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Aternos vs Minehut: Which Free Minecraft Host Is Better for Friends?

Last checked: 7 October 2026

For a friend group that wants mods, modpacks or more than 10 players online, Aternos is the better free host. For a small group that wants friends to drop in without anyone pressing start, or Bedrock friends in the same world, Minehut is. Aternos is free with no way to pay, lists unlimited slots, and supports plugins, mods and preconfigured modpacks, but someone starts the server from its website, you may wait in a queue at busy times, and an empty server stops after a countdown. Minehut’s free Starter plan wakes the server when a player joins and lets Java and Bedrock players share one world, but it caps you at 10 players and 1 GB of RAM. Neither asks a free user for money, and by their own pages both are paid for with ads.

Side by side

Minehut facts are from minehut.com 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).

ComparedAternosMinehut (free Starter)
CostFree; its homepage says there is no way to pay for anythingFree, no credit card; paid plans from 600 credits a month
RAMSet by Aternos per software and version (2,400 MB for vanilla 1.20.1 in its example)1 GB
Player slotsUnlimited, per its homepage10
Mods and pluginsPlugins (Paper, Spigot, Purpur), mods (Forge, NeoForge, Fabric, Quilt), preconfigured modpacksPlugin upload from the web dashboard; its plans page lists mods and plugins
When nobody is onStops after a countdownSleeps when empty
How it startsSomeone presses start on the website; a queue when its system is fullWakes when a player joins
AdsIts help center says it is financed through advertisementsIts cookie notice says cookies show “the ads that keep free servers free”
BedrockBedrock Edition servers, separate from JavaJava and Bedrock crossplay on every server
Who it suitsGroups that want mods, modpacks or lots of players, and play in sessionsSmall groups with plugins, Bedrock friends, or friends who drop in at odd times

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, custom domains and shared access for friends. It runs Minecraft: Java Edition (Vanilla, Snapshots, Paper, Spigot, Purpur, Glowstone, Forge, NeoForge, Fabric, Quilt, modpacks and Arclight) and Minecraft: Bedrock Edition.

The limits come from sharing machines fairly. When its system is full, you wait in a queue after pressing start and confirm you are still there near the front; its help center says you cannot skip it. An empty server stops after a countdown, with a button that adds a minute when less than a minute is left. Its terms forbid getting around the idle timeout that disconnects inactive players, and say servers are deleted 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.

Minehut

Minehut says it is the largest free Minecraft server host. Its free Starter plan has 10 player slots, 1 GB of RAM, a Basic CPU, no time limit and a 10 GB storage limit, with no sub-users. Servers sleep when empty and wake when a player joins, so nobody has to press start before friends log in. Java players join through mc.minehut.com and Bedrock players through bedrock.minehut.com, in the same world. You upload plugins and manage files from the web dashboard.

Paid plans are priced in credits: Standard 600 credits a month (unlimited players, 2 GB), Pro 1,800 (6 GB) and Ultimate 6,000 (14 GB). Only Ultimate is listed as online 24/7; the others still sleep when empty. Its store sells 800 credits for $6.00, or $5.00 a month on subscription. Its cookie notice says its cookies help “show the ads that keep free servers free”.

Pick Aternos if, pick Minehut if

Pick Aternos if you want Forge, Fabric or a modpack; more than 10 friends online at once; or more than 1 GB of memory without paying. Expect someone to press start, a possible wait at busy times, and a server that stops soon after the last player leaves.

Pick Minehut if your group is 10 or fewer, a few plugins are enough, and you want the server to wake when a friend joins. It is also the easier pick if some friends play Bedrock on a phone or console, because every Minehut server takes both editions.

If neither fits, our Aternos alternatives and Minehut alternatives guides compare more hosts.

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, Aternos or Minehut 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 Aternos or Minehut better for playing with friends?

Aternos is better if your group wants mods, modpacks or more than 10 players, because it lists unlimited slots and supports Forge, Fabric and preconfigured modpacks. Minehut is better for a group of 10 or fewer that wants the server to wake when someone joins, or that has Bedrock players.

Which gives more RAM for free, Aternos or Minehut?

Aternos. Minehut's free Starter plan has 1 GB of RAM. Aternos sets RAM by server software and version, and its help center gives a vanilla 1.20.1 server 2,400 MB as an example.

Do Aternos and Minehut servers stay online when nobody is playing?

No. An Aternos server stops after a countdown once it is empty, and someone presses start to play again. A free Minehut server sleeps when empty and wakes when a player joins; only its paid Ultimate plan is listed as online 24/7.

Can Bedrock players join Aternos or Minehut?

Every Minehut server supports Java and Bedrock crossplay. Aternos runs Bedrock Edition servers, but its homepage lists them separately from Java servers rather than as crossplay.

Can I use mods on Minehut's free plan?

Minehut's homepage describes uploading plugin files from the web dashboard, and its plans page lists mods and plugins among its features. Aternos lists Forge, NeoForge, Fabric, Quilt and preconfigured modpacks, so it is the easier choice for a modded world.

Do Aternos and Minehut have ads?

Both say so on their own pages. Aternos's help center says the service is completely financed through advertisements, and Minehut's cookie notice says its cookies show the ads that keep free servers free.

Can I move my world from Minehut to Aternos?

Yes. Download the world folder through the file manager on Minehut's web dashboard, create an Aternos server on the same version and software, and upload it; Aternos's homepage says you can upload any world you want to play.

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.