How much RAM does my Minecraft server need?

Choosing the right amount of RAM is the most important decision you make for your new Minecraft server. It can be the difference between a fluid experience without lag and a frustrating server that freezes constantly.

In this in-depth guide, we explain everything you need to know to make the right choice for your needs. We cover everything from Vanilla to heavy modpacks, so you neither pay for too much nor get too little.

What is RAM, and what does it do for a Minecraft server?

Think of RAM (Random Access Memory) as your server's short-term memory or its workbench. The bigger the workbench, the more things the server can "have out" and work on at once.

In Minecraft, RAM is used to remember:

• World Chunks: Every time a player moves, new parts of the world are loaded into RAM.
• Players: Every online player's position, inventory, and actions.
• Mobs and Animals (Entities): All zombies, cows, pigs, and items on the ground take up space.
• Plugins and Mods: Any addition to the game runs in the server's RAM.

When the server runs out of RAM, it is forced to "forget" things (write to disk) and fetch them again constantly. This creates lag spikes, where the game freezes for brief moments.

How much RAM? The quick overview

Although every server is unique, here are our best recommendations. We have based them on thousands of servers on our platform. Use this as your starting point.

Dive deeper: What determines your RAM usage?

To choose precisely, it helps to understand what uses RAM. Your need depends on four key factors:

1. Server Type: Vanilla, Plugins, or Mods?

• Vanilla: The pure, unmodified Minecraft experience. This is the version that uses the least RAM.
• Plugins (Spigot / Paper): This is the most popular server type. Plugins like PaperMC are optimized to run better than Vanilla, but every plugin you add increases RAM usage. Heavy plugins like Dynmap (live map) or complex minigames can use a lot of RAM.
• Modpacks (Forge / Fabric): This is absolutely the heaviest server type. Mods add entirely new content to the game (new blocks, dimensions, machines) and run in the server's memory. A modded server will always require significantly more RAM than a plugin server.

2. Number of Players (and what they are doing)

More players online at once means more RAM usage. Each player constantly loads new "chunks" (parts of the world). 20 players building together in one city use less RAM than 20 players exploring in different directions.

3. Your "View Distance"

In your server.properties file, you can set 'view-distance'. This number determines how many chunks the server keeps loaded around each player. A 'view-distance' of 10 (default) uses significantly more RAM than one of 6. Lowering this is one of the most effective ways to save RAM.

4. Automation and Mobs

Do you have huge, automatic farms? Giant sorting systems with Redstone? or large pens with hundreds of animals? All these "entities" take up RAM. If your server starts to lag, this is often where the problem lies.

The Myth of RAM: What RAM *doesn't* fix

It is important to understand that RAM is not a magic solution for all lag.

Myth: "More RAM will always make my server faster."
False. If your server is lagging but only using 3GB out of the 4GB you bought, upgrading to 8GB won't help. Lag can also be caused by a weak CPU.

Minecraft servers are very dependent on "single-core" CPU performance. It is this that calculates physics, Redstone, and mob behavior (called TPS - Ticks Per Second). At PineRiver, we exclusively use powerful CPUs to ensure your server is fast, not just has a lot of memory.

Need help?

We know it can be complicated. If you are in doubt, our 24/7 support team is ready to help you choose.

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With this guide, you are equipped to choose the perfect server package for your dreams. We look forward to seeing what you build!