Technologies
Best Minecraft Server Hosting Service of 2023
Choose the best Minecraft server host to suit your gaming needs. We’ve broken down pricing, features, performance and support to make the choice easier for you.
With millions of players around the world, Minecraft is one of the most popular games ever. And while outsiders might think it’s a casual game for kids, there’s plenty of depth for hardcore gamers. One of Minecraft’s best aspects is playing with your friends and building a world. And if you want to keep that world living on for as long as you want it to, you’ll need the best Minecraft server hosting service of 2023.
Using a dedicated server hosting provider for Minecraft is like using a web host. You pay a monthly fee to use a vendor’s servers, which can provide you with improved security, performance and the ability to apply modpacks for customized multiplayer experiences.
But with so many Minecraft hosting server options on the market, some better than others, you may want assistance in determining which is the best Minecraft server hosting option for you.
Which Minecraft hosting service will best optimize your Minecraft gameplay? There is Minecraft Realms, Mojang’s official server subscription service (available for Java and Bedrock editions). If you want more back-end control over your server — or modpacks and maps that aren’t available in Realms — you’ll need a modded Minecraft server. In that case, you may opt for a third-party server host that can provide sufficient bandwidth and control over your Minecraft world seed’s configuration and settings.
Below, we’ve reviewed some of the best Minecraft server hosting vendors, including Hostinger, Shockbyte and GGServers. We focused on service providers that offer 24/7 support and a variety of plan options.
CNET is in the process of updating our assessments of the best web hosting services. We periodically update this story to maintain accurate prices, but our overall rankings may change after we’ve been able to re-evaluate these services.
Read more: Best Web Hosting for 2023
How we chose the best third-party Minecraft server hosts
It’s important to note that we didn’t explicitly “test” the Minecraft hosting provider options on this list. Instead, we compiled a competitive overview based on a variety of factors, including third-party ratings and features offered by each hosting company. We’ve also weighted the rankings of these businesses by the Better Business Bureau and TrustPilot. With that data in hand, we split them into two tiers:
Best Minecraft hosting providers (top tier): These Minecraft host vendors all have a rating of A or higher from the nonprofit Better Business Bureau (except in cases when the companies are based outside of North America and not included in the BBB ranking system) and a rating of 4.0 or higher out of 5 from TrustPilot, a Danish consumer review site. All of the TrustPilot rankings are based on at least 1,000 user reviews. All of the vendors listed in our top picks also say they offer 24/7 support and modpack support.
Other Minecraft hosting options to consider (second tier): All of these Minecraft host vendors have TrustPilot ratings of 4.0 or above; however, those ratings are based on fewer than 1,000 user reviews. One — Nodecraft — has a D+ rating from the BBB. The others have either As or higher, or no BBB page due to location.
Important caveats: The Better Business Bureau is not affiliated with any government agency and does not rate companies outside of North America. To be BBB Accredited, companies pay a fee to the organization. TrustPilot, meanwhile, also offers a paid tier that provides companies more interaction with their user ratings. It also removed 2.2 million fake reviews in 2020.
A note on pricing: We’ve made every effort to verify that the prices listed here were accurate at the time of last publication. However, prices in this category are subject to frequent fluctuations and are also consistently subject to special offers and limited deals. Furthermore, many of the prices listed here reflect the monthly rates if you prepay for 12 months of service — or are limited-time introductory prices. Please check the vendors in question to verify pricing at any given time.
Best Minecraft server hosting services
Other unofficial Minecraft hosting options to consider
The following Minecraft server hosts have slightly lower or fewer TrustPilot and/or BBB ratings than the ones above.
Hostwinds
Another of our top web hosting site picks, Hostwinds also offers Minecraft server hosting starting at $5 a month. It has an A+ rating from the BBB and is BBB Accredited, and its TrustPilot rating is 4.2 out of 5, though it has fewer than 1,000 reviews.
BisectHosting
BisectHosting offers 20 different plans, each with an option for a budget or premium package. Budget packages start at $3 a month for 1,024MB RAM, unlimited NVMe SSD and up to 12 slots, and go up to $95.68 a month for 32,768MB RAM and 160 slots. Premium plans range from $8 a month to $159.68 a month, with the same amounts of RAM as their budget counterparts but with more locations, and free daily backups, modpack updates, sponge installation, dedicated IP address and unlimited slots. BisectHosting has a F rating from the BBB. However, it also has a TrustPilot rating of 4.5 out of 5 with more than 5,000 reviews.
Apex Hosting
Apex Hosting offers Minecraft Java and Bedrock Edition servers starting at $7.49 a month. It also includes a seven-day money-back guarantee. Apex Minecraft Hosting has an A+ rating from the BBB, and its TrustPilot Rating is 4.8 out of 5, though it has fewer than 600 reviews.
Nodecraft
Nodecraft also offers Minecraft Java and Bedrock Edition server hosting, starting at $6.49 a month. Nodecraft has a B- rating from the BBB but a 4.3 out of 5 TrustPilot rating, with more than 1,000 reviews.
Sparked Host
Sparked Host offers game and cloud hosting, with 13 different Minecraft server hosting plan options, starting at $1.50 a month. Though it’s based in the US, Sparked Host does not appear to have a BBB page. It does have a TrustPilot rating of 4.8 out of 5 with more than 1,000 reviews.
