Free hosting

Free Minecraft server hosting, on the phone you already own

Most "free" Minecraft hosting is a trial, a queue, or a server that falls asleep the moment you log off. Anvil-MC takes a different route: it runs the server on the Android phone or tablet you already own, so the hosting itself costs nothing and nobody can switch it off but you.

Free forever · No root required · Android 9+

What "free" actually means here

There is no card, no trial clock and no forced upgrade. Running a server on your own device is free forever, including every server type, every game mode template, and full mod, plugin and modpack support. The only paid extras are conveniences around the public address, not the hosting itself.

Anvil-MC free tierFree cloud hostsFree trials
CostYes$0, foreverYes$0, ad-supportedPartial$0 until it ends
Stays awake when emptyYesYou control the deviceNoUsually sleepsYes
No queue at peak timesYesPartialQueues are commonYes
Mods and pluginsYesFull supportYesUsually supportedYesUsually supported
Card-free signupYesYesNoAlmost always required
Who owns the hardwareYesYou doPartialThe providerPartialThe provider

What you get without paying anything

  • Unlimited hosting, 24/7. Keep a server running as long as the device is on and charging — no sleep timer, no queue, no idle shutdown.
  • A public address, included. Every free server gets one through automated tunneling, and it stays reachable around the clock — no time limit, no queue, no port forwarding, and nothing for your friends to reconfigure.
  • Every server software. PaperMC, Spigot, Fabric, NeoForge, Vanilla, or any compatible JAR you upload yourself.
  • Mods, plugins and modpacks. Install a complete modpack from Modrinth in one tap — every mod and dependency is downloaded and configured for you.
  • Java and Bedrock cross-play. Geyser and Floodgate are configured automatically, so Bedrock Edition players can join your Java server.
  • One-tap game modes. SkyBlock, OneBlock, AcidIsland and CaveBlock templates, plus survival and creative worlds.
  • Full server management. Live console, player management, a file browser for editing .yml, .json and .properties, world import and backup from a .zip, and an AI crash analyzer.

Where Premium fits in

Nothing in the free tier expires, and you never have to upgrade. Premium ($2.99/month or $19.99/year) is there when you want your server to feel permanent:

  • A permanent *.anvil-mc.app subdomain that stays up on its own, so friends save one address and reuse it forever, with no ads and nothing to renew
  • The remote web dashboard, for managing your server from any browser
  • Advanced DDoS protection
  • Access to legacy Java versions, and no ads

Hosting from a phone means the phone is the server. It has to stay on and connected for friends to join, and it will use more battery than normal — keep it charging.

Starting a free server in under a minute

  1. Install Anvil-MC from Google Play and open it. No root, no account setup.
  2. Tap Create Server and pick a game mode, modpack or server software.
  3. Start it. A public address is generated automatically — no port forwarding, no router settings.
  4. Share the address. Friends join from any Minecraft client, on Java or Bedrock.

What kind of phone do you need?

Android 9 or newer, and no root. About 2 GB of free RAM starts most servers; 4–6 GB free is the comfortable range for modded worlds or a larger group. Performance tracks your device's hardware and thermal headroom more than anything else — a phone that throttles under load will throttle the server with it.

If you are choosing a device specifically for this, our phone leaderboard ranks real devices by HostScore, and the best cheap phones for hosting in 2026 compares that benchmark data against market prices.

Frequently asked questions

Is Minecraft server hosting on Anvil-MC really free?

Yes. Hosting on your own Android device is free forever, with no card and no trial. Every server type, game mode, mod, plugin and modpack is included on the free tier, and every free server gets a public address that stays reachable around the clock with no time limit and no queue. Keeping a free public session running is ad-supported. Premium ($2.99/month or $19.99/year) is optional, and adds a permanent *.anvil-mc.app subdomain that stays up on its own with nothing to renew, the remote web dashboard, DDoS protection, legacy Java versions and no ads.

Is there a catch with free Minecraft hosting on a phone?

The trade-off is hardware rather than money: the phone is the server, so it must stay on, connected and ideally charging for friends to join. Performance depends on your device's RAM and thermal limits, and hosting uses more battery than normal use.

Can I run a free Minecraft server 24/7?

Yes, and friends can join the whole time. There is no sleep timer and no queue — the server runs as long as the device is on, and Anvil-MC keeps it going in the background while you use other apps. Every free server also gets a public address through automated tunneling that stays reachable with no time limit. A common setup is an old phone left plugged in as a permanent home server.

Do I need a PC or a VPS?

No. Anvil-MC does not need a PC, a VPS or any rented hardware. It runs the Java server process on the Android device itself.

Does the free tier support mods and plugins?

Yes, in full. You can run Paper and Spigot plugins, Fabric and NeoForge mods, and install complete modpacks from Modrinth in one tap. There is no paywall on mod or plugin support.

Do I need to open ports on my router?

No. Every server gets a public address through built-in secure tunneling, so no port forwarding or router configuration is required.

Ready to start hosting?

Download Anvil-MC and launch your first free server in under a minute. No PC, no VPS, no port forwarding.

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Cover image: Minecraft screenshot by Minecraft Wallpaper (CC BY 2.0)