free · switching from minehut
The Minehut alternative that is not capped at 1GB
Minehut gives away Minecraft servers, which is a useful thing to do, and it has introduced a lot of people to running one. The free Starter plan comes with 1GB of RAM and 10 player slots, and servers sleep when nobody is online, waking again when a player joins.
1GB covers vanilla or a light plugin setup and will not carry a modpack. Most Fabric and Forge packs want at least 6GB, and kitchen-sink packs want 10GB or more. Self Hostd starts from a different observation: the computer you are reading this on almost certainly has more memory free than that, sitting idle.
Where Minehut is strong
- No hardware required at all, so it works even when your own computer could not carry a server, and nothing needs leaving switched on at home.
- Servers wake automatically when a player joins rather than needing you to start them by hand, which is smoother than free hosts that queue a manual start.
- DDoS protection, a web dashboard with file management, and plugin uploads are all included on the free plan.
- Crossplay support, so Java and Bedrock players can join the same server without you configuring a proxy.
- Unlimited playtime on the free plan, with a clear upgrade path to 14GB and unlimited players if you outgrow it.
What changes when the hardware is yours
Memory your pack can actually use
Free Minehut servers get 1GB. Most modpacks need 6GB and kitchen-sink packs like All The Mods or RLCraft want 10GB or more. On your own machine the ceiling is whatever your PC has spare.
No 10-player slot cap
The free Starter plan allows 10 player slots. On your own hardware, how many people can play is decided by your CPU and memory rather than by a plan tier.
No sleeping at all
Minehut servers sleep when empty and wake on join, which costs the first player a wait. While your PC is on, the address simply answers.
Your PC probably outruns a shared slot
Minecraft tick rate is decided mainly by single-core speed, and a mid-range desktop from the last few years usually has quicker cores than a free shared slot can allocate.
Any server software you like
Vanilla, Paper, Purpur, Spigot, Fabric, Forge and NeoForge. You are running a normal server jar in a normal folder, so nothing is limited to a supported catalogue.
Side by side
| Minehut (free Starter) | Self Hostd (free) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the server runs | Minehut hardware, shared | Your PC |
| RAM | 1GB | Whatever your PC has spare |
| Player slots | 10 | Set by your hardware |
| Modpacks | Not realistic at 1GB | Yes, if your machine has the memory |
| When everyone logs off | Sleeps, and wakes when a player joins | Stays up while your PC is on |
| Server software | From the supported catalogue | Any Java server jar you can run |
| Bedrock crossplay | Included | Java only for now |
| Your PC must be on | No | Yes, while people are playing |
| Cost | Free | Free, plus your electricity |
Based on each product's published free tier as of 11 August 2026. If something here has changed, tell us and we will correct it.
Moving your Minehut world over
- 1Download your worldTake a copy of your world from the Minehut file manager, along with any plugins and configuration you want to keep.
- 2Build the folderMake a folder on your PC with a server jar matching what you were running: the same Minecraft version or newer, and the same server software so Paper stays Paper.
- 3Drop the world inUnzip the world beside the jar so it sits in a folder named world, or set level-name in server.properties to match its name.
- 4Create a server here and pairMake a free account, press Create your server, copy the 6-digit pairing code, put the Self Hostd launcher in the folder, open it, paste the code and press Start.
- 5Share the new addressGive friends your new address. Builds, inventories and plugin data come across exactly as they were.
Full step-by-step instructions, including the modpack path, live in the Self Hostd setup guide.
Questions you'd be right to ask
Why does my Minehut server keep going to sleep?
Free hosting is only affordable if idle servers release their hardware for someone else, so free servers across the industry stop when the last player leaves. Minehut wakes yours again when a player joins, so the cost is a short wait for whoever arrives first rather than a manual restart.
Can I run a modpack on Minehut's free plan?
Realistically no. The free Starter plan provides 1GB of RAM, and most Fabric and Forge modpacks want at least 6GB, with kitchen-sink packs like All The Mods and RLCraft wanting 10GB or more. Modded servers need either a paid Minehut tier or hardware with more memory.
Is Self Hostd free in the same way Minehut is?
Yes, with a different funding model. The address, tunnel, panel with live console, Discord control and twice-weekly off-site backups are free, paid for by the cloud hosting we sell to people who outgrow their PC. Free servers show a short Hostd credit in the server list.
Does my PC have to stay on?
Yes, while people are playing, and that is the trade. Minehut keeps a sleeping server without your PC involved at all. If you want the world up while your machine rests, burst it onto our hardware by the hour at the same address.
Will my Minehut world work on my own PC?
Yes. It is a standard Minecraft world folder. Keep the Minecraft version the same or newer and use the same server software and plugins, and everything from builds to player inventories carries across.
More than a gigabyte, and no queue to wake it
Coming from somewhere else?