How Minecraft Hosts works

Minecraft Hosts compares Minecraft server hosting providers using data we can trace back to a source. This page explains where that data comes from, how the filters in the comparator behave, how the list is sorted and how prices are compared. Nothing on this page is secret: if you want to check a result by hand, you should be able to.

Where the data comes from

Every piece of information about a provider or a plan is taken from the provider's official public pages: pricing pages, plan descriptions, feature lists, documentation, terms of service and refund policies. We do not use third-party review sites, forum posts or marketing claims that cannot be found on the provider's own website.

Each provider and each plan carries a last verified date. It tells you when that information was last checked against the official source. Prices and specifications change, so an older date is a signal to double-check on the provider's site before buying.

Unknown is not the same as "no"

When a provider does not publish a piece of information, we show it as Not disclosed. We never guess, estimate or fill the gap with a typical value.

We also keep a clear distinction between two situations:

• Not offered: the provider explicitly states that a feature is not included (for example, no automatic backups on a given plan). This is recorded as a firm "no".
• Not disclosed: the provider says nothing about it. This is recorded as unknown, not as a "no".

This distinction matters for the filters, as explained below.

When the data is contradictory

When a host's own site contradicts itself, or when the data is ambiguous, we do not pick a value silently: the issue is listed in the "Notes on the data" section of the provider profile.

How the filters work

The comparator lists providers, but most filters apply to their individual plans. The rule is simple: a provider matches if at least one of its plans matches all active filters at the same time. A provider with one cheap plan and one high-RAM plan does not match "under $5 and at least 8 GB" unless a single plan meets both conditions.

A few filters deserve a closer look:

• RAM: the value you choose is a minimum. Selecting 4 GB shows plans with 4 GB or more.
• Players: many providers do not publish a player limit. While the players filter is active, plans without a published player limit are hidden, because we cannot confirm that they meet your requirement. They reappear as soon as you clear that filter.
• Features: only features the provider explicitly offers count as a match. A feature marked "Not disclosed" does not match.

How prices are compared

Hosts publish prices in many different ways: monthly, with a commitment, with a promotion for the first months, excluding VAT. To keep the comparison fair, we apply the same rules to every plan.

The reference price

The price used for the filters, for sorting and for the "Starting at" amount is the plan's monthly price without commitment, as published by the host. If a host does not sell a plan monthly, the published renewal price is used instead. A promotion or a commitment price is never used as the regular price.

Other prices are shown separately

Commitment prices, promotions, list prices and renewal prices are shown separately and labelled as such, for example "or €1.50/month with a 24-month commitment" or "€5.99/month for the first 24 months (promotion)". When a host publishes a percentage discount for longer billing periods, the displayed monthly equivalent is calculated from that published percentage.

Currency and tax

Prices are shown in the host's currency. Whether they include tax (VAT or sales tax) is indicated when the host states it: a host that lists its prices before tax is flagged "excl. tax", and one that says nothing is flagged "tax not specified". Prices are never converted, except in the Top 5 best value, where prices in other currencies are converted to US dollars at the European Central Bank reference rate (rate and date shown).

How the Top 5 best value ranking is calculated

The Top 5 shown on the homepage is calculated automatically from the comparator data, with no subjective rating. It is recalculated every time the site is updated.

1. Plans compared: monthly no-commitment plans from 4 to 16 GB of RAM (the sizes most players buy, so very large plans get no advantage), compared on their price per GB. When the advertised RAM is only a maximum granted on request, or "unlimited" with a guaranteed minimum, the guaranteed RAM is used; when it is "unlimited" with no published minimum, the plan is compared whatever value is used for the calculation (it remains usable at any size), and that value is shown on the card.
2. Minimum quality: the plan must confirm at least 4 of 6 criteria in our data: NVMe storage, anti-DDoS protection, included backups, 24/7 or 7-day support, refund available, dedicated CPU. Undisclosed data does not count as confirmed. The host must have a public Trustpilot rating of at least 3.5/5 based on at least 20 reviews: below that, or without a Trustpilot page, the rating proves nothing and the host is not ranked.
3. Comparability: plans are compared on a common basis using the European Central Bank reference rate, updated each time the site is published, and amounts are shown in US dollars; the rate and its date are shown under the Top 5, and the original price stays visible. Prices before tax are included, because "+ tax" is the norm with US hosts: the tax status is shown under every price. Only hosts whose data was verified on the official website are included.
4. CPU performance: Minecraft mostly relies on a single core. The price per GB is therefore divided by a performance factor: the square root of the CPU index (single-thread score from PassMark, "Single Thread Rating" divided by a fixed reference of 2,000 points, minimum 1), multiplied by 1.2 if cores are dedicated. The square root softens the effect: the factor tops out around ×1.85 for the fastest CPUs, and price remains the main criterion. The adjusted price and the factor are shown on each card. The bonus only applies when the host publishes the exact model: a CPU described without a model number, "or equivalent" or "up to" gets no bonus, and when several models are listed, the slowest one is used.
5. Ranking: the lowest adjusted price per GB wins; on a tie, the plan confirming more criteria comes first, then the cheaper one. For each host, the plan kept is the one with the best adjusted price per GB.

