Game mode
Survival Minecraft servers
Players on them now
1,844
- Playable now
- 42
- Listed
- 71
- Playable in 7 days
- 45
- Busiest around
- UTC
Survival describes the rules, not the community. It is the classic progression from punching trees to netherite, usually with the server's own additions on top: land claims, an economy, jobs or mcMMO skills. Some stay close to vanilla, others turn survival into something closer to an MMO.
Check how far a server strays from vanilla, whether claims protect your builds, the keep-inventory and PvP settings, and the size of the world border. Survival and SMP overlap a lot, and what SMP means explains the difference.
Right now 1,844 players are on the 42 survival servers that answer our pings, out of 71 listed. Over the last four weeks, the busiest hour was around 15:00 UTC. Measured at 23:49 UTC.
The survival servers
32 serversPage 1 of 2
VitalizeSMP
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Before you join
How to choose survival servers
- 01
Decide how much you want changed. Semi-vanilla keeps the game as it is, heavily modded survival adds custom items, skills and bosses.
- 02
Look for land claims if you plan to build big. Without them one griefer can undo weeks of work.
- 03
Check keep-inventory and PvP. Both change how risky every trip to the Nether feels.
- 04
Ask about the world border and resets so you know how long your base will last.
Questions
Questions about survival servers
What is the difference between a survival server and an SMP?
Survival is the game mode: you gather, craft and stay alive. SMP is about the shared world and its community. Most SMPs are survival servers, but a survival server can also be a big public network where you never meet the same player twice.
What does semi-vanilla survival mean?
Semi-vanilla servers keep Minecraft's mechanics as Mojang made them and only add quality of life plugins, such as land claims, a sleep vote, homes or a simple shop. Crafting, mobs and redstone work exactly like in single player.
What is a good survival server for beginners?
Look for land claims, keep-inventory or graves, PvP off by default and an active player count at your hours. Servers with a spawn tutorial and a starter kit make the first hour much easier.
How many survival servers are online right now?
42 of the 71 survival servers we list answered our last ping at 23:49 UTC with an open world. Together they had 1,844 players online. 45 of them were playable at least once in the last 7 days.
Answered from our own pings, updated every minute
When are survival servers busiest?
Over the last 28 days, survival servers were busiest around 15:00 UTC. On a typical day in the last 7 days, about 2,977 players were online across these servers at that hour. The quietest hour was around 04:00 UTC.
Answered from our own pings, updated every minute
Read next
- GuideWhat 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.
- GuideMinecraft server types and slang, explained A to ZEvery common Minecraft server type, from anarchy to whitelist, in plain words, with live counts of servers you can join and the slang you will hear.
- GuideHow to find a good Minecraft server, and spot a dead oneCheck 30-day uptime, players at your hours and the trend before you join. Why votes and star ratings mislead, with numbers from servers we ping.