How to Create a Minecraft Server: A Step-by-Step Guide

In essence, a Minecraft server is a separate program that holds the game world on its side: it stores the map and builds, accepts player connections, and synchronises what's happening for each of them. Without it, every player would have their own isolated copy of the world with no connection to anyone else's. With a server, everyone who connects is in the same session — they see the same builds, encounter the same mobs, and share the same resources. That's the whole point: to build, survive, and explore together rather than separately.

Before choosing a specific approach, it helps to understand how the three main server types fundamentally differ.

Below is a detailed breakdown of each option, starting from the easiest to set up and working up to full hosting.

A local server requires nothing beyond a regular gaming PC — everything it needs is already built into Minecraft. A server running on a separate server.jar file, however, requires Java to be installed: without this runtime environment, the server program simply won't start. For Minecraft 1.18 and above, Java 17 is required; from version 1.21 onward, Java 21 is needed. To check whether Java is already installed, run this command in a terminal or command prompt:

java -version
A version number in the response means everything is ready. An error message means you'll need to download Java from the official site. One more thing that's easy to overlook: the version of Minecraft must match exactly between the server and every player connecting — even a minor mismatch will prevent the connection.

The simplest option is when your group is physically in the same place — the same apartment, house, or classroom — on a shared Wi-Fi or wired network. In this case, no separate setup is needed at all: a local server starts with a couple of clicks from inside the game itself.

1. Launch the game and either create a new world or load an existing one.
2. Once loaded, open the pause menu and select "Open to LAN."
3. The screen will display a port number — note it for the other players to connect.

One thing to keep in mind: the server is alive only while the host (the player who opened the world) is in the game. The moment they exit Minecraft, the session ends and everyone else is automatically disconnected.
Finding Your IP AddressThe world didn't appear automatically? No problem — there's a manual method using IP and port. How to find your local IP depends on the operating system:

• Windows — press Win + R, type cmd, then enter ipconfig in the console. Look for the "IPv4 Address" line.
• macOS — ipconfig getifaddr en0 shows the Wi-Fi address; ipconfig getifaddr en1 shows the wired connection.
• Linux — a single terminal command: hostname -I.

Connecting to a Local ServerIn the game: "Multiplayer" → "Direct Connection." Enter the IP address followed by a colon and the port — for example, 192.168.1.105:25565. All players must be running the same version of Minecraft, or the connection will fail.

This option makes sense when you need a server that runs consistently, regardless of whether anyone from the group is currently in the game.

Download the installer from the official Java website and work through the standard setup wizard. Verify the installation with the same command from the previous section:

java -version

The server.jar file is available from the official Minecraft downloads page. It's worth creating a dedicated folder — something like minecraft-server — and keeping all server files in one place so nothing gets lost.

Run the server from the command line opened inside the server folder:

java -Xmx2G -Xms1G -jar server.jar nogui

What these flags mean: -Xmx2G sets the memory ceiling for the process; -Xms1G is the amount allocated at startup; nogui disables the graphical window, which speeds things up. After the first launch, a set of files will appear, including eula.txt — change eula=false to eula=true and save the file to confirm you accept Mojang's license. Running the same command again will generate the world.

This file holds all the main settings for the world. The key ones:

• max-players — maximum number of players online at once
• gamemode — the starting game mode (survival, creative, adventure)
• difficulty — difficulty level (peaceful, easy, normal, hard)
• online-mode=true — allows only licensed copies of the game
• white-list=true — restricts access to a whitelist of approved players

Changes take effect only after saving the file and restarting the server — easy to forget.

For players joining from other cities, a local IP address is useless — they need actual internet access. Minecraft servers use port 25565 by default, and most routers block incoming requests to it out of the box until the owner manually allows them. The process is called port forwarding.

1. Open the router's control panel — usually at 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1.
2. Find the "Virtual Servers" or "Port Forwarding" section.
3. Create a rule: external port 25565 forwarded to the IP of the computer running the server, internal port 25565.

The exact steps differ between router models — the easiest way to find them is to search for "[your router model] port forwarding." If you'd rather not touch the router settings at all, a network tunnel like playit.gg will automatically assign a public address as soon as you run its client alongside the server.

A game hosting service takes all the technical maintenance off your hands: the server runs around the clock on its own, the home computer can be switched off, and the address doesn't change every time you reconnect to the network. Free plans almost always come with limitations, but they're usually enough for a first experience with server administration.

Aternos — one of the most popular free options, with a Russian-language interface. Supports up to 20 players and includes DDoS protection, but the server shuts down automatically when idle. Performance can drop with around 10 or more simultaneous players. Custom mods and plugins can't be installed on the free plan.

Minehut — English interface only. Limited to 10 slots and 12 plugins, works exclusively with the Java Edition. Custom mods are also unavailable.

Both work equally well for a first server — the main difference is the interface language, and the choice usually comes down to exactly that.

Getting together for one evening in the same apartment — a local server is all you need. No setup required, it launches straight from the game menu. Friends spread across different cities who plan to play regularly — a private server via port forwarding, a tunnel, or free hosting makes more sense: it stays accessible at any time, regardless of who's at their computer. A rented public hosting plan only makes sense when the project outgrows "playing with friends" and becomes an open community — with its own rules, moderation, and potentially hundreds of participants.

Dealing with config files, the command line, and network settings is already, in effect, a first experience with server administration — and the skills transfer well beyond a single game. A child who's fascinated by how Minecraft works under the hood usually outgrows a ready-made server quickly: they want to write their own logic. At Rocket Tech School's Minecraft course, that's exactly what children learn: programming in Minecraft, building structures and automated mechanisms through code — and from there, the transition to languages like Python and tools like Unity happens naturally.