The Free Minecraft Tier, Explained
Quantum Shell gives every account one free Minecraft server — no card, no trial clock. Here is exactly what you get, how the auto-sleep works, and where the limits are.
Yes, it is actually free — not a 7-day trial. Every account can run one free Minecraft (Java) server, with no payment method required.
What you get
- 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 5 GB storage — plenty for a small survival world with a handful of friends.
- The same dashboard, console, file manager, and backups as paid plans.
- Hosted in Europe.
How it stays free
The free tier runs on Flex auto-sleep: after a few hours with nobody online, the server parks itself (your world is snapshotted first) and the compute is released. When you want to play again, you start it from the dashboard and it restores in about a minute. This is what makes a no-cost plan sustainable — you are not holding a rented machine hostage while you sleep. The Flex vs Always-On guide explains the sleep/wake behavior in full.
Wake links
You can also share a wake link with your friends. Anyone with the link can start the server from a browser — no account, no dashboard login needed. Open your server in the dashboard, go to the Share panel, and copy the link. This is handy for free-tier servers: your friend group can wake the server themselves without you having to be online first.
The free tier is one per account and EU-only. Need a second server, more RAM, or US hosting? That is what the paid plans are for.
When to upgrade
Upgrade once you hit any of these:
- More than a few simultaneous players, or noticeable lag.
- Plugin/mod-heavy setups that want 4 GB+.
- You want the server always on with no wake-up wait.
- You want a server in North America.
Getting started
Create your account, pick the free Minecraft plan, configure your world, and you are online in under a minute. Everything you learn on the free tier carries straight over if you upgrade later.
Related guides
Flex Auto-Sleep vs Always-On: Which Plan Should You Pick?
Flex plans pause your Minecraft server after a few idle hours so you only pay for active time; Always-On runs 24/7. Here is how to choose so you do not overpay — or get caught with a sleeping server.
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