Minecraft Server Requirements: What You Actually Need in 2026
Every guide on Minecraft server requirements is written by a hosting company trying to sell you a plan. This one isn't. We're going to tell you exactly what hardware you need to self-host, what it actually costs, and at what point it makes more sense to pay someone else to handle it.
Whether you're setting up a survival world for five friends or planning a 50-player modded server, the specs you need depend on four things: your player count, whether you're running mods, what type of server software you're using, and how much of your world has been explored. Let's break each one down.
The Part Most Guides Get Wrong: CPU Matters More Than RAM
Here's the single most important thing to understand about Minecraft server performance: it runs almost entirely on one CPU core.
That means a 16-core processor doesn't help you. A quad-core with a high clock speed will outperform an 8-core with a lower one every time. Minecraft's server processes — world ticking, entity updates, redstone calculations, chunk loading — all happen sequentially on a single thread. When you see your server lag, it's almost always because that one core is maxed out, not because you've run out of RAM.
This is why a modern desktop CPU like an AMD Ryzen 5 or Intel Core i5 (both with 4.0+ GHz boost clocks) will run circles around a much more expensive server-grade Xeon with 24 cores but lower clock speeds.
What to look for in a CPU:
- Single-thread performance is everything. Check benchmarks on sites like PassMark — sort by single-thread score, not overall.
- 3.8 GHz base clock or higher for a smooth experience with 10+ players.
- 4.5 GHz+ if you're running heavy mods or 20+ simultaneous players.
- AMD Ryzen processors currently lead in single-thread efficiency for Minecraft. The Ryzen 5 5600X, 7600X, and 9600X are all excellent choices at different price points.
RAM: How Much Do You Really Need?
RAM is where your server stores everything that's happening right now — loaded chunks, entity data, player inventories, plugin states. Unlike CPU, RAM requirements scale in a fairly predictable way.
Vanilla Minecraft (No Mods, No Plugins)
| Players | Minimum RAM | Recommended RAM |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | 2 GB | 3 GB |
| 4–10 | 3 GB | 4–6 GB |
| 11–20 | 4 GB | 6–8 GB |
| 20–50 | 6 GB | 8–12 GB |
With Plugins (Paper/Spigot + EssentialsX, WorldGuard, etc.)
| Players | Light Plugins (5–10) | Heavy Plugins (20+) |
|---|---|---|
| 1–10 | 4 GB | 6 GB |
| 11–20 | 6 GB | 8 GB |
| 20–50 | 8 GB | 10–12 GB |
Modded Minecraft (Forge/Fabric)
| Mod Count | RAM (5–10 players) | RAM (20+ players) |
|---|---|---|
| Light (under 30 mods) | 6 GB | 8 GB |
| Medium (30–80 mods) | 8 GB | 10–12 GB |
| Heavy (100+ mods) | 10–12 GB | 12–16 GB |
A few things to keep in mind:
- RAM usage grows over time. A freshly generated world with two players online might use 2 GB. That same world three months later, with thousands of explored chunks, built structures, and entity-heavy farms, might use double that. Always allocate more than your day-one needs.
- Exploration is the RAM killer. Every chunk a player loads gets stored in memory. Five players all exploring in different directions use far more RAM than five players standing in the same base. If your group likes to spread out, budget an extra 1–2 GB above the recommendations.
- Too much RAM can actually hurt. If you allocate significantly more RAM than the server needs — say, 16 GB for a 3-player vanilla server — Java's garbage collection pauses become longer and can cause periodic lag spikes. Don't just throw RAM at the problem; match it to your actual usage.
Storage: SSD Is Non-Negotiable
Your world data, player files, plugins, mods, and backups all live on your storage drive. The type of drive you use has a direct impact on two things players notice immediately: chunk loading speed and autosave lag.
- NVMe SSD is the best option. Chunk generation is 20–25% faster than SATA SSD, and autosaves happen in the background without any noticeable hitch.
- SATA SSD is perfectly fine for most servers. You won't notice a meaningful difference from NVMe unless you're running a large public server with heavy traffic.
- HDD (spinning disk) is not recommended. Players will experience visible stuttering when exploring new territory or when the server autosaves.
How Much Space Do You Need?
A fresh Minecraft world is tiny — under 500 MB. But worlds grow fast.
| Server Type | After 1 Month | After 6 Months | After 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small vanilla (3–5 players) | 1–3 GB | 3–8 GB | 5–15 GB |
| Medium with plugins (10–20 players) | 3–8 GB | 8–20 GB | 15–40 GB |
| Large modded (20+ players) | 5–15 GB | 15–40 GB | 30–80 GB |
These numbers include regular backups. A good rule of thumb: take whatever world size you expect and triple it to account for backups and mod/plugin files.
Network: The Hidden Bottleneck for Self-Hosting
If you're renting a hosted server, you can skip this section — hosting providers have enterprise-grade connections. But if you're running a server from home, your internet connection is probably your weakest link.
Upload speed is what matters. Your download speed (the big number your ISP advertises) is mostly irrelevant for hosting. Your upload speed determines how much data your server can push out to connected players.
| Players | Minimum Upload | Recommended Upload |
|---|---|---|
| 1–5 | 3 Mbps | 5 Mbps |
| 5–10 | 5 Mbps | 10 Mbps |
| 10–20 | 10 Mbps | 20 Mbps |
| 20+ | 20 Mbps | 50+ Mbps |
Most residential internet plans offer 5–10 Mbps upload at best, even if the download is 300+ Mbps. This creates a hard ceiling on how many players you can host before everyone starts experiencing lag.
Latency matters too. Players located far from your home connection will have higher ping. If your friends are spread across different countries, expect 100–200ms ping for distant players — which is noticeable in PvP or fast-paced gameplay.
