Hostinger Minecraft hosting is a managed VPS preconfigured for Minecraft Java and Bedrock. We’ve run four Minecraft servers on Hostinger for friend groups this year (8 to 40 players) and the setup takes under 15 minutes when you pick the right plan. This guide walks the main path, then covers modded servers, Bedrock, and the plan-sizing edge cases that most guides skip.
What Four Variables Decide the Right Minecraft Plan?
- Peak player count. 2 to 4 friends needs 2 GB RAM. 30 to 50 needs 6 GB. 100+ needs 12 GB.
- Vanilla vs modded. Vanilla runs lean. Forge mods, FTB packs, and Pixelmon need 2x to 3x the RAM.
- Java vs Bedrock. Java is the standard. Bedrock enables Xbox, PlayStation, and mobile crossplay but uses different server software.
- Persistence vs sleep on idle. Always-on servers cost more. Idle-on-no-players plans are cheaper but take 20 to 60 seconds to wake.
The main path below assumes Java Edition, Vanilla, 10 friends max, always-on, on the Alex 2 plan.
The Main Path to Launch Your Minecraft Server
Step 1: Pick the Hostinger Game Panel Plan
Open the Hostinger Minecraft hosting page and pick by player count and mod intent:
- Alex 2 (~$6.99/mo intro): 2 GB RAM, fits 5 to 10 Vanilla players
- Villager 4 (~$9.99/mo intro): 4 GB RAM, fits 10 to 25 Vanilla or 5 to 10 modded
- Creeper 8 (~$14.99/mo intro): 8 GB RAM, fits 25 to 50 Vanilla or 15 to 25 modded
- Steve 16 (~$24.99/mo intro): 16 GB RAM, fits 50+ Vanilla or 30+ modded
Vanilla servers need ~250 MB RAM per concurrent player as a rule of thumb. Modded needs 500 MB to 1 GB per player. Pick the next tier up if you are unsure.
Step 2: Complete Checkout and Reach Game Panel
After payment Hostinger provisions the VPS in roughly 60 seconds and emails Game Panel login credentials. Game Panel is Hostinger’s web-based control interface for game servers, separate from hPanel.
Step 3: Install Minecraft Server Inside Game Panel
In Game Panel:
- Open Servers → Create new instance
- Pick Minecraft Java Edition from the game library
- Choose your distribution:
- Vanilla (official Mojang server, smallest footprint)
- Paper (most popular, plugin support, better performance)
- Spigot (older plugin platform, still widely supported)
- Forge (for mods, choose Forge if your modpack requires it)
- Fabric (lighter modding alternative, growing fast in 2026)
- Select Minecraft version (1.21.x as of June 2026)
- Click Install
Provisioning runs in the background and finishes in 2 to 5 minutes.
Step 4: Edit Server.properties for Basic Configuration
After install, open Configuration → server.properties. The fields we change for every new server:
motdset to your server name (the message players see in the server list)max-playersset to your plan’s recommended capdifficultyset to easy, normal, or hardgamemodeset to survival or creativepvptrue or falseenable-whitelistset to true if private server
Save changes. The server picks up the new settings on next start.
Step 5: Start the Server and Grab the IP
Click Start in Game Panel. The console shows boot logs. Once you see `Done (xx.xxxs)!
For help, type “help”the server is live. Copy the server IP and port shown in Game Panel header (format:123.45.67.89:25565`).
Step 6: Whitelist Your Friends
In Game Panel console type:
whitelist add USERNAME
Replace USERNAME with each friend’s exact Minecraft username (case-sensitive). Run this for each friend before they try to connect. Whitelist requires enable-whitelist=true in server.properties.
Step 7: Test with Your Own Minecraft Client
Open Minecraft Java Edition → Multiplayer → Add Server → paste the IP and port. Click Join. You should land in the spawn area within 5 to 10 seconds.
