Cobbly vs play.hosting
On paper, Cobbly and play.hosting are very close: both give a free Minecraft server 3 GB of RAM and 10 GB of storage, both run modpacks, and both let Bedrock players join. The differences are in how you live with the server day to day, and in one number where play.hosting is clearly ahead: player slots.
Side by side
| Feature | Cobbly | play.hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | Free plan; paid VPS plans from £4 a month |
| Memory | 3 GB, fixed | 3 GB |
| Storage | 10 GB per server | 10 GB NVMe |
| Free servers | 2 per account, both can run at once | Not stated on their site |
| Player slots | 10 | No slot limit |
| Mods and modpacks | Vanilla, Paper, Purpur, Folia, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, Quilt; CurseForge and Modrinth content | Modpacks from CurseForge, Modrinth, FTB and Technic, or your own mods |
| Starting a stopped server | Starts when a player connects (15 times a month per server), or any time from the panel | Not stated on their site |
| Bedrock players | Phones, tablets and Windows, through Geyser | Bedrock crossplay included |
| Server locations | Germany and Finland | UK (Brighton), Netherlands (Amsterdam), US (New York, Los Angeles) |
| Paid upgrade path | One-click clone to Spawnly, reversible | Paid VPS plans |
play.hosting figures are from its homepage as of October 2026. Its site does not say whether free servers sleep, queue or show ads, so check with play.hosting for current details.
What is the same
- Free, with no card and no trial.
- 3 GB of RAM and 10 GB of storage for a free server.
- Modded servers and one-click modpacks, not just plugins.
- Bedrock players can join a Java server.
- A web panel with a console and file manager to run it from.
If a server that never sleeps is what you need, see the always-on page
Where Cobbly is different
- Two servers, both online at once. Keep a survival world and a modded one side by side, without deleting one to try the other.
- It wakes when someone joins. A sleeping Cobbly server starts as soon as a player connects to its address, up to 15 times a month, and any time from the panel. Nobody has to log in and press Start before every session.
- Share it without sharing your password. Give up to five friends their own access to the panel, with only the permissions you choose. Automatic backups, and you can download your world as a ZIP whenever you like.
- Built into Discord. Start the server with
/cobbly startand have joins and leaves posted to your channel. - A reversible upgrade. Cobbly is run by Spawnly, a paid game host. One button clones your world into an always-on Spawnly server, and your free server keeps running, so you can change your mind.
Where play.hosting is the better pick
Player slots. play.hosting's free plan has no slot limit; Cobbly stops at 10 players. If your group is bigger than that, play.hosting fits better. It also lists FTB and Technic modpacks alongside CurseForge and Modrinth, and has servers in the UK and the US, which is closer for players in North America. Cobbly's servers are in Germany and Finland.
Moving your world to Cobbly
Download your world from your current panel as a ZIP, create a Cobbly server on the same Minecraft version and software, and upload the ZIP in the World tab. For a modded server, pick the same modpack or loader in the Software tab first. Keep the old server until you have checked everything came across.
Questions
Is Cobbly better than play.hosting?
For a group of up to 10 who want the server to start by itself, two worlds at once, Discord control and a way to upgrade, Cobbly has the edge. For more than 10 players, or players in North America, play.hosting is the better fit. Both give the same 3 GB of RAM and 10 GB of storage for free.
Can I move my world to Cobbly?
Yes. Download the world as a ZIP, then upload it 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?
Yes, through Geyser. Turn on Bedrock support in your server's Ports tab, and Bedrock players on phones, tablets and Windows join with your server address and the port the panel gives you. Xbox, PlayStation and Switch cannot add a custom server without workarounds.
Is Cobbly really free?
Yes, with no card, no trial and no expiry. It stays free because servers share hardware and sleep when nobody is playing. The free tier is how Spawnly, a paid host, introduces itself.
Try Cobbly free
Create a server in under a minute, and keep your current one while you compare.
Create a free server