You can create a Minecraft server for free in two ways.
- The simplest way: go through Aternos, a free web hosting service that you can set up without making any changes to your network.
- The most flexible: host the server directly on your PC, then open it online to play with your friends.
This guide covers both options, step by step, for Minecraft Java Edition. Choose based on your needs and the level of control you want to maintain over your world.
Why create a Minecraft server?
A Minecraft server lets you play multiplayer games with your friends on your own world, anytime. You’re in full control of the settings: difficulty, whitelist, number of players, and mods.
The two methods are suited to different purposes. The free hosting provider Aternos is perfect for getting started quickly, even without any technical knowledge. If you want to take it further, check out the Best hosting providers for your Minecraft server. Self-hosting on a PC requires a bit more setup, but it gives you more resources and freedom to customize your dedicated server.
It's easy to set up and lets you share a real gaming experience with your community, whether you want a small server with friends or a more ambitious project.
How to create a Minecraft server via a free host?
The easiest way to set up a Minecraft server is through a free web hosting service. This tutorial uses Aternos, but there are other hosting providers of the same type. No network configuration is required.
- First, go to the official website of’Aternos. You then need to create an account, after which a page will appear:
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- Orange : Choose a username for your account Aternos. It won't be visible on your Minecraft server.
- Yellow : This is your server's connection address, which you'll share with your friends. Click the pencil icon on the right to edit the header for your server's IP address. Here, it is Alucare122. You can't change the aternos.me.
- Violet : This feature lets you display a message right below your server. You can edit it by clicking the pencil icon on the right. Here's what it looks like:
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- Green : This function selects the server type. Java Edition creates a server for PC players. Bedrock Edition refers to the Minecraft version on Windows 10, Windows 11, consoles, and mobile devices. This is the former «Windows 10 Edition,» released by Mojang and distributed through the account Microsoft, which is now simply called Minecraft.
- Don't forget to accept the terms and conditions, then click «Create an Account.».
Once that's done, you'll be taken to your server's configuration page. Here is the main configuration menu:
©Alucare for Alucare.fr
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- Yellow : This button is simply used to start your server.
- Red : Here, you choose your server version (for example: 1.11.2 or the version of your choice). You also decide on the type of server software:
- Vanilla : the official version of Mojang, without any changes.
- Spigot Where Bukkit : optimized and compatible with plugins.
- Forge : Essential if you want to install mods.
- In the Bedrock Edition, you can choose the Bedrock version as well as the Pocketmine.
- Violet : This feature lets you upload a world. For example, you can upload a map you created in single-player mode to your multiplayer server.
- Green : This section includes several configuration settings:
- The maximum number of players, the game mode (Survival, Creative), and the difficulty level of your world.
- The «Whitelist»: If you enable it, it prevents players from connecting unless they're on the list. It's a good security measure to keep your server private.
- Whether or not to enable animals, NPCs, the control panel, and the cracked versions and cracked Minecraft servers (non-premium).
- Progress, flight, monsters, and the Nether.
- Spawn protection, which is useful for keeping, say, a 10-block radius around the main spawn safe.
You can now start your server by clicking «Start Your Server,» then «Start.» You’ll be placed in a queue for a few minutes. All you have to do is share the IP address with your friends.
How do you set up a Minecraft server on your PC?
Sometimes, free hosting services aren't enough or don't suit your needs. In that case, you can host your own server directly on your PC, whether it runs Windows, macOS, or Linux. This method gives you access to all your machine's resources and complete freedom to configure it. You can then use a tunneling tool to expose an IP address so your friends can connect to your server.
What You Need to Know Before You Begin: Since June 2024, the order ngrok tcp The free plan requires a verified account linked to a credit card (not a debit card). There is a free alternative designed primarily for game servers: playit.gg, with a free plan that does, however, have some limitations. If you have a poor internet connection, self-hosting is not recommended.
- First, you'll download a file .jar the Minecraft server and the tunneling tool:
Blank Minecraft template: Select the version you want and download the file .jar corresponding one. You'll need the right version of Java installed on Windows, macOS, or Linux to run it. Recent versions of Minecraft require Java 17 or Java 21.
Ngrok Where playit.gg : Create an account, then download the program.
- Next, create a folder for your server—in this case, «Server Minecraft.» Rename the file .jar from the «spigot-" serverversion »simply as «spigot».".
- Next, create a text document named «start» in this folder and copy and paste the following into it:
java -Xms1024M -Xmx1024M -jar spigot.jar nogui
PAUSE
The parameter nogui Starts the server without a graphical interface, which uses fewer resources. On Windows, this is the recommended mode for a stable dedicated server.
- Then go to: «File» > «Save As» > File name: start.bat > «Save.».
- You can now delete the .txt file.
Here's what it looks like:
- Then open the file start.bat. A command prompt will appear: wait for it to load completely, then press any key to close it.
- Next, click on the file you created named «eula» and open it eula.txt. Replace eula=false by eula=true. These are the terms and conditions of Mojang. Save and close the file eula.txt.
- Then restart the server (the start.bat). Wait for the server to be created; this may take several minutes. The start.bat is Your server: If you close its command prompt, your server will shut down.
- To see if it works, launch Minecraft, then add a server by entering the following in the «Server Address» field: localhost.
- If everything goes well, you can log in to your server (provided that your start.bat (once it is launched).
- You can configure your server settings in the file server.properties. This file server.properties It includes, among other things, the port (25565 by default), the maximum number of players, the difficulty level, the game mode, and the whitelist. This is the main file for configuring your dedicated server. For the security of your network, make sure that only port 25565 is open if you’re using port forwarding instead of a tunnel.
- All that's left to do is set up an IP address so your friends can join your server and play with you. To do this, run the file Ngrok installed at the beginning. A command prompt will appear; this is normal. Go to the website Ngrok To copy your «authtoken,» which is located here (copy it without the ./, it's pointless):
- Then return to the command prompt Ngrok, and paste the auth token:
- Press «Enter» to run the command. If you did it correctly, you should see «Authtoken saved to configuration file…» at the top, like this:
- There's just one thing left for you to write and run: ngrok tcp 25565 -region eu.
- Copy and paste the line, then press Enter; this should appear:
The part I've highlighted in green is your server's IP address, which you need to share with your friends so they can join. If you close the command prompt and restart it, the IP address will change. You'll then need to re-enter the auth token and the command ngrok tcp.
Now you can play with your friends easily and without any bugs.
See the rest of the guides on Minecraft:
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