pixly.

Minecraft server hosting without a subscription

Pixly bills by the hour your Minecraft server is awake, so a group that plays a few evenings a week pays about $3.49 a month.

Pick a size to create your server. Start on 4 GB, resize any time up to 128 GB in your server's settings.

More arrows, faster server.

  • Dedicated CPU & RAM
  • CurseForge & Modrinth mods
  • Java & Bedrock crossplay
  • Daily backups included
  • Unlimited storage
  • Support from real people

How it works

A friend joins, it wakes.

A friend on your whitelist joins and the server wakes, even when you're offline; nobody opens a website or texts you. With the whitelist off, any player can wake it.

Awake while anyone plays.

As long as someone is playing, it stays awake — no session limit and no queue.

Asleep when they leave.

Five minutes after the last player leaves, it sleeps and the hourly charge stops. The world waits exactly as you left it.

How to host a Minecraft server for friends

Java and Bedrock crossplay in one switch

Switch it on and Geyser and Floodgate install themselves — your friends join on the same address, no manual configuration.

pixly.gg/world/cozy-glade · settings
Bedrock crossplay
Lets friends on phones, consoles and Windows join your Java world.
Connection
Paste into Multiplayer → Add Server
cozyglade-7x4m9b2q.pixly.gg
Version
26.3
Region
Ashburn, Virginia…

Add mods and modpacks in one click

Install any modpack, mod or plugin from CurseForge and Modrinth in one click, paste a link, or upload your own .jar or .mrpack — it's running on the next start.

CobblemonCreate FabricBiomes O' PlentyTerralithBlueMapSimple Voice Chat

Start small, resize when a pack needs more

Packs install whole and server-ready, with the loader and Java version they need. Start on a smaller size and select more memory when you need it.

Cobblemon Official Modpack [Fabric]Vanilla PerfectedThe Pixelmon ModpackZombie Invade 100 DaysProminence™ II: Hasturian EraCOBBLEVERSE - Pokemon Adventure [Cobblemon]All the Mods 10 - ATM10Better MC [FORGE] BMC4All the Mods 9 - ATM9DawnCraft - Echoes of LegendsVault Hunters Third EditionSkyFactory 5

Any loader, any Minecraft version

Mods run on Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, and Quilt; plugins run on Paper, Purpur, Pufferfish, Leaf, and Folia. Pick one when you create the server and choose any Minecraft version it supports, up to the newest release, 26.3 — the matching server build and Java version install themselves. See which loader your modpack needs.

  • Paper
  • Purpur
  • Pufferfish
  • Leaf
  • Folia
  • Fabric
  • Forge
  • NeoForge
  • Quilt

What your Minecraft server costs

A bigger server for what a small monthly plan costs

A server with 16 GB for 40 hours of play a month costs less than a typical always-on 4 GB plan.

A typical always-on 4 GB plan
$15.49*/ mo
Pixly, 16 GB
~$7.99/ mo

Top up any amount by card or crypto · Refunds on unspent balance, no questions asked

Your balance is the ceiling — nothing is billed after the fact.

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Apple PayApple Pay
  • Google PayGoogle Pay
  • BitcoinBitcoin

Servers run in United States — Portland, Oregon and Ashburn, Virginia; Asia Pacific — Singapore; Europe — Frankfurt, Germany. Your server is placed in the region with the lowest ping from where you are; if your friends are elsewhere, change it before you create it.

Every size includes everything

Every size includes everything above and the list below. Bigger sizes only add memory and speed.

Speed

  • Dedicated CPU & RAMits own machine, so no lag from noisy neighbors — up to 128 GB
  • Unlimited storageNVMe, grows with your world automatically, so there's no disk size to pick

Safety

  • Daily backupskept for 7 days, restored in a click, and yours to download
  • 99.99% uptimeon every size
  • DDoS protectionincluded on every size
  • Private servera whitelist decides who can join; changes apply without a restart

Mods

  • Mods and modpacksCurseForge and Modrinth, plus datapacks

Play together

  • Your own addressa permanent yourworld-1a2b3c4d.pixly.gg, or point mc.yourdomain.com at it — no add-on to buy
  • No player limityou set max players, not your size
  • Java & Bedrock crossplayconsole and mobile friends in one world
  • Proximity voice chatone switch in your server's settings