This ranking does not measure actual support quality or reliability, as no objective and comparable data exists for them. Affiliate commissions have no effect on this calculation.

How the score out of 10 is calculated

Each host page shows a score out of 10, calculated automatically from the data on that page. It is not a hands-on test: the criteria rely on the data published by the host, and community reviews on its public Trustpilot rating. Information the host does not publish earns no points. Each sub-score shows the details behind it.

• Price and value (26%): best value among monthly no-commitment plans from 4 to 32 GB. For each plan, the price per GB is divided by the same performance factor as the Top 5: square root of the CPU index (PassMark single-thread score / 2,000, minimum 1, exact published model only), × 1.2 if cores are dedicated. The result is compared with the best value among hosts billing in the same currency (no conversion). The score is 10 × (best value in the currency ÷ the host's value): the best gets 10, a host half as advantageous gets 5. Prices are compared as published (including VAT, excluding VAT or VAT not stated). The price used is the site's reference price (monthly with no commitment, otherwise the renewal price) or, failing that, the published 30-day price. Without a comparable price (credits, hourly billing, unquantified RAM), the criterion is not rated.
• Performance (22%): CPU up to 7 points based on its PassMark single-thread score (2,000 points = 0, 4,700 points or more = 7, exact published model only), NVMe storage 2 points, dedicated cores 1 point.
• Community reviews (18%): the host's public Trustpilot rating (out of 5, scaled to 10), retrieved on a date shown under the score. From 20 reviews, the rating is used as is, with a very slight volume bonus (up to +0.3 points out of 10, on a logarithmic scale, and only for good ratings): with equal ratings, one based on many reviews counts a little more. Below 20 reviews, it is slightly reduced (up to 20% for a single review), as too few reviews are not representative. Without a Trustpilot page, the criterion is not rated. This is the company's rating, which may cover services other than Minecraft.
• Minecraft features (14%): Java 1.5 points, Bedrock 1.5, Paper 1, mods (Forge, Fabric or NeoForge) 2, modpacks 2, included backups 2.
• Support and guarantees (12%): availability (24/7: 4 points, 7 days a week: 3, business hours: 1.5), contact channels (up to 2), refund available 2 points plus 1 for a period of at least 7 days, free trial or plan 1 point.
• Network and locations (8%): on this international version, geographic reach (1 region: 3 points, 2: 5, 3: 6.5, 4 or more: 8) and anti-DDoS protection 2 points. The French and German versions weight server proximity to their players instead: servers in the country 6 points, in a bordering country 5, elsewhere in Europe 4, outside Europe only 1.5, plus 0.5 per additional region (up to 2).

The overall score is the weighted average of the rated criteria. Review penalty: if the Trustpilot rating is below 3.5/5 with at least 20 reviews, the overall score is reduced progressively, up to 50% for a 1/5 rating; the penalty is shown under the score. If price cannot be rated, the other weights are scaled back to 100%. The score is recalculated whenever the data is updated, and affiliate commissions have no effect on it.

How the list is sorted

By default, the comparator is sorted by ascending price, based on the reference price described above. You can also sort by price (high to low), most RAM, most players, price per GB or most recently verified. These sort orders are purely factual: there is no score and no ranking based on our opinion. The score out of 10 on host pages and the Top 5 best value are calculated from the data, using the methods published above.

Affiliate commissions never affect which providers are listed, the filters or the sort order. You can read more in our affiliate disclosure.

About the providers listed

The providers listed on the site are real hosting companies. Their data is taken from their official public pages: each plan links to its source and carries a verification date. Information a host does not publish is shown as "Not disclosed".

Corrections

Data can become outdated between two verifications. If you spot an error, whether you are a user or a provider, please tell us through the contact page. Providers are asked to include a link to the official page that shows the correct information, so we can verify it and update the entry along with its verification date.