Getting started with Self Hostd

Run a Minecraft server on your own machine and get a public address, a web panel and console from Hostd. Pair with a 6-digit code; no port forwarding.

The short version

Create the server in your Hostd panel, run the Self Hostd launcher on the machine running your Minecraft server, and pair it with the 6-digit code. You get a public address, a web panel and a console, without port forwarding, and it works behind CGNAT while keeping your home IP private.

Self Hostd lets you run a Minecraft server on your own hardware while Hostd provides the public address, the tunnel that carries players to it, and a web panel with a live console. Your home IP is never shown to players and your router stays untouched, because the launcher makes a single outbound connection to our relay.

#What you need

A machine to host on, with Java 8 or newer installed.
Your server files in a folder (a vanilla, Paper, Fabric, Forge or NeoForge setup all work).
A Hostd account.

#1. Create the server in your panel

Go to Self Hostd in your dashboard and create a server. You will get a 6-digit pairing code. The code is valid for 15 minutes and works once; if it lapses, generate a new one from the same page.

#2. Run the launcher

Download the launcher from the same page and put selfhostd-launcher.jar in your server folder. Double-click it (or run java -jar selfhostd-launcher.jar in a terminal if your OS blocks the double-click), enter the pairing code and press Pair, then pick your server jar and RAM and press Start. Pairing on its own is fine too: the code is remembered the moment Pair succeeds, so you can pair first and start the server whenever you are ready.

Downloaded server packs (the kind made with ServerPackCreator, with a start.sh, start.bat and variables.txt inside) normally install themselves on their first run, so there is no server jar in them to begin with. The launcher spots these packs and offers to do the install for you: agree to Mojang's EULA in its prompt and it downloads the pack's modloader, installs it into the folder, sets the pack's recommended RAM and lines the pack up in the server list ready to Start. For the rare loader it cannot install itself, it prints step-by-step instructions instead.

When the launcher shows online, your address looks like yourname.na.hostdservers.com. Friends add it in Minecraft under Multiplayer. The web panel now shows your console and server status, and you can send commands from anywhere.

#Removing it later

Everything lives in the server folder. Delete the folder (or just the launcher jar and its selfhostd.properties file) and Self Hostd is gone from your machine; nothing is installed system-wide. Delete the server in your panel as well to free the address.

#Where to go next

Running the launcher from the command line if you prefer a terminal or want to script it.
Pairing codes and tokens explained for how the launcher stays linked to your account.
Using your own tunnel or port forward if players should reach you some other way.
The Self Hostd plugin if you run Paper or Spigot and would rather not use a wrapper.
Self Hostd with Docker Compose if your server runs in containers.

#Frequently asked questions

Do I need to port forward for Self Hostd?

No. That is the point of it. The launcher opens an outbound connection, so players reach your server through a Hostd address without you touching your router, and it works behind CGNAT where port forwarding is not available at all.

Does Self Hostd expose my home IP address?

No. Players connect to a Hostd address and traffic is relayed, so what they see is the relay rather than your home connection.

What do I need to run Self Hostd?

A machine already running a Minecraft server, and the Self Hostd launcher. You pair the two with a 6-digit code from your panel once, and the token it leaves behind keeps them linked afterwards.

Written and maintained by the Hostd engineering team. Last updated 2026-08-02. Notice a mistake? Tell us.