Minecraft is one of the best survival games played by millions of gamers worldwide. But unlike other multiplayer titles, you need to set up your own private Minecraft server to play the game with your friends. And having a server up and running 24/7 can be expensive, not to mention the hefty price you paid for the game in the first place.
But do you really have to empty your pockets and buy a server to enjoy Minecraft with your friends? Not at all. Luckily, websites like Minehut and Aternos allow you to set up your own "free" Minecraft server, with no hidden costs whatsoever.
Host a Free Minecraft Server With Minehut
To set up a free game server with Minehut, head over to minehut.com and click the Sign Up in Seconds button. On the next screen, enter your name and other credentials. Then click Sign Up to finish account registration. Finally, verify your email address and Minehut will automatically log you into your account.
On the account dashboard, click on the Add Server button, type the desired server name, and hit Create. Once the screen loads, click on the Activate Server button to start using your free Minecraft server.
Minehut will ask you to wait for 30 seconds as it prepares the server for you. Click on the Continue button when the DDOS-protected server transfer prompt appears.
The server dashboard gives you options to start and stop the server, access the console, view game files using the file manager, add and configure Minecraft addons, manage the current game world, and create backups.
You can also change the server "Message of the day" or play around with the server properties by scrolling down the page.
As you can see, the free server plan allows a maximum of 10 players to join the server. Also, you can create up to two servers with a free account. Minehut also supports cross-platform play, which means both Java and Bedrock Edition players can join your server.
How to Join a Minehut Server
Minecraft Java players can directly join the server by adding the server address to the game (servername.minehut.gg).
On the other hand, Bedrock or Pocket Edition players need to go through an additional step to join the server. First, you'll have to join the bedrock.minehut.com server on port 19132. Then in the chat, type "/join servername.minehut.gg" to access the server. If the server is up, you'll be automatically teleported to that particular world.
For example, if your Minehut server address is "random.minehut.gg", you'll first join "bedrock.minehut.com", then type "/join random.minehut.gg" in chat to join the server.
Start a Free Minecraft Server With Aternos
Aternos is another free platform that offers private Minecraft servers to players. Just like Minehut, setting up a server with Aternos is a breeze. All you have to do is create a free account, add a server, and configure it up to your liking.
To get started, first visit aternos.org. Then click on the Play button located in the bottom-right corner.
Here, you can sign up for a free account or log in to an existing one. You can also sign in using your Google account if you want. Note that specifying an email address is optional, and you can create your account using just a username and password.
Once you have logged in to your account, click on the Create a server button.
Next, specify the server name and the description. You can also choose between Java Edition and Bedrock/Pocket Edition here. Note that, unlike Minehut, Aternos doesn't support cross-platform play and you'll have to create separate servers for both editions. Click on the Create button to continue.
On the server dashboard, you'll have the option to start your server. To manage your server, select an option from the left sidebar. You can switch between Bedrock and Java editions by switching to the Software tab.
Likewise, the Console and File options allow players to access the console and file manager respectively. You can generate new worlds or backup your existing world using the Worlds and Backups option.
In Aternos, a server can be controlled by multiple users. This is to ensure that other players can also start or stop your server in case you're unavailable. To add another moderator, click on the Access tab from the left sidebar and specify the Aternos username of the user.
Now You Can Enjoy Minecraft With Friends
It is great you can get your own private server for playing Minecraft without spending any extra bucks. Online services like Aternos and Minehut are inclusive of some limitations though. First of all, there's a cap on the number of players that can join the game. You also get limited memory, which might not be enough if you're planning to establish a full-fledged community server.
Apart from private servers, you also have the choice to join realms, play on a public server, or start a new single-player world in Minecraft.