Look for servers like Hypixel and you'll mostly find server lists with an IP copy button and one line of text per entry, or a Reddit thread literally titled "Do you know any Hypixel alternatives?" with forty different answers. Neither tells you the useful thing, which is that the right alternative depends on why you're leaving. A Bedrock player who can't get into Hypixel at all needs a completely different answer from a Java Bedwars veteran who's sick of getting matched against sweats. So that's how this page is sorted: by the reason you're looking, with each server's edition support and current status as of October 2026.
What Hypixel does that you're trying to replace
Hypixel has been around since April 13, 2013, when Simon "hypixel" Collins-Laflamme and Philippe "Rezzus" Touchette got it going. It's a free-to-play minigame network, and its own play page leads with Bed Wars, SkyWars, Murder Mystery and Duels. Bedwars is the one everyone knows: protect your bed, break everyone else's. SkyWars is island PvP. Then there's Hypixel's own SkyBlock, which plays less like a minigame and more like an MMORPG with islands, shops and quests. Ranks and cosmetics cost real money, but the games themselves don't.
Scale is what made it famous. Hypixel peaked at around 216,000 players online at once in April 2021, and it had passed 18 million unique players by April 2020. It's not invincible, mind you. Big DDoS attacks in 2018 and June 2021 knocked it offline for days.
And the one fact that sends a lot of people here: Hypixel is Java Edition only. There was a Pocket Edition variant years ago, but it's long gone.
Why people go looking for Hypixel alternatives
The reasons come up again and again in player threads:
- You're on Bedrock. Console, phone or the Windows Bedrock app means Hypixel simply isn't an option.
- The anti-cheat got you. A common complaint is that it "falsely bans/kicks legit players."
- Matchmaking. Newer players getting thrown in with high-level veterans and getting flattened.
- It feels like a SkyBlock server now. One long-time Bedwars and Skywars player on r/hypixel put it as the server being "only for skyblock players now."
- Burnout, or wanting something smaller. People ask by vibe: "less sweaty," "small server," "better anti-cheat."
Quick sanity check before you start pasting IPs: there are copycat servers that piggyback on Hypixel's name, so only use addresses from a server's own official site.
At a glance
| Server | Java | Bedrock | Best if you want |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hypixel (for reference) | Yes | No | The giant you're comparing against |
| CubeCraft | Yes | Yes | A big network on either edition |
| The Hive | No (closed in 2021) | Yes | The most established Bedrock option |
| MCC Island | Yes | Not that I know of | A polished Java network with a different feel |
Bedrock servers like Hypixel
If you asked "does Bedrock have Hypixel?" somewhere and got told no, these are the names people point you to instead.
The Hive: the Bedrock heavyweight
The Hive started on Java back in February 2013, launched its Bedrock server on October 16, 2018, and then did something pretty bold: it shut its Java server down on April 15, 2021 to go all-in on Bedrock. Today it's Bedrock only, and it's one of Microsoft's official Featured Servers on Bedrock. The official address is geo.hivebedrock.network, port 19132.
Better than Hypixel: it exists on your platform, which is kind of the whole point, and it's put all its effort into Bedrock since 2021.
Worse: it's no use if you or your friends are on Java. That door closed in 2021.
CubeCraft: the one that works on both editions
CubeCraft has been running since 2012 and calls itself one of the world's largest Minecraft networks. The big deal for this page is that it runs on both Java and Bedrock. Java players use play.cubecraft.net. It's also clearly being worked on right now. In the last couple of months it shipped a Mob Hunt beta (August 2026), a BedWars update in mid-September and a SkyWars update the same month.
Better than Hypixel: if your friend group is split between Java and Bedrock, this is the easiest pick on the list. And if Bedwars and SkyWars are what you came to Hypixel for, those are exactly the modes CubeCraft keeps updating.
Worse: if you're after a specific Hypixel mode beyond Bedwars and SkyWars, check CubeCraft's game list first rather than assuming it's there.
Lifeboat and Galaxite
These two come up constantly when Bedrock players ask for alternatives. Both are Bedrock-friendly networks built around minigames and survival. They're worth a look if The Hive and CubeCraft don't click, but I'd load in and check the current game list and store yourself before getting attached.
Big Java minigame networks with a different feel
You're on Java, you could keep playing Hypixel, but you're burnt out on it. These are the names that keep coming up in "Hypixel vs Tubnet vs MCCI" threads.
MCC Island
MCC Island comes from Noxcrew, the folks behind MC Championship (the event series). As far as I can tell it's free to join and Java only. I haven't seen any sign of a Bedrock version, but check before you get your Bedrock friends excited.
Better than Hypixel: a different flavour of polish from a team known for making competitive Minecraft events, and a nice change of scenery if Hypixel's lobbies have gone stale for you.
Worse: as far as I know it's the same Java-only wall as Hypixel, so it's probably no help to Bedrock players.
CubeCraft (Java side)
Same network as above. On Java it's the obvious "big, actively updated, not Hypixel" choice, especially if Bedwars and SkyWars are what you care about.
Tubnet and the old names
Tubnet is the indie network from streamer Tubbo that the community's been talking about for years. It had an announcement trailer and private playtests back in 2022. Whether it's open and worth joining right now is something to check on its own channels before you get your hopes up. Same goes for Mineplex, which older lists still call Hypixel's great rival. Those lists are years old, so look up where it stands today before you trust them.
If it's Hypixel SkyBlock you'd miss
SkyBlock is its own thing with its own alternatives, so I keep those in a separate guide to the best skyblock servers, Hypixel alternatives included. And if you want the backstory on where the whole genre came from, I've written up the history of skyblock too.
Or skip the networks entirely
Some people searching for Hypixel alternatives really just want a quieter place to play with a few friends. If that's you, hosting a small server of your own might suit you better than any network. My guide to free Minecraft server hosting walks through the free options and what each one makes you put up with.
So which one should you pick?
On Bedrock, start with The Hive. It's a Featured Server and it's been built for your edition since it dropped Java. If your group is a mix of Java and Bedrock, go with CubeCraft and you can all play together. On Java and just burnt out on Hypixel, give MCC Island an evening (Java only as far as I know, so don't count on it for Bedrock friends). It's the most different feel you'll get without giving up the polish. And if what you'd really miss is SkyBlock, that's a separate rabbit hole, and the skyblock guide is the place to start.
Want your own world instead of another network?
Folly is an upcoming standalone voxel game, free and not part of Minecraft, entering early access on October 16, 2026. You get a universe of your own that starts as one small island, with a portal into a shared hub of games and other players' worlds. It isn't out yet, so it's one to watch rather than a Hypixel replacement today. Here's how the island-plus-hub idea works.