Your ISP can block you. Some ISPs use CGNAT (Carrier-Grade NAT), which makes it impossible to accept incoming connections without workarounds. We cover this in detail in our port forwarding guide.
Quick Reference: Complete Specs by Server Type
Here's everything in one place. These assume you want a smooth, lag-free experience — not the bare minimum that technically runs.
Small Private Server (2–5 friends, vanilla or light plugins)
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| CPU | Any modern quad-core, 3.5+ GHz |
| RAM | 4 GB allocated to server |
| Storage | 20 GB SSD |
| Upload Speed | 5 Mbps |
| OS | Windows 10/11, Ubuntu 22+, or macOS |
| Java Version | Java 21 (Minecraft 1.20.5+) |
Can you run this on your existing PC? Probably, yes. Any desktop or laptop from the last 5 years with 8 GB of total system RAM can likely handle this while you play on the same machine.
Medium Community Server (10–20 players, plugins)
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| CPU | Ryzen 5 / Core i5 or better, 4.0+ GHz |
| RAM | 6–8 GB allocated to server |
| Storage | 50 GB SSD (NVMe preferred) |
| Upload Speed | 10–20 Mbps |
| OS | Ubuntu 22+ or Windows Server |
| Server Software | Paper or Purpur (not vanilla) |
This is where self-hosting starts getting difficult. You need a dedicated machine, solid upload bandwidth, and someone who's willing to maintain it. At this scale, a hosted server costs roughly $8–15/month — and removes every headache listed in this article.
Large Modded Server (20–50 players, heavy mods)
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| CPU | Ryzen 7 / Core i7 or better, 4.5+ GHz |
| RAM | 12–16 GB allocated to server |
| Storage | 100 GB NVMe SSD |
| Upload Speed | 50+ Mbps |
| OS | Ubuntu 22+ (Linux strongly recommended) |
| Server Software | Paper/Purpur (plugins) or Forge/Fabric (mods) |
Self-hosting at this scale is a serious commitment. You're looking at a dedicated machine running 24/7, a robust internet connection, DDoS protection, and real system administration skills. Most servers of this size are hosted professionally.
Self-Hosting vs. Paid Hosting: The Real Cost Comparison
Self-hosting sounds free, but it isn't. Let's do the actual math for a 10-player server with plugins:
Self-Hosting Costs (Monthly)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Electricity (PC running 24/7, ~150W) | $15–25/month |
| Internet upload upgrade | $0–30/month |
| Hardware depreciation ($500 PC over 3 years) | ~$14/month |
| Dynamic DNS service (optional) | $0–5/month |
| Your time maintaining it | Priceless |
| Total | $29–74/month |
Hosted Server Costs (Monthly)
A quality hosted Minecraft server with 6–8 GB RAM, SSD storage, DDoS protection, automatic backups, and a dedicated IP address typically runs $8–20/month depending on the provider.
For most players, hosting is both cheaper and dramatically less stressful than self-hosting. The main exception is if you already have a dedicated machine sitting idle, a fast internet connection with a public IP, and enjoy the technical side of server management.
Server Software: Choosing the Right Engine
Not all Minecraft server software is created equal. Your choice of server engine affects performance, RAM usage, and what features are available.
- Vanilla (the official Minecraft server .jar) — Unoptimized, no plugin support, and uses more resources than any alternative. Only use this if you specifically need a completely unmodified gameplay experience.
- Paper — The gold standard for most servers. It's a fork of Spigot with significant performance optimizations that reduce CPU and RAM usage, often by 30–40% compared to vanilla. Supports all Bukkit/Spigot plugins.
- Purpur — A fork of Paper with even more configuration options and minor performance tweaks. Good if you want maximum control over gameplay mechanics.
- Forge — Required if you want to run mods (as opposed to plugins). Heavier on resources than Paper, and mod compatibility can be finicky. Expect higher RAM requirements and more maintenance.
- Fabric — A lightweight alternative to Forge. Faster startup times and lower overhead, but the mod ecosystem is smaller. Growing rapidly in popularity for performance-focused mod packs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a Minecraft server on my gaming PC while I play?
Yes, for small servers (2–5 players). You'll need at least 16 GB of total system RAM — 4 GB for the server, 4–8 GB for your game client, and the rest for your OS. Expect some performance impact on both the server and your gameplay. For anything larger, use a separate machine.
Is 4 GB of RAM enough for a Minecraft server?
For a vanilla server with up to 10 players, 4 GB is enough. For modded servers or anything with more than basic plugins, you'll want 6–8 GB minimum. Remember that RAM needs grow over time as your world expands.
Can I run a Minecraft server on a Raspberry Pi?
Technically yes, but only for 1–3 players on vanilla. The Raspberry Pi 4's ARM CPU struggles with Minecraft's single-thread demands, and 8 GB of RAM is the maximum available. It works as a novelty but isn't practical for regular use. A used desktop PC will perform significantly better.
Do I need a dedicated IP address?
Not necessarily. With port forwarding, players can connect using your public IP. However, a dedicated IP (which most hosting providers include) is more convenient — it never changes and doesn't require port forwarding setup. If you're self-hosting, consider a Dynamic DNS service instead.
How much does electricity cost to run a Minecraft server 24/7?
A typical desktop PC uses 100–200W under load. At an average electricity cost of $0.15/kWh, running a server 24/7 costs roughly $11–22 per month. A more efficient mini PC or NUC can reduce this to $3–8/month.
What Java version do I need?
Minecraft 1.20.5 and later require Java 21. Older versions use Java 17 or Java 8. Always use the version specified by your server software — using the wrong Java version is one of the most common causes of server crashes and startup failures.