How to Make a Minecraft Server: The Complete Beginner Guide

Setting up a Minecraft server is one of the best ways to turn the game from a solo experience into a shared world that you fully control. You decide the rules, the mods, the difficulty, and who gets to play. The good news is that making a Minecraft server is far easier than it sounds, even if you have never touched a command line before.

There are three broad ways to run a Minecraft server, and which one is right for you depends mostly on how often you plan to play and with how many people.

Option 1: A local server on your own PC

This is the fastest way to get a world running for a quick session with people on the same network, or for testing before you commit to something more permanent.

1. Download the official server software from Minecraft.net (server.jar for Java Edition).
2. Create a new folder and place the jar file inside it.
3. Run the jar once to generate the folder structure, then open eula.txt and change eula=false to eula=true.
4. Launch the server again. After a minute or two, your world will be generated and the server will be ready.

Before you download anything, it is worth checking Mojang's own server hardware and setup requirements so you know what CPU and RAM a small server actually needs.

The catch: a server running on your own computer is only reachable while that computer is on, and only easily reachable by people on your Wi-Fi unless you configure your router. It also competes with your game client for CPU and RAM, which can hurt performance for everyone.

Option 2: Free tunneling tools

Tools like playit.gg create a public tunnel to your local server so friends outside your home network can connect, without you touching your router settings. This is a great middle ground for casual play, but tunnels can be less stable and slower than a proper host, and your PC still has to stay on the whole time.

Option 3: A hosted server

A hosted server runs on dedicated hardware in a data center, 24 hours a day, whether or not your own PC is switched on. This is the option almost everyone eventually moves to, because it means:

• The server is always online, so friends can drop in anytime.
• Performance is consistent and not shared with your own gameplay.
• You get a real, permanent IP address to share.
• Backups, mod installation, and version changes are handled through a simple control panel instead of the command line.

Choosing the right path

If you just want to try Minecraft multiplayer for an afternoon with someone in the same house, a local server is fine. If you want a persistent world with a group of friends who play at different times, a hosted server is the only option that will not leave people locked out because your computer is asleep.

Before committing to any RAM tier, it also helps to run your planned player count and mod list through a RAM calculator so you are not guessing.

If cost is the deciding factor, it is worth knowing that you do not need to pay to get started. Tick Hosting runs a free Minecraft server plan that gives you a real, always-online server with a control panel, no credit card required, so you can experience proper hosted multiplayer before deciding whether to upgrade. Head over to Tick Hosting's plans to spin one up in a couple of minutes.