Minecraft server on your own PC or hosted? (2026)

Updated 4 November 2026

Hosting a Minecraft server on your own PC is free in money but costs you power, setup time and safety: the PC has to stay on, you must open a port on your router, and friends get your home IP address. For a few friends playing only when you're online, your own PC is fine; for a server that is always on, hosting from €0.99 per month (paid per quarter) is usually cheaper than the electricity alone.

Requirements were checked on 29 October 2026: Minecraft Java 26.1 and newer needs Java 25 (Paper's documentation; 1.20.5 to 1.21.11 use Java 21). Bedrock Dedicated Server runs on Windows 10 or later and Ubuntu, according to Microsoft.

Side by side

	Your own PC	Hosted server
Price	€0, plus electricity	From €0.99/month (paid per quarter)
Online when you're not	Only if the PC stays on	Always, 24/7
Router setup	Port forwarding needed	None
Your home IP	Shared with every player	Stays private
Your own game	Server and game share one PC	Your PC only runs the game
Backups	Your job	Nightly backup + your own backup slots

Option 1: Open to LAN (same house only)

In Minecraft Java, open your world, press Esc and choose Open to LAN. Players on the same network (same Wi-Fi) see it under Multiplayer. It stops when you leave the world. It's perfect for siblings at home, but it doesn't work for friends elsewhere.

Option 2: a server on your own PC

Install Java 25 (for Minecraft 26.1 and newer) and download the server: the official server.jar from minecraft.net, or Paper from papermc.io.
Start it once with a command like java -Xmx2G -jar server.jar nogui. It stops and asks you to accept the EULA: set eula=true in eula.txt and start again.
Give your PC a fixed local IP in your router, so the forwarding keeps working after a reboot.
Forward the port in your router: TCP 25565 for Java, UDP 19132 for Bedrock, to your PC's local IP. Allow it in Windows Firewall when asked.
Share your public IP (search "what is my IP"). Most home connections get a new public IP now and then, so your friends' saved address can stop working.

Port forwarding doesn't work at all on some connections, for example many mobile/4G/5G routers and some fibre or cable providers that use CGNAT (shared public IPs). If your router's WAN address differs from "what is my IP", you're probably behind CGNAT.

What does running it at home really cost?

Do the sum with your own numbers: watts × 24 hours × 30 days ÷ 1000 = kWh per month, times your price per kWh. An example: a desktop PC using 80 W around the clock uses 80 × 24 × 30 ÷ 1000 = 57.6 kWh a month. At €0.25 per kWh that is about €14.40 a month. Check your own PC's power use and your own energy contract; a laptop uses less, a gaming PC under load more. A hosted 2 GB server costs €1.89 per month paid per quarter.

Safety: what you share with your players

Your home IP address. Everyone who can join can see it, and a public address gets scanned. On a hosted server, players only see the server's address.
An open port on your network. Keep the server software updated and never run it as an administrator account.
Whitelist. On any server, home or hosted, turn it on for friends only. See public or private.

When your own PC is fine

You only play together when you are online anyway.
Your PC has memory to spare: the server wants 2 GB or more on top of your own game.
You're comfortable with router settings, or everyone is in the same house (Open to LAN).

When hosting is better

Friends want to play when you're offline. See Minecraft server online 24/7.
Port forwarding doesn't work or you'd rather not share your home IP.
Your PC lags when running both the game and the server.

Moving later is easy: zip the world folder and upload it. See Put your singleplayer world on a server. Free hosts are another option; we compare them honestly in Aternos vs Minehut vs your own server.

Which plan?

1 GB (€0.99 per month paid per quarter, €1.09 monthly billing) for 1 to 3 players on vanilla, 2 GB (€1.89 / €2.19) for up to 5 friends, 4 GB (€4.19 / €4.39) with plugins or 5 to 15 players. Servers run in Finland or Germany. See Minecraft server hosting.

Frequently asked questions

Can I host a Minecraft server on my own PC for free? Yes. Download the official server or Paper, install Java 25 for Minecraft 26.1 and newer, and forward port 25565 (Java) or 19132 UDP (Bedrock) in your router. The PC has to stay on for friends to play.

Is it safe to host a Minecraft server at home? It works, but every player can see your home IP address and you open a port on your network. Use a whitelist, keep the server updated, and don't share the address publicly.

Why can't my friends join my home server? Usually the port isn't forwarded, the firewall blocks Java, your local IP changed, or your connection uses CGNAT, where port forwarding doesn't work.

How much electricity does a home Minecraft server use? Multiply your PC's watts by 720 hours and divide by 1000 for kWh per month. An 80 W PC running 24/7 uses about 57.6 kWh, roughly €14.40 a month at €0.25 per kWh.

Can I move my home server to hosting later? Yes. Zip your world folder and upload it to your new server; plugins and configs can come along too.