Free Minecraft Server Hosting Compared: 7 Hosts Side by Side

How we compared (and our bias)

We run Enzonic, one of the hosts in this list, so read this with that in mind. To keep it fair, every fact about another host comes from that host's own website or help center, read on October 12, 2026, and is linked in the sources at the end. We did not run performance tests, so this article doesn't rank hosts by speed.

Free tiers change often. Minehut, for example, has changed its free playtime rules several times since 2023. Check each host's current page before you decide.

The short version

• Aternos: free with no paid plan at all, unlimited slots and many server types. RAM depends on the software (its example is 2,400 MB for Vanilla 1.20.1). You start the server from the website, there can be a queue when it's busy, there's no FTP, and mods come from its own list only. • Minehut: 1 GB RAM, 10 players, no playtime limit, wakes when a player joins. SFTP needs a paid plan. • FalixNodes: 2.5 GB shared RAM, mods and SFTP on free, a start page anyone can use, and chat activity checks up to every 3 hours. Free is offered in 40 countries. • Minefort: about 1 GB and 10 players (per TechRadar's May 2025 review). Free servers lock after 3 days of inactivity. • FreeMcServer.net: up to 1.7 GB (4 GB with ads), any mods, FTP. Servers need renewing every 4 hours (6 with an ad). • Server.pro: a 2 GB demo you renew by hand every hour. • Enzonic: 3.5 GB RAM, 200% CPU, 5 GB SSD, SFTP, your own mods and plugins. It sleeps when empty and starts by itself when a player connects; they wait about 20 seconds in a lobby, then join.

How each free server starts

This is the biggest day-to-day difference between free hosts, because free servers almost always stop when nobody is playing.

• Press a button: Aternos (website start button; its Dawn launcher can auto-start for Dawn players), Minefort (dashboard), Server.pro (hourly renewal). • Anyone can start it from a web page: FalixNodes (Start Server page), FreeMcServer.net (public page). • Starts when a player joins: Minehut and Enzonic. On Enzonic the player waits in a lobby for about 20 seconds and is then moved into the world.

Mods, plugins and file access

If you want to bring your own world or a modpack, file access matters most.

• SFTP or FTP on the free tier: FalixNodes, Minefort, FreeMcServer.net, Enzonic. • Web file manager only: Aternos (no FTP, and no custom plugin or mod uploads), Minehut (SFTP on paid plans), Server.pro (service-only file access on the demo).

Large modpacks need more memory than any free tier offers. Check the pack's recommended RAM; our RAM sizing guide explains how to estimate it.

Which one should you pick?

• You only play when you're online together and want zero setup: Aternos or Minehut work well, and both have huge communities. • You want your own mods and plugins with SFTP: FalixNodes (if it's offered in your country), FreeMcServer.net (if you don't mind renewals) or Enzonic. • You want friends to join without anyone opening a website first: Minehut or Enzonic, which start when a player connects.

You can try Enzonic's free tier at https://enzonic.com/free. Side-by-side tables for each host are at https://enzonic.com/alternatives.

Sources (checked October 12, 2026)

• Aternos: https://aternos.org/:en/ , https://support.aternos.org/hc/en-us/articles/360026950812-Queue , https://support.aternos.org/hc/en-us/articles/360027235831-Uploading-files-and-FTP-access • Minehut: https://minehut.com/server-plans , https://support.minehut.com/hc/en-us/articles/27126955782291-How-do-I-use-SFTP-on-my-server • FalixNodes: https://falixnodes.net/free-minecraft-server-hosting , https://falixnodes.net/blog/why-is-free-plan-limited • Minefort: https://help.minefort.com/en/article/why-is-my-server-locked-1owsqjb/ and TechRadar's review (May 2025) • FreeMcServer.net: https://blog.freemcserver.net/faq/how-server-renewal-expiration-work/ • Server.pro: https://server.pro/pricing • Enzonic: https://enzonic.com/free