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How to Set Up a Minecraft Server In a Few Easy Steps

Don’t let rudimentary coding prevent you from obtaining full control of the Minecraft game world. We'll walk you through the server setup process, so you can tweak in-game attributes and safeguard your kids' virtual playground.

By Gabriel Zamora
Updated January 9, 2023
(Credit: Getty Images/Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto)

If you’ve ever wanted to create a Minecraft server, but were put off by file modification or confusing terminology, don’t fret. Creating your own server is a fairly simple endeavor, provided you accurately follow the necessary steps and commands. Admittedly, getting friends to connect with said server is an entirely different process, but we’ll cross that bridge in another article. For now, let’s focus on getting your Minecraft server up and running.

By creating your own Minecraft server, you can alter the game in ways you normally could not. For example, you can assign or deny roles to other players, control how objects spawn, or tweak the in-game physics. If you're a parent, you'll be pleased to know that creating a Minecraft server means you control who your children play with online—it's a form of parental control.

There are a few ways to go about creating a Minecraft server, but there are two major avenues you can take. You can choose to pay a virtual private server (VPS) provider to host your Minecraft server, or you can host the server on your own computer. Both require a modicum of technical know-how, but the VPS route is generally much easier. Many web hosting services offer dedicated Minecraft-oriented hosting that streamlines the entire process. If you don’t mind paying for the service, this is a solid option. What’s more, many web hosts offer customer support, so if you are hesitant about setting up a server by yourself, the additional help will set your mind at ease.


Recommended Minecraft Server Hosting Services


There are strengths and challenges with both approaches. When hosting your own Minecraft server, you save money by not paying a web hosting service, and you have complete server control—assuming you know what you’re doing. However, the quality of your home internet connection directly impacts how other people connect with your server. A poor connection can result in a lag-filled gameplay experience. Other apps running on your PC can affect your hosting capabilities, too. To top it all off, you must figure out and resolve any issues that crop up with your server.

Sure, there is a wealth of online resources, but if you aren’t particularly tech savvy, this can result in a lot of work. A web hosting service removes most of the set up and work required to manage a server, but radically ups the cost. We'll touch on that in a bit. If you're interested in creating a Minecraft server, we'll walk you through what you need to know. But first, let's do some prep work.


What Do You Need to Set Up a Minecraft Server?

You need an internet connection, first and foremost. Besides that, consider whether you want to host via a dedicated web hosting service, or through your own PC. If using a web host, you simply need the cash to purchase and maintain the servers for the task. If you’re hosting on your own PC, you need Minecraft Java Edition, as well as some command line knowledge.


How Difficult Is It to Set Up a Minecraft Server?

Not difficult at all! The challenge comes from fiddling with services or tasks you aren’t familiar with, which can be daunting at a glance. Fortunately, our how-to guide uses Hostinger’s Minecraft game servers as an example. It also contains a step-by-step guide for creating a Minecraft server on your PC.


How Long Does It Take to Set Up a Minecraft Server?

This depends on your own familiarity with web hosting services, or file and command editing on a PC. With web hosting services, it can take up to a day for payment and server activation. However, this can also take as little as an hour. Likewise, you can have a server running on your PC as soon as you download Minecraft Java Edition, if you know how to set things up on your end. Regardless, expect to take an evening to set things up if you’re doing this for the first time.


How to Make a Minecraft Server Using Hostinger
Hostinger supports Minecraft software mods and full-root server access. (Credit: Hostinger)

How to Make a Minecraft Server Using Hostinger

You can leverage nearly any web hosting plan to create a Minecraft server, but there are web hosts that offer plans with software explicitly designed for that purpose. Amazon Web Services, Apex, and PebbleHost are a few examples. One outstanding service is the Lithuania-based Hostinger, a company that offers streamlined and simplified Minecraft server hosting. It also supports software mods, such as CraftBukkit and Spigot, and full root access so you you install as many modpack JAR files as you like.

Your server requirements vary depending on your Minecraft world size, the number of players that'll connect to your server, and whether you want to install mods. ​​The most important thing to consider is RAM and virtual CPU allocation. Your server quality and number of players hinge on the server's memory. 2GB of RAM can support up to 10 players before lag creeps into the game. Virtual CPU allocation affects gameplay, so the more CPUs (or higher quality CPUs) powering your server, the better.

