How to Make a Minecraft Server

A complete 2026 guide to hosting a Minecraft server — the self-host route, the flags that matter, and the 30-second way to skip the hassle.

Making your own Minecraft server means you control the world, the rules, the mods, and who gets to play. There are two realistic ways to do it in 2026: host it yourself on a PC at home, or deploy it on a managed cloud host. This guide covers both — the full self-hosted process for Java and Bedrock Edition, the parts people usually get stuck on (RAM allocation and port-forwarding), and how a hosted server removes those problems entirely.

If you just want a server running now, you can deploy a Minecraft server on FluxCraft in under 30 seconds and skip everything in the "self-host" section below. If you want to understand how it all works, read on.

What you need before you start

Hosting a Minecraft server is not the same as playing Minecraft. The server is a separate program that runs the world and accepts connections from players. Before you begin, decide three things:

  • Edition: Java Edition (PC) or Bedrock Edition (mobile, console, Windows). They use different server software and are not directly compatible without a crossplay proxy.
  • Version: the Minecraft version you and your players will use — many mods and modpacks require a specific one such as 1.20.1 or 1.16.5.
  • Player count: this drives how much RAM and CPU you need. A handful of friends is very different from a public 50-player server.

Option 1: Host a Minecraft server yourself (Java)

Self-hosting is free apart from your electricity and hardware, but you are responsible for uptime, security, and networking. Here is the standard process for a Java server on Windows, macOS, or Linux:

  • Install Java. Modern Minecraft (1.20+) needs Java 17 or newer. Install the latest LTS JDK (Temurin/Adoptium is a common free choice) and confirm with "java -version".
  • Download the server software. Get the official server.jar from minecraft.net, or use Paper/Spigot for a plugin-capable, higher-performance server. Put it in its own empty folder.
  • Create a start script. Run the jar with explicit memory flags, for example: java -Xms2G -Xmx2G -jar server.jar nogui. -Xmx sets the maximum RAM; give the server dedicated RAM, not all your system RAM.
  • Accept the EULA. The first run creates eula.txt — open it and change eula=false to eula=true, then start the server again.
  • Edit server.properties. Set the gamemode, difficulty, max-players, view-distance, and whether the server is online-mode (leave true unless you have a specific reason not to).

Option 1b: Host a Bedrock server yourself

Bedrock uses a different program: the Bedrock Dedicated Server (BDS), available for Windows and Linux from minecraft.net. Unzip it, edit server.properties (Bedrock defaults to port 19132 over UDP), and run bedrock_server (Linux) or bedrock_server.exe (Windows). Bedrock does not run Java plugins or mods — for add-ons you use behavior/resource packs, and for plugins you run a fork like PocketMine-MP.

The hard part: port-forwarding and staying online

This is where most self-hosted servers fail. For friends outside your home network to connect, you must forward the server port (25565 TCP for Java, 19132 UDP for Bedrock) on your router to your PC's local IP, and share your public IP. That means logging into your router, creating a port-forward rule, and often dealing with a dynamic IP that changes, CGNAT that makes forwarding impossible, and the security risk of exposing a home PC to the internet.

On top of that, your server is only online while your PC is on. Turn the computer off and the world goes down for everyone. There is no DDoS protection, and a single attack can knock your home connection offline. These are the exact problems a hosted server solves.

Option 2: Deploy a hosted Minecraft server (the 30-second route)

A managed host runs the server on always-on infrastructure with a permanent address of its own, so there is no Java install, no start script, no port-forwarding, and no need to leave your own PC running. On FluxCraft the process is:

  1. Pick your edition — Java or Bedrock.
  2. Pick a RAM/plan tier sized to your player count and whether you plan to run mods (2 GB for vanilla friends groups up to larger tiers for modpacks).
  3. Deploy. Your server provisions and boots in under 30 seconds on the Flux decentralized cloud, across 50+ countries for low latency.
  4. Share the address. Give your friends the domain and port shown in your dashboard — yourserver.app.runonflux.io:41234 — and they add it under Multiplayer and join immediately. Use the domain rather than a raw IP: the Flux node behind it can change, the domain does not. Each server gets its own port, so pass on the whole address. DDoS protection and 24/7 monitoring are included.

After your server is running

Whichever route you took, the next steps are the same: set the difficulty and gamemode, add trusted friends to the whitelist or ops list, install any plugins or mods you want, and take regular world backups. On FluxCraft you manage all of this — files, console, and backups — from the browser control panel.

From here you might want to add plugins for economy or protection, install a modpack, or set up Java/Bedrock crossplay so everyone can play together regardless of device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it free to make a Minecraft server?

Self-hosting on your own PC is free apart from electricity and the security/uptime burden of exposing your home network. Managed hosting on FluxCraft starts at $1.57/mo with the first month free, and removes port-forwarding, downtime, and DDoS risk.

How much RAM do I need to make a Minecraft server?

Start with 2 GB for vanilla with a few friends, 4 GB for small plugin servers, and 6–8 GB or more for modpacks. RAM is usually the limiting factor before player count.

Do I need to port-forward for a hosted server?

No. Port-forwarding is only required when self-hosting behind a home router. A managed host gives your server its own public address — on FluxCraft, a yourserver.app.runonflux.io domain — so players connect directly.

Skip the setup — deploy in 30 seconds

No Java install, no port-forwarding, no downtime. Pick an edition, choose your RAM, and your Minecraft server is live in under 30 seconds on the Flux decentralized cloud. First month free.

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