How many players can I host on my Minecraft Server?
How Many Players Can My Minecraft Server Hold?
Section titled “How Many Players Can My Minecraft Server Hold?”All of our Minecraft plans come with unlimited slots. The number of players your server can actually run smoothly depends mainly on how much RAM it has, but RAM is not the only factor.
Why “Players per GB” Is Misleading
Section titled “Why “Players per GB” Is Misleading”You may have seen a rule such as “20 players per 1 GB of RAM”. That rule dates from the early days of Minecraft hosting, and it is too optimistic for modern servers.
Memory use does not grow in a straight line with player count. Your server needs a fixed amount of RAM just to start and run, before any player joins. Each player then adds more on top. So a server with 1 GB of RAM cannot hold 20 players, and in practice it is only suitable for a very small group.
What Uses RAM
Section titled “What Uses RAM”| Factor | What it means |
|---|---|
| Base server | The server software and Java need roughly 1 to 1.5 GB just to run. |
| Players | Each active player adds memory. Estimates vary, from about 100 MB for a player standing still to 250-500 MB for an active player. |
| View distance | A higher view distance means more loaded chunks per player, which uses more RAM. |
| Plugins | Each plugin adds some memory use. |
| Mods | Modded servers typically need much more RAM than vanilla, and heavy modpacks need the most. |
| World size and activity | Exploring, many entities, and large redstone builds all increase memory use. |
Quick Way to Estimate Your RAM
Section titled “Quick Way to Estimate Your RAM”A simple rule of thumb for a vanilla or lightly modded server:
RAM needed = about 1.5 GB (base) + about 0.25 GB for each active player + extra for plugins, mods, and a large worldFor example, a vanilla server with 10 active players needs roughly 1.5 + (10 x 0.25) = 4 GB, and one with 20 players needs about 6.5 GB. Add more if you use many plugins or mods.
Note: This is an estimate. Different guides use different numbers, so treat it as a starting point and watch how your server performs.
Suggested RAM by Player Count
Section titled “Suggested RAM by Player Count”These ranges assume survival gameplay, default view distance, and a vanilla or Paper server. Modded servers need more.
| Players online | Suggested RAM |
|---|---|
| 1 to 5 | 2 GB |
| 5 to 15 | 4 GB |
| 15 to 30 | 6 GB |
| 30 to 50 | 8 GB |
| 50 to 100 | 12 GB or more |
We recommend a minimum of 2 GB of RAM, even for a small server with friends. This gives you room for the server and the operating system to run.
Modded Servers
Section titled “Modded Servers”Modded servers (Forge, Fabric, etc.) use more RAM per player than vanilla. Heavy modpacks can need 6 to 12 GB or more even for a small group. Check your modpack’s page for its recommended RAM.
Server Software Matters
Section titled “Server Software Matters”Optimized server software such as Paper can usually handle more players on the same RAM than plain vanilla. Heavily modded software usually handles fewer.
Can I Raise My Player Slots Above the Recommendation?
Section titled “Can I Raise My Player Slots Above the Recommendation?”Yes. We do not restrict you from raising your player slots beyond our recommendation. Just be aware that this can result in a server crash or heavy lag if too many players are on the server at the same time.
If you are an experienced server operator and understand how to optimize your server for your use case, you can get more players out of the same RAM.
BungeeCord Servers
Section titled “BungeeCord Servers”A BungeeCord proxy uses far less memory than a normal Minecraft server. We generally recommend 1 GB of RAM for every 500 players connected to the BungeeCord instance. Plugins may affect the amount of RAM needed.
Signs You Need More RAM
Section titled “Signs You Need More RAM”- The server lags or stutters as more players join
- The server crashes when it gets busy
- The console shows out-of-memory errors
If you see these, upgrade your plan, lower the view distance, or remove plugins and mods you don’t need.
How Does This Compare to Other Providers?
Section titled “How Does This Compare to Other Providers?”Since the number of players that can fit on a server is directly tied to memory, this guidance applies no matter which host you use.
At AleForge, we only use powerful hardware, so players can use the RAM they bought before hitting CPU or disk bottlenecks. Our plans are designed to grow with you in every direction, from memory to CPU, disk speed, or 10 Gb networking. For example, we run all of our servers on NVMe SSDs.