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Play Hosting vs Aternos: Free Plans Compared

Last checked: 7 October 2026

On paper, Play Hosting’s free plan is the stronger offer for a group that wants a set amount of memory or Bedrock friends on a Java server: every free server lists 3 GB of RAM, 10 GB of NVMe storage, no slot limit, a modpack installer and Bedrock crossplay. Aternos is the long-running choice: running since 2013 by its footer, free with no way to pay, unlimited slots, plugins, mods and modpacks, and help pages that spell out how its queue and stop countdown work. Both use a queue to share machines fairly, so neither promises a start with no wait. Play Hosting’s own pages do not say what happens to an empty server, and its terms call free hosting best-effort. Pick Play Hosting for RAM, crossplay and US locations; pick Aternos for a long history and rules you can read in advance.

Side by side

Play Hosting facts are from play.hosting and help.play.hosting on 7 October 2026. Aternos facts are from its homepage as archived on 3 October 2026 and its help center and terms (dates in Sources).

ComparedPlay Hosting (free)Aternos
CostFree, “100% free, forever”; separate VPS plans from £4 a monthFree; its homepage says there is no way to pay for anything
RAM3 GB and 10 GB NVMe storage with every serverSet by Aternos per software and version (2,400 MB for vanilla 1.20.1 in its example)
Player slotsNo slot limit, per its homepageUnlimited, per its homepage
Mods and pluginsPlugins and modpacks; a modpack installer for CurseForge, Modrinth, FTB and Technic; mod uploadPlugins (Paper, Spigot, Purpur), mods (Forge, NeoForge, Fabric, Quilt), preconfigured modpacks
When nobody is onNot stated on its site or help pagesStops after a countdown
How it startsA queue before your server is created (“a few seconds to a few minutes”), then a Start button in the consoleSomeone presses start on the website; a queue when its system is full
AdsNot stated on its own pagesIts help center says it is financed through advertisements
BedrockCrossplay on Paper servers (not modded ones), Bedrock players on port 19132Bedrock Edition servers, separate from Java
Who it suitsGroups that want 3 GB, Bedrock friends, or a server in the US or UKGroups that want mods or modpacks from a host with a long history and published rules

Play Hosting

Play Hosting’s homepage says its Minecraft servers are 100% free, forever. Every server lists 3 GB of RAM, 10 GB of NVMe storage, no slot limit, additional ports and Bedrock crossplay, on Ryzen 9 7950X machines in Brighton, New York and Los Angeles. A modpack installer covers CurseForge, Modrinth, FTB and Technic, and you can upload your own mods through the control panel. It also sells VPS plans from £4 a month, which are separate from the free Minecraft servers.

Its help pages describe a queue “like other free hosting providers” that you wait in before your server is created, lasting “a few seconds to a few minutes” depending on demand. After that you press Start in the console; a first start can take a minute while server files download. Bedrock crossplay works only on non-modded servers such as Paper, and Bedrock players join on port 19132. Its terms, last amended 21 August 2026, say free hosting is provided on a best-effort basis and set a monthly uptime target of 26.82% for free services. Its pages don’t say whether an empty server stops, or how the service is funded.

Aternos

Aternos has run since 2013, according to its footer, and its homepage says it is free and always will be, with no possibility to pay for anything. It lists unlimited slots, mods, plugins and preconfigured modpacks, world uploads, automatic backups to your Google Drive and shared access for friends, for Java Edition and Bedrock Edition servers.

Its help center explains the trade-offs. When its system is full, you wait in a queue after pressing start and confirm near the front; you cannot skip it. An empty server stops after a countdown, and someone presses start again next time. Its terms forbid getting around the idle timeout and delete servers after a long period of inactivity, usually 3 months. The plan’s RAM is set by Aternos by software and version, as of its help center’s 4 October 2025 snapshot. Its help center says Aternos is completely financed through advertisements.

Pick Play Hosting if, pick Aternos if

Pick Play Hosting if you want a known 3 GB of memory for a modpack or a busy world, Bedrock friends on a Paper server, or a server in the US or UK. Check for yourself how it handles an empty server before you rely on it.

Pick Aternos if you want a host that has run since 2013, with written rules for the queue, the stop countdown and inactivity, and you are happy for one person to press start before you play.

Either way, both are free to try, so the fastest test is to create a server on each and see which queue is shorter at the time your group plays.

Where Shulkerboxes fits (and doesn’t)

Shulkerboxes is free Minecraft: Java Edition hosting for a friend group, with no ads, no credit card and no port forwarding. 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, Spain, Germany, Mexico and Brazil. 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). Servers run Paper with built-in homes and /tpa, you can upload a world you already have, and your saved world is yours to download. Modpacks and custom plugins are not supported, and Bedrock players cannot join, so if your group needs those, Play Hosting or Aternos is the better pick.

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

FAQ

Is Play Hosting better than Aternos?

It depends on what your group needs. Play Hosting lists 3 GB of RAM, no slot limit and Bedrock crossplay on every free server. Aternos, running since 2013 by its footer, is free, supports mods, plugins and modpacks, and publishes clear rules for its queue and stop countdown, but sets the RAM for you.

Is Play Hosting really free?

Its homepage says its Minecraft servers are 100% free, forever. It also sells VPS plans from £4 a month, which are a separate product. Its terms describe free hosting as best-effort.

How much RAM do you get on Play Hosting and on Aternos?

Play Hosting lists 3 GB of RAM and 10 GB of NVMe storage with every server. Aternos assigns RAM by server software and version; its help center gives a vanilla 1.20.1 server 2,400 MB as an example.

Does Play Hosting have a queue like Aternos?

Yes. Play Hosting's help center says you may wait in a queue before your server is created, for a few seconds to a few minutes depending on demand. Aternos queues server starts when its system is full, and you confirm near the front.

Can Bedrock players join Play Hosting or Aternos servers?

Play Hosting supports Bedrock crossplay on non-modded servers such as Paper, with Bedrock players joining on port 19132. Aternos runs Bedrock Edition servers, listed separately from Java servers.

Where are Play Hosting's servers?

Its homepage lists Brighton in the UK, and New York and Los Angeles in the US. Aternos's homepage does not list its server locations.

Does Play Hosting stop empty servers?

Its homepage, help pages and terms do not say, as of 7 October 2026. Aternos stops empty servers after a countdown, so someone presses start before the next session.

Sources

Aternos blocks automated fetches, so its pages are cited from archive.org snapshots, each with its date. Every other page was fetched on 7 October 2026.

Written by the Shulkerboxes team.