If you just want to play with a handful of friends, a basic plan should suffice. If you’re hoping to grow a community, however, you must invest money into a high-end hosting subscription. Naturally, you’ll pay more out of pocket if you purchase a larger plan, but Hostinger lets you upgrade from a lower scale server to a higher service tier without too much fuss. If you’re just starting out, it may be safer to start with a smaller plan and scale up later as your needs grow.

Let’s take a look at Hostinger’s most economical plan. This Alex plan lets you choose the Minecraft version you want to run, including the latest edition. These versions include the Official Java version and the highly customizable Spigot version. The Alex plan offers 2GB of RAM with full root access for $15.95 per month. Note that introductory rates (first time purchase) are considerably lower. Likewise, purchasing an annual plan significantly drops the price.

Ready to create a Minecraft server using Hostinger? Let's go!

Creating your instance with Hostinger
Creating and setting up your Minecraft instance. (Credit: Hostinger)

1. Choose a Hostinger Minecraft Server Plan

Select a plan suitable for the RAM totals that you need to properly run Minecraft for you and your guests. If you aren’t sure what you need, take a look at the handy Minecraft Wiki for recommendations.

2. Set Up Your Minecraft Server

If you purchase a server through Hostinger, log into your account to begin the setup process. Click the Setup button and follow the provided instructions, which includes creating a server name and root password. Once completed, your Minecraft server can be accessed from the VPS section of your account homepage.

3. Configure Your Minecraft Server

With Hostinger, all Minecraft plans come with a Game Panel to easily run and manage games. Run your server by selecting Start in the Server Management section. Once running, scroll down to Other Settings within the Server Management section to make configuration changes. Hostinger suggests using the Debian 10 operating system with Game Panel. This gives you access to the Game Panel’s dashboard, and login credentials can be found in the Notes section.

4. Log Into Your Minecraft Server

Select Login Details from the Template Details section in Server Management. Select the Login URL to open the login page. Enter the login details from the Notes section. You’ll be taken to the Game Panel dashboard.

5. Create an Instance

Once you’re in Game Panel, click the Create Instance icon. Choose the Minecraft Edition you wish to play with (Minecraft Java Edition is the standard PC version), and press Create Instance. After the server setup process is complete, click your instance and select Manage. Select Start, accept the Minecraft EULA, and then Start again. This will start the server. You can connect to it via the Endpoint information, which you can view in the Manage section.

That's it! Enjoy your new, server-hosted Minecraft world, and share the IP address with friends so you can play together. 


Get Minecraft Java Edition and the Latest Java
Download Minecraft Java Edition for PC. (Credit: Mojang Studios)

Hosting a Minecraft Server on your own PC

The process is a bit more involved if you wish to take a more hands-on approach and host a Minecraft server on your own PC. You can create a Minecraft server with a PC running either the Linux or Mac operating system, and the process is generally the same. However, we'll walk you through creating a Minecraft server on a Windows PC.

There are a few key pieces of software you need to get started if you want to host the Minecraft server on your PC. Firstly, you need Minecraft Java Edition. If you own any other version of Minecraft, be it the console or Windows 10 editions, you cannot host your own custom server. If you have Minecraft Java, then you must install Java (or update to the latest version).

  1. Head over to the Java Devkit page, or click https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase/javase-jdk8-downloads.html and search for Windows x64 Installer. 

  2. Click the download link, accept the terms of service, and run the file when it finishes downloading. 

  3. This opens an installation wizard. Go through the installation process, and close the window when it’s complete. 

    The Java Edition is essential for setting up a Minecraft Server on PC. (Credit: Mojang Studios)

Create a Folder, Download the JAR File

Once you've gotten Minecraft Java and the latest version of Java, you can get started on that server. For simplicity’s sake, you should create a folder for all your files. 

  1. Right-click your desktop, scroll down to New, and select Folder. 

  2. Give this folder a name of your choosing. For this example, lets simply name it Server.

Now, you must grab additional key files, including the server JAR file. Fortunately Mojang Studios, Minecraft's developer, hosts the files. 

