Hostinger Minecraft Hosting Full Review
Hostinger is a well-established web hosting giant known for its variety of services, including WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, and now game hosting. Hostinger provides a versatile game hosting platform powered by the AMP game hosting panel. This review dives into everything you need to know as a Minecraft server operators looking for a flexible and robust Minecraft hosting solution.
TL;DR
Pros: Very affordable long-term pricing, especially with discounts, fully configurable servers with full root access, and multiple server instances supported which can run simultaneously! You have FULL control over your server!
Cons: Requires a steeper learning curve for newer server admins. Hostinger is a self-managed hosting provider and they don't provide support for your game server.
Best For: Experienced Minecraft server administrators comfortable with manual setups, root access and FTP file management, and self-management of server mod and mod pack installation.
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About Hostinger
Founded in 2004, Hostinger is one of the most prominent web hosting providers globally. While Minecraft hosting is only a small part of their offerings, they leverage their extensive VPS infrastructure to provide a reliable and scalable solution. Their AMP-based platform supports not only Minecraft but also other game servers, making it ideal for multi-game and multi-server hosting.
Pricing and Features
Hostinger offers tiered pricing based on RAM, vCPU cores, and disk space. Huge discounts apply for longer-term plans:
| Plan | Price (24-Month Term) | Price (1-Month Term) | RAM | vCPU Cores | Disk Space |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game Panel 1 | $4.99/mo (64% off) Renews at $8.99/mo | $9.99 for first month Renews at $13.99/mo | 4 GB | 1 Core | 50 GB |
| Game Panel 2 | $5.99/mo (70% off) Renews at $14.99/mo | $15.99 for first month Renews at $19.99/mo | 8 GB | 2 Cores | 100 GB |
| Game Panel 4 | $10.49/mo (74% off) Renews at $26.00/mo | $27.99 for first month Renews at $39.99/mo | 16 GB | 4 Cores | 200 GB |
| Game Panel 8 | $19.99/mo (80% off) Renews at $44.99/mo | $59.99 for first month Renews at $99.99/mo | 32 GB | 8 Cores | 400 GB |
As you can see, there are significant discounts for longer term plans, so if you can commit to 1 or two year terms, you'll benefit from huge discounts. If you're a one-month-and-done type server operator, you may want to look for other options!
However, the benefits you get from Hostinger servers are unique which stems from the fact that you're getting an actual VPS server over which you have full control, including root access.
Key Features:
- Full Root Access: Ideal for technical users seeking customization.
- Multiple Instances: You can spin up multiple game servers running simultaneously on your VPS.
- Automatic Offsite Backups and DDos Protection: Safeguard your server and your data.
- Fully Customizable Mod Support: Extensive support for modding Minecraft. If you can think it, you can do it with no restrictions based on limited access through one-click installers and FTP only file management that is the norm on other hosting providers.
[Insert Screenshot: Game Panel Overview]
Walkthrough: Setup Experience
Let's walk through the purchase process. First go to the Hostinger Minecraft page. You can find a link in the homepage footer.
Scroll down to see the 4 options for hosting plans.
I'm going to purchase a 16GB Game Panel 4, on which I'll set up two servers that will run simultaneously!
Choose your Payment period, 1 month, 12 months, or 24 months. If you commit to a year or two years, you'll save significantly, bringing the effective cost of a monthly server down to some of the lowest available. Monthly flexibility is pricey. These servers are best for longer-term hosting.
Click Continue and create an account
After creating your account, enter your billing address and then your payment method. You can pay with all major credit cards, PayPal, Google Pay, and Alipay.
After choosing your payment method, choose submit payment to purchase your server.
After going through the purchase process, there's a quick set up process to choose your server location, your admin username and password
And after a short wait for your setup...
you'll have your Game Panel VPS available in your Hostinger account.
Click on Manage panel and log in to get into your AMP control panel. The login for your admin panel is the second password you set up after purchase. Your AMP control panel looks like this.
Most of these options on the left aren't needed yet. These are the high level AMP settings and management that you can use to fine-tune your overall AMP server. The Minecraft specific settings are inside each instance. Let's set up our first server.
Vanilla Setup
Click the Create Instance button and you'll see this modal window.
Choose Minecraft Java Edition, or whatever game type you wish.
After a quick set up, you'll have the instances loaded. At first, there will be an Application Error. That's because the EULA needs to be accepted.
click Manage, and accept the EULA
At this point the server will start automatically. This is your Instance screen where you manage each Minecraft instance.
We'll touch on the various menu options below.
