4 to 6 GB RAM.
- 1 fast CPU core (3.5 GHz+, high single-thread performance).
- 20 to 40 GB NVMe SSD.
- Java 21 with Aikar's JVM flags.
Paper's async chunk loading and entity optimizations mean you get more out of the same hardware compared to vanilla.
Modded server specs
Modpacks add significant overhead. Here are realistic numbers:
| Modpack type | RAM | CPU | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light (50 mods) | 4-6 GB | 3.5 GHz+ | 20 GB |
| Medium (100-150 mods) | 6-10 GB | 4.0 GHz+ | 40 GB |
| Heavy (ATM10, GTNH) | 12-16 GB | 4.5 GHz+ | 60-80 GB |
| Mega (300+ mods) | 16-32 GB | 4.5 GHz+ | 80-120 GB |
Heavy modpacks like All The Mods 10 require Java 21, NeoForge, and benefit enormously from CPUs with large L3 cache like the Ryzen 9 7950X3D.
What matters most
Single-thread CPU performance matters more than core count. Minecraft's main game loop runs on one thread, so a fast 4-core CPU beats a slow 16-core CPU every time.
NVMe SSD storage matters for chunk loading and world saves. Spinning disks cause visible lag during exploration and autosaves.
RAM must be enough but not too much. Over-allocating RAM causes long garbage collection pauses that show up as periodic lag spikes.
The short answer
Minimum: 2 GB RAM, 1 fast core, 10 GB SSD, Java 21. Recommended for 10-20 players: 4-6 GB, a 3.5 GHz+ core, NVMe SSD. Heavy modpacks: 12-16 GB, the fastest single-thread CPU you can get, and 60+ GB NVMe.
Space-Node runs every Minecraft plan on AMD Ryzen 9 hardware with NVMe storage and Aikar's flags pre-configured. See the Minecraft hosting plans or the performance tier for heavy modpacks.