How Much RAM Does a Minecraft Server Need?
Not sure whether your Minecraft server needs 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 12GB or more? This simple guide explains how players, plugins and modpacks affect RAM usage, so you can choose the right Minecraft hosting plan before ordering.
Quick RAM Guide
These are general starting recommendations. The exact amount depends on your player count, modpack, plugins, world size and how active your server is.
| Server type | Suggested RAM | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Vanilla Minecraft | 2GB - 4GB | Small servers with no mods or plugins |
| A few plugins | 3GB - 5GB | Simple Paper, Spigot or Purpur servers |
| Lots of plugins | 4GB - 8GB | Economy, claims, ranks, shops, mobs or minigames |
| Small modpack | 4GB - 6GB | Small custom packs or light modded servers |
| Popular modpack | 8GB - 12GB | Better MC, Valhelsia, Prominence, Medieval MC and similar |
| Huge modpack / 200+ mods | 10GB - 16GB+ | All The Mods, large kitchen-sink packs or big custom modpacks |
If you are running a large modpack, it is usually better to choose slightly more RAM than to run close to the limit.
Why RAM Matters
Minecraft servers use RAM to keep important parts of the server running. The more your server has to load, the more RAM it will usually need.
- Players
- Loaded chunks
- Mobs and entities
- Plugins
- Mods
- World generation
- Machines and automation
- Extra dimensions
If your server gets too close to its RAM limit, it may start to lag, freeze, timeout or crash.
Mods, Plugins and Modpacks
Vanilla Minecraft
Vanilla Minecraft has no mods or plugins. This is usually the lightest type of server.
Recommended: 2GB - 4GB RAM
Plugins Only
Plugin servers usually run on Paper, Spigot or Purpur. A few plugins are light, but larger plugin setups can use more RAM.
Recommended: 3GB - 8GB RAM
Small Modpacks
Small modpacks usually add a few extra features, quality-of-life changes, blocks or items without massively changing the game.
Recommended: 4GB - 6GB RAM
Popular Modpacks
Packs like Better MC, Valhelsia, Prominence, Medieval MC and Create-focused packs can need a lot more RAM than vanilla.
Recommended: 8GB - 12GB RAM
Huge Modpacks
Large 200+ mod servers and kitchen-sink packs can be RAM heavy even with only a few players online.
Recommended: 10GB - 16GB+ RAM
Custom / Not Sure
If you are unsure how heavy your server is, it is safer to choose more breathing room, especially for modded Minecraft.
Recommended: Ask us or start safer
Why More Players Can Increase RAM Usage
Player count matters because each player can load different areas of the world. One player may only be loading one area, while two players in different places can load two separate areas at the same time.
More players exploring also means more chunks, mobs, structures and world data need to be handled. This is why a server may work fine for one player but start struggling when more people join.
Why It May Have Worked Fine on Your Own PC
This catches a lot of people out. When you run a Minecraft server on your own PC, your computer may have 16GB, 32GB or more RAM available overall. You may not notice exactly how much memory the server is using.
With hosted Minecraft servers, your server has a fixed RAM allocation. For example, if your server has 8GB RAM, it cannot safely use more than that. If your modpack, players or world activity need more memory than the plan provides, the server may lag, freeze or crash.
This does not always mean something is wrong with the server. In many cases, it simply means the server needs more RAM for the type of setup being used.
Signs You May Need More RAM
- Your server crashes when more players join
- RAM usage is constantly close to the limit
- Players timeout
- The server freezes when exploring new chunks
- The server lags during world generation
- A large modpack takes a long time to start
- You see out-of-memory errors
- Performance gets worse as the world grows
High RAM usage is not always bad by itself. Minecraft and Java often use a large amount of the memory available to them. The problem is when the server is constantly close to the limit and has no breathing room left.
Ready to Start Your Minecraft Server?
Choose a Minecraft hosting plan with enough RAM for your players, plugins and modpack. If you are running a large modpack, picking a bit more RAM gives your server much better breathing room.
