How to Make a Minecraft Server (2026)

Two Ways to Host a Minecraft Server

Before you start, decide which approach suits you:

Option 1: Self-Hosting on Your PC

Java Edition Server

1. Install Java 21 (or the version matching your Minecraft version) from Adoptium.
2. Download the server JAR from minecraft.net.
3. Create a folder for your server files (e.g., C:\MinecraftServer).
4. Run the JAR with: java -Xmx4G -Xms2G -jar server.jar nogui
5. Accept the EULA — edit eula.txt and set eula=true.
6. Run again. The server will generate world files and start.
7. Configure server.properties for game mode, difficulty, max players, etc.

Port Forwarding

For friends outside your network to connect, you need to forward port 25565 (Java) or 19132 (Bedrock) on your router:

1. Log into your router admin panel (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1)
2. Find the Port Forwarding section
3. Create a rule: external port 25565, internal port 25565, TCP, pointing to your PC’s local IP
4. Share your public IP address with friends (find it at whatismyip.com)

Option 2: Game Server Hosting

Game hosting providers run the server for you on dedicated hardware. You get:

• 24/7 uptime — no need to keep your PC running
• DDoS protection — critical for public servers
• Control panel (Pterodactyl) — manage files, console, mods without SSH
• Automatic backups
• No port forwarding needed — you get a dedicated IP and port

With Glitch Servers, Minecraft hosting starts at £6.99/mo with Ryzen 9 hardware and NVMe SSD storage. Your server is online in under 2 minutes.

Server Configuration Essentials

Key settings in server.properties:

• gamemode — survival, creative, adventure, or spectator
• difficulty — peaceful, easy, normal, hard
• max-players — default 20, increase based on your RAM
• view-distance — lower values (8–10) improve performance on busy servers
• spawn-protection — radius around spawn that only ops can modify
• enable-command-block — set to true for adventure maps and minigames

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Making a Minecraft server is straightforward whether you self-host or use a hosting provider. For casual play with a few friends, self-hosting works. For anything larger, public, or modded, game hosting gives you better performance, security, and uptime without the hassle.