How to Host a Minecraft Server: Complete Guide

Hosting a Minecraft server involves more choices than it first appears. The server software you pick determines what plugins or mods you can run, which in turn affects almost everything else about how you configure the server. This guide walks through those choices and the practical steps for getting a server running.

Server software options

Minecraft has several server implementations, and they are not interchangeable.

• Vanilla - the official Mojang server. No plugin or mod support. Good for a clean survival experience or if you want to stay as close to the base game as possible. Always up to date with the latest Minecraft version.
• Paper - the most widely used server software for plugin-based servers. It is built on Spigot and the Bukkit API, with significant performance improvements over both. Most public plugins are written for Paper. If you want plugins and the best server performance, Paper is the standard choice.
• Spigot - an older Paper predecessor. Paper runs Spigot plugins, so there is rarely a reason to choose Spigot over Paper for a new server.
• Purpur - a Paper fork with additional configuration options and quality-of-life features for server admins. Compatible with Paper plugins. Worth considering if you want more control over game behaviour without writing your own plugins.
• Fabric - a lightweight mod loader. Fabric mods run on both client and server. Popular for performance mods (Lithium, Starlight) and technical Minecraft communities. Does not support Bukkit/Spigot/Paper plugins.
• Forge - the established mod loader for larger modpacks. Most major modpacks (Pixelmon, All the Mods, etc.) are built on Forge. Like Fabric, it requires mods to be installed on both client and server. Does not support Bukkit/Spigot/Paper plugins.

The simplest way to choose: if you want plugins, use Paper. If you want mods, use Fabric or Forge depending on which mods you are targeting.

Hardware requirements

A Paper server running 10-20 players with a moderate number of plugins needs roughly 2-4 GB of RAM. Vanilla survival with a small group can run on 2 GB. Large modpacks on Forge can need 6-8 GB or more, partly because the client also needs more RAM than vanilla.

Storage depends on world size and how long the server runs. A world that has been explored for months and has many active players can grow to several GB. Add backup storage on top of that.

CPU requirements are similar to most games: a single-threaded workload, so clock speed matters more than core count. Minecraft's tick loop runs on one thread, though some operations (chunk generation, some plugin tasks) use additional threads.

Self-hosting vs managed hosting

Self-hosting a Minecraft server works well if you have a machine that can stay on around the clock and a connection with enough upload bandwidth. The setup involves:

• Installing Java (the correct version for your Minecraft version - more on this below)
• Downloading the server jar and running it
• Forwarding port 25565 (TCP) on your router
• Setting up a static IP or a DDNS hostname if your IP changes
• Arranging your own backups

Managed hosting removes the port forwarding, static IP, and 24/7 uptime requirements. You get a control panel for file management, console access, scheduled restarts, and usually one-click installs for common server types. For players who want to spend time on their server rather than on infrastructure, managed hosting is usually the better fit.

Minecraft hosting on Zeros Host supports Paper, Spigot, Forge, Fabric, and Vanilla out of the box, with a Plugin Manager (sourcing from Modrinth and Hangar) and a Mod Manager built into the panel. Pricing starts from the plans listed on the pricing page.

Setting up a Minecraft server

For a self-hosted setup, the steps are:

1. Install Java - Paper for Minecraft 1.21 and above requires Java 21. For older versions, the required Java version differs; the Paper documentation lists the correct version per Minecraft version. Make sure you have the right version before downloading the server jar.
2. Download the server jar - from papermc.io for Paper, fabricmc.net for Fabric, or files.minecraftforge.net for Forge. Run it once with java -jar server.jar --nogui; it will create the necessary files and exit.
3. Accept the EULA - open eula.txt and change eula=false to eula=true. The server will not start until you do this.
4. Configure server.properties - edit this file before your first real start (see below).
5. Start the server - run the jar again with appropriate memory flags, for example java -Xmx4G -Xms1G -jar server.jar --nogui. The -Xmx flag sets the maximum heap; set it to however much RAM you want the server to use.

Key settings in server.properties

A few settings worth changing before the first player joins:

• max-players - the maximum number of simultaneous players. Defaults to 20.
• view-distance - how many chunks around each player the server keeps loaded. Lower values reduce CPU and RAM usage significantly. A value of 8-10 is a reasonable starting point; 16 (the default) is high.
• online-mode - defaults to true, which requires players to have legitimate Minecraft accounts. Set to false only if you are running a private server with cracked clients, and understand that doing so removes account-based authentication.
• motd - the message shown in the server list. Change it to something that describes your server.
• level-seed - set a seed here before the world generates if you want a specific world layout. Leave blank for a random seed.

Plugins vs mods

This distinction confuses new server owners regularly. Plugins and mods are not the same thing and cannot be mixed on the same server.

Plugins run on Paper, Spigot, or Purpur. They use the Bukkit/Spigot API and only need to be installed on the server. Players do not need to install anything to join a plugin-based server. Common examples: EssentialsX, WorldEdit, LuckPerms, economy plugins, land claim plugins.

Mods run on Fabric or Forge. They need to be installed on both the server and every client that connects. This makes mod-based servers more work for players to join, but mods can change the game much more deeply than plugins - new blocks, new mechanics, entirely new dimensions.

If you want some performance improvements server-side without requiring clients to install mods, Fabric has server-only performance mods (Lithium, for example) that clients do not need. Paper also includes many performance improvements by default.

Starting with Zeros Host

If you want a managed server with Paper, Spigot, Forge, Fabric, or Vanilla, Minecraft hosting on Zeros Host has all of them available from the panel. The Plugin Manager pulls from Modrinth and Hangar, and the Mod Manager handles Fabric and Forge mods. See the pricing page for current plan options, or read the guide to choosing the right server type if you are still deciding between Paper and a mod loader.