Cobbly vs Minehut
Minehut and Cobbly are both free Minecraft server hosts, and both stay free the same basic way: a server only runs while it is being used. Minehut is built around a big shared lobby, a plugin marketplace and Bedrock crossplay, which suits public servers looking for players. Cobbly is built for a private server for you and your friends — three times the memory, every mod loader, and the same control panel Spawnly ships to paying customers.
Side by side
| Feature | Cobbly | Minehut |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | Free plan, paid plans available |
| Memory | 3 GB, fixed | 1 GB on the free plan |
| Free servers | 2 per account, both can run at once | Up to 5, one online at a time |
| Player slots | 10 | 10 on the free plan |
| Server software | Vanilla, Paper, Purpur, Folia, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, Quilt, CurseForge modpacks | Paper, Fabric, Velocity proxy |
| Starting a stopped server | Starts when a player connects | Activate from the dashboard, or join through the lobby |
| Bedrock players | Java Edition only | Crossplay (in beta) |
| Paid upgrade path | One-click clone to Spawnly, reversible | Paid plans on the same server |
Minehut figures are from Minehut's help center as of October 2026 and may change; check their site for current numbers.
What is the same
- Free, with no card and no trial.
- 10 player slots on a free server.
- Plugin servers on Paper and mod servers on Fabric.
- A server only runs while it is being used — that is what makes free hosting affordable for the host.
- Your own address:
name.minehut.ggon Minehut,name.cobbly.neton Cobbly.
If a server that never sleeps is what you need, see the always-on page
Where Cobbly is different
- 3 GB of RAM instead of 1 GB. Minehut's free plan gives each server 1 GB; every Cobbly free server gets 3 GB, fixed. That is the difference between a small plugin server and a modpack.
- Forge, NeoForge and Quilt as well as Fabric, plus one-click CurseForge modpacks. Pick a pack and a version in the Software tab and the server installs it itself.
- Both your servers can run at the same time. Minehut lets you own up to five free servers but run one at a time; Cobbly gives you two, and both can be online together.
- It wakes when someone joins. A sleeping Cobbly server starts as soon as a player connects to its address. Minehut's help center has you activate the server from the dashboard, or go through its lobby, before connecting.
- The full Spawnly panel and a reversible upgrade. Live console, file manager,
server.propertieseditor, automatic backups and webhooks — and one button clones your world into a paid Spawnly server with more memory and no sleeping, while your free server keeps running.
Where Minehut is the better pick
If you want strangers to find your server, Minehut has something Cobbly does not: a busy shared lobby where players browse and join servers, with server ads inside it. It also lets Bedrock players on phones and consoles join (in beta), and has a built-in plugin marketplace. Cobbly runs Java Edition only and has no lobby — it is made for a private server you share with people you already know.
Moving your world from Minehut
Download your world from the Minehut panel as a ZIP, create a Cobbly server on the same Minecraft version, and upload the ZIP in the World tab. If your Minehut server ran plugins, install the same ones on Paper from the Mods tab. Keep the Minehut server until you have checked everything came across.
Questions
Is Cobbly better than Minehut?
For a private server for you and your friends — especially a modded one — Cobbly has the edge: three times the memory, every mod loader and one-click modpacks. For a public server that needs players to find it, or one that Bedrock players must join, Minehut is the better fit. Both are genuinely free.
Can I move my Minehut world to Cobbly?
Yes. Download the world from Minehut, then upload the ZIP in the World tab on your Cobbly server. Use the same Minecraft version so the world loads as it was.
Can Bedrock players join a Cobbly server?
No. Cobbly runs Java Edition servers only, and Bedrock Edition uses a different network protocol. If your group plays on phones or consoles, choose a host with Bedrock support.
Is Cobbly really free?
Yes — no card, no trial, no expiry. It stays free because servers share hardware and sleep when empty. The free tier is how Spawnly, a paid host, introduces itself.
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