How much RAM does a Minecraft server need

There is no single right amount of RAM for a Minecraft server. The amount depends on how many players join, how far they can see, what the world contains and what you add to it. This guide gives the figures that published sources state, says where each one comes from, and shows how to check your own server, which is the number that counts.

Want a number to start from? The free Minecraft RAM calculator turns your player count, server type and world into a starting amount and shows its sources.

What the published guidance says

These numbers differ because they answer different questions. The wiki's 1, 2 and 4 GB figures are for LAN party servers, meaning a few friends on a home-style server, not for a public hosted server. PaperMC describes memory settings for a tuned server. Use them as a range to start from, then check your own server.

The same sources agree on what pushes memory up: more players, a larger view distance or simulation distance, a world with a lot of activity, and the software you add. Mods and plugins have their own needs, and large modpacks need far more than a plain server.

How the panel uses your plan's memory

The panel starts a Java server with a ceiling on the memory Java may use for its heap, the part of memory where the game keeps its data. The ceiling depends on the server type:

The RAM graph shows the memory the whole server uses, which is more than Java's working memory alone. See How to read your server's usage graphs.

Check your own server

The best measure is the Usage graphs on Overview, taken with players online. An idle server always looks small.

1. Open your server in the panel. On Overview, scroll to Usage and choose RAM. The drop-down beside the graph changes the time range.
2. Wait for your busiest time, with the usual number of players on and the usual things going on in the world.
3. Look at the graph against your plan's limit, which is shown beside it.

How to read it

• Memory that sits high is normal for Java. The Paper documentation says that unless you see out-of-memory crashes or bad garbage collection times, high memory usage is expected, and that Java uses the heap it has been given. A graph that climbs and then drops back as Java cleans up is healthy.
• Memory that stays at the limit, together with crashes, is the problem. Signs are OutOfMemoryError in the Console, a server that stops by itself while players are on, or regular freezes. See Minecraft server problems and fixes.
• Lag with plenty of memory left is not a memory problem. The Paper documentation says the main game loop runs on one thread, so a slow tick comes from processing power, not memory. Look at CPU and see How to reduce lag on your Minecraft server.

Check again after anything big changes: a new plugin or mod, more players, a new world, or a higher view distance.

If you need less memory

Before you upgrade, try lowering what the server does:

• Lower View distance and Simulation distance in Settings, then Server Properties (Java). See Minecraft server properties explained.
• Remove plugins or mods you do not use.
• Cut back farms and machines that run all the time.

If you need more memory

If RAM reaches the limit at your busy time and the server crashes or stutters, move to a bigger plan. See How to change your plan or billing cycle.

For modpacks, the panel shows the memory a pack asks for before it installs, and warns you if your plan is below it. Feed the Beast packs publish a minimum and a recommended amount, and the panel shows them. See How to install a modpack on your Minecraft server.

Bedrock servers have their own, separate needs. See How to run a Minecraft Bedrock server.