A free Aternos alternative - without the queues
Aternos proved free Minecraft hosting could work. We built the version without the queues and ads: your server starts instantly, every time.
24-hour modpack trial, no account
Crafty Servers vs Aternos
| Feature | Crafty Servers | Aternos |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free 1 GB server, account required. No card. Paid sizes for more RAM. | Free, ad-supported. |
| Ads | None, on any plan. | Ads fund the service. |
| Starting your server | Starts instantly - no queue. | Can queue at busy times. |
| When nobody's online | Free: pauses after 6 idle hours; one click brings it straight back. Paid: always on. | Sleeps when empty; starting it again can mean waiting. |
| Control panel | Free: Dashboard and console; no full game panel or schedules. Read-only files; no editing, uploads or SFTP. 1 manual backup slot; no daily backups. Paid sizes add the full panel, writable files, SFTP and schedules. | Custom web panel. |
| Mods & modpacks | Free: Vanilla and Paper; modpacks require a larger paid size. Choose a paid size meeting your modpack’s minimum RAM. | Supported. |
| Try before signing up | Yes - launch a live demo server with no account. | Account required. |
Aternos details describe its widely-known free-tier model as of writing - check their site for current specifics.
An honest comparison
Credit where it's due: Aternos hosts millions of servers for free, and if you have zero budget and don't mind the trade-offs, it works. Those trade-offs are the reason this page exists, though - ad-supported pages, queues when demand is high, and servers that sleep and take a while to come back, usually right when your friends are ready to play.
Free 1 GB server, account required. 1 GB RAM. 5 GB storage. US East, Europe, United Kingdom. Up to 1 vCPU; shared CPU, not dedicated cores; lower scheduling priority. Read-only files; no editing, uploads or SFTP. Dashboard and console; no full game panel or schedules. 1 manual backup slot; no daily backups. Vanilla and Paper; modpacks require a larger paid size. Pauses after 6 idle hours.
Frequently asked questions
Is Crafty Servers really free?
Free 1 GB server, account required. 1 GB RAM. 5 GB storage. US East, Europe, United Kingdom. Up to 1 vCPU; shared CPU, not dedicated cores; lower scheduling priority. Read-only files; no editing, uploads or SFTP. Dashboard and console; no full game panel or schedules. 1 manual backup slot; no daily backups. Vanilla and Paper; modpacks require a larger paid size. Pauses after 6 idle hours.
What's the catch?
Free 1 GB server, account required. 1 GB RAM. 5 GB storage. US East, Europe, United Kingdom. Up to 1 vCPU; shared CPU, not dedicated cores; lower scheduling priority. Read-only files; no editing, uploads or SFTP. Dashboard and console; no full game panel or schedules. 1 manual backup slot; no daily backups. Vanilla and Paper; modpacks require a larger paid size. Pauses after 6 idle hours. Paid sizes provide more RAM, writable files, modpacks and always-on hosting.
Can I move my world over from Aternos?
Yes. Download your world from Aternos, connect to your new server over SFTP (paid sizes only) and upload the world folder - world downloads are usually too big for in-browser upload, so SFTP is the way. Your builds come with you.
Can I try it without making an account?
24-hour modpack trial, no account. Continuing a modpack after the trial requires a paid size meeting its RAM requirement.