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Minehut Alternatives: Free Plan Limits and What to Use Instead

Last checked: 6 October 2026

The main alternatives to Minehut for a Java Edition friend group are Aternos and Play Hosting (other free hosts), exaroton (pay for the hours the server runs), self-hosting on your own PC, and Shulkerboxes (free Java Edition hosting, invite-only, US only, gameplay recorded for AI datasets). Minehut’s free Starter plan gives you 10 player slots and 1 GB of RAM, and the server sleeps when nobody is on, according to minehut.com on 6 October 2026. Choose with three questions: how many friends play at once, do you need mods as well as plugins, and how much memory does your world need?

What Minehut's free plan gives you

On Minehut’s own pages, as checked on 6 October 2026, the free Starter plan:

  • Costs nothing, with no credit card and no playtime limit.
  • Has 10 player slots, 1 GB of RAM and a “Basic” CPU. Its plans page lists a 10 GB storage limit for free plans.
  • Sleeps when empty and wakes when a player joins.
  • Takes plugins, uploaded from the web dashboard.
  • Plays on Java and Bedrock, so friends on phones and tablets can join the same world.
  • Backup Now on the dashboard; check the backup slots on your plan. Its help center describes a Backup Now button on the dashboard, with more backup slots on higher plans.

For a small group that plays together in the evening and uses a few plugins, that is a good deal, and the options below are not automatically better.

Where the free plan runs out

  • Player slots. The free plan has 10. The paid Standard plan (600 credits a month) raises that to unlimited.
  • Memory. 1 GB of RAM is shared by the world, the players and every plugin. Standard has 2 GB, Pro 6 GB and Ultimate 14 GB.
  • Always on. Starter, Standard and Pro all sleep when empty. Minehut lists only Ultimate (6,000 credits a month) as online 24/7.
  • One free server at a time. Its help center says you can own up to five free servers, with one online at a time. Extra free servers are scheduled for deletion, with one email 30 days before.
  • Ads. Minehut’s cookie notice says it uses cookies “to show the ads that keep free servers free”.
  • Credits, not dollars. Paid plans are priced in credits. Its store sells 800 credits for $6.00, or $5.00 a month as a subscription, and 1,800 credits for $12.00, or $10.00 a month.

Alternatives compared

Facts about each service come from its own pages, checked on 6 October 2026.

ServiceCostPlayers online at onceMemoryMods / pluginsWhen nobody is onWhat you give up
Minehut (free Starter)Free; paid plans in credits101 GB RAMPlugins, uploaded from the dashboardSleeps when empty, wakes when a player joinsAds; one free server online at a time
AternosFreeUnlimited slots, per its siteNot listed on its home pageYes: plugins (Paper, Spigot, Purpur), mods (Forge, NeoForge, Fabric, Quilt) and modpacksStops empty servers after a countdownAds on its site; a start queue when its servers are full
Play HostingFree; paid VPS plans from £4 a monthNo slot limit, per its site3 GB RAM and 10 GB NVMe storageYes: a modpack installer for CurseForge, Modrinth, FTB and Technic, plus mod uploadCheck its siteA start queue of “a few seconds to a few minutes”, per its help center
exaroton1 credit per GB of RAM per hour; 100 credits = $1.14; trial without a payment methodCheck its siteYou chooseYes: Forge, Fabric, NeoForge, Quilt, Paper, Purpur, Spigot, and 500+ modpacksOptional start by joining and automatic stop after the last player leavesYou pay for every hour it runs after the trial
Self-hostingFree server software from minecraft.net; your PC and powerLimited by your PCWhat your PC can spareYesRuns only while your PC is onSetup, a PC left on, and port forwarding or a tunnel
ShulkerboxesFree, no ads, no credit cardCheck before you joinCheck before you joinCheck before you joinWakes when a friend joins, ready in about a minuteUS only, invite-only waitlist, gameplay recorded for AI datasets

How to choose

  1. Happy with 10 players, plugins and a server that sleeps? Stay on Minehut’s free plan.
  2. Need mods or a modpack? Aternos, Play Hosting, exaroton or self-hosting all say they support them.
  3. Need more memory for free? Play Hosting lists 3 GB of RAM on every free server.
  4. More than 10 friends online at once? Aternos and Play Hosting list no slot limit; exaroton and self-hosting work if you give the server enough memory.
  5. Play a few evenings a week and can pay a little? exaroton charges only for the hours the server runs. Its example is 2 GB of RAM for 4 hours = 8 credits, about $0.09.
  6. Want zero cost and no ads? Self-hosting, or Shulkerboxes if your group is in the US, has an invite, and is comfortable with gameplay recording.

Moving a world off Minehut

  1. Start your server on Minehut, open the File Manager, select your world’s files and choose Download. Minehut’s help center describes these steps.
  2. On the new host, create a server on the same game version and the same kind of server software (for example Paper for plugins).
  3. Upload the world through the new host’s file manager or world upload tool, if it has one, and reinstall your plugins.
  4. Start the server and check that builds and inventories look right before you delete anything on Minehut.

Version mismatches are the most common problem after a move. See our outdated server guide. If friends can’t reach the new address, see the timeout guide.

Where Shulkerboxes fits (and doesn't)

Shulkerboxes is free server hosting for Minecraft: Java Edition friend groups, with no ads and no credit card. A server wakes up when a friend joins and is ready in about a minute, and your group gets a private Discord channel with the team. It is invite-only with a waitlist and open in the US only. It is free because gameplay is recorded and de-identified into AI training datasets, and chat is recorded only if you opt in (full explanation). Every player sees a notice before playing. Compared with Minehut’s free plan, there are no ads; the trade is the recording. If your group needs mods, plugins, or Bedrock, ask before you join or pick an option above that says it supports them.

Have an invite code? Enter it on the home page. No invite yet? Join the waitlist and we will save you a spot.

FAQ

What are the limits of Minehut's free plan?

Minehut's free Starter plan has 10 player slots, 1 GB of RAM, a basic CPU and a 10 GB storage limit, with no playtime limit. The server sleeps when empty and wakes when a player joins (checked 6 October 2026).

Does a free Minehut server stay online 24/7?

No. Starter, Standard and Pro servers sleep when empty and wake when a player joins. Minehut lists only the Ultimate plan, at 6,000 credits a month, as online 24/7.

How many free servers can I have on Minehut?

Up to five free servers per account, with one online at a time, according to Minehut's help center. Extra free servers are scheduled for deletion, with one email 30 days before.

Which Minehut alternative gives more memory for free?

Play Hosting lists 3 GB of RAM and 10 GB of NVMe storage on its free servers. Aternos does not list a RAM figure on its home page, and exaroton lets you choose the RAM and charges for it by the hour.

Is there a free Minehut alternative without ads?

Self-hosting has no ads. Shulkerboxes has no ads and is free for US groups with an invite, paid for by recorded gameplay.

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