How to create a Minecraft server on your PC

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Your own Minecraft server means playing with friends on your own terms: your version, plugins and mods, the world tuned your way. Let's go through how to create a Minecraft server on your PC for free — two ways: manually and the fast way, with ProximaClient.

What you'll need

A Windows PC (the server runs in the background while you play).
The right version of Java (for recent Minecraft versions — Java 21).
A server core (Vanilla, Paper, Forge, etc.).
A way to let friends in — port forwarding or a tunnel.

Don't want to mess with Java, configs and ports? ProximaClient does all of it in a couple of clicks — there's a fast way below.

Option 1. Manually

Step 1. Choose a core

The core is the program that runs the world. The most popular ones:

Core	What it's for
Vanilla	Pure Minecraft, no modifications
Paper	Optimized core with plugin support, fewer lags
Forge	Server with mods
NeoForge	Modern Forge fork for mods

For a server with plugins, people usually pick Paper — it's faster than vanilla and handles thousands of plugins.

Step 2. Install Java

The Java version depends on the Minecraft version:

Minecraft 1.20.5 and newer → Java 21
Minecraft 1.18–1.20.4 → Java 17
Older versions → Java 8 / 11

You can download it from Adoptium (Eclipse Temurin). Check in the command line:

java -version

Step 3. Start the server

Create a separate folder for the server.
Put the core .jar there.
Create a launch file start.bat:

java -Xmx2048M -Xms2048M -jar server.jar nogui
@pause

Run start.bat — the server creates files and asks you to accept the license.
Open eula.txt and change eula=false to eula=true.
Run start.bat again — the server starts.

Step 4. Configure server.properties

The main settings in server.properties:

motd — the server name in the list;
max-players — maximum number of players;
gamemode — game mode (survival / creative);
difficulty — difficulty level;
online-mode — account license verification.

Step 5. Let friends in

The most common stumbling block. For friends to join, you need one of these:

Port forwarding on the router (port 25565) + a public IP — tricky and not always possible.
A tunnel — a service that forwards the connection without router setup.

A tunnel is easier: ProximaTunnel gives friends a short name.proximamp.com address — no public IP, no port forwarding. Details in the Minecraft server without port forwarding guide.

Option 2. With ProximaClient (the fast way)

You can skip all the steps above. ProximaClient is a free app that:

installs the right Java version for you;
downloads the core (Paper, Forge, NeoForge) from a Russian mirror;
enables the tunnel with one checkbox — friends join without port forwarding;
lets you install plugins by drag-and-drop and configure the server through the UI.

Just download it, pick a version and click "Create server". Download ProximaClient for Windows →

Step by step, with each option explained — in the How to create a Minecraft server in ProximaClient guide.

FAQ

Do I need a public IP? With a tunnel — no. For manual port forwarding — it's preferable.

How much RAM do I need? For 2–5 players, 2 GB is enough. For modpacks — 4 GB and up.

Can I host the server and play on the same PC? Yes, the server runs in the background.

Is it free? Yes. Both the manual way and ProximaClient are free, with no subscriptions.

The easiest way — ProximaClient

To avoid configuring Java, configs and ports by hand, ProximaClient sets up the server in a couple of clicks and enables the tunnel with a checkbox. Download for Windows →

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