Copy the Connection info on the right side of this screen and paste that into the Multiplayer server settings in your Minecraft Client.
This default server is the latest version of Vanilla Minecraft. In the configuration settings, you can change the server software to other types of servers like Paper, Spigot, Forge, Fabric, Neoforge, etc. We'll do that next.
Give this server address to your friends and you're ready to play!
Modded Server Setup
Let's make a new instance and use it to create a NeoForge server that can be used to install mods and even a NeoForge-based modpack.
Go back to the instances page and we'll see our Vanilla server running. Click on Create Instance
Again, choose Minecraft Java Edition and give it a name, like NeoForge
You'll go through the same process as above, but this time after the server is running, stop the server and click on the Configuration menu inside the instance, then choose Minecraft
Here in the Server Type we'll choose NeoForge
The NeoForge version will default to the latest, but I want to choose 21.1.79 because that's the version that my modpack uses.
Then be sure to click the Download/Update button on the server type
You can find out the correct version of any modpack by looking in Curseforge.
Now go back out and start the server. You'll have a NeoForge server running.
In the file manager there are all the modded files and folders. You can add your own mods to the mods folder by connecting to your server with an FTP client, like WinSCP.
If you click the Connect to SFTP button, you will get a pop up window with instructions for logging in
If you want to install mods, you can copy them to the mod folder. If you want to install an entire modpack you'll need to download the server files to your local computer, run it and package up the server files and upload them. Then in the file manager you can unpack them.
That's a bit outside the scope of this post, but you can see how to that here: How to install or update a modpack on your server
Your second instance will be configured to run on a different port, which you can configure out at the instances screen.
Click the Pencil icon on your instances to configure them. You can change your instance info, container settings and network information, including the ports. Your selected ports must be unique per instance!
Control Panel and Usability
Hostinger's Minecraft hosting leverages the AMP control panel, a robust interface for managing server instances. Key highlights include:
- Instance creation and resource monitoring.
- You have full control over your server RAM, ports, and Java settings
- Full access to server settings for fine-tuned performance.
- Lacks integrated mod or plugin installation tools, requiring manual setup.
Performance and Reliability
Initial testing demonstrates excellent performance, even with multiple players. The AMD EPYC processors and NVMe SSD storage contribute to reliable gameplay. I have an AMD EPYC 7543P CPU, which has excellent single-thread performance, ideal for Minecraft hosting
The AMD EPYC 7543P is an excellent CPU for Minecraft hosting, especially for larger or more resource-intensive servers. Here’s why:
Key Features of the AMD EPYC 7543P:
- High Core Count:
- The EPYC 7543P has 32 cores and 64 threads, which is ideal for hosting multiple server instances or handling servers with a high number of players.
- While Minecraft primarily benefits from single-thread performance, having multiple cores helps when running multiple instances or other server-side processes.
- Strong Single-Thread Performance:
- The EPYC series balances multi-core performance with good single-thread performance. Minecraft servers (especially Vanilla) depend significantly on single-thread speed, and the 7543P delivers reliably.
- Large Cache:
- It features 256 MB of L3 cache, which enhances the performance of tasks involving frequent data access, such as chunk loading in Minecraft.
- High Clock Speeds:
- With a base clock of 2.8 GHz and a boost clock up to 3.7 GHz, it provides solid speeds for Minecraft’s single-threaded workloads.
- Energy Efficiency:
- EPYC processors are designed for data centers, meaning they are optimized for efficiency and stability, ensuring consistent performance for extended hosting sessions.
Customer Support and Documentation
Hostinger offers ticket-based support, alongside an extensive library of guides for server setup and management. While their response times are quick, in-game issues or modpack setup support are not directly handled -- Hostinger provides unmanaged VPS hosting.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Configurable servers with root access.
- Affordable pricing with significant discounts.
- Support for multiple server instances.
Cons:
- No one-click modpack/plugin installation.
- Requires technical knowledge for FTP file management.
FAQs
- Does Hostinger support modpacks?
Yes. You need to install them manually. - Can I switch server types (e.g., Vanilla to Forge)?
Yes, and you can have multiple instances on your server meaning you don't have to delete one instance to support a different one. - What happens if I exceed resource limits?
You’ll need to upgrade to a higher plan.
Final Thoughts
Hostinger is perhaps the best choice for experienced administrators who value flexibility and control of their Minecraft server environment. The AMP control panel is an incredibly powerful and flexible game server control panel which allows you to do whatever you need for your own server. Its technical requirements and manual setup processes make it less ideal for beginners but rewarding for those comfortable navigating Minecraft’s server architecture.