How to create a Minecraft server

Running your own Minecraft server lets you:

• Play with your friends in a persistent world, available at any time.
• Set your own rules, plugins and mods, without depending on anyone else.
• Build a lasting community, with ranks, an economy and events.
• Explore every format: survival, skyblock, minigames, PVP, roleplay...

Fifteen years after its release, Minecraft is still the most active game on the server scene. The version numbering has changed (26.x since 2026), but the principle remains the same: a Java server anyone can run, endlessly customizable.

Before you start, make sure the machine hosting the server meets these requirements:

• ✔ RAM : 2 to 4 GB for a vanilla server with friends, 6 to 8 GB and more with plugins or mods
• ✔ Java : Java 25 for Minecraft 26.x (Java 21 is enough for versions 1.20.5 to 1.21.x)
• ✔ System : 64-bit: Windows, Linux or macOS (Linux recommended for a dedicated server)
• ✔ Connection : Stable upload speed: upload bandwidth is what limits player count when self-hosting
• ✔ Hosting : Local PC for testing, VPS or dedicated server for a 24/7 server

Which Minecraft version?

Since 2026, Mojang uses annual version numbering: 26.1 was released in March, 26.2 in June. Two approaches coexist on the server scene:

• Follow the latest version (26.2): immediate access to new features, ideal for a survival server close to vanilla.
• Stay on a proven version (often a 1.21.x): a more mature plugin and mod ecosystem, upgrading once everything is compatible.

Which server software?

The server file (the ".jar") determines what your server will be able to do:

• Vanilla - The official Mojang server, with no extensions. Simple and faithful to the base game, but poorly optimized and not customizable.
• Paper - The standard for community servers: far better performance than Vanilla and compatible with Bukkit/Spigot plugins.
• Purpur / Folia - Purpur is a Paper fork with even more options. Folia targets very large servers (hundreds of players) thanks to per-region multithreading.
• Fabric / NeoForge - The two main mod loaders. Essential for a modded server: every player will need to install the same mods as the server.

Minecraft 26.x requires Java 25 (LTS version). If your server stays on a version from 1.20.5 to 1.21.x, Java 21 is enough.

Recommended installation

1. Download Java 25 (Temurin) from Adoptium
2. Standard installation for your system (Windows / Linux / Mac)

Verify the installation

java --version

You should get output similar to:

openjdk 25.0.1 2025-10-21 LTS

Download the server file matching your choice:

• Vanilla: download the official server.jar from minecraft.net
• Paper: download the latest stable build from papermc.io

Place the file in a dedicated folder (the server will create all its files there), rename it server.jar, then run:

java -Xms4G -Xmx4G -jar server.jar nogui

Accepting the EULA

The first launch stops immediately and creates a eula.txt file. Open it and accept the Mojang terms of use:

eula=true

Then run the same command again: the server generates the world and prints "Done" in the console. It is ready.

All the basic configuration lives in the server.properties file, generated on first launch. The essential settings:

• motd - Description shown in the players' server list
• max-players - Maximum number of simultaneous players
• online-mode - Official account verification: always leave it set to true
• white-list - Enables the whitelist (recommended for a private server)
• view-distance - View distance in chunks: 8 is a good performance/comfort trade-off
• difficulty - Difficulty: peaceful, easy, normal or hard
• gamemode - Default game mode: survival, creative, adventure

server-port=25565
motd=Welcome to my server!
max-players=20
online-mode=true
white-list=true
view-distance=8
simulation-distance=6
difficulty=normal
gamemode=survival

Minecraft Java communicates over TCP on port 25565 by default. For your server to be reachable from the Internet, this port must be open.

Port to open

• TCP 25565 (default, can be changed via server-port)
• With a Minecraft hosting provider, the port is already open: this step only applies to self-hosting.

Firewall rule examples

Windows Defender:

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Minecraft Server" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 25565 -Action Allow

Linux UFW:

sudo ufw allow 25565/tcp

Linux iptables:

sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 25565 -j ACCEPT

A few simple habits protect your server and your players' work:

• ✔ Keep online-mode=true: only official Minecraft accounts can connect, which blocks username spoofing.
• ✔ For a server with friends, enable the whitelist and add each player:

  Server console

  /whitelist on
  /whitelist add Pseudo

• ✔ Grant operator rights sparingly: an op can do anything, including shutting down the server.
• ✔ Back up the world/ folder and your configuration regularly, copying the files off the machine. Automate it: manual backups always end up forgotten.
• ✔ Apply server software and plugin updates: most of them fix security flaws or duplication exploits.

Plugins (Paper, Purpur)

Drop the .jar files into the plugins/ folder then restart. Trusted sources: Hangar, Modrinth and SpigotMC. The essentials:

• EssentialsX - Core commands: home, spawn, kits, private messages
• LuckPerms - Fine-grained permission and rank management
• Vault - Economy/permission bridge used by many plugins
• CoreProtect - Anti-grief logging and rollback

Mods (Fabric, NeoForge)

Mods go into the server's mods/ folder. Unlike plugins, every player must install the same mods (and the same loader) on their client to connect.

Opening the server to Bedrock players

With the Geyser and Floodgate plugins, Bedrock players (consoles, mobile, Windows) can join your Java server: an extra door into your community.

• ✔ Allocate a fixed amount of RAM and use the Aikar flags (recommended by PaperMC) for an optimized garbage collector:

  Terminal (flags Aikar)

  java -Xms8G -Xmx8G -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:+ParallelRefProcEnabled -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=200 -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions -XX:+DisableExplicitGC -XX:+AlwaysPreTouch -XX:G1NewSizePercent=30 -XX:G1MaxNewSizePercent=40 -XX:G1HeapRegionSize=8M -XX:G1ReservePercent=20 -XX:G1HeapWastePercent=5 -XX:G1MixedGCCountTarget=4 -XX:InitiatingHeapOccupancyPercent=15 -XX:G1MixedGCLiveThresholdPercent=90 -XX:G1RSetUpdatingPauseTimePercent=5 -XX:SurvivorRatio=32 -XX:+PerfDisableSharedMem -XX:MaxTenuringThreshold=1 -jar server.jar nogui

• ✔ Lower view-distance (6 to 8) and simulation-distance (5 to 6): these are the settings with the biggest performance impact.
• ✔ Pre-generate the world with the Chunky plugin: chunk generation during play is the number one cause of lag.
• ✔ Profile with the spark plugin to pinpoint exactly what is consuming resources: entities, hoppers, plugins...

To motivate your players to vote for your server on Top-Games, install the NuVotifier plugin: every vote can automatically trigger an in-game reward.

What is NuVotifier?

NuVotifier is the standard plugin that receives the vote notifications sent by Top-Games. Paired with a rewards plugin, it automatically credits the player who voted.

Reward types

Once configured, you can reward voters with:

• Items, kits or crate keys
• Virtual currency or shop points
• Temporary perks (ranks, cosmetics...)

How to install

Installation and linking with Top-Games are covered in detail in our dedicated documentation: