I Tested These Minecraft Server Hosts, Which Is The Best One?

Product reviewed

Minecraft server hosting providers (paid): Shockbyte, Apex Hosting, Bisect Hosting, Moderan Servers; plus free option: Aternos.

The test compares a 4 GB plan (targeting up to ~20 friends) using a Chunky pre-generation/render benchmark (rendering a 1,000-block radius), checking:

• Render speed
• Crashes / stability

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Test method / evaluation criteria

• Compared “top” Minecraft hosts using the 4 GB plan.
• Used Chunky to render a 1,000-block radius and observed:
  • Render time
  • Render stability (crashes)
• Notes: the presenter stresses the benchmark is rough / not conclusive, and links a spreadsheet for reproducibility.

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Key results (performance ranking)

1. Shockbyte — Best performance

   • Finished render in 6:29
   • Rated as fastest among all tested

2. Moderan Servers — #2 overall

   • Finished in 9:39 (nearly identical to Bisect)
   • Strong ease of use feedback/UX

3. Bisect Hosting — #3 overall

   • Finished in 9:40
   • Very good UI and file system; unlimited disk space

4. Aternos — #4 overall (free)

   • Took about 20 minutes initially in the test; ~22 minutes in real-life
   • Crashed 6 times, requiring repeated redo

5. Apex Hosting — #5 / worst

   • Finished in 12 minutes (nearly double the best result)
   • Described as too expensive, too clunky, and worst in generation performance

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Unique points mentioned about each host (features, pros/cons, UX)

Moderan Servers (the “new kid on the block”)

Features / setup

• Only three pre-built plans on the site
• 4 GB plan includes 2 V cores and 32 GB storage
• Doesn’t accept PayPal
• Server provisioned almost instantly and was smooth to configure
• Console usability: Modrinth pointed out mistakes immediately—specifically catching missing Fabric API for a Fabric mod setup
• Emphasized strong ease-of-use for newer users

Pros

• Best-in-class error/help messaging and approachability
• Performance: 9:39, nearly tied with Bisect

Cons

• Limited plan selection shown (only three pre-built plans)
• No PayPal

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Shockbyte (more established; “for knowledgeable users”)

Features / setup

• Has many more plans
• Price noted: $15/month for 4 GB (based on actual monthly price)
• Doesn’t mention included V cores/storage in the subtitle extract
• Add-ons: custom IP / other extras cost extra
• Ordering required phone number
• Server setup described as flawless and quick
• Panel/UI acknowledged as “nice,” with good config and editor
• Startup flags are editable (presenter says this is important and not as easy on other hosts)

Pros

• Fastest render: 6:29
• Strong configuration/editor experience

Cons

• More expensive than several alternatives (upsells a lot of extras)
• Phone number required
• Custom IP/add-ons cost extra

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Bisect Hosting

Features / setup

• Very strong server picker: asks a series of questions before selecting a plan
• Presenter previously used Bisect (for Vintage Story servers) and says its UI is amazing
• Upsell exists: they “will always upcharge you” for higher-priced options
• Ordering/pay workflow described as almost identical to Shockbyte (also includes phone number requirement)
• File management described as easy: dragging files into the mod folder
• Includes unlimited disk space
• Performance: 9:40, about ~30 chunks/second (nearly 30 chunks per second)

Pros

• Excellent onboarding UI (server picker)
• Great value for performance at slightly cheaper cost than Apex
• Performance nearly matches Moderan

Cons

• Plan upsells to pricier options
• Phone number required (as with Shockbyte)

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Apex Hosting (worst experience overall)

Features / setup

• Price: $15/month for 4 GB, plus presenter claims an additional $15 to install plugins
• Offers DDoS protection upsell (presenter mocks the pitch)
• Ordering requires phone number
• Setup: “flawless” server provisioning, but panel is the problem
• Main complaint: archaic panel/UI
  • No dragging files
  • No full text editor in config files
  • FTP-only workflow (download/edit/upload)
• Fabric support: server wasn’t configured for Fabric by default; Fabric option felt “hidden”
• Performance result: 12 minutes to render 1,000-block radius

Pros

• Server is provisioned quickly
• Panel eventually lets you configure, but it’s painful

Cons

• Most expensive/least justified UI
• Outdated workflow compared to newer/cheaper hosts
• Worst generation render performance among paid options (~12:00)
• Plugin installation cost extra; Fabric setup adds friction

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Aternos (free option)

Features / setup

• Free, but described as ad-heavy
  • “ads on this panel are insane”
  • even plays a mobile game ad while configuring
• Uses an inbuilt mod downloader, but not all newest mods are available (example implied: “doesn’t have the newest like Respauned”)
• Security/performance limitation: doesn’t allow custom jar uploads (presenter says this is reasonable for the free tier)
• Performance: unstable with crashes

Pros

• Free
• Mod downloading convenience via built-in tool

Cons

• Bombardment of ads (ad blocker recommended)
• Crashed 6 times during the benchmark; requires restarting/redoing
• Not ideal for large/pre-generated workflows; presenter suspects it doesn’t like pre-generating mods/plugins
• Slower overall: ~22 minutes real-life equivalent

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Comparisons / ordering of alternatives

• Paid hosts compared directly:
  • Apex = worst
  • Shockbyte = fastest
  • Moderan and Bisect = close #2/#3
• Free option (Aternos) contrasted heavily:
  • “you get what you pay for” via ads + crashes + lag
• Self-hosting discussed as an alternative:
  • Using Pterodactyl on a VPS (example: Hetzner ~$4/month for 4 GB)
  • Claimed cost efficiency: 8 GB VPS for $8/month, potentially splitting into multiple servers
  • Tradeoff: self-hosting requires more technical work; presenter position:
    • Shockbyte = convenience
    • Moderan = best for beginners
    • Pterodactyl = best if you want a challenge/learn

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Overall pros/cons summary (from the video)

Best paid choice (overall performance + usability for newcomers):

• Moderan Servers is strongly recommended for new users due to ease-of-use and helpful error messaging, while performance is near the top.

Best raw performance:

• Shockbyte wins the benchmark (6:29) with solid editing/config UX.

Worst choice:

• Apex Hosting is the clearest “don’t recommend” due to archaic panel UX, high pricing/upsells, and slowest/poor render performance among paid hosts.

Free choice:

• Aternos is usable only if you accept ads, instability/crashes, and slower performance.

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Verdict / recommendation

• If you’re new to Minecraft hosting: choose Moderan Servers (best ease-of-use; near-top performance)
• If you value fastest performance and don’t mind paying/upsells: Shockbyte
• Avoid: Apex Hosting (worst overall experience and benchmark)
• For free: Aternos, but expect ad spam and crashes during bigger tasks

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Speakers / perspectives

• Lunar (single main narrator): all major impressions, comparisons, ordering/setup observations, and the Chunky benchmark results/ranking are attributed to Lunar’s testing and commentary.