Free Minecraft Bedrock server hosting comes in two forms. You can run Mojang’s own Bedrock server, or you can run a Java server that Bedrock players join through Geyser and Floodgate. Severoo hosts Minecraft Java and Bedrock servers with crossplay, on a free plan with up to 6 GB of RAM and no credit card. A free server is online 24/7 as long as you renew it. Renewing is one click, paid for with account credits that are free to collect. It is due on a schedule that depends on your plan (every few hours on some plans). Below: both setups, how to choose, the port your friends need, and the truth about consoles.
Free Minecraft Bedrock server hosting, two ways
A Bedrock Dedicated Server. This is Mojang’s official server software for Bedrock Edition. Everyone who joins plays Bedrock. Java Edition players cannot join it.
A Java server with Geyser and Floodgate. The server runs Java Edition software such as Paper. Geyser is a proxy that translates the Bedrock game’s network traffic into Java’s, so Bedrock and Java players share one world. Floodgate is its companion: it lets Bedrock accounts join without a paid Java Edition account.
Bedrock and Java: how to choose
| Bedrock Dedicated Server | Java server with Geyser and Floodgate | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can join | Bedrock players only | Bedrock and Java players |
| What it can run | Add-ons | Plugins |
| The game itself | Bedrock Edition | Java Edition, translated for Bedrock players |
| Default port | 19132 UDP | 19132 UDP for Bedrock, 25565 TCP for Java |
Choose the Bedrock server when everyone in your group plays Bedrock and you want add-ons, or the game exactly as it plays in your own Bedrock worlds.
Choose the Java server with Geyser when at least one friend plays Java Edition, or when you want plugins. The trade is that Bedrock players are guests on a Java server. Geyser lists what cannot be translated: Bedrock players cannot click links in chat, do not see the glowing effect, and cannot use tab-complete, among other things.
Versions matter on both paths. As of October 2026 the current Bedrock release is 26.52.
- Bedrock Dedicated Server. The server and the game have to be on matching versions. Microsoft’s setup guide says a mismatch shows as an “Outdated Client” or “Outdated Server” message. When the game updates on your friends’ devices, update the server too.
- Geyser. As of October 2026, Geyser’s supported versions page lists Bedrock 26.30 to 26.52 and Java 26.2. The newest Java release, 26.3, is not listed yet. Run a crossplay server on Java 26.2 for now and check that page before you update.
Add-ons versus plugins
A Bedrock Dedicated Server runs add-ons: behavior packs, resource packs and scripts. Packs go in the server’s behavior_packs and resource_packs folders. It does not run plugins, and it does not run Java mods.
A Java server on Paper or Purpur runs plugins. Bedrock add-ons do not load there. Geyser acts as a Java player on behalf of each Bedrock player, and its documentation says it “should generally work fine with plugins”. Our guide on how to install plugins on a Minecraft server has the steps.
Mods are a different case. Geyser’s FAQ says it has no way to translate the features most mods add, such as blocks and items, so a modded server on Fabric, Forge or NeoForge is for Java players.
The Bedrock port and protocol
A Bedrock server listens on port 19132 over UDP by default, and on 19133 for IPv6. Geyser uses 19132 over UDP by default as well. A Java server uses port 25565 over TCP.
Three things follow from that:
- UDP and TCP are separate. A port that is open for TCP only does not carry Bedrock traffic. On a home PC, forward the port as UDP. On a host, use the port your host gives you.
- The port may not be 19132. Hosts often give each server its own port number. Use the one shown for your server.
- Bedrock has a separate box for the port. When a Bedrock player adds a server, the address and the port go in two fields. Send your friends both.
To test from outside your network, open the server status checker, choose Bedrock Edition and enter the address and port. If friends still cannot get in, see can’t connect to a Minecraft server.
Consoles: what is true
Geyser’s page on consoles puts it this way: “All consoles can join third-party servers - including Geyser servers - with workarounds.” It names Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PS4. They can join through a third-party program called BedrockConnect, which works by changing the DNS setting on the console, or through a LAN proxy app.
Those are third-party tools, not made by Mojang or by us. Mojang’s guide to joining a server describes an Add Server option on the Servers tab, but it does not say which devices have it, and we could not confirm Mojang’s position on consoles. So we do not promise an Add Server button on a console. Expect the workaround, and test the server with a phone or Windows player first.
Next steps
For a mixed group, follow Minecraft Java and Bedrock crossplay to set up Geyser and Floodgate. If this is your first server, start with how to make a free Minecraft server. The plans page lists what a free server includes.