Aternos vs Paid Minecraft Hosting: When Free Is Enough

Published November 2, 2026 · Updated November 3, 2026

Short answer: if your group plays a few evenings a week, someone doesn't mind pressing Start, and every mod you want is in Aternos's library, stay on Aternos. It's free and it works. Pay for hosting when the server has to be up whenever someone logs in, when you need mods or a modpack Aternos doesn't list, or when the pack needs more RAM than Aternos gives it.

This page is written by a paid host, so read the "stay on Aternos" part as seriously as the rest.

How Aternos works (and why it stops)

Aternos is a free Minecraft server host run by Aternos GmbH in Germany and paid for by ads. (Is Aternos safe? covers the company and the ad risks.) Free hosting has to share a limited pool of machines, so three things follow:

• The server stops when it's empty. When nobody is online, a stop countdown shows on the server page. Below one minute a +1 button adds a minute. When the countdown runs out the server shuts down, and someone has to log in to Aternos and start it again before anyone else can join. Aternos's support article "Stop countdown" explains this, and Aternos staff on the forum say a 24/7 server isn't possible on the free service and that working around the timer breaks their terms.
• Starting can mean a queue. At busy times you wait in line to start, and you have to confirm when your turn comes.
• You don't choose the RAM. Aternos assigns memory itself, and you can't buy more. That's fine for vanilla and light mods. It's often not enough for big modpacks.

Signs you've outgrown Aternos

1. Friends message you to start the server. If people in other time zones play when you're asleep, the stop timer is the problem, and nothing on the free plan fixes it.
2. You need a mod that isn't in the library. Aternos installs mods from its own list only. You can't upload a jar or import your own CurseForge pack. (Custom mods on Aternos has the details.)
3. You want to edit a modpack. On Aternos a modpack is installed as a whole, and you can't change its mods or configs.
4. The pack lags or crashes on start. Heavy packs need a lot more than vanilla: we recommend 10 GB for All the Mods 10. If you see out-of-memory errors or the server dies while loading, it needs more RAM than a free plan gives it. The modpack RAM guide lists what popular packs need.
5. You keep fixing the same crash. If a removed mod still breaks the world, see the "mod missing" crash on Aternos first. Sometimes the fix is free.

If none of these sound like your group, you don't need to pay. (Weighing up Realms instead? See Realms vs server hosting.)

What paid hosting costs

Most paid Minecraft hosts charge by RAM. Here's what some well-known hosts charge per GB of RAM per month, as listed on their own pricing pages on 27 October 2026 (our price-per-GB comparison links each source and notes what costs extra):

Prices change often, so check the host's page before you buy, and compare the recurring price, not a first-month promo.

exaroton, the paid service from the Aternos team, bills by the hour instead: 1 credit per GB of RAM per hour, and a credit is €0.01. You pay only while the server is running, and you start and stop it yourself. So it's cheap if you play a few hours a week (4 GB for 3 hours a day is about €3.60 a month) and expensive if you leave it on (4 GB around the clock is about €28.80 a month). If you like Aternos but want custom mods and more RAM for short sessions, exaroton is worth a look.

What you get on Packyard

We're a monthly host: $1.50 per GB of RAM a month with a $5 minimum, in USD plus applicable taxes. 3 GB is $5, 4 GB is $6, 5 GB is $7.50, up to 12 GB.

• It stays on. The server keeps running until you stop it, so friends can join any time.
• Your own files. Upload mods and worlds in the panel's file manager or over SFTP. Pick Paper, Fabric, NeoForge or Forge and the Minecraft version when you order, or a one-click modpack like Cobblemon, All the Mods 10, RLCraft or Create+.
• Backups. Automatic daily backups plus backups you make yourself, stored off the server, with one-click restore in the panel.
• A permanent address like yourserver.play.packyard.ca that stays the same when the server moves between machines. You can rename it yourself. (If your current server's IP keeps changing, here's why, and how to fix it anywhere.)
• Sub-users so a friend can help run the server, and a one-click plugin installer on Paper.

Servers run in US West. We sell in the US and Canada (not Quebec). The full side-by-side is on Aternos alternative.

Moving your world from Aternos

1. On Aternos, open Worlds and download your world.
2. Start a server on the new host with the same Minecraft version (and the same loader and mods, if it's modded).
3. Stop the server, upload the world folder, and start it again.
4. Send your friends the new address.

Step by step, with screenshots: move your world from Aternos.

Start an always-on Paper server from $5 a month, or see every Minecraft option.

Aternos and exaroton are trademarks of their owners; Packyard is not affiliated with them. Packyard is not an official Minecraft product and is not affiliated with Mojang or Microsoft.

FAQ

Does Aternos have a paid plan?

Not on Aternos itself. The Aternos team's paid service is exaroton, which bills per GB of RAM per hour while the server runs.

Can I keep an Aternos server online 24/7?

No. Aternos stops empty servers after a countdown. Aternos staff say bots or scripts to keep it awake break their terms and can get the server suspended.

Is paid hosting faster than Aternos?

It depends on the host. The clear differences are that you choose the RAM and the server doesn't stop or queue. Check the host's location against where your players are.

How much RAM do I need on a paid host?

About 3 GB for vanilla or Paper with a few friends, 4 to 6 GB for most modpacks, and more for the biggest ones (we recommend 10 GB for All the Mods 10). Try the RAM calculator for your pack and player count.

Will my Aternos world work on another host?

Yes, if the new server runs the same Minecraft version and, for modded worlds, the same loader and mods.

More guides and posts on the Packyard blog.