How to Make a Minecraft Server to Play with Friends

Method 1. A server on your own computer

It’s free, but it takes time and runs into things that are out of your hands. Start with a quick check, or you’ll waste an hour.

First, check that you have a public IP

For your friends to connect to your computer over the internet, you need a public IP address. Most home internet providers don’t give you one, so check this before you install anything. What it is and how to check your address in a couple of minutes is covered in a separate article.

If it turns out that your IP is not public, this method won’t work: skip straight to methods 2 and 3 below, which don’t need one.

Installing the server

1. 1Install Java. Versions 26.1 and newer need Java 25, versions 1.20.5–1.21.11 need Java 21, and versions 1.17–1.20.4 need Java 17. The server won’t start without it.
2. 2Download server.jar from the server download section of the official minecraft.net website. Put the file in its own folder: the first time it runs, it creates about ten other files next to it.
3. 3Start the server with the command java -Xmx2G -jar server.jar nogui. It will shut down and create a file called eula.txt.
4. 4Open eula.txt and change false to true. This is your agreement to the Mojang license, and the server won’t start without it.
5. 5Start it again. This time it will create the world, which takes anywhere from half a minute to a few minutes.
6. 6Test the connection from the same computer using the address localhost. If it works, the server is up and running, and all that’s left is to make it reachable from the internet.

Port forwarding

The server listens on port 25565, but by default your router doesn’t let requests from outside reach it. Open the router settings, find the Port Forwarding or “Virtual Servers” section, and add a rule: external port 25565, internal port 25565, and your computer’s IP address on the local network.

It’s best to give your computer a fixed local IP; otherwise the router may hand out a different one the next time the computer starts, and the rule will stop working. You do this in the same router, in its DHCP section.

Next comes the Windows firewall. On the first launch Windows will ask whether to allow Java; allow it on both private and public networks. If you’ve already closed that window, you can add the rule by hand: open “Windows Defender Firewall”, then “Advanced settings”, then “Inbound Rules”. All these steps are described in detail, with a check after each one, an explanation of connection errors and advice for the case when Windows has already blocked Java, in the article How to Open Port 25565 for a Minecraft Server and Find Where It Is Closed.

What else to keep in mind

• The computer has to stay on the whole time anyone is playing. Switch it off and the server disappears for everyone.
• The server eats RAM: 2 GB for vanilla play, 4–6 GB for a modpack. That is on top of the memory your own game client needs.
• Everyone who connects can see your IP. That makes it possible to attack you, which is unpleasant on a home connection. The article How to Secure a Minecraft Server and Your Home Network: A Security Checklist explains how to protect yourself.
• Your friends’ connection speed depends on your upload bandwidth. A home connection usually uploads several times slower than it downloads.

Method 2. Paid hosting

You rent a slice of someone else’s server. It runs around the clock and your computer isn’t needed. It costs from two to ten dollars a month, depending on memory and the modpack.

The advantages are obvious: there’s nothing to set up, the IP isn’t yours and the connection is fast. There is one drawback: it’s money every month, and you pay even for the weeks when nobody is playing.

Method 3. Free hosting in the browser

A compromise: the server lives on the host’s machines but only runs when it’s needed. When everyone has left, it goes to sleep and uses no resources. Your world stays saved while the server sleeps.

This is how zuboku works: you sign up, pick a name, get an address like myserver.zuboku.com and press “Start”. The first launch takes about a minute, after that only seconds. Both licensed accounts and cracked launchers can join.

The limitation is a fair one: the server sleeps when nobody is on it. If you need a server that runs around the clock with players always online, you need the paid option.

Which one to choose

• You play in the evenings with one or two friends, you have a public IP and you don’t mind spending the time: your own computer will do.
• You need a permanent server with players and mods, and you have a budget: paid hosting.
• You want to start playing today, without paying: free hosting.