- Run Paper on the latest version, with 4 GB for up to ~15 players.
- Turn on the whitelist, keep online-mode on, and only op people you'd trust with your house keys.
- Install CoreProtect, a claims plugin and LuckPerms before launch.
- Pre-generate the world and set a world border, then schedule automatic backups.
1. Decide what kind of SMP it is
A private SMP for a friend group and a public community server need different setups. Answer these first:
- Who can join? Friends only (whitelist) or anyone who finds it?
- Vanilla or modded? Most SMPs are "vanilla+": normal gameplay with a few quality-of-life plugins. A modded SMP needs Fabric or Forge and more RAM.
- Java, Bedrock or both? See Java vs Bedrock.
- How long will it run? A season of a few months, or one world forever? Seasons let you reset when the world gets laggy or the next big update lands.
2. Set up the server
- Software: Paper for a vanilla+ SMP, Fabric for a modded one. See Paper vs Fabric vs Forge.
- RAM: 4 GB handles about 10–15 players on Paper; 6–8 GB for 15–40. The RAM calculator gives a number for your group.
- Location: close to most of your players. NS5's servers are in Chicago, which suits players across North America.
- Uptime: an SMP needs to be online when people want to play, which usually means a host rather than someone's PC.
3. Settings for an SMP
| server.properties | Suggested | Why |
|---|---|---|
white-list | true | Only invited players can join. |
enforce-whitelist | true | Kicks anyone removed from the list. |
difficulty | hard or normal | Survival should feel like survival. |
pvp | Your call | Many SMPs keep it on but ban unprovoked killing in the rules. |
view-distance | 10 | Nice views without overloading the server. |
simulation-distance | 6–8 | Keeps farms ticking without lag. |
spawn-protection | 0 | Lets non-ops build near spawn; protect it with a plugin instead. |
The server.properties generator has an SMP preset. On NS5, the Server Settings tab edits all of these with a form, and the Players tab manages the whitelist and ops in a click.
4. Plugins that keep an SMP fun
| Need | Plugin |
|---|---|
| Find and undo griefing | CoreProtect |
| Protect builds | GriefPrevention, Lands or HuskClaims |
| Ranks and permissions | LuckPerms |
| Homes, /tpa, /spawn | EssentialsX (or HuskHomes) |
| One-player sleep | The playersSleepingPercentage gamerule, or a sleep plugin |
| Discord chat bridge | DiscordSRV |
| Pre-generation | Chunky |
| Web map | BlueMap, Dynmap or squaremap |
Keep the list short: every plugin you add is something to update. The plugins guide covers installing them.
5. Prepare the world
- Pick a seed you like (or let it be random) before anyone joins.
- Set a world border, for example
/worldborder set 10000for a 10,000-block-wide world. You can expand it later as an event. - Pre-generate inside the border with Chunky:
/chunky radius 5000,/chunky start. Do the Nether too. This is the single biggest lag fix for SMPs. - Build or protect a spawn area.
6. Write short rules
Five or six clear rules beat a page of legalese. Common ones: no griefing or stealing, no hacked clients or x-ray, no lag machines, keep chat friendly, ask before building near someone. Post them in your Discord and at spawn, and decide in advance what happens when someone breaks them.
7. Share the work
Give trusted friends moderation rights with LuckPerms ranks rather than op. On NS5 you can also add sub-users to the server itself and choose what each can do: for example console and players for moderators, but not files or billing. Nobody needs your password.
8. Back up automatically
Griefing, a bad plugin update or a corrupted chunk can wreck months of building. Schedule backups at least daily and keep a few days' worth. On NS5, turn on a backup schedule in the Backups tab and lock any backup you want to keep forever, such as the end of a season. Details in how to back up a Minecraft server.
9. Growing the community
- A Discord server for announcements, applications and chat.
- An application or interview step for public whitelisted SMPs. It keeps out most griefers.
- Events: build contests, a dragon fight, a border expansion, a new season when a big Minecraft update lands.
- Server listing sites, Reddit's r/mcservers and community Discords, once you're ready for new players.
Common questions
How much does it cost to host a Minecraft SMP?
For a group of friends, a 4 GB server is usually enough. On NS5 that's $7.40 a month with 20 GB of storage, and you can try one free for 48 hours first.
What's the best server software for an SMP?
Paper for most SMPs, because it performs well and runs anti-grief and quality-of-life plugins. Use Fabric if you want a modded SMP.
How many players can an SMP have?
As many as your RAM and CPU allow. A 4 GB Paper server handles about 10–15 active players comfortably; larger communities want 6–8 GB or more.
Minecraft Java servers from $3.70/month on AMD EPYC with dedicated RAM. One-click Paper, Fabric, Forge and Modrinth modpacks, backups and SFTP included. Try one free for 48 hours, no card needed.