Control

  • Server files in your browserbrowse, search, edit and upload while it's awake
  • Your Minecraft versionpick one, or follow each new release automatically
  • Bring your existing worlddrag in a .zip or .tar.gz of up to 4 GB and it loads on the next start

Support

  • Support from real peoplenot a bot — the people building Pixly answer in Discord and at support@pixly.gg

How hourly billing adds up

Two things set your bill: the size your server runs and the hours it’s awake — the more hours, the lower the rate. Three example months, each about 120 hours awake, at today’s prices:

  • 4 GB all month
    ~$9.49
    a month
  • 8 GB, then 4 GB from mid-month
    ~$10.99
    a monthagainst $26.24* always-on 8 GB
  • 4 GB, up to 16 GB for a busy week, back to 4 GB
    On a monthly plan you can drop a size, but the month you already paid for doesn’t come back.
    ~$12.99
    a monthagainst $49.99* always-on 16 GB

Solid: the hours you pay for. Faded: every hour a typical always-on plan with the same memory bills.

Size is a setting, not a purchase — changing it mid-month costs nothing extra.

Who it’s for

Pixly suits a server that isn’t awake all month, and one you’d rather not set up by hand.

  • Friends who play some evenings

    Your SMP sleeps between sessions, a night or a month off. A few evenings a week costs a few evenings, not a month, so even a big size stays cheap.

  • Events and communities

    Start it before the night, size it up for the crowd, stop it when it's over — you pay for the event, not a month.

  • Modded and crossplay servers

    One click installs the pack and one switch turns on Bedrock crossplay.

How it compares with other hosts

See ten hosts’ prices, billing and backups side by side in the Minecraft server hosting comparison.

* A typical always-on plan is the median regular price monthly hosts charge for the same memory, with no promo or prepay deals. Checked September 16, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

A small friend group gathered around a campfire on a floating island, with one seat left open.

How much does it cost to rent a Minecraft server per month?

A 4 GB server costs as little as 8¢ an awake hour. A weekend or two of play comes to about $0.99, a few nights a week about $3.49, and most evenings about $9.49. Bigger sizes cost more per hour; the size picker shows the estimate for yours.

Is my server billed only while it's awake?

Yes. The hourly rate runs while your server is awake and stops when it sleeps, and every rate already includes the small cost of keeping your world stored while it sleeps.

Can I try Pixly first without a credit card?

Yes. A new account gets about 9 hours of awake time on a 4 GB server. Top up your balance whenever you want more hours or a bigger size.

Why is a dedicated Pixly server cheaper than a shared monthly plan?

Because the server is billed on demand: a group that plays a few nights a week keeps it awake about 18 times fewer hours than an always-on plan bills for, and the price follows the hours. Awake around the clock it would cost more than a monthly plan; hourly billing is built for servers that sleep.

Is there a player limit?

No. How many play smoothly depends on the size and your mods, and a bigger size is one setting and a restart away.

What happens if my balance runs out?

Your card is never charged: the server stops until you top up. Your world waits six months on a topped-up account, a week on the trial, and comes back on the same address when you top up.

Do my friends need a Pixly account to join?

No. They join your server from its address, like any other Minecraft server.

Can friends on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch or phones join?

Yes. Turn on Bedrock crossplay and friends on phones, consoles and Windows join your Java server at the same address, without buying Java, on every server type except Vanilla and Forge.

Does my server update automatically when a new Minecraft version comes out?

Only if you leave the version on Latest. Pin a version and it stays there until you change it; a modpack pins its own.

Can I run more than one server on one account?

Yes, up to 5 once you've topped up, each with its own address and settings, each billed only for its own awake hours.

Can I upload my single-player or Realms world?

Yes, any Java world: drop its .zip into the Backups tab. Once you've topped up you can also download any backup and take the world with you.

Can I use my own domain for my Minecraft server?

Yes, a subdomain like mc.yourdomain.com, on every size. Add the one record Settings shows you at your domain provider, and your pixly.gg address keeps working alongside it.

Try it first, no credit card

Name your server and share its address

Create worldAsk us in Discord

Nothing renews.