Aternos vs ScalaCube

Aternos9.0Visit ScalaCube6.9Visit

Higher score Aternos #1 in Free Minecraft Server Hosting 9.0/10 Free Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Aternos

vs

ScalaCube #6 in Free Minecraft Server Hosting 6.9/10 Free plan · paid from $2/mo (excl. VAT) Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit ScalaCube

• Aternos fits best

  Friends who play together and never want to pay

• ScalaCube fits best

  Vanilla worlds with an owner who checks in often

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Aternos 9.0/10 Visit ↗	ScalaCube 6.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	6.9
Ranking	#1 in Free Minecraft Server Hosting	#6 in Free Minecraft Server Hosting
Best for	Friends who play together and never want to pay	Vanilla worlds with an owner who checks in often
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Not published	$2/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Features Aternos 2/3 · ScalaCube 0/3
Mods on free	✓ (best)	—
Bedrock players	✓ (best)	Not published
FTP/SFTP on free	—	Not published
Specs
Free RAM	Not published	Not published
Keep-alive rule	Starts on demand; stops when empty	Renew every 2 days
Player limit	Unlimited	Not published
Deletion rule	About 3 months unstarted	Deleted if a renewal is missed
Our review
Pros	No renewal chores; start it when you play and it stops when everyone leaves Unlimited slots, and no playtime limit while someone is online Modpacks, mods and plugins from a reviewed library, plus one-click Geyser	No card and no time limit on the free server Upgrades start at $2 a month and unlock 3,298+ one-click modpacks Paid plans can run several game servers on one VPS
Cons	No FTP, and no uploads of mods or plugins downloaded from the web Start queue at busy times, and the world can't keep running when empty Servers left unstarted for around three months are deleted	Miss a renewal every two days and the server and its files are deleted Free servers install only Basic and Snapshot versions Automatic backups cost extra, even after upgrading
Our verdict	Aternos is the reference point for free Minecraft hosting: an ad-funded service run by Aternos GmbH in Bonn that states paying for anything is not possible. Its free servers run Java or Bedrock, with software from Paper and Purpur to… Read the review →	ScalaCube's free Minecraft server comes with no credit card and no time limit, and the company advertises it as running 24/7. The catch is a renewal rule: someone has to press Renew for free in the control panel every two days, and if that… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Aternos — where it wins

  • No renewal chores; start it when you play and it stops when everyone leaves
  • Unlimited slots, and no playtime limit while someone is online
  • Modpacks, mods and plugins from a reviewed library, plus one-click Geyser

  Where it doesn't

  • No FTP, and no uploads of mods or plugins downloaded from the web
  • Start queue at busy times, and the world can't keep running when empty
  • Servers left unstarted for around three months are deleted

• ScalaCube — where it wins

  • No card and no time limit on the free server
  • Upgrades start at $2 a month and unlock 3,298+ one-click modpacks
  • Paid plans can run several game servers on one VPS

  Where it doesn't

  • Miss a renewal every two days and the server and its files are deleted
  • Free servers install only Basic and Snapshot versions
  • Automatic backups cost extra, even after upgrading

• Aternos9.0/10 · Free

  The benchmark free host: unlimited slots, Java or Bedrock, modpacks and no renewal clicks, within firm limits.

  Visit AternosFull verdict →
• ScalaCube6.9/10 · Free plan · paid from $2/mo (excl. VAT)

  A free server with no card and no time limit, as long as someone clicks Renew for free every two days.

  Visit ScalaCubeFull verdict →