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Minecraft server hosting

Minecraft server hosting that bills only for the time you play.

Pixly is pay-as-you-go Minecraft hosting for small friend groups. Your world sleeps when everyone logs off, so you never pay for an empty server — no monthly bill and nothing to install. Sign in, name it, share the address, and you're live in about 30 seconds.

Create my world — freeSee how it works

~10 free hours to try · no credit card · live in ~30s

The wedge

Pay-per-hour Minecraft hosting, not a monthly box

Every other host bills calendar time whether anyone is playing. Pixly bills by the minute only for the hours friends are actually online — so an empty world costs $0.

$0 while your server sleeps

Worlds hibernate after about 5 minutes empty and the meter stops. You're charged by the minute only for active hours, so a world used a few evenings a week stays cheap.

No subscription, no lock-in

There's no monthly bill and nothing to cancel. Top up any amount you like, pause in one click, and pay as you go. No renewal price jump — what you pay per hour is what you pay.

~10 free hours, no card to start

Every new account gets about 10 free hours of play and needs no credit card. Boot a small world, play with friends, and only top up when the free hours run out.

Hosted online

A Minecraft server online and ready to share in about 30 seconds

Setup is instant — three screens: sign in with Google, name your world, share the address. Pixly runs the world on its own servers, so there's nothing to configure and your own PC never has to stay on.

Online, not on your PC

Your world runs on Pixly's servers, so your own computer can stay off and it's reachable whenever it's awake. Friends with a Java Edition account just paste the address you share and click Join.

A permanent address to share

You get a friendly address like cozyglade-7x.pixly.gg that never changes. Share it once; friends keep it forever.

Wakes in about 30 seconds

A sleeping world wakes in roughly 30 seconds the moment a friend hits Join. The 30-second wake is exactly why your idle hours are free.

Private by default

A private Minecraft server for friends, mods and crossplay included

Everything is on every plan — backups, whitelist, console, custom address, version switching. Nothing is paywalled behind a bigger plan.

Friends-only whitelist

A whitelist is on by default, so only people you add can join. Your world is private and safe out of the box.

120k+ mods, one click

Choose Vanilla, Paper, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, or Quilt, then search and install from 120k+ Modrinth projects in-panel. Switch versions or mods any time.

Java + Bedrock crossplay

Flip one switch and Pixly auto-installs Geyser and Floodgate so console and phone friends join the same world as Java players. It's a Java server with Bedrock crossplay, not native Bedrock hosting.

Daily backups on every plan

Worlds are backed up daily with a 7-day history, so progress is safe. No "upgrade for backups" tier.

DDoS protection, always on

Every world sits behind DDoS protection at no extra cost, so a flood of junk traffic can't knock your friends offline mid-session.

Dedicated resources on NVMe SSD

Plans run on dedicated resources backed by NVMe SSD storage, from Meadow (1 vCPU / 4 GB, up to 10 players) to Realm (8 vCPU / 64 GB, 100+ players). Pick a region close to your players for low latency.

Built for how you actually play

Pixly is for intermittent friend groups who play a few evenings a week. If you need a 24/7 public network, a flat-rate host fits better — we're honest about that.

FAQ

Minecraft server hosting questions

You top up a small Wallet balance and Pixly charges by the minute only for the hours your world is actually online. When everyone logs off, the server sleeps after about 5 minutes and the meter stops — idle hours are $0. It's pay as you go: no monthly subscription and nothing to cancel.

There's no fixed monthly bill. A small world played a few evenings a week typically runs a couple of dollars a month, with rates as low as single-digit cents per active hour. Heavier modpacks cost more per hour, but you still only pay while someone is online. Prices vary by region, so live per-hour rates are shown when you pick a plan.

No. Pixly runs your world online on its own servers, so there's nothing to configure and your own PC can stay off. You get a permanent address to share, and friends just paste it into Minecraft and join.

Yes — every world is a private Minecraft server for friends by default. A friends-only whitelist is on out of the box, so only people you add can join. You can open it up or keep it locked down whenever you like.

Setup is three screens and about 30 seconds: sign in with Google, name your world, and share the address. A sleeping world wakes in roughly 30 seconds when the first friend hits Join. New accounts get about 10 free hours of play and need no credit card to start.

Yes. Choose Paper, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, or Quilt and install from 120k+ Modrinth projects in one click. For mixed groups, flip the Bedrock cross-play switch and Pixly auto-installs Geyser and Floodgate so Java and Bedrock players join the same world — a Java server with Bedrock crossplay, not native Bedrock hosting.

No. Plan sizes set CPU and RAM, not a player cap — the player counts shown on each size are guidance for what runs smoothly, and you set the max players yourself in your server's settings. If your group outgrows a size, you can move up a plan at any time.

As much as your world needs. There's no fixed disk size to outgrow — storage expands automatically as your world grows, and you're billed only for the gigabytes you actually use.

Yes. Pixly runs in multiple regions, so you can host your server close to your players for low latency. Pick the location nearest your group when you create a world and you'll get smoother gameplay with less lag.

Yes. Every world runs behind DDoS protection, included on every plan at no extra cost. It absorbs the common floods of junk traffic that would otherwise knock players offline.

Spin up your Minecraft server free

Sign in, name your world, share the address — live in about 30 seconds. Start with ~10 free hours and pay for the time you play.

Create my world — free

No credit card · pay for the time you play