We are going to explain how to create a free server for Minecraft, so you can have your game online to play with your friends whenever you want. The good thing about the servers is that you don’t need to have your physical computer turned on for the game to be online and that all the progress will be saved.
How to create a Minecraft server for free and quickly?
There are several ways to bring this possibility to as many people as possible, we are going to focus on the fastest and easiest method to do it. This will make the server be in a third-party service, but it has the benefit that you do not have to take care of its maintenance or anything, just register and configure it.
Several online services make it very easy to configure your Minecraft servers, such as Aternos, Serveromat, or Minehut. We are going to show you the step-by-step with Aternos since it is the service we have used some times and it is quite simple. However, if you choose another option, the steps may be very similar.
One thing you should know about this type of free service is that they are usually recommended for a few people, for when you are going to play three or four on your map. However, if you plan to play more people it is possible that the performance starts to be worse, so you should look for other non-free options.
Sign up for the Minecraft service to create the server
The first step you have to take is to register with the service you are going to use to create the server. In our case we are going to use Aternos, so we start by going to the Aternos.org website. On the main page, scroll down a bit and click on the Get yours now button.
You will go to the login page because to have a server set up on this site you will need to be registered. It is a free website, so you don’t have to worry about payments. If you have never used this site before, simply click on the Register button to proceed to create your account.
The registration process is very simple and is done in two steps to be as easy as possible. In the first step, you have to choose a username to register and accept the two terms below. Note that the service has almost 40 million registered users, so it may take a while to find a free name. When you find a free username and confirm the two permissions you are asked for, click Next.
The next step will be to choose a password to access your account. Here, keep in mind that you should create a strong password that is not easy to guess to improve your security. This website will allow you to attach an email to your account so that you can recover it if you forget your password, but unlike most online services, email is not mandatory. All you have to do is type a password twice and click on Register.
To make sure you are not a bot or an automated system creating accounts non-stop, you may be asked to verify that you are a real person with a Captcha system. Simply complete what you are asked and you will be done registering.
Create and activate the server on the web
When you finish the process of registering on the website where you are going to create the server, you will go to the control center screen, the same one you will see when you log in other times. Here you will be able to manage your servers, but since you don’t have any yet, you have to start by clicking on the Create a server button to start creating the first one.
Here, a small aside. In the control panel, you may see that in the Account section you will see an urgent warning. This is because, although it is not mandatory, the system will always recommend you to attach an email to recover your account if you forget your password or someone accesses it. If you do not have an email attached you will not be able to recover your account in case you forget your password.
You will go to the server configuration screen. There, you will have a name and description created from your username. You can leave it as is or manually change your username and description, although if you can’t think of anything, you will also be able to change it later.
On this same screen, under the name and description, you will also be able to choose the version of Minecraft you want to use. You will have the option to configure the server for the classic Java version, or for the Bedrock version, which is the one used by the Windows 10 version that you download from the app store and mobile versions. Choose the edition corresponding to the version of Minecraft you have downloaded and use, and click on the Create button to continue.
The server will have been created, and if you now go back to the service’s website, you will be able to see it when you log in. To start using it, you will have to click on the server you have created to enter its data. Normally, if you have followed the steps above, you will be able to log in directly after creating the server.
When you enter the server tab, you will see all the data to access it. It is recommended that you write them down to enter later. However, now it is time to put your server online, and for that, you must click on the Start button that appears in green on this page.
When you click on the Start button, you will have to accept Mojang’s EULA, which is the software license. When you accept it, the website will ask you to access your browser notifications to let you know when the server is activated, a process that may take a few minutes.
After accepting everything, the website will take a few minutes to prepare and activate the server, which will be in a queue waiting to be activated. After this time, a message will appear telling you that your server is now online. You can start using it, although you must write down the server data shown to be able to access it from the game.
By the way, when you have created a server, you will have an option called Install server software. With it, you will be able to install different versions of Minecraft, both adapted for plugins and mods as well as specific numbered versions. With this, you will be able to adapt the game a little more to your needs.
Now, just connect to your server
Now, you just need to connect to the server from Minecraft. The process for this may vary depending on what version of Minecraft you have, although in both cases what you have to do is look for the option to add a new external server.
This will take you to a screen where you must enter the server data requested, which will also depend on the type of server you have created but will always be on the page of the previous step. They are those that appear when you enter the server’s file on the web. In our case, we have to add the name of the server, the IP or address, and the port. You can copy and paste from the web to Minecraft.
And when you have it, click on the Save button in Minecraft to avoid having to always write the data, and then in the list of servers enter the one you just created. And that’s it, you will be playing Minecraft on your server. Just remember that if Aternos detects that you are not using the server it will automatically disconnect it, and you will have to go back to its website to reactivate it.
