Minecraft server tools, compared

Windows (Store or direct download), Linux (£12 a year) · Free Lite, £1.99 Standard · Native desktop app, browser dashboard on Linux · the full feature list

The app this site is about. It's a native Windows app rather than a browser wrapper, so it stays light enough to host and play on the same PC. It sits in the tray while your server runs. One install covers Java, Paper, Purpur, Spigot, Forge, Fabric, Quilt, NeoForge, Bedrock, a server jar of your own and Velocity/BungeeCord proxy networks, with a web dashboard for running it from your phone or another PC. Version 4 added scheduled tasks that also run when something happens, Geyser in one button, sleep when empty, a clone of any server on its own port, a webhook of your own beside Discord and an API with keys. The Linux edition runs the same engine as a background service on a machine you own, a headless box or a VPS, managed from that dashboard. Servers on your own PC run fine offline. The dashboard, the relay and cloud storage are online extras you can skip.

• Free tier (Lite edition)
• Open source
• Cross-platform (Windows app, Linux edition, no Mac)
• No command line setup
• Built-in mod/plugin browser (CurseForge and Modrinth)
• Auto port forwarding (UPnP) and a built-in relay
• Multi-user web dashboard with role-based access
• Discord notifications and a webhook of your own
• Scheduled tasks on a timer, a cron line or when something happens (a join, a crash, low TPS)
• Sleep when empty, wake on the first join (Java servers)
• Bedrock players on a Java server, Geyser downloaded and set up in one button
• An API with keys for your own scripts and bots
• Crash diagnosis: reads the crash report, says what broke in plain words (the mod, the Java version, the port, the RAM) and fixes it in one click where it's safe, plus a restart-after-crash switch
• Multi-game support (Minecraft only)
• Modpack builder with a one-click installer for your players

Best for: Anyone hosting on their own hardware, from a first server on a Windows PC through to modded proxy networks spread across Linux machines. It doesn't use Docker. On Linux the install command is the only time you open a terminal.

The web dashboard, scheduled restarts and tasks, notifications, automatic backups, proxy networks and the API need Standard (£1.99 once, or included with any relay subscription). Everything else on this list is in the free Lite edition.

Trade-offs: Closed source, no Mac version, much smaller community than Pterodactyl or Crafty. It's made for a person or a small community rather than a hosting company: the Linux edition covers three machines and servers aren't isolated in containers.

Pterodactyl Panel

Linux · Free, open source (MIT) · Web panel

The industry standard among hosting providers. Uses Docker to isolate each game server with its own resource limits. Capable and extensible but takes real Linux experience to set up.

• Free tier (free overall)
• Open source (MIT)
• Cross-platform (Linux only)
• No command line setup (Docker, MySQL, PHP install)
• Built-in mod/plugin browser (manual via Eggs)
• Auto port forwarding or a built-in relay
• Multi-user with role-based access
• Discord notifications or a webhook of your own (plugins required)
• Scheduled tasks (cron schedules with commands, power actions and backups, no event triggers)
• Sleep when empty, wake on the first join
• Bedrock players on a Java server, Geyser set up for you (a Geyser Egg you configure yourself)
• An API with keys (client and application keys)
• Crash auto-recovery (configurable)
• Multi-game (community Eggs cover hundreds)
• Modpack builder with a client installer for players

Best for: Hosting providers and experienced Linux administrators who run multiple servers and want serious control.

Trade-offs: Steep setup curve, no native networking help, mod and plugin management is roll-your-own.

AMP (CubeCoders)

Windows, Linux · $10 to $40+ one-time · Web panel

A polished commercial panel from CubeCoders. Web UI installer, hundreds of supported games, Modrinth and Hangar integration. Costs money, but pricing is one-time, not subscription.

• Free tier (paid only)
• Open source
• Cross-platform (Windows and Linux)
• No command line setup (web installer)
• Built-in mod/plugin browser (Modrinth and Hangar)
• Auto port forwarding or a built-in relay
• Multi-user (with limits on lower tiers)
• Discord notifications (Professional+) and a POST to a URL of your own
• Scheduled tasks on a timer or when something happens (the only other panel whose scheduler reacts to in-game events)
• Sleep when empty, wake on the first join (Sleep mode)
• Bedrock players on a Java server, Geyser set up for you (install it yourself)
• An API with keys
• Crash auto-recovery
• Multi-game (hundreds)
• Modpack builder with a client installer for players (server-side modpack installs yes, player installer no)

Best for: People running multiple game servers at once who want a polished, well-supported commercial product.

