How to Make a Minecraft SMP Server
in General
Overview
Surviving in Minecraft with friends typically requires a dedicated server, as this way everyone can play without disruption. Whether you’re away from the house or actively in-game, anyone would be able to join and continue their adventures. There are many types of servers to try out, with one being extremely popular in the community. This is known as SMP otherwise called survival multiplayer, providing you with endless opportunities to enjoy Minecraft. For example, installing plugins to have extra features such as the ability to set homes, build shops, protect land, and others are entirely possible with an SMP server. Setting one up can be difficult and challenging for newcomers to the scene, as there are lots of configurable options to consider. Fortunately, our server panel has a friendly user interface that helps with customization and management. In other words, you’re given complete control over your multiplayer experience. With this in mind, we’ve created this Apex Hosting guide to show you how to make a Minecraft SMP server to begin playing with friends in a grand survival adventure.
Survival Multiplayer
The vast amount of SMP servers in Minecraft shows that there’s a wide range of possibilities. For example, players can choose to have grief protection and an economy while others only want vanilla features. These servers are mainly for Java but can be set up for crossplay with Bedrock. This means that you truly have endless potential, despite it being a public or private world for friends. Whether you want to make a Minecraft SMP server with shops, custom items, starter kits, or other features, our hosting panel allows you to do that and more. We’ll break down the steps necessary to start your own server in the subsections below, along with helpful information to personalize your in-game experience.
Minecraft SMP Server Hosting
Creating your own Minecraft SMP server involves purchasing one from our Pricing Page. Begin reviewing and choosing your desired hosting plan that suits your needs. If you already own a server with us, then continue to follow the instructions below to begin this process. However, you’ll need to configure other aspects to successfully create an SMP server in Minecraft. This resource here will help you learn how to use our panel, which is strongly recommended. Besides this, follow the steps below when you’re ready.
- Head towards your Apex server panel, then open the dropdown menu in
Game File.
- Proceed to type “Spigot” or “Paper” and choose your desired version for it.
- Confirm these changes by pressing
Change Versionin the prompt. - Continue with the prompts accordingly, then click
Restart Nowto begin loading it. - Afterward, join the server to see if everything worked as expected.
Adding Plugins
Only having your Spigot or Paper Minecraft server isn’t enough for an SMP experience, as plugins tend to be required. We strongly recommend reviewing this guide to find the best ones suitable for your setup. Whether you want protection from griefers or an in-game economy, the possibilities are endless. However, the LifeSteal SMP Plugin is by far the most popular one to use for this type of Minecraft server. This provides players with the chance to craft or lose hearts.
After losing all of them, they’d be banned from the world. This plugin is commonly used on SMP servers in Minecraft, as many famous YouTubers have tried it out before. Keep in mind that this isn’t the only one to use, as there are countless others available. Check out the table below to find Minecraft SMP plugins to enhance your server.
| Plugin | Description |
|---|---|
| EssentialsX | Introduces general features like teleportation, private messages, homes, warps, kits, chat formats, an economy, and much more. |
| GriefPrevention | Allows you to claim land to build structures so griefers can’t destroy them while offering support for trusted friends. |
| ChestShop | Provides the player the ability to create shops with chests to easily make money on the server, requiring an economy plugin. |
| GSit | Grants you the power to sit, lay down, or crawl on applicable blocks in Minecraft. |
| ImageOnMap | Gives players the opportunity to paste custom art on maps to display in their houses. |
Configurations
After installing plugins, you may want to consider configuring them properly. This is a way to customize your experience with its features, even their in-game return messages. Doing this involves using our file editor from the FTP panel, which is straightforward to learn. Alternatively, you can tweak the default settings for Minecraft with our simplified interface. Regardless of what configuration you’re editing, this is the best way to personalize your SMP gameplay.
Permissions
Another important aspect of hosting a Minecraft SMP server is setting up permissions, as almost every plugin has them. These are used to determine what commands or features players can execute in-game. This makes permission nodes absolutely necessary to configure, which can be done with LuckPerms or other similar plugins. Essentially, you’d be adding them to specific users or groups to allow certain actions on your server. Depending on your setup, this may not be completely required.
Conclusion
When everything is done, you’ll be thrown into a wonderful Minecraft SMP experience. Whether you installed plugins for extra features or sticking with vanilla mechanics, you and others alike can begin enjoying the game together. Keep in mind that you can always open your panel to make changes, meaning it’s possible to further customize the server. If you need any guidance or assistance during this process, consider reaching out to our 24/7 Support Team. They’ll work with you to resolve any issues and questions you may have about hosting a Minecraft SMP server.
Minecraft SMP Server FAQ
You can create any type of Minecraft server by reviewing our official tutorial. However, it’s suggested that you purchase one from us since dedicated resources on your machine must be allocated to host a multiplayer world to play with friends. This is amplified when trying to port forward and set up custom server addresses.
There’s a wide range of plugins for SMP servers in Minecraft, with LifeSteal being a popular choice. Besides this one, EssentialsX, Vault, GriefPrevention, and many others are commonly used in survival multiplayer worlds. We advise reviewing our “Adding Plugins” section to find out more information about this topic.
This is likely caused by the lack of allocated resources, meaning you must increase your memory. Doing this involves upgrading your plan with Apex Hosting, which can be done in your Billing panel. Alternatively, you can view this optimization guide to increase performance.
In cases where you want more players in-game, consider advertising the server online. This is a popular method to gain popularity in the community, which is done through listing websites. Keep in mind that this process takes a long time, but can be improved if you get sponsored.
Useful Links
How to Find Minecraft Plugins
Adding Plugins to a Minecraft Server
How to Use and Connect to the FTP Panel
Making a Crossplay Minecraft Server
