How much RAM does your Minecraft server need?
Tell me how many of you there are and what you've got installed. I'll tell you the exact GB you need and what it'll cost on each host. No headaches.
What each host charges for those GB
See the details and each host's fine print
| Host | What you get | Price | 12 months | Fine print |
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Why RAM is the only thing they'll try to sell you
What really decides the GB in Minecraft — and it isn't the players.
The modpack weighs more than the people
Almost everyone sizes by player count and forgets the rest. But a 200-mod pack with 5 friends needs more RAM than vanilla with 40 people. Every mod loads its blocks, entities and recipes into memory, whether there are two of you or twenty.
View distance
Every point of view-distance loads another ring of chunks
for every player. Going from 10 to 16 can push usage up 35%
without touching anything else. If you're tight, drop it to 8: you'll
notice it more in performance than in what you see.
The CPU matters just as much
Minecraft leans almost entirely on a single core, so one fast core beats eight slow ones. Lots of RAM won't help a slow CPU. Check which processor you get, not just the gigabytes.
Java or Bedrock
Bedrock (consoles and mobile) is a lot lighter. If your group mixes PC and consoles, the usual move is Java with Geyser and Floodgate so everyone can join: it adds a bit of load, but it's how you share one world.
How to set up your server, start to finish
Five steps. The first is the one almost everyone skips, and it decides what you'll pay for the rest of the year.
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Work out how much RAM you need
Before looking at prices. Buying by eye is how you overpay, or end up with a server that stutters.
Go to the calculator → -
Compare what that RAM costs
The same server can cost six times more at one host than another. And the most expensive isn't the best.
See the comparison → -
Read the fine print before paying
Discounts that only last the first month, prices that need two years upfront, plans that switch themselves off. They're all on file.
See the deals and their catches → -
Set it up and configure it
Which software to pick, how to get console players in with crossplay, and the four settings that really matter.
Step-by-step guide → -
Backups and restarts
What separates a server that lasts a year from one that dies in three weeks. Both automatic, and two clicks to switch on.
How to get it done →
Who's behind it
Who writes this
I'm Doublelag. I run a Spanish Minecraft channel with over 200,000 subscribers and I run my own production server, with crossplay, plugins and real players. The numbers on this site aren't copied from anywhere: they're the ones I use.
What I get out of it
Right now, nothing: I have no affiliate deal with any host on this site. If I ever do, I'll say so here and in every page footer, and that host will sit in the tables where its price puts it, not higher.
Things everyone ends up asking
The ones I get asked most in comments and on Discord.
Can I run the server on my own PC and skip all this?
You can, but there are three catches: your PC has to stay on all the time (turn it off and your friends can't play), you have to open ports on your router, and your home upload speed is usually far worse than a data centre's, so everyone else will lag. Fine for a one-off evening; not for a serious world.
I'm on PS5, Xbox or Switch. Can I host a server?
Not on your own: consoles don't let you run a dedicated server or open ports. If your group is split between PC and consoles and you want to play together in the same world with crossplay, renting a server is literally the only option. In Minecraft you do it by running Java with Geyser and Floodgate, so Bedrock players can join too.
What if I run out of RAM?
You'll notice right away: stutter when moving, blocks slow to break, mobs teleporting and, at worst, the server restarting by itself. At a host you fix it by upgrading in two clicks, but it's better to size it first and leave some headroom: the RAM you need goes up over time, not down.
Is paying for more RAM than I need worth it?
Not much. Past the point where the game runs smoothly, more RAM doesn't add performance — the CPU calls the shots there. What spare RAM gives you is headroom: room for more mods, more people, or letting the world grow without changing plan.