Types of Minecraft Java servers
There are three types of Minecraft Java servers: the vanilla server, Paper or Purpur for plugins, and Fabric, Forge or NeoForge for mods:
- Vanilla, the official server jar, for Minecraft exactly as Mojang made it.
- Paper and Purpur, which are faster than vanilla and support plugins.
- Fabric, Forge and NeoForge, for mods and modpacks.
All three hosts we compare let you choose the server type and the Minecraft version when you order, and you can change both later in the panel.
Best Minecraft Java server plans
The best Minecraft Java server plan for ten players with plugins has 8 GB of RAM:
For 6 to 10 players with a few plugins on Java in Poland (Warsaw), the finder recommends Lodehost Starter: 8 GB, AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, DDR5, for €15.95 a month when you pay monthly. As a new customer you pay €6.38 for the first month, 60% off. The best plans at the other two hosts are Astroworld Starter Performance at €15.95 and CheapestMinecraftHosting Plus at €6.40.
| If you want | Host and plan | Memory | Processor | Location | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | CheapestMinecraftHosting Plus | 8 GB | AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, DDR5 | Poland (Warsaw) | €6.40 |
| Balanced | Lodehost Starter | 8 GB | AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, DDR5 | Poland (Warsaw) | €15.95 (€13.95 on 24 mo) New customers: €6.38 for the first month, 60% off |
| More performance | Astroworld Starter Performance | 8 GB | AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, DDR5 | Poland (Warsaw) | €15.95 (€13.95 on 24 mo) New customers: €6.38 a month for the first 3 months, 60% off |
8 GB Minecraft Java server plans side by side
These are the 8 GB Minecraft Java server plans at the three hosts, the size for about ten players with plugins:
| Host | Plan | Per month | Memory | vCPU | Processor | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astroworld | Starter Performance Performance line, free website | €15.95 (€13.95 on 24 mo) New customers: €6.38 a month for the first 3 months, 60% off | 8 GB | 2 reserved | Ryzen 9 5900X (Germany) or 7950X (Poland) | 50 GB Enterprise NVMe |
| Lodehost | Starter Performance line, free website | €15.95 (€13.95 on 24 mo) New customers: €6.38 for the first month, 60% off | 8 GB | 2 reserved | Ryzen 9 5900X (Germany) or 7950X (Poland) | 60 GB Enterprise NVMe |
| CheapestMinecraftHosting | Plus Budget line | €6.40 | 8 GB | 2 shared | AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, DDR5 | 40 GB NVMe |
| Astroworld | Starter Standard line, free website | €12.95 (€10.95 on 24 mo) | 8 GB | 2 shared | AMD EPYC | 60 GB SSD |
| Lodehost | Starter Standard line, free website | €12.95 (€10.95 on 24 mo) | 8 GB | 2 shared | Shared processor | 75 GB SSD |
Java has the widest choice of plan sizes. Cheapest Minecraft Hosting offers eleven sizes from 2 GB to 128 GB at the same price per gigabyte. Astroworld Hosting adds a 16 GB plan on the Performance line and goes up to 128 GB there. Lodehost keeps it simple with seven Java sizes on the standard line, starting with Lodehost Camp at €5.95.
Which Java version does a Minecraft server need?
Minecraft 1.20.5 and newer need Java 21, versions 1.18 to 1.20.4 need Java 17, 1.17 needs Java 16, and 1.16.5 and older run on Java 8. A Minecraft Java server runs on Java, and each Minecraft version needs this minimum Java version. Modpacks for old versions often still need Java 8. If a server refuses to start after you change the Minecraft version, check the Java version in your panel first.
Minecraft Java or Bedrock server?
Choose a Minecraft Java server if your whole group plays on PC, because Java gives you the most freedom. Java Edition runs on Windows, macOS and Linux and is the edition for plugins, mods and modpacks. Bedrock Edition runs on phones, tablets, consoles and Windows, with add-ons from the Marketplace or the community instead of mods. If anyone plays on a phone or a console, choose a crossplay server so both editions can join, or a Bedrock server if nobody plays Java at all.