Choose a plan by how much RAM your server needs. What you run matters most: a vanilla server for a few friends fits the smallest plan, while a large modpack needs much more. Players online at the same time add to that. The RAM calculator turns both into a recommendation, and you can change plan later if you guessed wrong.
The plans
Each plan is named after a Minecraft mob. They differ in RAM and CPU. Every plan includes 40 GB of NVMe storage and unlimited player slots. Current prices are on the plans page.
| Plan | RAM | CPU | Smooth modded play, as a guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axolotl | 3 GB | Up to 2 cores burst CPU | About 2 to 4 players, about 20 mods or plugins |
| Cat | 4 GB | Up to 2 cores burst CPU | About 3 to 6 players, about 40 mods or plugins |
| Wolf | 6 GB | Up to 3 cores burst CPU | About 5 to 10 players, about 80 mods or plugins |
| Bee | 8 GB | Up to 4 cores burst CPU | About 8 to 15 players, about 120 mods or plugins |
| Panda | 10 GB | Up to 4 cores burst CPU | About 10 to 18 players, about 150 mods or plugins |
| Fox | 12 GB | Up to 5 cores burst CPU | About 12 to 20 players, about 200 mods or plugins |
| Iron Golem | 16 GB | Up to 6 cores burst CPU | About 15 to 30 players, about 300 mods or plugins |
| Sniffer | 20 GB | Up to 8 cores burst CPU | About 25 to 40 players, 400 or more mods or plugins |
The player and mod counts are what we expect to run smoothly on a modded server. They are not limits. A vanilla server can hold far more players on the same plan, and a very heavy pack may want a bigger plan than its mod count suggests.
CPU is burst CPU, not reserved cores. Your server can use up to its plan's number of cores when it needs them, and a bigger plan gets more priority when the machine is busy.
Work out how much RAM you need
- Start with what you run. Vanilla needs the least. Plugins on Paper add a little. Modpacks need much more, and the largest packs can use more memory with nobody online than a vanilla server uses with a crowd.
- Add the players who are online at the same time. Each one loads chunks and entities around them. Count the busy-evening number, not the total number of people who ever join.
- Leave room to grow. If you plan to keep adding mods or plugins, the calculator has an option that adds headroom.
For example, the calculator recommends about 7 GB for a medium modpack with 5 players online, which the Bee plan covers. Its numbers are recommendations for consistently smooth play, not requirements. Less RAM can work, with more risk of lag.
When you pick a modpack at checkout, the list tells you if a pack needs more RAM than the plan you chose. For how the panel estimates a pack's RAM and what happens when a server runs out of memory, see Memory, Estimated RAM and running out of memory.
Unlimited player slots
We don't cap or charge per player on any plan. What limits how many people can play smoothly is your server's RAM and CPU, and how heavy your world and mods are.
Minecraft's own Max players setting still decides how many can be online at once. If players see that the server is full, raise it in Server Properties.
Change plan later
You are not locked in. Open your server, choose Plan & Billing, then the plan you want. An upgrade is charged for the rest of the current billing period. The new RAM and CPU apply after the server is rebooted, and nothing restarts on its own, so you choose when. The full steps are in Upgrade or downgrade your plan or storage.
If you need more than the largest plan, open a ticket and ask about a custom size.