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Minecraft server guides and data reports

What the numbers say.

Plain guides for players and server owners, and reports built from our own pings, refreshed as the data comes in. 36 posts so far.

Report, live dataMeasured 25 Oct 2026, 03:40 UTC

When are Minecraft servers busiest? Peak hours, measured

The busiest and quietest hours on every server we list over the last 28 days, the weekend lift, and how regions and modes differ, shown in your time zone.

Busiest hour
Quietest hour
Busiest against quietest
2.3 times

All listed servers, last 28 days, your time zone
Data report

How reliable are Minecraft servers? Uptime, measured

How reliable are Minecraft servers? We ping every listed server about once a minute: how many reach 99.9%, how long outages last, by region and host.
Data report

How many players do Minecraft servers have?

Measured on every running server we list: what a typical server averages, how much the biggest few hold, why slot counts mislead, and the split by mode.
Guide

How lifesteal works in Minecraft: hearts, kills and revives

Kill a player, take a heart. How lifesteal servers handle heart caps, withdrawing, zero hearts and revives, and what to check before you join one.
Guide

How to join a Minecraft server on Java Edition

Add a server in Java Edition, type an address with a port, read the server row, pick the right game version and know what to do in your first minutes.

0117 posts

Player guides

How to join, what the modes mean, how voting works and how to pick a server worth your evenings. Written for players of every age.

  1. Player guides8 min read

    How to join a Minecraft server on Java Edition

    Add a server in Java Edition, type an address with a port, read the server row, pick the right game version and know what to do in your first minutes.

  2. Player guides8 min read

    How to join a Minecraft server on Bedrock and mobile

    Add a server on Bedrock for Windows, Android, iPhone, iPad, Chromebook or Fire, find the right port, and know what changes on Java servers through Geyser.

  3. Player guides11 min read

    Join Minecraft servers on Xbox, PlayStation and Switch

    Consoles have no Add Server button. The four workarounds for Xbox, PS4, PS5 and Switch, what each one needs, and how to tell a genuine DNS address.

  4. Player guides13 min read

    Can't connect to a Minecraft server? Errors explained

    What each Minecraft connection error means on Java and Bedrock, from timed out to failed to verify username, and how to tell if a server is down.

  5. Player guides9 min read

    Can Java and Bedrock players play together?

    Yes, on Java servers that run Geyser. How crossplay works, how to spot it on a list, what Bedrock players notice, and how common it is, measured.

  6. Player guides7 min read

    What does SMP mean in Minecraft?

    SMP means survival multiplayer, a shared survival world. Where the term came from, the kinds of SMP, SMP vs survival, and how big a typical SMP is.

See all 17 in Player guides

029 posts

For server owners

Votifier, Geyser, hosting, lag, Discord and getting your first players, from people who read the delivery logs.

  1. For server owners12 min read

    How to set up NuVotifier and test it, step by step

    Install NuVotifier on Paper or a Velocity network, open the port, test it and read every error it logs. Tested on Paper 26.3 and Velocity 4.2.

  2. For server owners13 min read

    How to set up Geyser and Floodgate for Bedrock players

    Set up Geyser and Floodgate on Paper or Velocity, switch on NetherNet before Bedrock 26.60, open 19132 for TCP and UDP, and test it from outside.

  3. For server owners11 min read

    How to get your first 100 players on a Minecraft server

    What our pinger shows about new Minecraft servers, and how to win your first 100 players: retention first, then lists, votes, Discord and seasons.

  4. For server owners9 min read

    How to write a Minecraft server description players read

    How to write a Minecraft server description: lead with your twist, answer what players ask, three examples by mode and a MOTD that fits two lines.

  5. For server owners12 min read

    How to choose Minecraft server hosting: what matters

    Fast CPU cores and a good location matter more than RAM. What our pinger sees on free hosts, RAM ranges, and what to ask a host before you pay.

  6. For server owners9 min read

    Paper, Purpur, Folia or Velocity: what servers really run

    What the servers we ping really run, what Paper, Purpur, Leaf, Folia and Velocity are each good for, and how to switch server software safely.

See all 9 in For server owners

034 posts

Game modes, compared

Side by side comparisons of the modes people argue about, with live numbers from the servers we measure.

  1. Game modes, compared11 min read

    Prison, skyblock, OneBlock or gens: which grind fits you

    Four progression modes compared on pace, teamwork, resets and where pay to win hides, plus a first hour on a skyblock island and live server numbers.

  2. Game modes, compared10 min read

    Cobblemon vs Pixelmon: how they differ and how to join a server

    Cobblemon and Pixelmon compared: battles, species, mod loaders, the Minecraft versions servers run, and how to join either without a mod error.

  3. Game modes, compared10 min read

    1.8 PvP vs modern combat: why PvP servers disagree

    What the 1.9 attack cooldown changed, why many PvP players still want 1.8 combat, how servers offer it on new versions, and what PvP servers run today.

  4. Game modes, compared11 min read

    mcMMO guide: skills, abilities and fast leveling

    What mcMMO adds to survival, all 19 skills, super abilities and cooldowns, efficient ways to level each skill, and the server settings that change it all.

046 posts

Data reports

Long reads built from our own pings and votes, with every figure live.

  1. Report, live data7 min read

    When are Minecraft servers busiest? Peak hours, measured

    The busiest and quietest hours on every server we list over the last 28 days, the weekend lift, and how regions and modes differ, shown in your time zone.

  2. Report, live data8 min read

    How reliable are Minecraft servers? Uptime, measured

    How reliable are Minecraft servers? We ping every listed server about once a minute: how many reach 99.9%, how long outages last, by region and host.

  3. Report, live data7 min read

    How many players do Minecraft servers have?

    Measured on every running server we list: what a typical server averages, how much the biggest few hold, why slot counts mislead, and the split by mode.

  4. Report, live data5 min read

    Most popular Minecraft server game modes, by the numbers

    Servers, players and votes for each Minecraft server game mode over the last 30 days, which modes are crowded or open, and SMP servers up close.

  5. Report, live data7 min read

    Most popular Minecraft server versions, measured live

    We read the version text of every running server on our list: how many advertise the newest release, how fast servers update, and why proxies move first.

  6. Report, live data8 min read

    How long do Minecraft servers last? What our listings show

    How many listed Minecraft servers still run after six months, when servers stop, what the survivors share, and how to plan for month three.