Free Server Hosting

A real server for zero euros - with honest trade-offs.

Quick answer: Aternos is the standard free host: full Java and Bedrock support, mods and plugins included, unlimited slots in theory. The catch: startup queues at peak hours and the server stops when nobody is online - someone has to start it before each session.

How Aternos works

Create an account at aternos.org (free, no card).
Create a server: pick Java or Bedrock, then the exact version or a modpack/software (Paper, Fabric, NeoForge).
Press Start - at busy hours you wait in a queue (minutes, sometimes longer in the evening).
Share the address it gives you (something like yourname.aternos.me) with your friends.
Install mods and plugins from the built-in catalog, or upload your own world.

The real limits of free

Sleep mode: the server stops a few minutes after the last player leaves. No always-on farms, no 24/7 world.
Startup queue: free users share hardware; prime time means waiting.
Ads on the panel keep it free - that is the whole business model.
Performance: fine for 2-10 friends, vanilla or lightly modded. Heavy modpacks will struggle.

When to upgrade

Move to paid hosting or self-hosting when you need the server always online, when queues get annoying, or when your modpack needs more RAM than the free tier gives. Any reputable host lets you upload your Aternos world download - you do not lose anything.

Safety notes

Only ever sign up at the real aternos.org - copycat domains exist.
Free hosting is fine for friends; for a public community, pay for DDoS protection and backups.
"Free premium host" videos with custom launchers are malware bait. The safe free options are Aternos and self-hosting, period.