Want to join the best Minecraft servers in 2023? Joining any one of the varied Minecraft servers in this list will invite you into a magical world full of likeminded fans, builders, redstone masters and survival experts. Minecraft worlds are infinite, so what better than sharing one with others?

While vanilla, single-player Minecraft itself is one of the best PC games in the world, there’s nothing better than jumping into a world with friends. After all, some extra hands make for more magnificent Minecraft builds. The servers below aren’t just for builders though, as we’ve got worlds for TV fans, parkour experts, PVP pros, and more, so dive into the expansive world of Minecraft multiplayer with these incredible servers.

Here is a list of the best Minecraft servers to join in 2023:

MineplexHiveMCGrand Theft MinecartMinescapeMinewindPixelmonCraftAmong Us PerformiumZero.MinrPirateCraftHypixelMinecraft Middle EarthRanch n CraftWesterosCraftThe Mining DeadThe ArchonManacubeFallen Kingdom

Mineplex Java IP: eu.mineplex.com or us.mineplex.com Server: Minecraft minigame server

Mineplex is an enormous Minecraft server platform, containing multiple arenas and zones for a hefty number of game types. Mineplex is populated by thousands of players at any time across a plethora of minigames and experiences.

From the usual survival games fare – inspired by the battle royale genre – to more unique experiences such as Cake Wars, where you must defend your cake from the hungry foes on the enemy team, all while trying to scoff their cake at the same time. There’s also MineStrike, which is a Minecraft take on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive; one team tries to plant the bomb on one of two designated sites while the other team defends them.

Mineplex has something for everyone, including a slightly stripped-back Bedrock version of the server if you’re not playing on Java.

HiveMC Java IP: play.hivemc.com Server: Minecraft minigames server

As one of the largest and best Minecraft servers around, there will always be something fun for you to do in HiveMC –  and it’s available on both Minecraft Java and Bedrock editions. From hide and seek to survival games, HiveMC covers all sorts of genres. What’s more, this highly engaged community are coming up with new minigames – and maps to house them – all the time. To stay up to date with all the latest updates, check out their website.

Grand Theft Minecart Java IP: mc-gtm.net Server: Minecraft survival server

Grand Theft Minecart brings two of the biggest games on PC together: Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto. Not old enough to walk into a brick-and-mortar branch of GAME to let loose on Los Santos with Trevor and chums? With houses to own, weapons to shoot and pesky policemen to evade, you can have a fantastic recreation of the GTA experience here – making this one of the best Minecraft servers out there.

Minescape Java IP: minescape.me Server: Minecraft RPG server

RuneScape fans can now experience leveling their skills to 99 in Minecraft on this meticulously built Minecraft RPG server, designed to look and feel just like one of the best free MMOs. Two years of tremendous effort have culminated in a very faithful reproduction of all the locations, mobs, and skills in RuneScape – Minescape has taken inspiration from both OSRS and RS3, so players of both should feel right at home.

Minewind Java IP: server.minewind.com Server: Minecraft survival server

Do not expect a particularly pleasant experience on the Minewind server. Instead, you get the ultimate playground for griefers, player-killing, and deception. Your goal is simple: try to survive for as long as possible – this is still Minecraft, after all – but you will also be up against endless Minecraft mobs, double-crossers, and killers.

PixelmonCraft Java IP: server.pixelmoncraft.com or safari.pixelmoncraft.com Server: Minecraft RPG server

The Pixelmon mod is one of our favourite Minecraft mods, and the only thing that could make it better? Multiplayer, of course! PixelmonCraft is just that, and is hands down one of the best Minecraft servers ever. It takes the popular Pokémon-themed Pixelmon mod and turns it into a  multiplayer experience.

Not only have the geniuses behind PixelmonCraft recreated the areas and towns of Pokémon games faithfully, but they have also replicated as much of the gameplay as possible. Animals in Minecraft are replaced with Pokémon, and they can be caught and used in battle. As you would expect, there are gym leaders to fight, Pokémarts to shop in, and long grass to avoid. Don’t forget to choose the right Minecraft skins to wear into any of these servers, and our list includes the perfect Ash Ketchum skin for PixelmonCraft.

This server proves Minecraft’s blocky beauty is the perfect home for the Pokémon games, and it feels like the Pokémon game for PC you always wanted.

Among Us Performium Java IP: http://mc.performium.net/ Server: Minecraft Among Us server

Minecraft and Among Us are two of the most popular games in the world right now, and since Minecraft has a wealth of creative possibilities – and Among Us has such an ingeniously simple formula – it was only a matter of time before the social deduction game found its way over to Minecraft.

Though there are Among Us Minecraft maps available to play with your friends, if you’d rather hop on a public server and play with the unsuspecting public, RGA Minecraft’s Among Us Server is open to all and requires no texture packs or mods to play, although it might look extra lovely with some Minecraft shaders.

