5 Best Minecraft Server Hosting in 2026

Key Takeaways

• Hostinger is the best overall choice with over 4 million customers, 99.9% uptime, and prices starting at $5.49 per month.
• All top hosts include DDoS protection, automatic backups, and 24/7 support. These features are not optional anymore.
• Choose a server location close to your players. This is the secret to smooth, lag-free gameplay.

If you love playing Minecraft with friends, you probably know the struggle. You want a server that actually works. You want something that does not lag every five minutes. And honestly, you want something that will not break the bank.

I have spent time researching the best Minecraft server hosting options out there. Let me share what I found so you can make a good choice without wasting hours comparing different providers.

Why Reliability Matters More Than Price

When picking a Minecraft host, reliability and uptime should be your top concern. You want a host that is reliable and has a good track record. A big name is usually good. They are big for a reason. If millions of people are using a host, it means they must be doing something right. Not everyone can follow blindly.

Think about it. What is the point of saving $2 per month if your server crashes during your biggest build session? Trust me, it is not worth the headache.

Quick Comparison

Host	Starting Price	Best For	Uptime
Hostinger	$5.49/month	Best overall	99.9%
Shockbyte	$2.79/month	Budget friendly	99.9%
ScalaCube	$2/month	Budget option	99.9%
GTXGaming	£1.90/month	Free tier users	99.9%
Apex Hosting	$11.24/month	Premium experience	99.9%

1. Hostinger

Best Overall

Hostinger is my top pick. With over 4 million clients worldwide, they are one of the biggest web hosts in the world. That kind of scale means something. They have figured out how to keep servers running smoothly.

What you get:

• Plans start at $5.49 per month (up to 63% off during sales)
• Game Panel 1: 1 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 50GB NVMe storage, 4TB bandwidth
• Game Panel 2: 2 vCPU, 8GB RAM, 100GB NVMe storage, 8TB bandwidth ($7.49/month)
• Game Panel 4: 4 vCPU, 16GB RAM, 200GB NVMe storage, 16TB bandwidth ($10.99/month)
• Game Panel 8: 8 vCPU, 32GB RAM, 400GB NVMe storage, 32TB bandwidth ($21.99/month)
• AMD EPYC processors and NVMe SSD storage
• Free automatic weekly backups
• AI-managed server hosting with Kodee assistant
• DDoS protection and firewall included
• Full root access and one-click installation
• Over 2,000 modpacks available
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• Free .cloud domain for 1 year
• Data centers in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia

Supported server types: Official, CraftBukkit, Spigot, Paper, Purpur, Forge, SpongeVanilla, Cauldron, Tekkit, Feed the Beast, Project Rainbow, and Bedrock.

Real users say things like “It just always works” and “Never down, never crashes.” That is exactly what you want to hear.

2. Shockbyte

Budget Friendly

Shockbyte is perfect if you want cheap hosting that still works well with a very good reputation. It is one of the most popular and most trusted Minecraft server hosts. They have plans starting at just $2.79 per month. That is less than a cup of coffee.

What you get:

• Dirt (1GB RAM): $2.79/month (30% off first month)
• Sand (2GB RAM): $5.59/month
• Cobblestone (3GB RAM): $8.39/month
• Iron (4GB RAM): $11.19/month
• Gold (5GB RAM): $13.99/month
• Redstone (6GB RAM): $16.79/month
• Diamond (7GB RAM): $19.59/month
• Emerald (8GB RAM): $22.39/month
• Large server plans: Spartan (10GB) $27.99/month, Zeus (12GB) $33.59/month, Titan (16GB) $44.79/month
• AMD EPYC 4464P processors at 5.40GHz
• NVMe SSD storage (6x faster than SATA SSD)
• 72-hour self-serve refund policy
• Instant setup
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 24/7 support
• Instant modpack and plugin installer
• DDoS protection (always free)
• Supports Java and Bedrock Edition
• One-click installation for Paper, CraftBukkit, Forge, Vanilla, and all Bedrock servers
• Modded support: CurseForge, Feed The Beast, Technic, ATLauncher
• New control panel with real-time console, server instances, config manager, and backups
• Upgrade or downgrade anytime
• Save up to 25% with annual billing

With over 10,000 reviews and a 4 out of 5 rating, Shockbyte has proven it can deliver. Their support team is available around the clock to help with any issues.

3. ScalaCube

Best Free Plan

ScalaCube offers something special. They have a free forever plan with 6GB RAM. Yes, you read that right. Free. Forever. This is great if you want to test the waters before spending money.

