Seeking the best Minecraft servers? With the amount of custom content available for Minecraft, there are basically countless choices for your play experience—and Minecraft servers are no exception. If competing with other players is your thing, a PvP or minigame Minecraft server is your pick. If you’d rather relax and build up your own personal estate, one of the many survival servers will fit the bill. Regardless of what type of Minecraft community you’re prowling for, we’ve got your back for finding the best fit for you and your block-slinging friends.
We’ve created a lineup of the best Minecraft servers, and you’ll find a feast of options to snack on and pick the perfect one that matches your preferences. Joining a server is really simple, too. All you have to do is open Minecraft, enter the name of the server as the title, and then in the box underneath paste in the IP address you’ll find at the beginning of each entry on our curated list. After you’ve saved your new addition, you can hit play and jump right in. Some servers may also require you to download texture packs—now called resource packs—but our list of the best Minecraft texture packs walks through how to do it.
Getting into a Minecraft server is one of the best ways to flex your creativity, whether you’re building your own faction, trying to out-craft friends in a string of minigames, or exploring the wide open landscape of Minecraft 1.19 with all its new mangrove swamps and Ancient Cities. So why wait? There’s bound to be something for you on our list of the best Minecraft servers.
Hypixel
IP Address: mc.hypixel.net
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.
Mineplex
IP Address: us.mineplex.com or pe.mineplex.com
Mineplex is one of the best Minecraft servers on this list. It’s an astoundingly large server and has a vast array of things to do. They’ve got FPS games, painting, and even their own version of Smash Bros. Basically if you can think of a game type, there’s a large chance of it being available within Mineplex. If you’re after a Minecraft survival server, they’ve got a whole section dedicated to survival games. It’s also got an incredibly active staff and as a result, suffers from a lot less grief than some of the less wholesome servers around.
PirateCraft
IP Address: mc.piratemc.com
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.
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.
Minewind
IP address: server.minewind.com
Looking for a server that lets you do pretty much whatever you want? Minewind (opens in new tab) 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 hey, at least you’re free I guess?
Herobrine.org
IP Address: 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 earlier this year.
WesterosCraft
IP Address: mc.westeroscraft.com
Game of Thrones is over now, and whether you liked or loathed the ending, you’re probably hungry for more. Well, hunger no longer, and feast yourself on this WesterosCraft. While it’s not finished, it’s still going to provide a nice rush for those who want to try their hand at being King for a day. We’ve yet to see whether or not you can pet the Direwolves though…
Pixelmon Generations
Pixelmon Generations (opens in new tab) is a Minecraft mod, but it’s spawned a whole bunch of Pokemon-related servers, including PokeSaga (opens in new tab), PokeZone (opens in new tab), Pixelmon Harmony (opens in new tab)a strand within Complex Gaming, and many more. Pixelmon Generations features every Pokemon ever from Generations 1-7, and many from the most recent, Generation 8. That means this server has more catchable Pokemon across its many biomes than Pokemon Sword & Pokemon Shield, which is quite sad when you think about it.
Autcraft
IP Address: mc.autcraft.com
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.
Minecraft Middle-earth
Build IP Address: build.mcmiddleearth.com
PvP and Event IP Address: pvp.mcmiddleearth.com
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.
The Lord of the Craft
IP Address: mc.lotc.co
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.
Grand Theft Minecart
IP Address: mc-gtm.net
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.
Extreme Craft
IP Address: play.extremecraft.net
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.
Potter World MC
IP Address: play.potterworldmc.com
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.