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As a Minecraft player myself, I’ve curated this list of the best Minecraft servers around, and you can trust that each of them have been tried and tested, are free to play, and are safe - though they aren’t all child-friendly, as some are strictly for 18s and over.
My list includes Minecraft servers for all playstyles: whether you’re looking for a cosy survival world with a thriving economy, cut throat PvP, or cute and fun minigames, I’ve got something here for you. So, have a browse and then go and have fun in one of these incredible Minecraft servers.
The best Minecraft servers
These are the best Minecraft servers you can join for free right now:
- Hypixel
- Minigames
- Available on Java
- MCC Island
- Minigames
- Available on Java
- Cobblemon.gg
- Cobblemon
- Available on Java
- Peaceful Vanilla Club
- SMP
- Available on Java and Bedrock
- Mineplex
- Minigames
- Available on Java and Bedrock
- Skyblock
- Skyblock
- Available on Java and Bedrock
- Cubecraft
- Minigames
- Available on Bedrock
- The Hive
- Minigames
- Available on Bedrock
- Lifeboat
- Minigames, Prison, Skyblock, Bedwars
- Available on Bedrock
Hypixel
Java Edition only
IP address: mc.hypixel.net
Hypixel is one of the most well-known and beloved Minecraft servers of all time, having been running since 2013, and features a range of minigames in an historical RPG-styled environment. The iconic look and feel of the Hypixel server also led to the release of Hytale, the team’s own blocky sandbox game, but the success of Hytale hasn’t impacted the server, which you can still join today.
MCC Island
Java Edition only
IP address: play.mccisland.net
Created by Noxcrew, perhaps the most prolific team of Minecraft creators, you just know MCC Island is going to be good. Based on the the Minecraft Championships, a regular Minecraft tournament between streamers and YouTubers, which was also created by Noxcrew, MCC Island features all the minigames you’ll see in the championships - and you might even bump into some of your favorite content creators practicing for the next tourney, too.
Cobblemon.gg
Java Edition only
IP address: play.cobblemon.gg
Cobblemon and Pixelmon are the two main mods for combining the worlds of Pokemon and Minecraft. They look a little different, with Pixelmon maintaining the curved, modern look of Pokemon models, while Cobblemon are blocky versions of Pokemon - a cross between Minecraft and classic Pokemon sprites, if you will. Meanwhile, the world around you is still Minecraft, but you’ll find Pokecenters, Gyms, berry trees, and other iconic Pokemon landmarks and scenery.
This is great fun on your own, but of course it’s even better in multiplayer: more people to battle, more people to trade with, and a more vibrant community. That’s where Cobblemon.gg comes in. It’s undoubtedly one of the best and most popular Pokemon Minecraft servers around.
Peaceful Vanilla Club
Java and Bedrock
IP address: mc.peacefulvanilla.club
Bedrock IP: bedrock.peacefulvanilla.club
Peaceful is a special server in that it is one of the very few cross-play SMP servers, featuring a long-term vanilla survival world, regularly updated to the latest Minecraft version. You’ll explore and build as you normally do in a survival world, only with a huge number of friends doing it with you!
Mineplex
Java and Bedrock
IP address: play.mineplex.gg
Mineplex is a cross-play minigame server, including the likes of Skywars, Survival games, and Block Hunt. Not every game is available on each version, but there’s enough to keep you entertained whether you’re on Java or Bedrock, and you can see a full list of game modes on the official Mineplex site.
There are currently some issues joining Mineplex on the Bedrock server since it relaunched recently. I'll add the Bedrock IP address as soon as it's available!
Skyblock
Java and Bedrock
IP address: skyblock.net
Bedrock IP: bedrock.skyblock.net
While some other servers have Skyblock modes, if you’re specifically after the challenging sky-high mod, then you’ll want to go for the original. While you can play Skyblock alone with the legendary map, playing with others gives you much more scope to build an epic floating world between you.
Cubecraft
Featured Bedrock server
As one of the most established Bedrock Featured Servers, Cubecraft can be found on Bedrock on Windows PC and on console, in the limited server list. It features a range of super cute minigames, with MinerWare being my absolute favorite. Inspired by WarioWare, of course, you take part in a set of tiny minigames, battling it out to defeat your opponents and take the crown. From spleef and Ignite the TNT to King of the Hill and mini survival games, this mode is near endless fun.
The Hive
Featured Bedrock server
The Hive is a highly-social and super-friendly Bedrock server, which can also be found on the console server list, making it super easy to join however you play. One of this server’s best modes is undoubtedly Murder Mystery, but there’s also the Minecraft equivalent of Prop Hunt, Build Battle, Bedwars, and so much more.
How to join a Minecraft server
To join a Minecraft server on Java edition or Bedrock on PC, you simply need to enter the IP address and then launch the game in the correct version. If you're in the wrong version, the game will tell you when you try to launch the server.
- Launch Minecraft.
- Hit Play.
- On Bedrock, go to the Servers tab and click on Add Server.
- On Java, select Multiplayer, then click on Add Server.
- Enter the IP address, and name the server anything you want (logically, the server name).
- Click Play, and have fun!
To join a featured Bedrock server, you simply need to head to the server list once you've hit play, then check out the list of servers, hitting play on any that appeal, though there are a couple on our list.
Finally, some servers may have alternative methods, including Cobblemon.gg. For those servers, follow instructions on the server's dedicated website.
It's also worth noting that some servers not on this list operate on a Whitelist system, so you may need to join a Discord server and fill in an application form before accessing the server.
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