What you get:

• Free 6GB RAM plan (24/7, forever)
• Paid plans: 768MB for $2/month (10 players), 1.5GB for $5/month (20 players), 3GB for $10/month (40 players)
• Larger plans: 4.5GB for $13/month (70 players), 6GB for $18/month (100 players), 8GB for $24/month (150 players)
• Big community plans: 12GB for $36/month (225 players), 16GB for $48/month (300 players), 32GB for $96/month (600 players)
• Unlimited slots and multiple servers on one VPS
• DDoS protection and automatic backups
• Plugin and mod support with custom JAR support
• BungeeCord support for server networks
• Full file access and free subdomain
• Free MySQL database included
• One-click installation for 1,000+ modpacks
• 24/7 customer support
• 50% off first invoice for new customers
• 14 server locations: US (California, Washington D.C., Texas, Florida), Canada, Australia, UK, France, Germany, Poland, Finland, Brazil, Singapore, India

Supported server types: Standard, Spigot, PaperMC, BungeeCord, Voids Wrath, ATLauncher, FTB, Technic, CurseForge, Fabric, and custom modpacks.

The setup is easy. Just a few clicks and you are playing with your friends. No technical knowledge needed.

4. GTXGaming

Good forever free plan

GTXGaming calls itself the UK’s number one Minecraft hosting. They have a free 3GB plan that is available forever. Their hardware is impressive with 5.7GHz CPUs and DDR5 RAM.

What you get:

• Free Forever plan: 3GB RAM with unlimited slots (5-10 vanilla players)
• Iron Plan: 4GB RAM for £7.80/month (10-15 players with light plugins)
• Redstone Plan: 6GB RAM for £11.70/month (10-15 players with mods)
• Titan Plan: 16GB RAM for £31.30/month (30+ players with heavy modpacks)
• 5.7GHz CPU, DDR5 RAM, NVMe SSD storage
• DDoS protection up to 1Tbps+
• Instant setup (ready within seconds)
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 24-hour refund policy
• One-click modpack installers (CurseForge, Modrinth, FTB, Technic, ATLauncher)
• Easy version switching and SFTP file manager
• Real-time console with CPU and RAM monitoring
• Automatic scheduled backups
• World upload and migration support
• 24/7 live support in control panel
• Easy upgrade or downgrade anytime (credit for downgrades)
• 11 global locations: Oregon, Dallas, Charlotte, Washington, New York, Quebec, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Poland, India, Singapore, Sydney

Supported server software: Paper, Pufferfish, Purpur, Folia, Leaves, Canvas, and 17+ other options.

If you are in Europe or just want to try hosting without spending money, GTXGaming is a solid choice.

5. Apex Hosting

Premium Choice

Apex Hosting is for people who want the best experience and do not mind paying a bit more. They use bare metal servers and premium Tier 3 datacenters. This is serious hardware.

What you get:

• 4GB RAM: $11.24 first month, then $14.99/month (basic servers and some modpacks)
• 6GB RAM: $16.87 first month, then $22.49/month (basic servers and some modpacks)
• 8GB RAM: $20.99 first month, then $27.99/month (advanced servers and all modpacks)
• Custom plans starting at $1.49/month
• EX Series (Premium): 16GB DDR4 RAM, 4 dedicated vCores, Ryzen 9 7950X at 4.8GHz, NVMe storage ($53.99 first month, then $71.99)
• EX Series includes dedicated IP and premium support
• Near 100% uptime on premium Tier 3 datacenters
• Full FTP file access
• DDoS protection up to 300Gbps
• 24/7 live chat and ticket support
• Automatic backups and updates
• Instant setup
• Free subdomain ([yourserver].apexmc.co)
• Modpack support and powerful game panel
• Multilingual support (English, Spanish, and more)
• 10% discount on quarterly billing
• 14 server locations: New York, Dallas, Sydney, Amsterdam, Sao Paulo, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Mumbai, Singapore, Vint Hill, San Jose, Miami, Frankfurt, London

Apex has years of experience in game hosting. Their web-based game panel works on any device, so you can manage your server from your phone or computer.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a Minecraft server host does not have to be complicated. Here is my simple advice:

• Want the best overall experience? Go with Hostinger.
• Want to try for free first? GTXGaming or ScalaCube.
• On a tight budget? Shockbyte.
• Want premium performance? Apex Hosting EX Series.

All of these hosts offer good uptime, DDoS protection, and support. The main differences are price and extra features. Pick the one that fits your needs and budget.