Minecraft Java hosting, done properly
Everything Shard Hosting does is built around one game. That means the hardware is chosen for how Minecraft actually behaves, and support comes from people who have run a server themselves.
Why the CPU matters more than the RAM number
Minecraft runs the world on a single main thread. Ticking entities, redstone, mob AI, chunk generation and most plugin work all queue up on that one thread, and the server can only run 20 of those ticks per second before players start to feel it.
Adding RAM does not make that thread faster. It stops your server running out of memory, which matters, but a plan with a large RAM figure on a slow, heavily shared CPU will still stutter under a busy spawn or a chunk-loading world.
That is why we publish the processor rather than a marketing word for it, and why the RAM in each plan is paired with a sensible share of CPU instead of sold on its own.
How the plans map to real servers
SMPs
A whitelisted world with a regular group, a stack of quality-of-life plugins and a map nobody wants to lose. Starter or Basic is usually where these begin.
Modded communities
Fabric, Forge and NeoForge packs need considerably more memory than vanilla. Pro or Extreme is the usual starting point, and we would rather you asked us about your pack than guessed.
Creator and event servers
Servers built around recordings, launch weekends and audiences arriving all at once. We will help you size for the spike instead of the average.
Not sure? Tell us the plugin or mod list and the number of people who play at once, and we will point at a plan.
Run the server software you already know
Pick your jar from the panel and switch when you are ready. Building your own? Upload it over SFTP and run that instead.
Plugin servers
- PaperPlugins, best all-round performance
- PurpurPaper plus deeper configuration
- SpigotClassic plugin platform
- VanillaExactly what Mojang ships
Mod loaders
- FabricLightweight mod loader
- ForgeThe long-standing mod loader
- NeoForgeModern Forge successor
Proxies and networks
- VelocityModern network proxy
- BungeeCordEstablished network proxy
Modpacks vary enormously. Large or unusual packs may need a bigger plan or a manual install, and we will tell you which before you buy rather than after.
A control panel instead of a terminal
We run Pterodactyl, the panel most Minecraft admins have already used. Everything is in the browser, and SSH is never a requirement.
An illustration of the console screen. Shard Hosting has not opened, so the server, the output and the values shown here are invented examples rather than a running machine.
Live console
Watch the server start, run commands, read the stack trace.
File manager
Edit configs and drop in plugins without an SFTP client.
SFTP
Full access when you would rather use your own tools.
Schedules
Timed restarts, backups and commands.
Databases
MySQL databases created and managed from the panel.
Subusers
Give a co-owner or a builder access without your password.
Backups
Take one before a risky update, restore it when it goes wrong.
Version switching
Change server software or Minecraft version yourself.
The panel lives at a separate address from this site, and is linked from the footer once it is online.
Already hosted somewhere else? We move it.
Migration is the reason most people stay with a host they have stopped liking. It should take one conversation, not a weekend.
Step 1: Send us the files
A backup or archive from your current host, or the SFTP details if you would rather we pull it ourselves.
Step 2: We move it across
World, plugins, configs, permissions and player data go onto your new server, and we check it starts cleanly.
Step 3: You point and play
Update your DNS or share the new address, and your community carries on where it left off.
What comes across
- Worlds and dimensions
- Plugins and their configs
- Permissions and ranks
- Player data and inventories
- Databases, where exportable
- Server properties and startup flags
Some setups need manual work. Custom forks, unusual database layouts and very old server versions can take longer, and occasionally a piece of a setup cannot come across at all. We tell you which before we start, not after.
Hosting for creators
If a server is part of what you publish, downtime is not just an outage. It is a cancelled recording day and a Discord full of people asking what happened.
We are building Shard Hosting around the way creator servers are actually run: whitelists, guests, big spikes on launch day, and a world nobody can afford to lose. Talk to us before you set one up and we will help you size it.
SMP servers
Whitelisted worlds for a cast, with a copy taken before every big episode and help picking a plan that fits how you actually play.
Recording sessions
Spin a server up for a shoot, keep it whitelisted, and archive the world when the series ends.
Community events
Temporary capacity for a launch weekend or an event, then back down to your normal plan.
A direct line to us
A shared Discord channel instead of a ticket form, so problems get looked at while your audience is still online.
No sponsorships or partnerships to show yet. When there are, they will be named here.
Pick a size, change it later
All four plans run the same platform in the same European location. Upgrading later keeps the same server and the same world.
Coming soon
Ordering is not open and no payments are being taken. The prices below are the planned launch pricing and may still change.
Starter
A first server for a small group
For a vanilla or lightly modded world played by a handful of people.
4GB
memory
€6/mo
planned price
Join DiscordOrdering opens at launch
Basic
Most people start herePlugin-driven SMPs
For an SMP running a normal set of plugins with a regular group of players.
8GB
memory
€12/mo
planned price
Join DiscordOrdering opens at launch
Pro
Larger communities and modpacks
For a server that has outgrown its first host, or a modpack that needs real headroom.
16GB
memory
€24/mo
planned price
Join DiscordOrdering opens at launch
Extreme
Big modpacks and demanding setups
For the heaviest packs and event servers, where memory is the thing you keep running out of.
24GB
memory
€36/mo
planned price
Join DiscordOrdering opens at launch
Planned for every plan at launch
This is what we are building towards, not a list of live features. Anything that is not ready on launch day will be said so on this page.
- European location
- NVMe storage
- DDoS-protected network
- Pterodactyl control panel
- Full SFTP file access
- MySQL database access
- Plugin and mod support
- Server backups
- Free migration help
- Discord support
These are the planned launch prices in EUR. Ordering is not open and no payments are being taken, so prices may still change before launch. CPU allocation, storage limits and how many players a plan comfortably holds are not published, because they have not been decided. Memory is the only resource figure we are willing to put a number on today.
Common questions
Anything else, ask in Discord or email shardhosting1@gmail.com.
In Europe. That is the only region at launch, chosen because it is where our first players are. Additional regions will be announced here when the hardware for them actually exists, not before.
Yes. You can upload it yourself over SFTP or through the panel file manager, or send us a backup and we will move the world, plugins, configs and player data for you at no cost.
Yes, on any plugin-capable server software such as Paper, Purpur or Spigot. Drop the jars into the plugins folder over SFTP or through the file manager and restart.
Fabric, Forge and NeoForge are planned as panel options. Heavier modpacks need more RAM and more CPU than a vanilla world, so pick a plan accordingly and ask us if you are unsure which one fits your pack.
Yes. Plans are designed to be upgraded in place, so you can start on Starter or Basic and move up as your community grows without rebuilding anything.
Ready to build your server?
Start small and upgrade whenever your community grows. Ordering is not open yet. Launch dates, pricing changes and beta slots go out in the Discord first.