The Among Us gameplay is cleverly recreated, with a boss health bar at the top showing your task progress, and tasks themselves performed as faithfully as possible – you’ll plot courses and destroy debris inside chests, for example – and you’re even provided with a compass to help you find your outstanding tasks.

Minr Java IP: zero.minr.org Server: Minecraft parkour server

Minr is one of the oldest Minecraft servers around, meaning there’s years of content and builds to explore. Including a mix of parkour and adventure, Minr is filled with challenges for all difficulties that will keep you busy visit after visit.

PirateCraft Java IP: mc.piratemc.com Server: Minecraft RPG server

If you think our list of the best pirate games isn’t blocky enough, then Piratecraft is for you. Sail, build, and plunder in PirateCraft, a server dedicated to the golden age of scurvy and theft. One of the most ambitious servers we’ve played on, Piratecraft even has a fully-functioning ship-to-ship combat mechanic. As with all Minecraft ideas of such magnitude, it’s a little clunky, but it works. Ships can be built and sailed across the seas, and cannons can be mounted to the hull and used to blast away enemy vessels.

On land, a simple but functional economy replicates the trade and booty of the period, and players can create their own Minecraft houses, and Minecraft builds on ‘safe zones’ to bunk and store treasures. Safe Zones are protected from griefers, meaning you can build as much as you like without fear of others trashing your masterpieces.

Piratecraft’s salty setting makes it one of the best Minecraft roleplay servers. Of course, if you’re roleplaying a pirate, there’s going to be some grief involved, and provided the owner is in a Safe Zone, other players can siege them. Attackers can destroy ‘soft’ blocks and generally make a nuisance of themselves until they either walk away or the defender surrenders. Similarly, ships can be stolen, provided the owner is not on board at the time.  So if you’re looking for a PvP Minecraft server with a twist, this could be the buried treasure you seek.

Hypixel Java IP: mc.hypixel.net Server: Minecraft Skyblock server

No list of the best Minecraft servers is complete without Hypixel, the largest and most well-known Minecraft server. The Hypixel Minecraft server is full to bursting with minigames, including Cops and Crims, Duels, and a Murder Mystery.

Their SkyWars game mode is a precarious PvP take on the classic Minecraft Skyblock server. There’s a dazzling variety here, making the Hypixel Minecraft server a great place to laugh with your blocky pals.

Minecraft Middle earth Java IP: build.mcmiddleearth.com Server: Minecraft RPG server

If ever there were a classic world that would inevitably end up immortalised in textured blocks, it was Tolkien’s Middle-earth. This as-yet incomplete project is primarily based on Peter Jackson’s cinematic vision of Middle-earth. You can help push forward with the building of the world of men, elves, and creatures of shorter stature, so long as you follow the rules.

Ranch n Craft Java IP: mc.ranchncraft.com Server: Minecraft RPG server

Line dancing, horse taming, and farming: Ranch n Craft is one of the best Minecraft servers if you want to drop the shootouts and saloon brawls of other Wild West-themed servers and stick to the simplicities of country life. With tons of equestrian-based features unique to the server, it is ideal for Minecrafters who feel most at home in the saddle.

Users can claim land and start their own ranches, breed horses, and farm crops to their heart’s content. What’s more, Ranch n Craft is one of the most peaceful servers out there, with its mostly griefer-free community and an army of helpful moderators.

WesterosCraft Java IP: mc.westeroscraft.com Server: Minecraft RPG server

If Middle-earth is our classic fantasy Minecraft server, then WesterosCraft is our modern great. From the Wall to The Red Keep at King’s Landing, WesterosCraft is a vast server with many of Game of Thrones’ landmarks recreated in astonishing detail. Most areas are built from the TV show designs, making much of this server like a trip inside HBO’s vision of the fantasy world. Kings Landing is especially awe-inspiring.

Like Minecraft Middle-earth, it is still a work in progress, with work currently being done to the Lannister bastion of Casterly Rock. Should you know your Winterfell from your Dreadfort, you can join in and help prop up the next house of death and tyranny.

The Mining Dead Java IP: mc.havocmc.net Server: Minecraft survival server

PvP and PvE combine in this server-wide recreation of AMC’s The Walking Dead. Fight, craft, and survive on the enormous map, fighting off walkers and other players alike. Much of the action plays out like a Minecraft version of DayZ, with players doing whatever it takes to make it out alive – a Minecraft survival server on a whole new scale. The Mining Dead also features key locations from TV series like The Prison, Woodbury, and Alexandria.

The Archon IP: play.thearchon.net Server: Minecraft Skyblock and faction servers

The Archon has a monumental population of players enjoying regularly updated Minecraft game modes – it’s one of the most popular Minecraft factions servers and Minecraft Skyblock servers, and also offers robbery, prison, and outlands game modes.

Manacube IP: play.manacube.net Server: Minecraft Skyblock, faction, parkour, creative, and survival servers

Manacube is one of the only large Minecraft factions servers with minimal ‘pay to win’ elements, thanks to its recently balanced shop. It’s also got a vast Minecraft Skyblock server, plus survival, parkour, and creative servers.

