The best Minecraft servers

The best Minecraft servers are your gateway to expanding your horizons in the blocky sandbox, and here we've rounded up the best of the best. Like fantasy? Want to walk through a blocky recreation of your favourite TV show or film? Want to grief without the fear of a ban? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above, servers have got you covered.

Joining a server is nice and simple. All you need to do is load up Minecraft as you normally would, hit multiplayer, then add a server. Name it whatever you want, then type or Ctrl+V the IP address into the box below. Save it, click play, and you’re good to go. 

Just keep in mind some servers need you to download data for them to run correctly. If this at any point fails, just quit out and keep trying. It should work eventually.

WesterosCraft

Game of Thrones is over now, and whether you liked or loathed the ending, you’re probably hungry for more. Well, hunger no longer, and feast yourself on this WesterosCraft. While it’s not finished, it’s still going to provide a nice rush for those who want to try their hand at being King for a day. We’ve yet to see whether or not you can pet the Direwolves though…

IP Address: mc.westeroscraft.com

Pirate Craft

Sailing a ship around in Minecraft is tricky, but in PirateCraft, they do a surprisingly good job of making it work. As is often the way with these servers, it takes a bit of time to get used to things, but it’s well worth the effort if you like the idea. The scale of the ships is impressive, as is the ship-to-ship combat. Just don’t be surprised when someone nicks your pirate ship, there’s no honour among thieves. 

IP Address: mc.piratemc.com 

Pixelmon Generations 

Arguably one of the best Pokémon/Minecraft mashups out there, Pixelmon Generations features every Pokemon ever from Generations 1-7, and many from the most recent, Generation 8. That means this server has more catchable Pokemon across its many biomes than Pokemon Sword & Pokemon Shield, which is quite sad when you think about it.

IP Address: play.pixelmonharmony.com

Autcraft

 Autcraft is a server designed specifically for children and adults who have autism. It’s designed to be a safe haven for those who want a reprieve from the potentially overwhelming things you would find on other servers. This includes things like no frightening characters and making sure everything is kept child-friendly. You have to apply in order to join the server, but if you make it in then you’re good to go. It’s not doing anything special in terms of how it plays, but it’s a useful one to know about if you or a family member have autism and would like to know there's somewhere safe to go.  

IP Address: mc.autcraft.com

Hypixel

Hypixel is another mini-game heavy server. There are all the normal games you would expect from a high-quality server, but there are also a few noteworthy ones as well. Games like VampireZ, where you have to try and survive as a human while the vampires hunt you. There’s even a game called Turbo Kart Racers, which is a surprisingly good racing game that will pit you against other players as you try and reach the finish line first. It’s a lot of fun, and they update it regularly, so it’s worth sticking around for. 

IP Address: mc.hypixel.net

Minecraft Middle-earth 

A team was always going to attempt to recreate the Lord of the Rings universe in Minecraft, and the result is something truly breathtaking. Everything in MC Middle-earth has been meticulously crafted to feel as real as possible. Taking a stroll through the Shire is a lovely way to lose a few hours, but if you’re not here for a sightseeing tour, there’s also a PvP server. Because of course there is.

Build IP Address: build.mcmiddleearth.com
PvP and Event IP Address: pvp.mcmiddleearth.com

Mineplex

This server is astoundingly large and packs in a vast array of things to do. They’ve got FPS games, painting, and even their own version of Smash Bros. Basically if you can think of a game type, there’s a large chance of it being available within Mineplex. It’s also got an incredibly active staff and as a result, suffers from a lot less grief than some of the less wholesome servers around.  

 IP Address: us.mineplex.com or eu.mineplex.com

The Mining Dead

What’s the one thing missing from Minecraft? Guns! Although that’d just make it Fortnite, wouldn’t it? Either way, if you’re a fan of The Walking Dead TV show or comic, The Mining Dead is a great opportunity to take in all the famous sights as you’re scrambling to find weapons, ammo, and generally anything to help fend off the undead. And because of the voxel stylings of Minecraft, there’s a faint whiff of Goldeneye 64 to the whole thing.

IP Address: hub.havocmc.net

The Lord of the Craft

While this may sound like a Lord of the Rings server, it’s not quite. It’s fantasy, sure, but with a huge focus on roleplaying. The world, and its lore, is already set up, and a helpful warp command means travelling between the different kingdoms (high elves, dark elves, dwarves, etc) is simple. All you need is a killer skin and an elaborate backstory in Lord Of The Craft and you’re good to go.

IP Address: mc.lotc.co

Grand Theft Minecart 

You can probably guess from the title which popular video game series this server is based on. You guessed it, the unstoppable juggernaut that is Hello Kitty Online. Or GTA. It’s one of the two.

Join this server and you’ll be treated to two different game modes (Grand Theft Minecart and Vice Minecart), as well as 35 different GTA-inspired weapons. There are also plenty of vehicle offerings including cars, planes, and of course, tanks.  Because it’s not GTA if there isn’t an option to go on an explodey murder-spree.

IP Address: mc-gtm.net

Arkham Network

Fancy donning a cape while shouting “You have failed this city!”? Maybe you’re an anarchist looking to watch the world burn? Whichever side you choose to join, the Arkham Network has a comic-book world that’s just begging to be explored. And griefed, obviously. There are also a host of different day jobs for making coin, and a wealth of game modes to participate in. One of the key rules of this server is to make friends, and fast. You’ll need them.

IP Address: mc.arkhamnetwork.org

Extreme Craft

We couldn’t put out a list of Minecraft servers without mentioning one of the most popular out there. Extreme Craft keeps popping up because of the sheer amount of modes there are to play, including the likes of a fully fleshed out survival mode, hunger games, factions, skygrid, skywars, skyblock, acid island, and eggwars. That’s on top of a creative mode and the option of roleplaying. It’s like a Minecraft greatest hits compilation.

IP Address: play.extremecraft.net

Potter World MC

When you first enter Potter World, you’re greeted by the boy himself battling a dementor as Hogwarts sits ominously in the background. Much like Middle Earth, Potter World goes all out when it comes to authenticity. Buildings appear as they do in the mind’s eye, complete with inside furnishings. You can learn about potion making, duel other wizards and witches, or go off and play a friendly round of quidditch. This is Minecraft at its strongest: creating game worlds that best those of their AAA counterparts.

IP Address: play.potterworldmc.com