Best VPS for Minecraft Server 2026

Looking to host your own Minecraft server? We tested the top VPS providers to find the best options for smooth, lag-free gameplay — whether you're running vanilla, modded, or a large community server.

Quick Picks

Category	Provider	Price	Best For
🏆 Best Overall	Hostinger	$4.99/mo	Most players
💰 Best Value	Contabo	€4.99/mo	Modded servers
🌍 Best EU	Hetzner	€3.79/mo	European players
👨‍💻 Best DevEx	DigitalOcean	$12/mo	Technical users

Minecraft Server Requirements

Before choosing a VPS, understand what Minecraft needs:

Players	RAM	CPU	Storage
1-5	2GB	1-2 vCPU	10GB SSD
5-15	4GB	2 vCPU	20GB SSD
15-30	8GB	4 vCPU	40GB SSD
30+	16GB+	4+ vCPU	50GB+ SSD

For modded servers (Forge, Fabric): Add 2-4GB more RAM.

Top VPS Providers for Minecraft

1. Hostinger — Best Overall

$4.99/mo | 4GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 50GB NVMe

Hostinger's KVM 1 plan is perfect for small to medium Minecraft servers:

• 4GB RAM handles 10-15 vanilla players easily
• NVMe storage = faster world loading
• 24/7 live chat support
• Easy control panel for beginners

Upgrade path: KVM 2 ($9.99/mo) for 8GB RAM and 2 vCPU.

2. Contabo — Best Value for Modded

€4.99/mo | 8GB RAM, 4 vCPU, 50GB SSD

Contabo offers insane specs for the price:

• 8GB RAM at €4.99 is unmatched
• Perfect for modded servers (ATM, RLCraft, etc.)
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Great for large communities

Trade-off: Customer support is slower than others.

3. Hetzner — Best for Europe

€3.79/mo | 4GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 40GB NVMe

If your players are in Europe, Hetzner delivers:

• German data centers with low latency
• Unmetered traffic
• Excellent price-to-performance
• Good API for automation

4. DigitalOcean — Best Developer Experience

$12/mo | 2GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 50GB SSD

For technical users who want great tooling:

• Industry-leading documentation
• Easy snapshots and backups
• Great API and CLI
• Strong community support

How to Set Up Minecraft Server

Step 1: Get Your VPS

Choose a provider and select Ubuntu 22.04 as your OS.

Step 2: Connect via SSH

ssh root@your-server-ip

Step 3: Install Java

apt update && apt upgrade -y
apt install openjdk-21-jdk-headless screen -y

Step 4: Download Minecraft Server

mkdir minecraft && cd minecraft
wget https://piston-data.mojang.com/v1/objects/SERVER_JAR_URL/server.jar

Step 5: Configure and Run

# Accept EULA
echo "eula=true" > eula.txt

# Start server in screen session
screen -S minecraft
java -Xmx3G -Xms1G -jar server.jar nogui

Press Ctrl+A, D to detach from screen.

Step 6: Open Firewall

ufw allow 25565/tcp
ufw enable

Connect with your server IP!

Performance Optimization Tips

1. Allocate RAM Properly

Don't over-allocate — leave 1GB for the OS:

# For 4GB VPS
java -Xmx3G -Xms2G -jar server.jar nogui

2. Use Paper or Purpur

Paper and Purpur are optimized Minecraft servers:

• 20-50% better TPS than vanilla
• Anti-lag features
• More configuration options

3. Pre-generate Chunks

World generation causes lag. Pre-generate with Chunky:

/chunky radius 5000
/chunky start

4. Optimize server.properties

view-distance=8
simulation-distance=6
entity-broadcast-range-percentage=75

5. Use Aikar's Flags

Optimized Java flags for Minecraft:

java -Xms4G -Xmx4G -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:+ParallelRefProcEnabled \
-XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=200 -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions \
-XX:+DisableExplicitGC -XX:+AlwaysPreTouch \
-XX:G1HeapWastePercent=5 -XX:G1MixedGCCountTarget=4 \
-XX:G1MixedGCLiveThresholdPercent=90 -XX:G1RSetUpdatingPauseTimePercent=5 \
-jar server.jar nogui

Modded Server RAM Requirements

Modpack	Minimum RAM	Recommended
Vanilla	2GB	4GB
Fabric (light)	3GB	4GB
Forge (light)	4GB	6GB
ATM9	8GB	10GB
RLCraft	6GB	8GB
Create	4GB	6GB

VPS vs Game Server Hosting

Feature	VPS	Game Server Host
Price	Lower	Higher
Control	Full root access	Limited
Mods	Any	Often limited
Other uses	Yes	No
Setup	Manual	Automatic
Learning	Required	Not needed

Choose VPS if: You want full control, run mods, or host multiple services. Choose Game Host if: You want one-click setup with no technical knowledge.

Automatic Backups

Set up daily backups with cron:

crontab -e

Add:

0 4 * * * tar -czf /backups/mc-$(date +\%Y\%m\%d).tar.gz /minecraft/world

Conclusion

For most Minecraft servers, Hostinger offers the best balance of price, performance, and support. Their $4.99/mo plan with 4GB RAM handles 10-15 players easily.

For modded servers or larger communities, Contabo at €4.99/mo gives you 8GB RAM — unbeatable value for heavy workloads.

Server Size	Recommendation	Monthly Cost
1-10 players	Hostinger KVM 1	$4.99
10-25 players	Hostinger KVM 2	$9.99
25+ / Modded	Contabo VPS S	€4.99
EU players	Hetzner CX22	€3.79