PebbleHost
PebbleHost is home to both Minecraft and other gaming and dedicated servers. It offers budget, premium or extreme plans depending on your needs, starting at $1 per GB a month. PebbleHost is based in the UK and does not have a BBB page, but it has a TrustPilot rating of 4.8 out of 5 with more than 2,000 reviews.
RAMShard
RAMShard offers nine Minecraft server hosting plans, starting at $3 a month. It has an A+ BBB rating, and has a TrustPilot rating of 4.2 out of 5, though with fewer than 500 reviews.
Former CNET editor Dawnthea Price Lisco contributed to this report.
More expert web tips
Technologies
Iranian President Pezeshkian to head to New York for UN meeting as Trump warns of no-deal consequences
Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s economy or eliminate its leadership if Tehran doesn’t strike a deal, complicating efforts at diplomacy.
President Masoud Pezeshkian will lead an Iranian delegation at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, amid renewed hopes for a diplomatic solution to the Middle East conflict.
Pezeshkian will address the assembly and present Iran’s positions on “international developments,” according to the country’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, with a particular focus on its war with the U.S. and Israel.
He will also hold talks with the leaders of several countries on the sidelines of the event, which is scheduled to take place Sept. 22 to 26, and 28.
The Iranian delegation’s attendance at the UN has renewed hopes for a diplomatic solution to the war, lifting market sentiment on Monday, with stocks rising, oil prices easing and global bond yields falling sharply.
But U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said he would be open to meeting Pezeshkian during the assembly, has threatened to destroy Iran’s economy or eliminate its leadership if Tehran doesn’t strike a deal.
Trump told Fox News on Sunday that the only options on the table were “wiping Iran out,” or letting its economy “rot,” unless both sides reach a deal.
Separately, Iran’s military said that its intelligence suggested a new, large-scale strike being prepared by the U.S. and its allies, warning of “painful” retaliation across the Middle East. Regional countries backing such a strike would be treated as parties to the conflict, it said.
“If the U.S. makes any mistake against the Islamic Republic of Iran, all its positions and interests in the region will be targeted by sustained, effective and painful attacks,” the Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters of Iran said, according to Tasnim.
Houthi-Saudi conflict complicates diplomacy hopes
The U.S. State Department this weekend issued a security alert citing risks of unforeseen escalation in the Middle East, telling Americans to exercise more vigilance and be aware of possible flight cancellations and airspace closures.
The warnings came after Iran-backed Houthi militants claimed missile and drone attacks on Riyadh on Saturday, triggering the first air-raid alert in the Saudi capital since fighting escalated in July.
Saudi authorities said they intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile and reported no casualties or damage. The Houthis also attempted to target civilians and infrastructure in several parts of the kingdom, Saudi-led coalition forces spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki said on X on Saturday, though those attacks were thwarted by the country’s air defenses.
Oil prices have pulled back in recent days despite widening hostilities, as traders hope for a recovery in energy shipments from oil-rich Saudi Arabia.
Oil prices will remain high despite U.S. progress in moving oil through the Strait of Hormuz, a team of analysts at Eurasia Group said in a Saturday note. Any rebound in oil flows would not be enough to address the overall market deficit, they said, forecasting Brent prices to trade in a higher band of $90-110 per barrel through the rest of this year.
“Iran’s leadership will stick with resistance, even as they quarrel internally,” according to the consultancy firm, as Tehran seeks to use military proxies and tanker attacks to keep a chokehold on shipping flows, to pressure Washington into concessions.
Tehran has insisted that it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until Washington fulfills its commitment under the June memorandum, which called for lifting the naval blockade of Iranian ports, easing sanctions, unfreezing Iranian assets and ending U.S. military threats.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Sunday that Iran must keep on fighting and negotiating, to push back its enemies, and only work on diplomacy when it has the upper hand on the battlefield.
Technologies
U.S. crude oil drops below $100 a barrel as Trump signals willingness to negotiate with Iran
U.S. crude oil prices slipped back below $100 a barrel after President Trump signaled openness to talks with Iran and halted plans to bomb Yemen, while Middle East supply flows remained robust despite pipeline disruptions.
Crude oil prices declined for the fourth straight session on Monday after President Donald Trump reportedly decided against bombing Yemen for the time being and indicated he was open to diplomatic engagement with Iran.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures fell 2.7% to $97.59 per barrel by 7:48 a.m. ET, while Brent crude, the global benchmark, slipped 2.8% to $101 a barrel. The market has risen more than 11% so far this month.
Trump told Fox News he would likely be receptive to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the United Nations General Assembly later this week.
According to The New York Times, the president has decided not to target the Iran‑aligned Houthi militants for now, despite requests from Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, crude shipments from the Middle East appear resilient after Saudi Arabia shut down its East‑West pipeline following attacks. JPMorgan analysts noted in a September 18 report that oil flows from the region remain surprisingly strong, averaging 17.1 million barrels per day over the past 10 days—about 6.1 million bpd below the 2025 average.
Potential supply disruptions persist. Trump told Fox that he is in a “deciding mode” and that “very big things” are expected soon regarding the U.S.–Iran conflict.
Prices are likely to stay closely linked to the pace of export normalization and diplomatic progress, said Daniel Takieddine, co‑founder and CEO of Sky Links Capital Group.
Any setback or renewed deterioration in shipping conditions would tighten the physical market and restore upward pressure on prices, Takieddine added.
Technologies
White House TV press pool won’t cover Trump after CNN ban
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Politics & Policy
White House TV press pool won’t cover Trump after CNN ban
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Politics & Policy
White House TV press pool won’t cover Trump after CNN ban
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