Today we will look at what are Minecraft servers, how you can take advantage of the right type, how to make a Minecraft server for friends, even if you are on a really low budget, and even how you can get a Minecraft server for free?
We will also look at how to make your Minecraft server run faster, improving gameplay and making your new server so much more fun.
We obviously want to set up what is called a multiplayer Minecraft server.
Minecraft multiplayer is a type of Minecraft where multiple people can play together. If you want to play Minecraft online with your friends, there are many online servers that you can use, but there are a lot of people in them, which can cause issues, and you might have thought, I should make a server for me and my friends… that’s how I started out anyway.
What are the Different Minecraft servers?
For reference, Minecraft servers are also known as online Minecraft. While playing in a single world, you alone can play in it, but in Minecraft multiplayer on actual Minecraft servers, you can play with multiple people or friends at the same time.
The numbers don’t matter; it can be from 1 to 100,000’s people that can play at the same time using Minecraft servers.
In order to do this, Minecraft servers use what is called a host to run the gaming, and depending on the players, it needs a certain amount of allocated RAM for it.
It also depends on what kind of server it is, as not all are created equal as I outline below…
Different Minecraft servers
There are multiple types of Minecraft servers. Some servers only allow the premium Minecraft players to play in it, while some servers also allow ‘crack’ users to play in it.
Minecraft servers aren’t affiliated with Mojang (Creator of MC). They have separate owners who pay to run them, which is why you can also start your own Minecraft server with your friends.
How to make a Minecraft server for friends?
The truth of it is this… Minecraft servers aren’t difficult to make. The only thing needed to make a server run and be live is the Host. Without a host, the Minecraft server cannot run. You can have a Minecraft server running on your PC as well (which acts as a host) or get that host online (which is recommended).
Types of hosts
There are multiple server hosts around the internet like Apex Hosting (which we use) which you can choose to make a Minecraft server. You can also get the server running through your PC as a host.
Some hosts around the internet even provide you with a free hosting service.
#1 - Free hosting
Some sites provide free hosts as well, where you can make a free server for yourself. But that cannot be used by multiple people at the same time. Some platforms such as ATERNOS give you the free host.
But free hosts have some restrictions such as only limited players like 2-10 players can play at the time. it also has limited RAM which makes the server lag. Some also have limited storage which is why they aren’t a great option to choose from.
#2 - Self-Hosting
You can host the server using your device as well for free. If you have an only little number of players or your friends playing you can make a server with your device. But it has some restrictions. If you are running a Minecraft server on your device, people having different IPs cannot connect to your server directly.
As the server work on the IP forwarding and the Local IP is restricted to people with other IPs.
This problem has a solution. For this, you need software that can port forward your IP (NGROK), so other people can connect to it as well. But Local hosted servers aren’t very fast and cause lag while playing, which basically screws up gameplay. They also eat a lot of RAM and can slow down your device.
#3 - Choosing An Online Host
If you want the Minecraft server then getting an online host is the best way. Many sites provide you the Host, you can use to run the Minecraft server. Some of the most famous are Hostinger, Apex Hosting, Bisect hosting.
These online hosts provide you with an easy User Interface, which makes it easier to handle them, get things up and running, add mods, and everything else you can imagine you need for awesome gametime.
Unlike local hosts where you have to download the server file yourself, an online host gives you the option to choose the type of server you want. These hosts are paid, and their price depends on the RAM, Storage, and Player limit you choose. Most online hosts (the ones we recommend) come with an easy-to-use interface which helps make and run the server easier.
What is the best host to use?
There are many types of hosts available around the internet. Free hosts or self hosts aren’t a good option for making a Minecraft server. Self-hosting can only work if your device is online once it’s closed the server will also shut down. The same goes with the free hosts, if you log out for some time they will close themselves.
The best option is to use paid services such as Apex hosting. It is one of the best hosts for Minecraft. They can run 24/7 and have and don’t affect the device. They do not slow down, because they have RAM allocated for them. They provide an easy-to-use and simple User interface, that makes it easier to manage a server, and using these hosts you do not need to struggle to find the server and plugins. It provides an easier way to access them.
They also give easy access to files and folders, Backups, Server Privacy, and it is easy to manage.
How to choose the Minecraft server?
To make the server, the first thing you need is to know what type of server you want. As every type of server has its own unique server file and it won’t work with other types.
#1 - Vanilla server:
If you want a normal survival world like a server with no additional plugins or mods then a vanilla server suits you the most. This is a normal server that cannot have any additional plugin or mod. These types of servers consume little RAM.
Some vanilla servers are:
Vanilla: https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/download/server
Snapshot
#2 - Normal Server:
Most of the online servers have plugins in them to make moderation and playing easier on the server. If you want a server that can have many plugins in it, then you have multiple choices. There are many types of servers that work with plugins. These types of servers consume the RAM depending on the plugins added, and the number of people playing in it.
Some of them are:
- Spigot: https://getbukkit.org/download/spigot
- Bukkit: https://getbukkit.org/get/a2f29a01f966be2ba63a3986179e009e
- Purpur: https://purpurmc.org/
- Paper: https://papermc.io/downloads
#3 - Modded server:
Normal servers can work fine with the plugins but cannot run the mods. To make a server that can have mods, you need the modded servers. These types of servers let you download the mods and run them on the server.
Some of them are:
- Forge: https://files.minecraftforge.net/net/minecraftforge/forge/
- Fabric: https://fabricmc.net/use/server/
• Modded server with plugins:
As normal servers cannot run the mods and the modded servers cannot run the plugins, which makes it difficult for those who want to have both in the server. Some servers provide the access to both plugins and mods and make the play more fun and entertaining.
How to start the Minecraft server?
- Once you know what type of server you need, open your host.
- Paste your server.jar file in that folder. If you are using the online host most of them give the option to choose the Minecraft server. You can click on them, and it will automatically give you a server.jar file.
- After downloading server.jar, Start it and wait.
- After some time, you will see the Eula.txt file. Open it and replace false with true, and save it
- Once it’s saved click on Start again.
- This time it will download all the server files and your server is now running.
- Now you can download and paste the plugins, mods, world depending on what server type you choose.
Conclusion
One of the thoughts that comes to our mind while playing any online server is, how do I make a server like this one? This is not a difficult task. The first thing you need to do is to get a host for your server.
Getting a host with Allocated Ram is best if you want to make a server, have a look at our Apex Hosting Review here, it might give you what you are looking for.
All you need to know is what type of server you need. Download its server file and paste it into your panel and run it and this is all you need to do to make a server run.
