You don’t need to pay anyone to run a Minecraft server. There are two real ways to do it for free: host it yourself on your own PC using Mojang’s official server software, or use a free hosting site like Aternos that runs the server on their hardware instead of yours. This guide walks through both, so you can pick whichever fits how you actually want to play.

Neither method costs a cent. They just trade off differently — self-hosting gives you full control but ties up your own computer, while a free host runs 24/7 hardware for you but puts your server on a shared queue.

Method 1: Self-Host on Your Own PC (No Extra Software Required)

This is the most direct way to run a free minecraft server — you download Mojang’s official server software and run it on the computer you already own. Nothing to install beyond Java, nothing to sign up for.

What You Need First

  • A PC that can stay on. Your server only stays joinable while this computer is running and the server process is active. A laptop with the lid open works fine; it just needs to not go to sleep.
  • The right Java version. This is the single most common point where people get stuck. Minecraft dropped its old “1.x” version numbers in 2026 — the current release line is versioned by year (26.1, 26.2, and so on), and the current Java Edition release requires Java 25 (specifically OpenJDK 25). Older Java installs — even Java 21, which was the requirement for the previous 1.20.5–1.21.x line — will not run a current server jar. If you’re hosting an older Minecraft version on purpose, check the Minecraft Wiki’s Java version table for which Java release that specific version needs.
  • At least 2GB of free RAM dedicated to the server process. The Wiki lists 1GB as a technical floor, but in practice 2GB is a more realistic minimum for a smooth small server, and 4GB is comfortable for up to about 10 players.

Setting Up the Server Files

  1. Download the server software directly from Mojang’s official server page — never a third-party mirror.
  2. Create a new folder for it (Desktop is fine, just give it its own folder — the server generates a dozen-plus files and folders alongside the jar on first run).
  3. Move the downloaded file into that folder and run it once. The first run won’t actually start a playable server — it generates eula.txt and server.properties, then shuts itself down. That’s expected.
  4. Open eula.txt and change eula=false to eula=true. Mojang requires this agreement before the server will run at all; skip it and the server exits immediately on every launch.
  5. Open server.properties if you want to change defaults — difficulty, game mode, max players, and the message-of-the-day are the ones most people touch first.
  6. Run the jar again. This time it should generate the world and stay running, with a console you can type commands into.

At this point, anyone on the same Wi-Fi network as you can already join using your local IP address. The next step is what makes it reachable from outside your house.

Making It Joinable From Outside Your Network: Port Forwarding

By default, your router blocks incoming connections from the internet — that’s a security feature, not a bug. Port forwarding tells your router to send a specific kind of incoming traffic straight to your PC instead of blocking it.

  • Minecraft Java Edition uses TCP port 25565.
  • Minecraft Bedrock Edition uses UDP ports 19132–19133 instead — different protocol, different ports, so don’t reuse the Java steps if you’re hosting Bedrock.

The general process:

  1. Find your PC’s local IP address (ipconfig on Windows, ip addr on Linux/macOS Terminal).
  2. Set that local IP to be static or reserved in your router’s DHCP settings, so it doesn’t change and break your forwarding rule later.
  3. Log into your router’s admin page (commonly 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1) and find the port forwarding section — it’s usually under Advanced settings, sometimes labeled “Virtual Servers” or “NAT Forwarding.”
  4. Add a rule forwarding port 25565 (TCP, for Java) to your PC’s local IP.
  5. Allow the same port through your OS firewall — on Windows this is an inbound rule in Windows Defender Firewall.
  6. Restart the server, then check whether the port is actually open using a tool like canyouseeme.org.
  7. Share your public IP address (search “what is my IP” to find it) with friends, who connect using youraddress:25565.

When Port Forwarding Doesn’t Work: CGNAT

If you’ve done everything above correctly and the port still won’t open, the likely culprit in 2026 is CGNAT (Carrier-Grade NAT) — many ISPs now share a single public IP address across multiple customers, which means you don’t actually have a public IP to forward a port to. A quick sign of this: if your router’s WAN IP starts with 100.64.x.x, you’re behind CGNAT.

