A Minehut alternative with no ads or credit grind
Minehut makes starting easy. Paid sizes add writable files and a full Pterodactyl panel. Every size has no ads - and your server is yours, not a slot in someone's network.
24-hour modpack trial, no account
Crafty Servers vs Minehut
| Feature | Crafty Servers | Minehut |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free 1 GB server, account required. No card. Paid sizes for more RAM. | Free tier; paid upgrades and credits. |
| Ads & upsells | None, on any plan. | Ad-supported free tier with in-platform credits. |
| Player slots | No slot caps - plans are sized by RAM and disk, not player count. | Slot limits on the free tier. |
| When nobody's online | Free: pauses after 6 idle hours; one click brings it straight back. Paid: always on. | Free servers sleep when empty. |
| Control panel & files | 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 panel; file access varies by tier. |
| Mods & modpacks | Free: Vanilla and Paper; modpacks require a larger paid size. Choose a paid size meeting your modpack’s minimum RAM. | Plugins supported; modded support varies. |
| Try before signing up | Yes - launch a live demo server with no account. | Account required. |
Minehut details describe its widely-known free-tier model as of writing - check their site for current specifics.
An honest comparison
Minehut's pitch is real: it's an easy, free way to get a server in front of friends, and its community features are genuinely fun. The friction shows up as you grow - the free tier is ad-and-credit funded, capped in players, and your server lives inside Minehut's network on its terms.
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.
Do you cap player slots?
No. Plans are sized by RAM, disk and CPU - how many players that supports depends on your world and server type, not an artificial cap.
Can I move my world over from Minehut?
Yes. Export/download your world from Minehut, connect to your new server over SFTP (paid sizes only) and upload the world folder - world exports 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.