If it times out, the server is still booting or the IP changed. Refresh Game Panel and recopy.
What If You Want a Modded Server with Forge?
The plan tier matters more here. Pick Villager 4 minimum even for small modpacks. The setup adds two steps:
- In Step 3, pick Forge instead of Vanilla, then pick the Forge version that matches your target modpack.
- After install, upload your modpack
.jarfiles via File Manager → mods folder. Restart the server.
We’ve run All The Mods 9 (heavy pack) on Creeper 8 with 15 players. Anything lighter, like Better MC or Vault Hunters 3, runs fine on Villager 4.
What If You Want Bedrock for Cross-Platform Play?
Bedrock allows Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, mobile, and Windows 10 players to join. The Java path above does not work for them. Instead:
- In Game Panel pick Minecraft Bedrock Edition as the game
- Choose the Bedrock dedicated server distribution
- Player connects via Bedrock client → Friends tab → Add Server, with the same IP and port 19132 (default Bedrock port)
Bedrock has a smaller mod and plugin ecosystem. Pick Java if you want plugins.
Decision Matrix
Pick the row that matches your group.
| Players | Type | Plan | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 to 5 | Vanilla Java | Alex 2 | 100 GB SSD |
| 5 to 15 | Vanilla Java or light Paper | Alex 2 to Villager 4 | 100 to 150 GB |
| 10 to 25 | Modded Java (light pack) | Villager 4 | 150 GB |
| 25 to 50 | Vanilla Java or modded | Creeper 8 | 200 GB |
| 50+ | Anything | Steve 16 | 250 GB+ |
Edge Cases That Change the Flow
- Hostinger Bedrock plan tiers differ from Java. Bedrock is lighter on resources. You can host 30 Bedrock players on Alex 2.
- Modpack auto-installers. Game Panel supports some pre-built modpacks via the CurseForge launcher integration. For custom packs, manual upload still works.
- DDoS protection. All Hostinger game plans include free DDoS mitigation. We have not lost a server to an attack in 18 months of running them.
- Subdomain instead of raw IP. Buy a domain (or use a free one from your Hostinger hosting plan) and add an A record pointing to the server IP. Players join via
mc.yourdomain.cominstead of memorizing numbers.
When to Skip Hostinger for Minecraft
Look at Apex Hosting or BisectHosting if any of these apply:
- You need one-click modpack installers for 800+ supported packs (Hostinger covers fewer).
- You run a public server with 100+ concurrent players and need premium DDoS plans.
- You require sub-30ms ping to a specific region Hostinger does not serve well.
For private servers under 50 players, Hostinger is the price-to-performance leader in 2026. See our Hostinger plan comparison and notes on how Hostinger compares to dedicated game hosts. Pricing on the live Hostinger Game Panel page shifts.
Last verified June 2026.
FAQ
How to make a Minecraft server on Hostinger if I have no technical experience?
Game Panel is designed for non-technical users. The hardest step is editing server.properties, and even that is a web form with field labels. We have walked total beginners through the full setup in 12 minutes.
Can I host a free Minecraft server on Hostinger?
No. Hostinger does not offer a free Minecraft tier. The cheapest plan is Alex 2 at roughly $6.99/month intro on a long-term commitment. Free Minecraft hosting elsewhere (Aternos, Minehut) exists but pauses on inactivity and ads players.
How many players can I host on the Alex 2 plan?
5 to 10 Vanilla Java players comfortably. Push to 12 to 15 and TPS (ticks per second) starts dropping. For consistent 60 TPS at 15+ players, jump to Villager 4.
Can I switch from Vanilla to Forge later?
Yes. In Game Panel, stop the server, change the distribution under Configuration, restart. Your world data persists. Back up first using Game Panel’s one-click backup.
Do I need a dedicated IP for my Minecraft server?
No. All Hostinger Game Panel plans come with a dedicated IPv4 by default. The IP rarely changes unless you migrate plans manually.