In that case, port forwarding genuinely cannot work, no matter how correctly you configure it. The free workaround is a tunneling tool like playit.gg, which routes connections through their service straight to your PC so you never touch your router’s settings at all. We go deeper on this — plus the full self-hosting vs. paid vs. free-host decision — in our PC vs. third-party hosting comparison, if you want the longer version.

Method 2: Use a Free Minecraft Server Hosting Site

If keeping your own PC running around the clock isn’t realistic — or you just want the server to stay online when your computer is off — a free hosting site is the other no-cost path. Aternos is the largest and most well-known of these.

The trade-off is straightforward: instead of using your hardware, you’re using theirs, for free, with limits that make that possible.

What this actually looks like in practice:

  • You create an account, pick your edition (Java or Bedrock) and server type — vanilla, or one of the supported mod/plugin loaders (Forge, Fabric, Paper, Spigot, and others) — and the platform provisions a server for you. No port forwarding, no router access needed, since the server isn’t running on your network at all.
  • You can upload your own world, install plugins or a modpack, and adjust settings through a web panel instead of editing config files directly.
  • DDoS protection is included automatically, which is something you’d otherwise have to set up yourself on a home connection.
  • The catch: free servers on platforms like this typically go offline when no one’s playing, and starting it back up can mean waiting in a queue behind other free users, since the underlying hardware is shared. It’s genuinely free forever — there’s no hidden paywall — but it’s built around that trade-off.

This is the right call for casual, ad-hoc play with friends — spin it up, play for the evening, let it sleep when you’re done. It’s a worse fit if you want a server that’s always instantly reachable, in which case self-hosting (or eventually paid hosting) closes that gap.

If you want mods or plugins beyond vanilla survival, most free hosts support installing them through their panel — EssentialsX, LuckPerms, and WorldEdit are common starting points for a basic survival world. But wiring up anything bigger than that yourself gets old fast: a real Bedwars or Skyblock setup means hunting down the right plugin, configuring it, building or finding a world for it, then doing that again for every gamemode you want. Oak Network skips that part entirely — its $19.99 Basic package is six gamemodes (including Bedwars and Duels) already linked together and ready to upload to your free host, with Survival and Skyblock available separately if you want those too. Drop it onto Aternos or wherever you’re hosting and you’ve got a multi-gamemode server running the same evening instead of a weekend project.

Java vs. Bedrock: Which Free Method Fits Your Edition

Both methods above work for Java Edition. Bedrock is more particular:

  • Self-hosting Bedrock uses the separate Bedrock Dedicated Server software, not the Java server jar, and forwards UDP 19132 instead of TCP 25565.
  • Free hosting sites generally support both editions, and some — Aternos included — can bridge Java and Bedrock players onto the same server using a compatibility layer, so check that setting if you want cross-platform friends to join.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run a modded Minecraft server for free? Yes, both methods support mods — self-hosting works with any mod loader’s server jar (Forge, Fabric, NeoForge), and most free hosting sites offer one-click modpack installs.

Does my Minecraft server need to run 24/7? Only if you want it joinable at all times. Self-hosted servers are online exactly as long as your PC and the server process are running; free hosting sites keep servers online while players are active and put them to sleep when empty.

Can I host a free server for just me and a couple of friends? Yes — both methods work fine at small scale, and a small survival multiplayer world is the lightest possible setup either way.

Final Thoughts

Self-hosting and free hosting sites solve the same problem from opposite directions: one uses your hardware and your full control, the other uses someone else’s hardware and accepts shared limits in exchange. Neither costs anything, so the right pick comes down to whether you’d rather manage port forwarding once or accept a queue when your server’s been idle.

If you’re still weighing self-hosting against paying for hosting down the line — not just the two free options here — our PC vs. third-party hosting breakdown covers that full decision, including when a few dollars a month actually starts paying for itself.

If you’re trying to decide which free hosting site to use — Aternos vs. Minehut vs. FalixNodes — our free Minecraft server hosting comparison covers each one honestly, including the trade-offs most guides skip.