Minecraft Server RAM Calculator
Work out how much memory your server needs from the number of players online at once, the add-ons you run and your view distance.
Your server
Recommended memory
- Recommended
- 2 GB
- Bare minimum
- 2 GB
- Calculated need
- 1,760 MB
- Headroom
- 288 MB
Allocate 2 GB to the server itself and leave at least 1 GB for the operating system. On a rented plan, choose the next size up if you expect the player count to grow.
Startup command
java -Xms2048M -Xmx2048M -jar server.jar nogui
Setting the starting and maximum heap to the same value avoids pauses while the server grows its memory.
Building this with friends?
Launch a private Minecraft server, invite your team, and bring this blueprint to life together.
Read our plain-English guide first — no offer attached.
How this is calculated
The figure is a base amount for the server type, plus an amount for every concurrent player, scaled by view distance, plus a small allowance for a large saved world. A vanilla server starts at 1 GB and adds roughly 128 MB per player at the default view distance of 10; a heavy modpack starts at 5 GB and adds around 280 MB per player, because each mod loads its own data before anyone connects.
View distance is squared because it describes a radius: doubling it roughly quadruples the number of loaded chunks, and loaded chunks are what fill memory during a big group build.
Planning a build on that server
Once the server is sized, work out the materials with the block calculator, or start from a shape in all generators. For advice on picking a host, see server hosting for big builds.