What a Minecraft SMP server actually is
SMP stands for survival multiplayer: one survival world that stays online so your group can log in whenever they like, build together, trade, and fight the dragon on their own schedule. Famous SMPs have hundreds of players, but most are a group of friends on a private, whitelisted world.
Technically, a Minecraft server is a Java program that simulates the world and sends it to every player. Your game is only the client; the server is the single source of truth. That's why it has to run on a machine that stays on, and why where you put it matters. If you want the longer version, our help center explains what a server actually is.
Three ways to create a Minecraft server
| Your own PC | Free host (e.g. Aternos) | Paid hosting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free, plus electricity | $0, paid for with ads | A few dollars a month |
| Online when you're not | Only if your PC stays on | No: it stops when the server is empty | Yes, 24/7 |
| Friends joining | Port forwarding, and they see your home IP | Anyone with the address | Anyone with the address |
| Plugins and mods | Anything | From the host's list | Anything |
| Performance | Your PC and your upload speed | Shared, varies with demand | Fixed resources on server hardware |
| Best for | Learning, LAN parties | Trying things out | A world your group keeps |
Hosting at home is how most of us started, and it's a great way to learn. It stops being fun when your friends want to play while your PC is off, when your upload can't keep up with ten players, or when you realise everyone now has your home IP address. Free hosts solve the IP problem but bring queues, ads and a world that shuts down when nobody is online. We compared the two properly in Aternos vs paid hosting.
Step by step: from zero to everyone online
This is the exact path on EnduranceNodes. Most hosts work the same way, so the steps are useful even if you end up somewhere else.
Pick your edition
Java Edition for PC players, with the widest choice of plugins and mods. Bedrock if your friends play on phones, consoles or Windows from the Store. A Java server can also let Bedrock players in later with Geyser.
Choose a plan by RAM
For a group of friends on Paper, 2 to 4 GB is plenty. Not sure? The plan calculator asks how many players and plugins you'll have and suggests a size. All our plans run on the same Ryzen 7 9700X, so you're only choosing memory.
Choose the server software
Paper is the default and the right answer for most SMPs: fast, and it runs almost every Bukkit and Spigot plugin. Want pure vanilla, or a modpack? Read Paper vs Vanilla and the rest first.
Pay and wait about a minute
The server is created automatically when the payment clears. About 60 seconds later you have your control panel, with Minecraft already installed.
Start it and join
Accept the EULA, press Start in the panel, copy the address and port shown there and add them in Minecraft under Multiplayer → Add Server. Finding your address explains each part.
The first 15 minutes: settings that matter
A fresh server is open to the whole internet. Before you share the address, change these four things:
- Turn on the whitelist. Run
whitelist on, thenwhitelist add <name>for each friend. For a private SMP this is the most important setting there is. More on the whitelist. - Make yourself operator with
op <yourname>in the console, and only you. Staff get their rights through a permissions plugin later, never through OP. Why. - Read
server.properties: difficulty,pvp,view-distance(8–10 is a good balance) and themotdpeople see in the server list. The settings worth knowing. - Take your first backup and download it. We keep the disks safe; only you can keep a copy of the world off the server. How.
Turning it into a proper SMP
Vanilla makes a fine SMP. Still, most groups add a handful of plugins after the first week: something to protect builds, something to undo griefing and a bridge between Discord and the game chat. Keep the list short; every plugin is one more thing to update.
| What you need | Popular choice | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Undo griefing | CoreProtect | Logs every block change so you can roll it back |
| Protect builds | GriefPrevention or WorldGuard | Players claim land, or you protect areas yourself |
| Ranks and permissions | LuckPerms | Gives staff only the commands they need |
| Discord chat link | DiscordSRV | Messages flow between your Discord and the game |
| Everyday commands | EssentialsX | Homes, warps, /spawn and the basics |
We wrote about installing plugins without breaking anything and running a private SMP so it lasts.
How much a Minecraft SMP server costs
On EnduranceNodes every plan costs the same per gigabyte, so the price simply follows the RAM. These are the sizes most SMPs pick:
| Plan | RAM | CPU | NVMe | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Apolo | 2 GB | 1.5 vCores | 25 GB | $3.00/month |
 Ares | 4 GB | 2 vCores | 40 GB | $6.00/month |
 Atenea | 6 GB | 2.5 vCores | 55 GB | $9.00/month |
 Hades | 8 GB | 3 vCores | 70 GB | $12.00/month |
A small group of 2–5 on Paper does well on 2 GB; 5–15 players with a few plugins on 4 GB; a busier world or a light modpack on 6 to 8 GB. If you outgrow your plan, you upgrade from the client area and pay only the difference for the days left in the month. How much RAM you really need goes deeper.
If you remember one thing
Making a Minecraft server is easy; keeping one people enjoy is the real work. Start small: 2–4 GB on Paper, whitelist on, one backup downloaded. Add plugins when your group asks for them, not before.
Questions people ask
On your own PC or on a free host, yes, with limits: your PC has to stay on, or the free server stops when it's empty. A paid server that never sleeps starts at a few dollars a month.
As many as its RAM and CPU can handle. Our plans have no player-slot limit; for a friends' SMP, 2–4 GB comfortably holds 5 to 15 people.
Only when you host at home. On a hosted server, the address and port are already reachable from the internet.
Yes. Run Paper with Geyser and Floodgate on a Java server and both editions join the same world.
Our servers are ready about 60 seconds after payment. Changing the first settings and inviting your friends takes another 10–15 minutes.
About this article: It comes from what I have learned running EnduranceNodes, and it is published here first. We sell Minecraft hosting, so everything I say about us can be checked on this site, and I point out where we are not the best fit.