Trade-offs: Paid, lower tiers cap users and instances, networking is still on you.

Crafty Controller

Windows, macOS, Linux · Free, open source (GPL v3) · Web panel

A free open-source Minecraft panel with a clean web UI. Cross-platform, supports Java and Bedrock, has a companion mobile app. Setup is a step up from a desktop installer though.

• Free tier (free overall)
• Open source (GPL v3)
• Cross-platform (Win, Mac, Linux)
• No command line setup (Docker compose or Python)
• Built-in mod/plugin browser
• Auto port forwarding or a built-in relay
• Multi-user with role-based access
• Discord, Slack, Mattermost and Teams webhooks
• Scheduled tasks (a task scheduler on a timer or cron, no event triggers)
• Sleep when empty, wake on the first join
• Bedrock players on a Java server, Geyser set up for you (Bedrock servers yes, Geyser is on you)
• An API with keys (API v2)
• Crash auto-restart
• Multi-game support (Minecraft focused)
• Modpack builder with a client installer for players

Best for: Users who want a free, cross-platform, open-source web panel and don't mind a little terminal work to set it up.

Trade-offs: Setup needs Docker or Python, no built-in mod browser, networking still manual.

MCServerSoft (MCSS)

Windows · Free · Desktop app

A free Windows wrapper around the Minecraft server console. Lightweight, focused on the basics: import a server, install Forge or Fabric, schedule restarts.

• Free tier (free overall)
• Open source
• Cross-platform (Windows only)
• No command line setup
• Built-in mod/plugin browser
• Auto port forwarding or a built-in relay
• Multi-user with role-based access (a remote web panel with user management)
• Discord notifications or a webhook of your own
• Scheduled tasks (a scheduler on a timer, no event triggers)
• Sleep when empty, wake on the first join
• Bedrock players on a Java server, Geyser set up for you (Bedrock servers yes, Geyser is on you)
• An API with keys
• Crash auto-recovery
• Multi-game support
• Modpack builder with a client installer for players

Best for: Windows users who want a small, free wrapper for one Minecraft server and not much beyond that.

Trade-offs: Stops at the basics, no mod browser, no networking help, no notifications.

Fork

Windows · Free, open source · Desktop app

A free open source Windows wrapper aimed at casual players. It creates and imports servers, edits configs and files, manages Paper plugins and links servers together into a Waterfall proxy network.

• Free tier (free overall)
• Open source
• Cross-platform (Windows only, Mac and Linux planned)
• No command line setup
• Built-in mod/plugin browser (Paper plugins only, no mods)
• Auto port forwarding or a built-in relay
• Multi-user with role-based access
• Discord notifications or a webhook of your own
• Scheduled tasks
• Sleep when empty, wake on the first join
• Bedrock players on a Java server, Geyser set up for you
• An API with keys
• Crash auto-recovery
• Multi-game support
• Modpack builder with a client installer for players

Best for: Casual players who want a free, open source way to run Paper servers and proxy networks on Windows.

Trade-offs: Java only so no Bedrock, plugin support is Paper only with no mod browser and getting players connected is still down to you.

PocketMC

Windows, with Linux and Mac builds listed · Free, open source (MIT) · Desktop app

The closest free alternative to what we do. It sets up Vanilla, Paper, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, Bedrock and PocketMine-MP servers, provisions Geyser and Floodgate automatically for cross-play and includes a browser dashboard and automatic backups that can upload to Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive.

• Free tier (free overall)
• Open source (MIT)
• Cross-platform (Windows first, Linux and Mac builds on its site)
• No command line setup
• Built-in mod/plugin browser
• Auto port forwarding or a built-in relay (through a separate playit.gg account)
• Multi-user with role-based access (password sessions and per-feature access)
• Discord notifications (a bot for commands and the dashboard link)
• Scheduled tasks (automatic backups, nothing else on a schedule)
• Sleep when empty, wake on the first join
• Bedrock players on a Java server, Geyser and Floodgate set up for you
• An API with keys
• Crash auto-recovery (auto-restart with backoff)
• Multi-game support
• Modpack builder with a client installer for players

Best for: People who want Java and Bedrock cross-play on Windows for free and don't mind signing up to a third party for the tunnel.

