Hunting down the best Minecraft servers so you can set out on a new adventure? Minecraft is built from the ground up on bottomless creativity, but with countless hours spent cave diving to sift through ancient cities and paddling through the ocean floor to map monuments, you'll be in need of a relaxing ranch to stash your netherite helmet and get some rest. Or maybe you're more of the adventurous type, and your plans need a double shot of danger? If you're scheming to conquer an empire all your own to rule over with a netherite fist, we've got you covered as well. In fact, if you need the 'Game of Thrones' experience for a survival server, that's definitely on the menu. Just keep an eye out if that's your preferred style, so you get a server closer to the early seasons than the last one.
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
Minecraft build ideas: What to build next
But what if you're more of the PvP and minigames type when it's Minecraft-o-clock? Flexinfg your Minecraft mastery is even better you're on the right stage with the right audience, and with countless different types of servers out there it's nigh impossible narrow it down. Plus, the choices are even more varied when you include modded servers in the 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.
We've seen the new horrors of the Minecraft pale garden on the dusky horizon, and it's going to shake things up. With a new biome packed with creepy new trees, it's sure to change how we all build, especially given the spooky new mob it's bringing with it. Be sure you keep an eye out, since many servers will be slow to update, so you may have to wait extra before you can check the new content out—once it finally drops, that is.
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
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 regular PVP. Because of course there is.
- IP Address: build.mcmiddleearth.com
- Gamemodes: Organized building, or multiple PVP modes
- Microtransactions?: No
Performium
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
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
PirateCraft
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
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
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
Grand Theft Minecart
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
