Personally, I prefer to play Minecraft by myself, but that’s not why you’re here. You’re looking for the best servers to play on, presumably with other people. If that’s not the case, it’s kind of strange that you clicked on the headline or link.
This is more of a list of popular servers. The best server everyone else likes isn’t necessarily going to align with what you’re looking for. Minecraft is a very malleable game, it can be played in a lot of ways. Popularity is also not a great measuring stick for quality. However, if you don’t exclusively want to explore off the beaten path, here are some to consider.
10. Minewind
Address: play.minewind.net
Minewind is essentially an expansion of survival mode to incorporate RPG concepts like classes and loot. However, further than that, it also bills itself as complete anarchy. There aren’t really any player rules, so griefing is completely fair game. You’re going to have to be careful, aggressive, or underhanded to actually survive in this cruel version of Minecraft.
9. Havoc Games
Address: top.havoc.games
Havoc Games started out as a server based around the Walking Dead series called The Mining Dead. It’s since become so much more than that, but their zombie survival mode still tends to be the main draw, and part of the reason why it still remains popular today.
8. WesterosCraft
Address: mc.westeroscraft.com
Fantasy kingdoms are fertile ground for recreation in Minecraft, and WesterosCraft has taken on the mighty task of replication Westeros from Game of Thrones. The team has been at it since 2011 and have constructed a hearty slice of the fantasy world for exploration.
Speaking of which, WesterosCraft is largely a sightseeing and… that’s about it. However, if you want another way of interacting with the world, you can apply to join the team and have a hand in building it.
7. Minecraft Middle Earth
Address: build.mcmiddleearth.com
Minecraft Middle Earth (or MC Middle Earth) is similar to WesterosCraft but set in a replica of Middle Earth from The Lord of the Rings. Considering I just went over the concept of this sort of sightseeing server, I’m not sure it’s necessary to explain further. If you want to see a Minecraft representation of the walk that Frodo and Sam took to dump jewelry into a volcano, this is what you’re maybe looking for.
It’s worth noting that there is a New Player Quiz for getting in. One does not simply walk into Minecraft Middle Earth.
6. The Lord of the Craft
Address: mc.lotc.co
Something a little different. The Lord of the Craft is a huge medieval fantasy roleplay server. While its name sounds like a play on The Lord of the Rings, it’s actually not set in that Universe, but rather a more general fantasy setting. Not like the above Middle Earth server that is actually about The Lord of the Rings.
Roleplay can be quite imposing next to more structured servers, and that’s not really any different here. You actually need to apply to get access to the server. That may sound inconvenient, but it’s to ensure that those who inhabit the server are familiar with the concepts of roleplay and won’t be disruptive to others. Despite that perceived inconvenience, the server has a very healthy player base, ensuring that the world remains lively at all times.
5. Wynncraft
Address play.wynncraft.com
There are a few servers out there now that turn Minecraft into a conventional MMO, but none have found the success of Wynncraft. There isn’t much in terms of actual building, but there’s are quests, loot, classes; everything you’d expect from a standard MMO experience. Heck, Wynncraft has an active player count that rivals some of the more mainstream ones.
4. Grand Theft Minecart
Address: topms.mc-gtm.net
Grand Theft Auto but in Minecraft isn’t exactly the most novel of ideas, but one server does it better than the rest, and that’s Grand Theft Minecart. There are guns, cars, a massive map, and more importantly: an active developer and playerbase.
3. Piratecraft
Address: mc.piratemc.com
Pirates are cool. I mean, not, like, real modern-day pirates, but the romanticized old-fashioned kind. Those are cool. If you’re interested in sailing the waves of Minecraft, Piratecraft has been ruling the high seas for over 10 years. You can build and pilot your own ship complete with functional cannons.
One thing to note is that this is a “tight-knit” community and isn’t quite the sprawling networks that some of the bigger Minecraft servers tend to be. However, there is almost always an active number of players available to interact with.
2. Complex Gaming
Address: hub.mc-complex.com
Complex Gaming has ruled the roost for quite some time now. Rather than being one simple server, it hosts all sorts of Minecraft offshoots. Prominently, it’s a hotspot for Pixelmon Reforged players, but other mods and even Vanilla Minecraft servers are available.
For these mods (such as Pixelmon), you do require the associated modpacks, but their website can point you in the right direction to get everything you need.
1. Hypixel
Address: mc.hypixel.net
While the server has seen its ups and downs, Hypixel is still near the absolute top of the server heap in terms of active playerbase. Like Complex Gaming, it hosts a tonne of different modes like Skyblock, Megawalls, and Warlords.
Again, sheer playercount isn’t necessarily a marker for quality, but there’s a good reason that Hypixel retains its massive population and has for years. But moreover, if you’re looking to hit up one of the most happening spots, this is it.