If you’re looking for something a little different, its Islands game mode tasks you with surviving on a mostly-submerged island – while staying away from the poisonous water. Or there’s Olympus, a prison-based server where you’re assigned your own personal plots of land, ranking up as you make money, gaining access to new, more profitable areas.

Fallen Kingdom IP: play.fallenkingdom.co Server: Fallen Kingdom

For long-term fans of CaptainSparklez, here is a Minecraft server that allows players to create defences for a castle or train troops to storm an enemy’s defences. Using custom resources, you can recruit troops to fight enemies by spending resources gathered from the mining world or upgrading items via the blacksmith. There are several raids that your troops can participate in. If this sort of thing interests you, CaptainSparklez has a playlist of development videos that explain more about each of the features in detail.

How to join a Minecraft server in Java edition To join a Minecraft server, first, find a server you like the sound of – like any of the ones mentioned below – and grab the IP address. Start the game, click ‘multiplayer’, then ‘add a server’. Next, pop in the IP address and name the server.

Now, make sure you click ‘done’ before heading back to your server list and finding your desired server. Hit the ‘join server’ button, and you will find yourself in a new, wonderful world of blocks and people who like said blocks. If you’d rather just start a new world with a few friends instead, check out our guide to Minecraft hosting.

How to join a Minecraft server in Bedrock edition Joining a Minecraft server in Bedrock edition is far more simple, but your choices are more limited. Upon launching the bedrock version of the game, scroll across from the ‘Worlds’ tab to the ‘Servers’ tab, where you will see the seven Bedrock edition servers available to you, including some of those above. You can jump in and out at will, so why not try them all out!

Now you know all the best Minecraft servers for either Java or Bedrock edition, you’ll never get bored of the king of sandbox games – if there were possible in the first place. Not only is there plenty of non-vanilla content in the form of servers, maps, mods, and Minecraft texture packs to keep your world feeling fresh, the vanilla game itself keep getting regular content updates, with the Minecraft 1.20 release date scheduled for later this year.

Additional contributions by Jordan Forward.

Want to join the best Minecraft servers in 2023? Joining any one of the varied Minecraft servers in this list will invite you into a magical world full of likeminded fans, builders, redstone masters and survival experts. Minecraft worlds are infinite, so what better than sharing one with others?

While vanilla, single-player Minecraft itself is one of the best PC games in the world, there’s nothing better than jumping into a world with friends. After all, some extra hands make for more magnificent Minecraft builds. The servers below aren’t just for builders though, as we’ve got worlds for TV fans, parkour experts, PVP pros, and more, so dive into the expansive world of Minecraft multiplayer with these incredible servers.

Here is a list of the best Minecraft servers to join in 2023:

Java IP: eu.mineplex.com or us.mineplex.com Server: Minecraft minigame server

Java IP: play.hivemc.com Server: Minecraft minigames server

Java IP: mc-gtm.net Server: Minecraft survival server

Java IP: minescape.me Server: Minecraft RPG server

Java IP: server.minewind.com Server: Minecraft survival server

Java IP: server.pixelmoncraft.com or safari.pixelmoncraft.com Server: Minecraft RPG server

Among Us Performium

Java IP: http://mc.performium.net/ Server: Minecraft Among Us server

Java IP: zero.minr.org Server: Minecraft parkour server

Java IP: mc.piratemc.com Server: Minecraft RPG server

Java IP: mc.hypixel.net Server: Minecraft Skyblock server

Java IP: build.mcmiddleearth.com Server: Minecraft RPG server

Java IP: mc.ranchncraft.com Server: Minecraft RPG server

Java IP: mc.westeroscraft.com Server: Minecraft RPG server

Java IP: mc.havocmc.net Server: Minecraft survival server

IP: play.thearchon.net Server: Minecraft Skyblock and faction servers

IP: play.manacube.net Server: Minecraft Skyblock, faction, parkour, creative, and survival servers

Fallen Kingdom

IP: play.fallenkingdom.co Server: Fallen Kingdom

To join a Minecraft server, first, find a server you like the sound of – like any of the ones mentioned below – and grab the IP address. Start the game, click ‘multiplayer’, then ‘add a server’. Next, pop in the IP address and name the server.

Joining a Minecraft server in Bedrock edition is far more simple, but your choices are more limited. Upon launching the bedrock version of the game, scroll across from the ‘Worlds’ tab to the ‘Servers’ tab, where you will see the seven Bedrock edition servers available to you, including some of those above. You can jump in and out at will, so why not try them all out!

Now you know all the best Minecraft servers for either Java or Bedrock edition, you’ll never get bored of the king of sandbox games – if there were possible in the first place. Not only is there plenty of non-vanilla content in the form of servers, maps, mods, and Minecraft texture packs to keep your world feeling fresh, the vanilla game itself keep getting regular content updates, with the Minecraft 1.20 release date scheduled for later this year.