Want to play Minecraft with your friends without the hassle of port forwarding, keeping your PC on, or paying for hosting? This guide shows you how to get a private Minecraft server for your friend group up and running in under 60 seconds — completely free, with 4 GB RAM and true 24/7 uptime so friends can play even when you're offline.
Go to panel.freegamehost.xyz and sign up with your email. No credit card, no subscription — your account is ready in 30 seconds.
~30 secondsClick Create Server and select Minecraft Java Edition. (Choose Bedrock if you and your friends play on console or mobile — see the note below.) Give your server a name.
~20 secondsSelect your Minecraft version. For a straightforward friend group server, choose Paper as the server type — it runs well, supports plugins, and is more stable than vanilla. If you want mods, choose Forge or Fabric instead.
~15 secondsClick Start. The server will boot and pause — this is expected on first run. Go to the Startup tab, set EULA to true, then click Start again. It'll fully load in about 45 seconds.
Once the console shows Done, click the Network tab. You'll see your server address — something like node1.freegamehost.xyz:25565. This is what you share with friends.
Once your server is running, sharing it takes about 10 seconds:
node1.freegamehost.xyz:25565, you can set up a custom domain so your friends connect with something like play.yourserver.com. Our custom domain setup guide walks through it in under 10 minutes.
Your server runs around the clock — friends can connect any time, even when you're not playing. There's no sleep mode, no queue, and no startup delay.
By default, anyone who knows your server address can join. For a friends-only server, you'll want to enable the whitelist — a list of approved players. Only those on the list can connect.
server.propertieswhite-list=false and change it to white-list=trueIn your server console (in the panel), run these commands — one per friend:
You can also run whitelist list to see everyone on it, and whitelist remove Username to remove someone.
whitelist add YourUsername in the console before enabling the whitelist, otherwise you'll lock yourself out.
If you want a trusted friend to be able to run admin commands (set the time, teleport players, manage the server while you're away), give them operator status:
Operators can run all commands with a slash — /gamemode, /tp, /ban, /give, and so on. To remove someone's op status: deop FriendUsername.
Friends-group servers are a great use case for modpacks — everyone loads the same mods and plays in a shared world. The most popular choices for small groups in 2026:
The simplest option. Paper adds useful admin tools and plugin support without changing gameplay. Best for groups who just want to play together.
A curated Forge modpack that improves nearly every aspect of vanilla play. Very popular for friend groups wanting more content without being overwhelming.
The hardcore survival modpack. Brutal, funny, and great to play with friends. Runs on 4 GB RAM with no issues.
A Forge modpack built around the Create mod — automation, contraptions, and engineering. Great for groups who enjoy building and problem-solving.
All of these run on FreeGameHost's free 4 GB tier. For modpacks with 150+ mods, our premium plans give you extra headroom from €1/GB RAM.
FreeGameHost doesn't impose any player cap — you can set max-players in server.properties to whatever you like. In practice, how many players run smoothly depends on what you're playing:
| Server type | Comfortable player count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vanilla / Paper (no mods) | 20–30 friends | Very little RAM overhead per player |
| Light plugins (EssentialsX, WorldGuard, etc.) | 15–25 friends | Plugins add minimal overhead |
| Small-medium modpack (<100 mods) | 10–15 friends | Mods use more RAM at startup |
| Heavy modpack (100–200 mods) | 5–10 friends | Most friend groups don't need more |
For a typical friend group of 5–10 people, even the heaviest modpacks run comfortably on the free 4 GB allocation.
Yes — this is one of the biggest advantages of using FreeGameHost over hosting on your own PC. Your server runs continuously in our data centre whether you're online or not. Friends can:
There's no idle shutdown, no sleep mode, and no queue. Once your server is started in the panel, it stays on until you manually stop it.
No. Only you (the server owner) need a FreeGameHost account. Your friends just need Minecraft and your server address — that's all.
Not directly — Java and Bedrock are separate editions. However, you can run a Bedrock server that accepts console, mobile, and PC Bedrock players all at once. If you specifically need Java and Bedrock crossplay, a plugin called Geyser can bridge the two, though setup is more involved.
Enable the whitelist as described above. With white-list=true only players you've added with whitelist add Username can connect — everyone else gets a "not whitelisted" message.
First confirm the server is showing as Running in your panel (green status). Then check: the server address is copied correctly including the port (e.g. :25565), their Minecraft version matches your server version, and if you have a whitelist enabled, their username is on it.
Yes, with the Multiverse-Core plugin. It lets you run multiple worlds on a single server and teleport between them. Useful for giving friends separate creative spaces while sharing a main survival world.
The FreeGameHost control panel works in any mobile browser. You can start/stop your server, run console commands, and manage files from your phone — no app download needed.
Ready to play? Create your free server and invite your friends in under 60 seconds.
Create Free Server →Related guides: How to make a free Minecraft server • Best Minecraft server plugins 2026 • Custom domain setup guide • Free Minecraft Java Hosting