  1. Head to the official site, https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/download.

  2. Scroll down to the Server Software section, and look for the Java Edition Server link. 

  3. Click it, and you’ll be taken to the download page for the JAR 1.19.3.

  4. Click the file link to begin the download process. 

  5. Your browser may state that this file may be harmful to your computer, or something to that effect. You're downloading the file directly from the Mojang’s official site, so you don’t need to stress this. Click the Keep option. 

  6. Once the file has finished downloading, which should not take long at all, drag it into the Server folder. 

Open the Server folder; you should see the server.jar file inside. Technically, you could simply click the file, and let it create all the extra files you need. Don't do that. Instead, you're going to create a batch file, a script that launches the server for us. There's a reason for this: You'll want to specify commands as needed, and spot errors via the command window. Writing a batch file lets you do that. This isn't nearly as daunting as it sounds. In fact, the instructions to do this are on the server.jar download page.

Minecraft Create a Batch File
You should create a batch file for easier editing. (Credit: PCMag)

Create a Batch File

  1. Right click the inside of the Server folder. Select New, and then Text Document. 

  2. Give it a name. In this example, we will use Startup. 

  3. Right click Startup, and select edit. A notepad window should open. Here, you'll write the batch script. On the Minecraft download page, the suggested command is as follows: java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar minecraft_server.1.19.3.jar nogui

This command tells Java to initialize 1024 megabytes of memory minimum/maximum to the Minecraft server.jar file. The nogui argument at the end prevents the Minecraft graphical user interface from popping up. This GUI eats up additional resources, and since you’ll be using the console window, it’s not really needed. However, as Mojang says on the download/server page, if you want to start the server with its default GUI, you can exclude the nogui argument.

It's also worth noting that, if you wish to initialize the server with more memory, you can bump the min/max to 2048, or any multiple of 1024. 2048 is probably ideal, in which case the command should appear as follows: java -Xmx2048M -Xms2048M -jar minecraft_server.1.19.3.jar nogui

  1. Once you write, or copy and paste, this script in the text document, hit enter, and type pause. This suspends processing of the batch file and keeps your command window open, so you can keep an eye out for any errors. Your code should look something like this: 

java -Xmx2048M -Xms2048M -jar minecraft_server.1.19.3.jar nogui

pause

  1. Save your changes, and close the file. 

  2. Click the name of this text file, and rename the extension. You want a batch file, not a text file, so change the txt portion of the file to bat. 

  3. Hit Enter, and Windows warns you that editing the extensions may make the file unusable. Don't worry about this. Click yes. 

Congratulations! You’ve written your own batch file, and now have created a handy icon to launch your Minecraft server. Let’s test it out!

Edit the Minecraft Server EULA
You should edit the Minecraft Server EULA to wrap things up. (Credit: PCMag)

Edit the EULA and Connect

  1. Double click the startup.bat file, or whatever you choose to call it, to see what happens. Assuming everything is up to date and you entered everything correctly, you'll see additional files in the server folder, such as the EULA, logs, and server properties. Close out of the command window. 

  2. Right click on the EULA and select Edit. In order to move forward, you need to agree to the EULA, which means you need to change the false portion of the last line to true. Do so, save and close the text document. 

  3. Rerun the batch file. Windows' firewall will try to keep you safe by blocking access to your network. Network access is needed, so you can ignore the warning and click Allow Access. 

  4. Your command window should show the server being prepared. It can take some time, but the command windows will notify you when it is done. When it is, you should be able to connect to the server. 

  5. Launch Minecraft Java Edition.

  6. Click the Multiplayer tab, and then the Add Server option. 

  7. Key in the hosting computer's IP address or simply type "localhost" in the server address bar. 

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You're connected! If you wish to play with friends or others online, you need to give them the Minecraft server's IP address. This comes with risks, naturally, so if you’re a cautious parent creating a cool virtual playground for your kids, you may want to stop here. That said, if your intent is to foster a community, you can port forward your router so people who are outside your local network can connect with the server. In any case, your Minecraft server should be up and running, so get in there and have fun!

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About Gabriel Zamora

My career has taken me through an eclectic assortment of fields, and connected me with people from all walks of life. This experience includes construction, professional cooking, podcasting, and, of course, writing. I’ve been typing up geeky takes since 2009, ultimately landing a freelancing position at PCMag. This blossomed into a full-time tech analyst position in 2021, where I lend my personal insight on the matters of web hosting, streaming music, mobile apps, and video games. 

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