How Much Does a Minecraft Server Cost in 2026? Real Prices by Player Count, RAM and Mods

So, how much does a Minecraft server cost? For a friend group, anywhere from nothing to about $30 a month at October 2026 prices, and more once you get serious about modpacks. First thing to clear up: you don't buy a Minecraft server once. You rent one from a host, month after month, or you run it on a machine you already own. Mojang gives the server software away free. What you're paying a host for is RAM and CPU that somebody else keeps switched on.

The quick answer, using prices read from each host's own pricing page on October 13, 2026 (US dollars, monthly billing): a free host covers a few friends on vanilla, about $8–$16 a month gets a small group a comfortable paid server, roughly $6–$24 covers ten players depending on the host and tier, and an 8GB modded server runs about $28–$32 at list price. The table below has the detail.

Minecraft server cost at a glance

The player-count bands are rough. They come from the Minecraft Wiki's RAM guidance and one host's sizing chart, and your world, mods and settings can shift them a lot.

Watch the promo prices. Apex's numbers above are the recurring prices for its Java plans, and its page shows a cheaper first month on top. Shockbyte shows a struck-through list price plus a 30% discount it labels recurring, which brings 2GB to $5.59, 6GB to $16.79 and 8GB to $22.39. Check what you'll pay from month two before you sign up.

How much RAM does a Minecraft server need?

Less than you might think for small vanilla groups, a lot more once mods show up. The Minecraft Wiki's server requirements page gives these numbers for default settings on a fresh world:

• 1–4 players: 1GB minimum.
• 5–10 players: 2GB recommended.
• 10+ players: 4GB is best.

Its Java setup tutorial agrees: -Xmx2G is "more than enough for a home server with 5 players on default simulation distance," and bigger servers may well need 4GB. The catch is the word "fresh." The Wiki warns that a big world with redstone, mob farms and lots of player camps "can easily more than double the requirements."

RAM by server type

Paper's number looks scary next to the Wiki's, but it's advice for a properly tuned Paper server, not the floor you need to get started. Paper also says more memory has diminishing returns, and that 32GB "will only waste your money."

Modpacks are where the bill really climbs, and a light pack and a kitchen-sink pack need wildly different amounts. Look at the pack's own server page before you pick a plan. My guide to making a modded Minecraft server covers the setup side.

What one host suggests

For comparison, here's Apex Hosting's own sizing chart (updated July 22, 2026). It's a host that sells RAM, so treat it as one data point:

• 2GB: up to 10 players, up to 10 plugins or mods
• 4GB: up to 25 players, up to 40 mods
• 6GB: up to 40 players, 50 mods
• 8GB: up to 90 players, 50+ mods

Apex says it doesn't restrict slots, world size or mods. The chart is only what it recommends.

RAM isn't the whole story

Hosts sell you gigabytes, but the Wiki points at the CPU. Minecraft servers mostly run on a single core, so single-thread speed matters more than core count, and two 6GB plans can feel nothing alike. PebbleHost says it outright: its Premium tier runs a faster CPU so it "handles higher playercounts and more intensive servers."

Three ways to pay for a Minecraft server

Free hosts: Aternos and Minehut

Aternos is "Minecraft servers. Free. Forever." and means it: "There is no possibility to pay for anything." You get DDoS protection, automatic backups to Google Drive, unlimited slots, and Java software from Vanilla and Paper through Forge, NeoForge, Fabric and modpacks, plus Bedrock. It doesn't publish a fixed RAM figure. Players say servers go to sleep when nobody's on, and they report waits to start them back up at busy times.

Minehut's free Starter plan is 1GB of RAM, 10 players max, no credit card and no playtime limit. It sleeps when empty and wakes when someone joins, and ads keep it free. The paid plans are priced in Minehut credits, not dollars:

• Standard: 600 credits a month, 2GB, unlimited players, still sleeps when empty
• Pro: 1,800 credits a month, 6GB, unlimited players, still sleeps when empty
• Ultimate: 6,000 credits a month, 14GB, online 24/7

My free Minecraft server hosting comparison goes deeper on both.

Paid hosts: what the per-GB price buys

Most hosts price by RAM, and per gigabyte the spread is big: Shockbyte's list prices land around $4/GB, Apex sits around $3.50–$3.75/GB, and PebbleHost's Budget tier starts at $1/GB (October 13, 2026 prices). The cheap end isn't a scam. You're buying a different tier. PebbleHost's Budget plans list DDoS protection and unlimited slots, but daily backups, hourly incremental backups and the one-click modpack installer sit on Premium, along with the faster CPU.

"Unlimited slots" just means the host won't cap how many people can join. The RAM and CPU you paid for still decide how many can play without lag.

Also compare refund windows (Apex lists 7 days, PebbleHost and Shockbyte 72 hours) and billing periods: Apex and Shockbyte both take 10% off quarterly, and Shockbyte shows 50% off annual.

Running it yourself

The server software costs nothing. If you've got a PC that can stay on, your bill is electricity, not rent, and how much that is depends on your machine and your local rates. The Wiki's starting point is modest: no GPU needed, a budget Intel 8th-gen or Ryzen 2000-series CPU is "good enough for small servers," at least 5GB of disk for a Java world, and a wired connection rather than Wi-Fi.

The hidden costs are effort and sometimes your ISP. Outside friends need port forwarding or a VPN, and a static IP usually costs an extra monthly fee. My guide on how to make a Minecraft server walks through the whole setup.

A VPS sits in between: a rented machine you run yourself, for a monthly fee that depends on the provider and size. It needs the same RAM as the host plans above, so price it against a managed plan of the same size.

Minecraft Realms: the fixed-price option

Realms is Mojang's own server subscription. One person pays, and everyone they invite plays free. On minecraft.net's US prices from October 11, 2026:

Realms Plus and Java Realms come with a 30-day trial, and console players also need their platform's online subscription. No RAM to pick, no setup, but the Wiki's right that it "comes with limitations." My Minecraft Realms price breakdown covers what those are and when a server beats it.

What pushes the price up

• Mods. The biggest jump. A modpack can push you from a 4GB plan to 8GB or more.
• Plugin count. Apex's chart ties its plan sizes to how many plugins or mods you run, not just players.
• View and simulation distance. The Wiki's advice for cutting CPU load is turning down view-distance and simulation-distance. Crank them up and you'll need more hardware.
• Players online at once. Ten people on together needs more than ten who drop in at different times.
• World size and farms. Redstone, mob farms and sprawling bases can more than double what a fresh world needs.
• Backups. Included on some tiers and not others. Aternos backs up to Google Drive, and PebbleHost puts daily and hourly backups on Premium.
• DDoS protection. Aternos, Minehut, Shockbyte and both PebbleHost tiers list it, so check the plan you're actually buying.

So what should you pay?

Two to five friends, vanilla survival

Start free. Aternos or Minehut will run a small vanilla world for nothing. If the sleep timer starts to grate, a 2–4GB paid plan in the $8–$16 range (October 13, 2026 prices) is plenty. If you're a family of three all on Bedrock, the $3.99 Realm (October 11, 2026 price) is hard to beat.

Ten players with plugins

Plan for 4–6GB, and care about the CPU as much as the RAM. Budget tiers win on price per GB. Premium tiers win when the server starts lagging with everyone online.

A modded group of 10–20

Read your pack's server page first, then budget for 8GB or more, which is roughly $28–$32 a month at the October 13, 2026 list prices above. Don't size a modded server off a vanilla chart.

You've got a spare PC and some patience

Run it yourself. You pay in electricity and setup time instead of rent.