Paying a host by the GB?
8 GB on a VPS costs about what a premium host charges for 4 GB, and it runs several servers.
What a Minecraft server costs
Let Claude or GPT run your server
Host your own Minecraft server. Online 24/7.
Playkeeper turns a VPS you rent into a Minecraft: Java Edition server for you and your friends. One command sets it up. Free and open source.
curl -fsSL https://playkeeper.io/install | sudo sh
Three steps to an always-on server.
1Rent a VPS
Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 12+, the RHEL family 9+ or Amazon Linux 2023+ with at least 3 GB of memory.
Which VPS?$ curl -fsSL https://playkeeper.io/install \ | sudo sh ✓ Download matches its SHA-256 ✓ Ubuntu 26.04 · x86_64 · 4 vCPU · 8 GB → Open https://203.0.113.7:8443/setup#code=…
2Run one command
It checks the machine and asks before it changes anything.
3Share your address
Friends join at survival.yourname.playkeeper.me.
Why host your own server?
Outgrown a free host?
No queue, no ads, you pick the memory, and it stays on when everyone leaves.
The Aternos alternative
Coming from Realms?
Mods, plugins and as many players as your server can take.
Plugins, mods and modpacks
Tried other panels?
No daemon, database or eggs to set up. One command, one dashboard.
The Pterodactyl alternativeEverything a small server needs.
Each card opens its page or the live demo.
Plugins, mods and modpacks
Seven server types, add-ons in one click.
A free address
Friends join at yourname.playkeeper.me.
Backups
Players stay online while it copies.
Crash and lag help
What went wrong, and what to do.
Friends and team
Invite links, roles and Discord.
Worlds and live map
Bring your world, watch it live.
Automation
Schedules, and sleep when nobody plays.
AI agents and more machines
Claude, Cursor or a second VPS.
Click around first.
The live demo is the real dashboard with sample servers. Nothing to install, and it resets every hour.The real dashboard with sample servers. Nothing to install.
Open the live demo
Start from a template.
Setups that work, ready to open in your own dashboard.
Survival with friends
Paper · Minecraft 26.2 · 4 GBPaper · 4 GB
Chunky, CoreProtect and Simple Voice Chat
Open in my dashboardOpen the Survival with friends template
Creative
Paper · Minecraft 26.2 · 3 GBPaper · 3 GB
WorldEdit and Multiverse-Core
Open in my dashboardOpen the Creative template
Cobblemon
Fabric · Minecraft 1.21.1 · 6 GBFabric · 6 GB
Cobblemon Official Modpack [Fabric], 75 mods
Open in my dashboardOpen the Cobblemon template
Better MC
NeoForge · Minecraft 1.21.1 · 8 GBNeoForge · 8 GB
Better MC [NEOFORGE] BMC5, 261 mods
Open in my dashboardOpen the Better MC templateHow big a VPS?
Answer two questions and get a size, with the reasons.Answer two questions and get a size.
Open the sizing guideThese are starting points.
A VPS with 6 GB of memory6 GB of memory
For 5–10 friends on Vanilla or Paper, with room for backups.
- Memory
- 6 GB 4 GB for the world, 2 GB for the system, Docker and Playkeeper.
- CPU
- 2 fast cores Minecraft runs the world on one core, so fast beats many.
- Disk
- 40 GB SSD Worlds, a week of backups and room to explore.
- Network
- Any VPS will do Each player uses well under 1 Mbit/s.
Already running? Settings suggests memory from real use.
Yours to keep.
Open source
AGPL-3.0. Read every line on GitHub, or help build it.
Signed updates
Every update is signed, and a failed one rolls back by itself.
Checked downloads
Server software, plugins and mods must match their published checksums.
Your worlds stay yours
Worlds and backups live on your VPS, and copies go where you choose.
Is it free?
Yes. Playkeeper is free and open source (AGPL-3.0). You only pay for your VPS: here's what that costs.
Which VPS do I need?
Ubuntu 20.04 or later, Debian 12 or later, the RHEL family 9 or later (AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Oracle Linux, RHEL and CentOS Stream), or Amazon Linux 2023 or later, on x86_64 or 64-bit ARM, with at least 2 CPU cores, 3 GB of memory and 5 GB of free disk for Playkeeper, plus room for your servers. The sizing guide suggests a size.
Java or Bedrock?
Java servers, and Bedrock friends on phones, consoles and Windows join through crossplay: one switch in a server's Settings. Console players also need BedrockConnect.
Can I bring my Aternos or Realms world?
Yes. New server › A world takes your singleplayer world, or one from Aternos, Minehut, Realms or another host, with steps for getting it out. It shows what's inside before anything changes.
Do friends need a port number?
Not with a free yourname.playkeeper.me name: from three days after you claim it, each server joins at its own address without a port. On the IP address, the first server needs no port and the others add theirs.
How do updates work?
Update available appears in the dashboard. Each update is signed and checked before it runs, your servers keep running, and a failed update rolls back by itself.