How to Make a Minecraft Server, Step by Step

Requirements: Java, RAM and port 25565

Java version. The Minecraft server runs on Java, and each Minecraft version needs a specific Java version. Versions 1.18 to 1.20.4 need Java 17, and 1.20.5 and later need Java 21. Check the release notes for the version you want. You can download Java from a free OpenJDK build such as Eclipse Temurin.

RAM. How much memory to give the server depends on player count and on plugins or mods:

Memory you give the server is separate from the memory the game itself uses. If you play and host on the same machine, make sure it has enough RAM for both.

Java or Bedrock? Minecraft comes in two editions. Java Edition, the usual PC version, has the full plugin and mod ecosystem, and the server in this guide is a Java server. The version on phones, tablets, consoles and the Microsoft Store is Bedrock Edition. Even if most of your friends play Bedrock, you can run a Java server and let them in with the Geyser plugin; see the FAQ for details.

Port. Java Edition servers use TCP port 25565 by default. For friends to connect over the internet, that port has to be forwarded from your router to your computer.

How to make a Minecraft server on your PC

1. Install Java. Download and install the Java version your Minecraft version needs. Check it by typing java -version in a terminal.
2. Create a folder. For example, a folder named minecraft-server on your desktop. All server files will live here.
3. Download the server file. Get server.jar from the server download page on minecraft.net and put it in the folder.
4. Run the server for the first time. Open a terminal in the folder and run:

   java -Xms2G -Xmx2G -jar server.jar nogui
   

   
   -Xms and -Xmx set how much memory the server gets. On the first run, the server creates a few files and stops.
5. Accept the EULA. Open the new eula.txt file and change eula=false to eula=true. This means you accept the Minecraft End User License Agreement.
6. Adjust the settings. These are the most used lines in server.properties:
   • motd: the description shown in the server list.
   • max-players: the player limit.
   • difficulty and gamemode: difficulty and game mode.
   • white-list: set it to true so only players you add can join.
   • online-mode: keep it true; it checks that players use real Minecraft accounts.
7. Start the server again. Run the same command; the world is generated. When you see "Done" in the console, the server is ready.
8. Make yourself an operator. Type op yourname in the console to use admin commands in game.

Create a start script

Instead of typing the command each time, create a start script. On Windows, make a file named start.bat in the server folder with:

java -Xms2G -Xmx2G -jar server.jar nogui
pause

On Linux, put the same command in start.sh and make it executable with chmod +x start.sh. To give the server more memory later, just change the -Xms and -Xmx values. Keeping both the same makes Java's garbage collector behave more predictably.

To shut the server down, type stop in the console. Closing the window directly can stop the server without saving the world.

Adding plugins with Paper or Spigot

The vanilla server does not support plugins. For economy, land claiming, teleport or admin plugins, you need Bukkit-compatible server software. The most common are Spigot and Paper, which is built on Spigot and is faster.

1. Download the Paper .jar for your Minecraft version from papermc.io.
2. Use it in your server folder instead of server.jar; the start command is the same, only the file name changes.
3. A plugins folder appears on the first run. Download plugin .jar files from sources such as Hangar, Modrinth or SpigotMC and put them in this folder.
4. Restart the server and type /plugins in game or in the console to check that they loaded.

Useful plugins to start with

Every server is different, but many owners start with these common plugins:

• LuckPerms: to manage player groups and permissions.
• EssentialsX: for basic commands like /home, /spawn and /tpa.
• WorldGuard (with WorldEdit): to protect spawn and other important areas.
• CoreProtect: to log who broke which block and roll back griefing.

More plugins mean more RAM and CPU. Installing only what you actually use keeps your server faster and safer.

Always make sure a plugin matches your server's Minecraft version. An incompatible plugin can stop the server from starting; the error in the console tells you which plugin caused it.

How your friends join your server

On the same network (same home, same router), friends connect with your computer's local IP address. On Windows you can see it with ipconfig; it usually looks like 192.168.x.x. They enter it under "Multiplayer" > "Add Server" in Minecraft.

Over the internet, you need these steps:

1. In your router's admin page, forward TCP port 25565 to your computer's local IP address (port forwarding).
2. Make sure Windows Firewall allows incoming connections for Java.
3. Give your friends your public IP address. You can find it in your router or on any "what is my IP" site.

Some internet providers use CGNAT, where many customers share one public IP address, and port forwarding does not work. If the port is forwarded correctly but nobody can connect from outside, you may need to ask your provider for a public or static IP.

The limits of hosting on your own PC

Hosting on your own computer is a great way to learn, but some limits show up as your community grows:

• The computer has to stay on. When you shut it down or restart it, everyone is disconnected.
• Upload speed is limited. Home connections upload far slower than they download, and every player shares that upload.
• Your IP address is exposed. The address you give players is your home connection's address. In an attack, not just the server but your whole home internet goes down. Our guide What is a DDoS attack? explains why.
• Performance is shared. If you play on the same machine, the server competes with the game for CPU and memory.
• A computer that is always on also costs electricity and wears out faster.

Don't forget backups

When the server runs on your own computer, backups are entirely up to you. Regularly stop the server with stop and copy the world, world_nether and world_the_end folders to another disk or to the cloud. Backing up before a big update or a new plugin means a mistake never costs you your world.

Renting a Minecraft server

Once your community is here to stay, moving the server to a data center removes all of these limits. You still do most of the steps above yourself, but the server stays online 24/7, your home IP stays private and the connection serves only your players.

Nodesty's Minecraft server hosting runs on the Ryzen 9 9950X, which boosts to 5.7 GHz for Minecraft's largely single-threaded main loop, with NVMe storage and DDoS protection. Choose Minecraft when installing the operating system and the server files and Java come preinstalled; you only need to bring your world and plugins. Thinking about a GTA V roleplay server too? Read our guide on how to make a FiveM server.