How much RAM for a Minecraft server?
Count on 4 GB of RAM for a vanilla Minecraft server with up to ten players, 8 GB as soon as you add plugins or pass twenty players, and 16 GB for a modpack. A large modpack such as All The Mods, or a server beyond fifty players, needs more. Memory is the limiting factor on Minecraft: the server loads the whole world, not only what players can see.
| Type of server | Players | Recommended RAM | Matching plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla, among friends | 2 to 10 players | 4 GB | £4.14incl. VAT/mo |
| Paper or Spigot with plugins | 10 to 30 players | 8 GB | £8.29incl. VAT/mo |
| Light modpack, SkyBlock, Faction | 20 to 50 players | 16 GB | £16.59incl. VAT/mo |
| Large modpack (All The Mods, RLCraft) | 50 players and up | Unlimited | £33.19incl. VAT/mo |
What drives memory up
- Render distance: every extra step multiplies the chunks loaded at once.
- Mob farms and complex redstone, which keep hundreds of entities active.
- Modpacks: their dimensions and machines keep running with no player nearby.
- The number of loaded worlds (Nether, End, mining worlds): each takes its own memory.
- Protection and logging plugins, which hold block history in memory.
Signs you are short on memory
- TPS drops below 20 and time visibly slows (blocks break slowly, mobs freeze).
- Regular one- to two-second micro-freezes, the signature of garbage collection.
- The server restarts on its own, or stops with an “OutOfMemory” error in the logs.
- Automatic backups lag everyone instead of passing unnoticed.
Frequently asked questions
Does more RAM allow more players?
Indirectly. Memory lets the server load more chunks and more entities at once, which a busier server naturally does. Past a certain point, though, processor clock speed is the limit: Minecraft computes most of the world on a single core, and no amount of memory makes up for a slow processor.
Should all the server's RAM be allocated to Minecraft?
No. The system, the panel and the backups need their share. On our plans the allocation already leaves that margin: the advertised memory is what the game actually gets, so there is nothing for you to calculate.
Can I change plan without losing my world?
Yes. Moving to a larger plan keeps the world, the plugins and the configuration: only the allocated memory changes, and the server restarts once.
Each memory tier matches a plan. Prices are monthly, tax included, with no minimum term. See the plans Minecraft →