How to find a good Minecraft Bedrock server

There are hundreds of Minecraft Bedrock servers. Servers that are actually alive, with people online in the evening, staff who answer and regular updates, there are a lot fewer. Here is what we look at when we try one out. It takes ten minutes and saves you a week on an empty server.

First: Bedrock or Java?

Minecraft comes in two versions that can't talk to each other.

• Java only runs on computers.
• Bedrock runs everywhere: Windows PC, Android, iPhone, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch.

If you play on console or on your phone, you're on Bedrock, no choice there. On PC, check the name in the launcher. "Minecraft for Windows" is Bedrock. "Minecraft: Java Edition" is Java.

You can't join a Bedrock server from Java. A few servers run a bridge between the two, but that's rare and they say so right on their website.

Players online

This is the first number to check. A factions or PvP server with ten people online feels empty: nobody to fight, no player market, a dead chat.

The number shown in the game's Servers tab is the most reliable one. Server lists also show votes, but a vote isn't a player. The real test: join on a weekday evening and see how many people are there.

Console support

On Xbox, PlayStation and Switch, you can't type in a server address. A server that wants console players gives them an easy way in, usually an account to add as a friend.

If the server's website says nothing about consoles, it usually means few console players. And you'll feel it in game. We wrote a guide for each console if you want to see how it works: Switch, PS4 and PS5, Xbox.

Ping

Ping is the time your game takes to talk to the server. A server close to you answers fast. A server on the other side of the world, you'll feel the delay in every fight.

Ping shows up in the server list, next to the server name. Under 60 ms feels smooth. Over 150 ms, PvP gets frustrating.

The store

Almost every server has a store, and that's fair: the machine and the hours spent on it cost money. What matters is what you can do without paying.

Read the store before you start. Then ask yourself one simple question: can a player who never pays get far here? If the answer is no, you'll find out quickly in game.

Staff and Discord

A badly moderated server quickly fills up with cheaters in PvP and insults in chat. Check the Discord before you play. Does anyone answer when you ask a question? Is there a way to report a cheater? When was the last announcement?

A Discord where the last announcement is two months old is a bad sign.

Updates

On factions and Skyblock servers, content changes with each new version, usually every two to four months. Joining on the day a new version opens is ideal: everyone discovers it at the same time, and that's when factions form.

If you're torn between two servers, check which one opens a new version soon.

What about Linesia?

We're obviously biased, so we'll just tell you what it is.

Linesia is a free Minecraft Bedrock server hosted in France, and the game is available in English. We play SkyFaction: your faction gets its own island, you farm, you level up, and you head into the warzone to fight the other factions. The server is in Gravelines, northern France, so ping is low across Europe. From North America, expect around 100 ms. There are over 6,000 of us on Discord.

To join: play.linesia.net, port 19132. On console, add JoinLinesia as a friend and join their game.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Minecraft Bedrock server IP?

It's the server's address, often something like play.servername.com, with a port, usually 19132. Each server gives its own on its website or Discord. For Linesia: play.linesia.net, port 19132.

Do Bedrock servers cost money?

Most are free. You need the game, and on console an online subscription (Nintendo Switch Online, PlayStation Plus or Game Pass). The console asks for that subscription, not the server.

Can I play with a friend on a different console?

Yes. On a Bedrock server, everyone plays together: Switch, PS5, Xbox, phone and PC.