The 14 best Minecraft servers

Minecraft servers - An above view from Mineplex
(Image credit: Mojang)

Brand new adventures call for the best Minecraft servers to set out on. Minecraft may be an overflowing crate of creativity, but when every day is spent investigating ancient cities and swimming along the seafloor to discover ocean monuments, you'll have to have a comfortable spot to stash your diamond hat for the night. Or maybe instead you crave more excitement and danger, and need to build an empire to rule with a netherite fist? If you fit in more with the 'Game of Thrones' crowd in your survival ventures, that's also something that's out there. But if that's your preferred style, just be careful that the server you pick is closer to the early seasons than the last one. 

Best of Minecraft

Minecraf 1.18 key art

(Image credit: Mojang)

Minecraft update: What's new?
Minecraft skins: New looks
Minecraft mods:  Beyond vanilla
Minecraft shaders: Spotlight
Minecraft seeds: Fresh new worlds
Minecraft texture packs: Pixelated
Minecraft servers: Online worlds
Minecraft commands: All cheats

But what if instead PvP and minigames is your jam when it's Minecraft-o-clock? Flexing your Minecraft mastery works best when you've got the right stage, and with the endless number and type of servers out there it's tough to dial your pick in. Plus, if you're feeling extra spicy, the choices get deeper when you include modded servers in your search, which can let you do anything from roleplaying and backstabbing with fellow lords of Westeros to flinging countless Pokeballs at every Pixelmon you see. But whatever type of Minecraft server what you're hoping to find, we've got a treasure hoard of the absolute best Minecraft servers that you can root through in search of your new favorite.

After you’ve caroused through our curated catalogue of Minecraft server choices, all all that's left is to connect to one. Fortunately, joining a server remains a very simple process. All you'll need to do is open up Minecraft, type in the name of the server as the title, and then underneath paste into the box the IP address you’ll find at the beginning of each entry on our list. After you’ve got your new addition saved, just hit play and you can jump right in and get to it. Some servers may also require you to download texture packs—now called resource packs—but our list of the best Minecraft texture packs can walk you through it.

With Minecraft 1.21 appearing on the horizon, our block worlds are set to change things up again. With time, the details will continue to trickle out, though we know a few things already, like the latest mobs being Armadillos and the Breeze, and the fact that copper and tuff are getting a range of new blocks. Whether your server of choice will update immediately or down the line, it's important to keep up with developments. For now, check out our list of the best Minecraft servers below: 

Best Minecraft Servers

Simply the best, these are the finest of the fine when it comes to Minecraft servers. No matter what category you’re looking for, you won’t go wrong with one of these picks. 

Minecraft Middle-earth 

(Image credit: Mojang)

A team was always going to attempt to recreate the Lord of the Rings universe in Minecraft, and the result is something truly breathtaking. Everything in MC Middle-earth has been meticulously crafted to feel as real as possible. Taking a stroll through the Shire is a lovely way to lose a few hours, but if you’re not here for a sightseeing tour, there’s also a PvP server. Because of course there is.

  • Build IP Address: build.mcmiddleearth.com 
  • PvP and Event IP Address: pvp.mcmiddleearth.com
  • Gamemodes: Organized building, or multiple PVP modes
  • Microtransactions?: No

Performium

(Image credit: Mojang)

Formerly called Skyblock Network, Performium gives you several different variants of the Skyblock formula to play with. Whether you want a more difficult one block island, or just to do some co-op with a friend, Performium lets you set up and trade your wares with others, or just show off your awesome Skyblock setup to others. It’s the diamond standard for anyone who loves the quirky rags to riches mode. 

  • IP Address: MC.PERFORMIUM.NET
  • Gamemodes: Everything Skyblock you can imagine.
  • Microtransactions?: Yes

Best Modded Minecraft Servers

When you’re looking for a different experience, expanding on the vanilla and dragging it out to the best of what mods can offer, this is where to find your new fave. 

Pixelmon Generations 

(Image credit: Mojang/Nintendo)

Pixelmon Reforged is a Minecraft mod, but it's evolved up a whole bunch of Pokemon-related servers, including PokeLeague, SilverMons, PokeSaga, and many more. Pixelmon Reforged features every Pokemon ever from Generations 1-8, and many from the most recent, Generation 9. That's quite the staggering amount of Pokemon to tackle, even if you're not a completionist.

WesterosCraft

With the Game of Thrones ending fading into history, fans have had House of the Dragon unleashed to make them hungry for more. Well, hunger no longer, and feast yourself on this WesterosCraft. While it’s not finished, the creators estimate that the world is 72% complete as of late 2022. This one is an exploration server all about seeing the sights of Westeros as the team works towards completing it. We’ve yet to see whether or not you can pet the Direwolves though…

  • IP Address: mc.westeroscraft.com
  • Gamemodes: Organized creative building and sightseeing
  • Microtransactions?: No

Potter World MC

When you first enter Potter World, you’re greeted by the boy himself battling a dementor as Hogwarts sits ominously in the background. Much like Middle Earth, Potter World goes all out when it comes to authenticity. Buildings appear as they do in the mind’s eye, complete with inside furnishings. You can learn about potion making, duel other wizards and witches, or go off and play a friendly round of quidditch. This is Minecraft at its strongest: creating game worlds that best those of their AAA counterparts.

  • IP Address: play.potterworldmc.com
  • Gamemodes: RPG-like main mode, minigames, and personal housing builds
  • Microtransactions?: Yes

Best Survival Minecraft Servers

Want that classic survival experience? Building your own little empire, or joining someone elses? Survival in multiplayer is the quintessential Minecraft experience with other people—so take your pick. 

