Aternos review
Completely free, ad-funded Minecraft servers with Java, Bedrock and one-click Geyser, but no 24/7 uptime.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Aternos, run by Aternos GmbH in Bonn and started as a student project in 2013, gives away Minecraft servers and pays for them with advertising. You pick Java or Bedrock, choose software such as Paper, Forge, NeoForge, Fabric or Quilt, and install mods, plugins and modpacks from a library the team reviews, including packs from CurseForge, Modrinth, ATLauncher and the FTB App. Friends can be given access with per-person permissions, Bedrock servers get shareable add-server links, and ready-made Blueprints such as a 12-minigame Arena install in a few clicks.
There is nothing to buy: Aternos states that paying for anything is not possible. RAM is assigned automatically by software and version, with a vanilla 1.20.1 server receiving 2,400 MB, and a Windows-only Medal.tv program adds 500 MB per weekly clip, up to 2.5 GB. Backups go to your own linked Google Drive, automatically whenever the server stops if you switch that on, and every server gets an aternos.me address plus support for custom domains. DDoS protection is included, and console players on PlayStation or Xbox can join through the BedrockTogether app, which the help centre explains step by step.
The trade-offs follow from the price. There is no 24/7 hosting: the server stops when the last player leaves, a queue can delay starts at busy times, storage is capped at 4 GB and servers left unstarted for about three months are deleted. FTP is unavailable and mods can't be uploaded from the web, so custom packs and paid mods are out, and Geyser can't share the single UDP port with a voice-chat mod. Servers run in European data centres with no location choice. For friends who play together, free is hard to argue with; communities that need an always-on world, custom files or a location near their players should budget for a paid host.
Aternos pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free for good, with unlimited slots, Java and Bedrock servers and no playtime cap
- Geyser and Floodgate install in one click, preconfigured for Bedrock players
- Modpacks from CurseForge, Modrinth, ATLauncher and FTB install from the panel
- Where it doesn't
- The server stops when the last player leaves, and busy times bring a start queue
- No FTP, and mods can only come from Aternos's reviewed library
- 4 GB storage cap, and servers unused for about three months are deleted
Aternos fact sheet, pricing and score →
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