Trade-offs: The tunnel is playit.gg rather than something they run, so the address and the support behind it come from a third party and there's no role-based access if more than one person helps run the server.

MineOS

Linux, BSD · Free, open source (GPL v3) · Web panel

A long-running open source Minecraft front-end. Available as a Debian-based ISO or installed onto an existing Linux system. Mature project, more old-school in feel.

• Free tier (free overall)
• Open source (GPL v3)
• Cross-platform (Linux/BSD only)
• No command line setup (Linux install needed)
• Built-in mod/plugin browser (Modrinth modpacks only)
• Auto port forwarding or a built-in relay
• Multi-user with role-based access (system users)
• Discord notifications or a webhook of your own
• Scheduled tasks (cron jobs for restarts, backups and archives, no event triggers)
• Sleep when empty, wake on the first join
• Bedrock players on a Java server, Geyser set up for you
• An API with keys
• Crash auto-recovery (basic)
• Multi-game support
• Modpack builder with a client installer for players (server-side Modrinth packs only)

Best for: Linux enthusiasts who want a dedicated, bare-metal Minecraft server box.

Trade-offs: Linux only, auth tied to system users, mod tooling is limited to Modrinth modpacks.

PufferPanel

Linux · Free, open source · Web panel

A lighter open-source alternative to Pterodactyl. Supports Minecraft, Forge, NeoForge, Sponge, BungeeCord and other game servers. Smaller community, simpler setup than Pterodactyl.

• Free tier (free overall)
• Open source
• Cross-platform (Linux first)
• No command line setup
• Built-in mod/plugin browser
• Auto port forwarding or a built-in relay
• Multi-user with role-based access
• Discord notifications or a webhook of your own (plugins required)
• Scheduled tasks (an open request since 2016, scripts outside the panel meanwhile)
• Sleep when empty, wake on the first join
• Bedrock players on a Java server, Geyser set up for you
• An API with keys (OAuth2 clients)
• Crash auto-recovery
• Multi-game
• Modpack builder with a client installer for players

Best for: Small teams who want a lighter, simpler take on Pterodactyl.

Trade-offs: Smaller community than Pterodactyl, technical Windows setup, no mod browser, no scheduler.

Closed to new servers right now · Existing servers keep running

Our own managed hosting isn't taking new servers at the moment, the ones already running are untouched. The nearest thing we offer today is the Linux edition on a VPS you rent: one install command, then it's run from the same dashboard as your Windows servers, £12 a year for up to three machines.

Best for: Anyone who wants a server online 24/7 with their PC off and is happy to rent the box themselves.

Trade-offs: You pick and pay for the VPS yourself, the first setup is one terminal command rather than none.

Free hosts (Aternos and similar)

Free · Shared infrastructure, queue-based

Free Minecraft hosting paid for by ads. The trade is that your server sleeps when nobody's on, you can queue at busy times and performance is what's left over on a heavily shared machine.

Best for: Kids and casual groups with zero budget who don't mind waiting for the server to wake up.

Trade-offs: Queues, sleep-on-idle, limited control and performance. Fine for casual play, frustrating for anything regular.

Budget shared hosting (Apex, Shockbyte and similar)

Priced per GB of RAM · Shared machines, web panel

The classic Minecraft host model: you rent a slot on a machine shared with many other servers, managed through a web panel (usually a Pterodactyl variant). Cheap to start and lots of providers to choose from, but your neighbours on the box affect your performance and the advertised RAM is the only resource that's really yours.

Best for: Small servers on a tight budget where a few pounds a month matters more than consistent performance.

Trade-offs: Shared CPU means lag when the machine is busy, upsells are common, quality varies a lot between providers.

DIY on a rented VPS

Cheapest raw specs · You do everything

Rent a plain Linux VPS from Hetzner, OVH or similar and set everything up yourself, usually with one of the Linux panels from the first section. The best price for the hardware you get and total control, but you're the sysadmin now: setup, security, updates, backups, all of it.

Best for: People comfortable with Linux who enjoy running infrastructure and want the most server for their money.

Trade-offs: Everything is on you, including securing the box. A weekend project before the first player joins.