Minewind

Looking for a server that lets you do pretty much whatever you want? Minewind is an anything goes (except cheating) free-for-all of PvP chaos. Trying to survive for any length of time in this world is a real challenge, but it’s an enjoyable challenge. There are classes to pick between, regular events, block-claiming for all your building pleasures, and a wilderness to explore and risk it all in—as long as you like living on the edge. 

  • IP Address: server.minewind.com
  • Gamemodes: Open ended class-based survival
  • Microtransactions?: Yes
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PirateCraft

(Image credit: PirateCraft / Mojang)

Sailing a ship around in Minecraft is tricky, but in PirateCraft, they do a surprisingly good job of making it work. As is often the way with these Minecraft survival servers, it takes a bit of time to get used to things, but it’s well worth the effort if you like the idea. The scale of the ships is impressive, as is the ship-to-ship combat. Just don’t be surprised when someone nicks your pirate ship. There’s no honour among thieves.  

  • IP Address: mc.piratemc.com
  • Gamemodes: Survival mode with player economy, ships, cannons, etc
  • Microtransactions?: Yes

Autcraft

Autcraft is a server designed specifically for children and adults who have autism. It’s designed to be a safe haven for those who want a reprieve from the potentially overwhelming things you would find on other servers. This includes things like no frightening characters and making sure everything is kept child-friendly. You have to apply in order to join the server, but if you make it in then you’re good to go. It’s not doing anything special in terms of how it plays, but it’s a useful one to know about if you or a family member have autism and would like to know there's somewhere safe to go.  

  • IP Address: mc.autcraft.com
  • Gamemodes: Survival mode with jobs and collaborative builds
  • Microtransactions?: Yes

The Lord of the Craft

(Image credit: Lord of the Craft / Mojang)

While this may sound like a Lord of the Rings server, it’s not quite. It’s fantasy, sure, but with a huge focus on roleplaying. The world, and its lore, is already set up, and a helpful warp command means travelling between the different kingdoms (high elves, dark elves, dwarves, etc) is simple. All you need is a killer skin and an elaborate backstory in Lord Of The Craft and you’re good to go.

  • IP Address: mc.lotc.co
  • Gamemodes: Roleplay-focused survival
  • Microtransactions?: Yes

Best Minigame Minecraft Servers

Whether you’re looking for a quick distraction, or to attain mastery over a staple minigame like Bed Wars, minigame focused servers are a ticket to a wide variety of fun. 

Hypixel

(Image credit: Mojang)

Hypixel is a mini-game heavy server. There are all the normal games you would expect from a high-quality server, but there are also a few noteworthy ones as well. Games like VampireZ, where you have to try and survive as a human while the vampires hunt you. There’s even a game called Turbo Kart Racers, which is a surprisingly good racing game that will pit you against other players as you try and reach the finish line first. It’s a lot of fun, and they update it regularly, so it’s worth sticking around for. 

  • IP Address: mc.hypixel.net
  • Gamemodes: Bed Wars, SkyWars, VampireZ, and many other game modes
  • Microtransactions?: Yes

ManaCube

IP address: play.manacube.com

With lots of game modes to try out including Parkour, Survival, Towny, and PvP, ManaCube is a great all-purpose server for those who enjoy playing a variety of different things in Minecraft. They’ve also got a healthy size to their community, and a wide variety of different cosmetics and other things you can pick up—from furniture to auras to art—if collecting stuff to show off is your thing. 

  • IP Address: play.manacube.com
  • Gamemodes: Survival server, in-game events, PVP, parkour courses, etc
  • Microtransactions?: Yes

Herobrine.org

(Image credit: Herobrine.org)

Who doesn't want to play on a Minecraft server named after the game's most popular creepypasta mystery? Herobrine.org has a bunch of different games including survival, skyblock, factions, and more. It also has an Earth, a geopolitical game mode so make sure to check that out. When you're done, why not check out the infamous Herobrine world seed that was found back in 2021?

  • IP Address: Herobrine.org
  • Gamemodes: Survival server, Earth, skyblock factions, etc
  • Microtransactions?: Yes
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Grand Theft Minecart 

(Image credit: Grand Theft Minecraft / Mojang)

You can probably guess from the title which popular video game series this server is based on. You guessed it, the unstoppable juggernaut that is Hello Kitty Online. Or GTA. It’s one of the two.

Join this server and you’ll be treated to two different game modes (Grand Theft Minecart and Vice Minecart), as well as 35 different GTA-inspired weapons. There are also plenty of vehicle offerings including cars, planes, and of course, tanks.  Because it’s not GTA if there isn’t an option to go on an explodey murder-spree.

  • IP Address: mc-gtm.net
  • Gamemodes: GTA-inspired Grand Theft Minecart mode
  • Microtransactions?: Yes

Extreme Craft

We couldn’t put out a list of Minecraft servers without mentioning one of the most popular out there. Extreme Craft keeps popping up because of the sheer amount of modes there are to play, including the likes of a fully fleshed out survival mode, hunger games, factions, skygrid, skywars, skyblock, acid island, and eggwars. That’s on top of a creative mode and the option of roleplaying. It’s like a Minecraft greatest hits compilation.

  • IP Address: play.extremecraft.net
  • Gamemodes: Survival, creative, acid island, skywars, and many more game modes
  • Microtransactions?: Yes
Philip Palmer

Phil is a contributor for PC Gamer, formerly of TechRadar Gaming. With four years of experience writing freelance for several publications, he's covered every genre imaginable. For 15 years he's done technical writing and IT documentation, and more recently traditional gaming content. He has a passion for the appeal of diversity, and the way different genres can be sandboxes for creativity and emergent storytelling. With thousands of hours in League of Legends, Overwatch, Minecraft, and countless survival, strategy, and RPG entries, he still finds time for offline hobbies in tabletop RPGs, wargaming, miniatures painting, and hockey.