The 10 best Minecraft servers (2023)

Complex Gaming

Complex Gaming is a true hub for Pixelmon, the Pokémon-inspired Minecraft mod. They have subsects of the server inspired by several Pokémon games, from Pokémon Red through Pokémon Platinum. To play Pixelmon, you need to have the Pixelmon mod for Minecraft.

However, for Complex Gaming, there are a bunch of other game modes on the server that do not requires players to install any mods, unlike most Pixelmon servers. There’s the standard Skyblock, Survival, Factions, Creative, and Prison.

CubeCraft

If you are looking for a bigger, more active server, but Hypixel is too much for you, Cubecraft is a fantastic alternative. Its custom texture pack has slick designs for the lobby, and all the game modes can be selected from a section reminiscent of a retro game arcade. It features games like Lucky Islands, CTF, and its own original take on the Among Us/hidden role style game called Among Slimes. Note that this game mode is unique to CubeCraft, different than the Imposter game on MineVille.

Grand Theft Minecraft

When two of the most popular games come together, it results in pure enjoyment. Grand Theft Minecart meshes Grand Theft Auto and Minecraft together, with many chests to loot, houses to own, weapons to use, and thrilling police chases. This server has been around for a while and remains to be one of the best Minecraft servers to join.

Havoc MC

Originally known as The Mining Dead, Havoc MC is the server to go to if you want to find yourself in the middle of a zombie apocalypse survival game. Their game based on the AMC television shows The Walking Dead is the main draw to the server. It has PvE, but you can also team up with friends or fight other players in PvP. There is now Towny and Warzone, and two more games are coming soon: Mine Wars (a Star Wars-inspired game currently in exclusive beta to premium members) and Craft Theft Auto.

Hypixel

Hypixel will steadily make it on just about every top 10 list out there, and for a good reason. Although the average player counts for the server have dropped over time, it is still one of the biggest servers. In general, active Minecraft servers have somewhere between 300 and 9,000 players online at a time. Hypixel is the only server that regularly has five digits of players online. Play games like BedWars, SkyWars, VampireZ, Paintball Warfare, and an arcade full of smaller minigames. You will never be bored on this server; it almost stands on its own as its own game.

ManaCube

At a glance, ManaCube may seem like another rather active minigame server, but its biggest pull by far is actually its Parkour. Its Parkour section alone, on average, has around 750 players, as active as some other servers are as a whole. There are over 1000 Parkour courses varying from easy maps to near-impossible ones. Only 42 maps are VIP only, and the server also has Dropper, which falls into a similar category. The one downside to ManaCube is it can be glitchy at times, more so than the rest of the servers on this list. That said, the content within was too good to pass up.

The Archon

If you want to enjoy regularly updated game modes in a Minecraft server, joining The Archon is your best bet. It’s one of the most famous Minecraft factions and Minecraft Skyblock servers. There are also prisons, outlands, survival, and robbery game modes for players to enjoy.

The Hive

If you are looking for a solid, extremely active minigame server, The Hive is the server for you. This server has been around since early 2013 and has remained a low-key online Minecraft play staple. It has remained up-to-date and active all of this time, and they are constantly updating features and adding new games like BedWars, BlockParty, and Hide and Seek. The Java version of the server recently closed down, but players can still enjoy its bedrock edition.

See Minecraft on Amazon

WesterosCraft

A huge server with several fantastic recreations of Game of Thrones landmarks, such as The Red Keep at King’s Landing and the Wall, joining WesterosCraft is like an interactive field trip. This server is still in the works, as the creators aim to complete the entire continent of Westeros before fully turning it into a full-blown open-world MMORPG.

Wynncraft

Ever wanted Minecraft to be transformed entirely into a fantasy MMORPG? Grinding, dungeons, resource gathering, stories, NPCs, and quests. Team up with friends in guilds, fight bosses and explore a grand universe of fantastical towns, cities, and more. The Wynncraft server is structured like a giant adventure map and will not have much building. You can, however, choose your class and craft your gear and weapons.

About the author

Radiant G

https://twitter.com/RadiantG_

Radiant G! is a game journalist, indie game developer, artist, and writer who currently works freelance in the games industry full-time. He is Gamepur's beat writer for Apex Legends coverage, and also runs his own Apex Legends team called Verve. He is also fiercely committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in the games industry, and helms Diverse Gaming Coalition.