Two Simple Ways to Create a Minecraft Server

Any multiplayer game available online is possible only if its servers are functioning. But sometimes, servers have settings that gamers don’t like. Then gamers have a perfectly reasonable question: should we make our world with its own awesome features? This article will help you figure out just how to create your Minecraft server. Of course, if you don’t want to create anything, you can always find a suitable server — even a server where you can play for free.

Way 1 — Realms

Minecraft has a cult status among teenagers. And it would be strange if the developers had not thought through and implemented the option of creating a server via the game UI. But Mojang AB (the creators of the game), under the leadership of Microsoft, clearly understands what the players need and has given them a ready solution. It's called "Realms" and is available immediately in the main menu. However, you need to pay a little gold to take advantage of this functionality.

Launching your server with Realms is intuitively simple. As mentioned above, there is a corresponding UI element, "Realms," in the main menu. By clicking on it, you will get to a small settings window, which is not much different from the window for creating the world in single-player mode. After applying the settings, start the server and enjoy! Profit!

Here are some advantages of Realms:

- Official support
- Automatic updates
- Built-in security
- Cloud-based backups and saves
- The support of the most up-to-date game version
- Server stability without crashing
- Access to official mini-games and events from the developers
- Only the server owner pays

Realms disadvantages are as follows:

- Pretty high cost
- Requires an official edition for all members
- No third-party mods
- Limited customization options
- Small maximum number of players online

Way 2 — Specialized Hosting

Official developers are not the only ones who provide server services to players. You can find many projects that may differ dramatically from Minecraft Realms on the Internet. We will not leave references to them on ethical grounds. There are both paid and free hosting services.

If you use free services, you have to pay for annoying banner ads on the server. As for the price, it is difficult to specify even an approximate average price — they vary greatly and depend on the functionality. As to functionality, you can easily configure various mods for your server, which is certainly a huge advantage.

In addition to annoying ads, the high complexity of the server settings is another disadvantage. One will need to manually set various parameters and deal with installing mods and plugins.

To run your server by using hosting services, you will need to register on a site offering such services and follow its instructions. The process depends on many factors that may affect the connection to the server. It is worth considering whether you have the official version of the game, what mods are installed, whether they are supported by the hosting, etc. In general, it's just a connection to the server with IPI. However, depending on the nuances, you may need additional software.

Here are some advantages of specialized hosting:

- Often available for free
- Supports modding
- Works independently from your PC
- Supports large online capabilities

The disadvantages are as follows:

- Low server stability (depends on your hosting)
- Intrusive advertising
- Complicated manual configuration
- Additional services, usually paid
 

The two ways of creating Minecraft servers described above have been available forever. Each of them has its pros and cons, which can help you choose! Create your worlds and explore them with your friends!