How much RAM does a vanilla Minecraft server need?
A vanilla Minecraft server needs about 2 GB of RAM for the server, plus 1 GB for every three players. Five friends need about 3.7 GB, so 4 GB, ten players need about 5.3 GB and fit on an 8 GB plan, because none of the three hosts sells a 6 GB Java plan, and twenty players need about 8.7 GB, so a 12 GB plan. No other setup is this easy on memory.
| Players online | Vanilla | Plugins | Modded | Modpack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 to 5 | 4 GB | 5 GB | 8 GB | 13 GB |
| 6 to 10 | 6 GB | 7 GB | 10 GB | 18 GB |
| 11 to 20 | 9 GB | 12 GB | 15 GB | 28 GB |
| 21 to 30 | 12 GB | 17 GB | 20 GB | 38 GB |
| 31 to 50 | 19 GB | 27 GB | 30 GB | 58 GB |
Best plans for a vanilla Minecraft server
The best plan for a vanilla Minecraft server with ten players is 8 GB at the lowest price, since vanilla needs no reserved processor for a group that size.
For 6 to 10 players with vanilla Minecraft on Java in Poland (Warsaw), the finder recommends Cheapest Minecraft Hosting Plus: 8 GB, AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, DDR5, for €6.40 a month when you pay monthly. The best plans at the other two hosts are Astroworld Starter Performance at €15.95 and Lodehost Starter at €15.95.
| 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 |
Vanilla or Paper for your Minecraft server?
For most groups we recommend Paper, and for technical Minecraft the official server jar. Many servers that call themselves vanilla actually run Paper without any gameplay plugins. Players see the same game, and the server runs noticeably lighter. The downside is redstone: Paper changes a few game mechanics, so some technical builds, such as certain duplication glitches and farms, behave differently. That is why technical players stick to the official server jar.
The cheapest 8 GB plan for a vanilla group is CheapestMinecraftHosting Plus at €6.40 a month.
How to add datapacks to a Minecraft server
To add a datapack to a Minecraft server, put it in the datapacks folder of your world and run /reload or restart the server. That way a vanilla server can still change the game. A datapack adds recipes, new rules, custom loot or small features such as more mobs dropping their heads, and it runs on the vanilla server and on Paper alike. Players do not need to install anything, which makes datapacks the easiest way to give a vanilla server a twist without turning it into a modded server.
How to update a vanilla Minecraft server
When Mojang releases a new version of Minecraft, the official server software is available on the same day, so a vanilla server can update right away. Paper usually follows a little later, once its team has updated and tested it. Before any update, make a backup: a world that has been opened in a newer version cannot safely go back to an older one. Players also need the same version as the server, so agree on the day you update.