Create Free Minecraft Bedrock Server
You can download and run your own official Minecraft Bedrock Dedicated Server software for free directly from Mojang. Alternatively, if you want an external host to run it for you without using your computer's hardware, you can use free 24/7 web-hosting platforms.
To create a Minecraft Bedrock server for free, you have two main choices: hosting it on your own computer or using a free online web service.
Host on Your Own PC (Best Performance) or a VPS or Dedicated server
This method runs the server using your computer's power. Your friends can join as long as your PC and the server program are running.
1. Download the software: Go to the official Minecraft Bedrock Server page and download the file for Windows or Ubuntu (Linux).
2. Extract the files: Right-click the downloaded .zip folder, select Extract All, and choose a permanent folder on your computer.
3. Configure the settings: Open the server.properties file with a text editor (like Notepad) to change things like game mode, difficulty, or max players.
4. Start the server: Double-click the bedrock_server.exe file. A command window will open, indicating your server is running.
5. Join your server: Open Minecraft on your PC, go to Servers, click Add Server, type localhost in the IP address box, and click Play.
The Required Minecraft Ports
Minecraft Bedrock relies heavily on UDP, unlike the Java Edition which uses TCP.
Port 19132 (UDP): This is the mandatory port for all IPv4 traffic. It handles standard player connections and server discovery.
Port 19133 (UDP): Open this if your server environment supports and utilizes IPv6 addresses.
Note: For friends outside your house to join a home-hosted server, you must log into your internet router's settings and port forward port 19132 (UDP). You will then need to give them your public IP address.
Note: If you are running a modified cross-play server via tools like GeyserMC to allow Java and Bedrock players to play together, you must also open Port 25565 (TCP) for the Java clients).
How to Open Ports via Server FirewallsBecause you are hosting on a VPS or Dedicated server, you must open these ports in your server's internal firewall software (like UFW for Linux or Windows Defender Firewall) and your VPS cloud dashboard.
1. On Ubuntu / Debian Linux (Using UFW)
Run these commands in your SSH terminal to allow the game traffic through:
2. On Windows Server (Using PowerShell)
If your VPS or dedicated rig uses Windows, open PowerShell as an Administrator and execute these commands to build the firewall rules:
Critical Configuration Tip
If your VPS uses dual-stack routing, the server can sometimes try to grab an IPv6 address automatically, preventing IPv4 players from joining. To fix this, look inside your server's server.properties file and make sure the IP binding is completely unrestricted:
This forces the game console to listen on all available interfaces.
To create a Minecraft Bedrock server for free, you have two main choices: hosting it on your own computer or using a free online web service.
Host on Your Own PC (Best Performance) or a VPS or Dedicated server
This method runs the server using your computer's power. Your friends can join as long as your PC and the server program are running.
1. Download the software: Go to the official Minecraft Bedrock Server page and download the file for Windows or Ubuntu (Linux).
2. Extract the files: Right-click the downloaded .zip folder, select Extract All, and choose a permanent folder on your computer.
3. Configure the settings: Open the server.properties file with a text editor (like Notepad) to change things like game mode, difficulty, or max players.
4. Start the server: Double-click the bedrock_server.exe file. A command window will open, indicating your server is running.
5. Join your server: Open Minecraft on your PC, go to Servers, click Add Server, type localhost in the IP address box, and click Play.
The Required Minecraft Ports
Minecraft Bedrock relies heavily on UDP, unlike the Java Edition which uses TCP.
Port 19132 (UDP): This is the mandatory port for all IPv4 traffic. It handles standard player connections and server discovery.
Port 19133 (UDP): Open this if your server environment supports and utilizes IPv6 addresses.
Note: For friends outside your house to join a home-hosted server, you must log into your internet router's settings and port forward port 19132 (UDP). You will then need to give them your public IP address.
Note: If you are running a modified cross-play server via tools like GeyserMC to allow Java and Bedrock players to play together, you must also open Port 25565 (TCP) for the Java clients).
How to Open Ports via Server FirewallsBecause you are hosting on a VPS or Dedicated server, you must open these ports in your server's internal firewall software (like UFW for Linux or Windows Defender Firewall) and your VPS cloud dashboard.
1. On Ubuntu / Debian Linux (Using UFW)
Run these commands in your SSH terminal to allow the game traffic through:
sudo ufw allow 19132/udp
sudo ufw allow 19133/udp
sudo ufw reload2. On Windows Server (Using PowerShell)
If your VPS or dedicated rig uses Windows, open PowerShell as an Administrator and execute these commands to build the firewall rules:
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Minecraft Bedrock IPv4" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 19132 -Protocol UDP -Action Allow
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Minecraft Bedrock IPv6" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 19133 -Protocol UDP -Action Allow
Critical Configuration Tip
If your VPS uses dual-stack routing, the server can sometimes try to grab an IPv6 address automatically, preventing IPv4 players from joining. To fix this, look inside your server's server.properties file and make sure the IP binding is completely unrestricted:
server-ip=0.0.0.0This forces the game console to listen on all available interfaces.
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