Your friend group's SMP, always there
One survival world that keeps going when you log off.
An SMP only works when the world is up while the host sleeps. Get a Paper server that stays online, whitelist the group from the panel and split the monthly cost so nobody pays for everyone.
Staying longer? Subscribe and get 50% off your first month
- DDoS protected
- 24/7 support
- Live the moment you pay
- Split the billUp to 10 friends, own cards
- Custom plansAny RAM up to 32 GB
- Prepaid or monthly3 days to 1 year
- Live in 60 secondsNo setup, no waiting
- Cancel any timeNo contracts, ever
What makes an SMP last past week two
A world that is online when nobody else is
On an SMP people log in at different times, start builds near each other and leave chests for each other. Running that on one friend's PC means the PC stays on day and night, the router needs port forwarding and everyone gets that friend's home IP address. Your server here runs on its own, so the world is there whenever anyone wants to play.
Prefer to save resources on quiet weeks? Sleep when empty stops the server after 90 minutes with nobody online, and anyone with access starts it again in one click. Turn it off in Settings and it stays on around the clock.
Split the bill so nobody fronts the server
Choose Split with friends at checkout and pick how many people are paying, from 2 to 10. Each person pays their own share by card from their own link, with a 1 USD fee per share. The Standard plan at 9.99 USD split four ways comes to about 3.50 USD each a month.
You pay your share and the server starts straight away. Friends who sign up with the email they paid with see the server in their own dashboard, with the console, the buttons and the files, so the SMP never depends on one person being around.
Whitelisted from the first night
A friends SMP should only let in friends. Click Whitelist player in the panel and type each name, or turn the whitelist on with one button. Since Minecraft 26.3 new worlds start with it on anyway, so add yourself first.
Keep online-mode on so nobody can join under a friend's name, set enforce-whitelist in server.properties so removing someone kicks them straight away, and use Make operator for yourself and one trusted friend rather than the whole group.
Paper, ready for the plugins SMPs rely on
Servers start on Paper, which plays like vanilla, runs better and loads plugins without anyone installing a thing to join. Drop CoreProtect into the plugins folder so a creeper in the storage room can be rolled back, GriefPrevention so players claim land with a golden shovel, and EssentialsX with LuckPerms for /home and /tpa without handing out op.
Then set the game rule that ends the most SMP arguments: players_sleeping_percentage 50, so one miner underground does not keep everyone awake all night.
Pick your Minecraft plan
Every plan is live the moment you pay. Upgrade or cancel from your dashboard any time.
Starter
2 GBThen $4.99/mo. $0.17 a day.
- 2 GB RAM
- 2 vCPU cores
- Up to 5 players
- DDoS protection included
- 24/7 support
Standard
4 GBThen $9.99/mo. $0.33 a day.
- 4 GB RAM
- 2 vCPU cores
- Up to 12 players
- DDoS protection included
- 24/7 support
Pro
8 GBThen $19.99/mo. $0.67 a day.
Splitting with 3 friends? $6.02 each/mo
- 8 GB RAM
- 2 vCPU cores
- Up to 30 players
- DDoS protection included
- 24/7 support
Elite
12 GBThen $29.99/mo. $1.00 a day.
Splitting with 3 friends? $8.52 each/mo
- 12 GB RAM
- 3 vCPU cores
- Up to 60 players
- DDoS protection included
- 24/7 support
What comes set up on a Minecraft server
Split with 2 to 10 friends
Everyone pays their own share from a link, and the server runs on what comes in.
Whitelist in one click
Add friends by name from the panel and keep everyone else out.
Paper from day one
Vanilla survival that runs better, with room for land claims, homes and rollbacks.
Sleep when empty
Stops after 90 quiet minutes and starts again in one click, or stays on if you like.
Backups before updates
The world is backed up before every game update, plus three backups of your own.
A look inside Minecraft
Real screenshots from the game. Click any of them to see it full size.
This is the panel. Click around.
This is the Minecraft panel you get. Click any button, or type a command.
Minecraft Server
play.gamezservers.com:25565
[12:00:00] Starting Minecraft: Java Edition server
[12:00:03] Loading world
[12:00:06] Server started on port 25565
[12:00:09] Ready for players. Try a button.
Power
Minecraft actions
How to join your Minecraft server
- 1
Open Minecraft: Java Edition on the same version as your server.
- 2
Click Multiplayer, then Add Server.
- 3
Paste
203.0.113.24:25565as the Server Address, including the port, and click Done. - 4
Double click the server in your list to join. Send the same address to your friends.
Common problems
Include the port
Paste the whole address, including the colon and the number after it. Without the port Minecraft looks in the wrong place and says it cannot connect.
"Outdated client" or "Outdated server"
Your game and the server are on different versions. Ask the owner which version the server runs, then in the Minecraft Launcher open Installations, click New installation, pick that version and play it.
Playing on phone, console or Bedrock?
Only Minecraft: Java Edition on PC and Mac can join a Java server. Bedrock players need the owner to install Geyser first.
Commands say you do not have permission
Commands like /gamemode only work for operators. The owner can make you one with Make operator in the dashboard.
Server not responding
Make sure the server is online. Servers sleep after 4 days with nobody playing, and anyone with access can start them again from the dashboard in one click.
Use the server address
Do not use localhost, 127.0.0.1 or your own IP from a home hosting guide. Copy the exact address of the server.
No port forwarding or firewall changes
Opening ports on your router is only for hosting a server at home, so there is nothing to change to join this one. If Windows asks whether to let the game through the firewall, choose Allow.
Common questions
Which plan fits our SMP?
Standard with 4 GB covers most friend SMPs and is sized for up to 25 players. Two to five friends with a few plugins fit on Starter with 2 GB. A bigger community SMP with lots of farms is happier on Pro with 8 GB.
What happens if a friend stops paying their share?
If someone leaves the split, the remaining payers cover their part so the server keeps running, and they get an email before their share changes. The owner can also move to a smaller plan or cancel any time from the dashboard.
Can friends on Bedrock join our SMP?
They can through the Geyser and Floodgate plugins on Paper. Our Java plans have one port, so Geyser uses the clone-remote-port setting, and support checks UDP on your port if the connection test fails. If most of the group is on phones and consoles, a Bedrock server is simpler.
Can we bring a world we already started?
Yes. Upload the world folder in the Files tab or over SFTP and it loads on the next start.
Can we add mods later?
Yes. Switch the server type to Fabric or NeoForge in Settings and the world is backed up first. The world carries over, but Paper plugins do not run on a mod loader, and everyone then installs the same mods.
Does everyone need their own copy of Minecraft?
Yes. Every player needs Minecraft: Java Edition on the same version as the server. Online mode keeps cracked accounts out.
Can I run mods and modpacks?
Yes. Choose Fabric, Forge or NeoForge on the Minecraft version your mods need, then upload them to the mods folder. Bigger modpacks run best on 8 GB or more.
Does Bedrock work?
This plan runs Java Edition. Bedrock players can join through Geyser if you add it.
Can I upload my existing world?
Yes. Upload your world folder and it loads on the next start.
Can my friends and I split the cost?
Yes. At checkout choose "Me and my friends" and up to 10 people each pay their own share with their own card, on any plan length, from 3 days to a year. It is not a payment plan: nobody pays in parts over time, each friend simply pays their own share. You pay yours, send each friend their link, and the server starts straight away. Each share includes a $1 payment fee.
Can I build a custom plan?
Yes. Every game has a Build your own page: pick any amount of RAM up to 32 GB, any length from 3 days to 1 year, prepaid or a subscription, plus your server type and settings. A custom size costs 15% more per GB than the standard plans next to it.
Can I pay once instead of a subscription?
Yes. Pick Prepaid and pay once for 3 days, 30 days, 6 months or a year. Nothing renews: when the time is up the server pauses and keeps its world for 14 days. Add time or switch to a subscription from your panel any time. Short rentals cost more per day, since every server is set up from scratch.
How fast is setup, really?
Your server starts building the moment Stripe confirms payment. Most are online in under a minute, and the address and login appear on your dashboard automatically.
Minecraft servers for every crew
Cheap servers
A cheap Minecraft server that is honest about it
Small price, full panel, no corners cut on the basics.
Free servers
A free Minecraft server without the free host catch
A real paid server, with your share link paying the bill.
Plugin servers
Plugin servers for growing communities
Ranks, claims and rollbacks, with nothing for players to install.
Private server
A private Minecraft server, just for your friends
Your world, your whitelist, nobody else.
Server rental
Rent a Minecraft server
Pay for a weekend, a month or a year. Live the moment you pay.
Modded servers
Modded Minecraft servers, loader included
Your modpack online, without the installer.
Minecraft server guides
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Can you get a free Minecraft server that is online 24/7? Why free hosts stop when empty, what self hosting really costs, and how credits pay for an always on server.
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Back up a Minecraft Java server the safe way: what to copy, save-off and save-all flush, automatic backups, keeping a copy off the server, and restoring.
ReadMinecraft6 min readHow to Change Game Rules on a Minecraft Server (Java 26.x List)
Change game rules on a Minecraft Java server with /gamerule: the 26.x snake case names, defaults, one player sleep, mob griefing, and per world rules on Paper.
Read
Your Minecraft server is a minute away
One survival world that keeps going when you log off.
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