How to Make a Minecraft Server on Mac

Updated: 29 September 2026 · Applies to: Minecraft: Java Edition server 26.3 (Java 25) on macOS (Apple silicon and Intel)

This guide runs the official Minecraft: Java Edition server on a Mac. The current server version is 26.3, which needs Java 25. macOS does not include Java: if java -version in Terminal says "Unable to locate a Java Runtime", install it first as shown below.

What you need

• At least 2 GB of free RAM for the server (about right for up to 5 players; more for more players or mods).
• For friends outside your home: access to your router's settings, so you can forward a port.

1. Install Java 25

With Homebrew:

brew install --cask temurin@25

Use the @25 name: the plain temurin cask now installs a newer Java. Without Homebrew, download the Temurin 25 .pkg installer from adoptium.net (aarch64 for Apple silicon, x64 for Intel Macs) and run it. Then check in Terminal:

java -version

It should report version 25.

2. Download the server

1. Create a folder, for example minecraft-server in your home folder.
2. Download the server from the official page, minecraft.net › Download › Minecraft: Java Edition Server, save the .jar file in the folder, and rename it to server.jar if it has another name.

3. Create a start script

In Terminal:

cd ~/minecraft-server
printf '#!/bin/bash\ncd "$(dirname "$0")"\njava -Xms1G -Xmx2G -jar server.jar nogui\n' > start.command
chmod +x start.command

Double-click start.command in Finder to start the server in a Terminal window.

4. First start and the EULA

1. The first run creates eula.txt and stops with "You need to agree to the EULA in order to run the server".
2. Open eula.txt, change eula=false to eula=true (this accepts the Minecraft EULA) and save.
3. Start it again. The server is ready when it shows Done.
4. If the macOS firewall is on, it asks whether java may accept incoming connections: choose Allow. You can check this later under System Settings › Network › Firewall.

5. Add players to the allowlist

Since version 26.3, new servers start with the allowlist on (white-list=true), so nobody can join until you add them. Type in the server window:

whitelist add YourName
whitelist add FriendName
op YourName

6. Connect

• On the same Mac: in Minecraft, Multiplayer › Add Server, address localhost.
• On your home network: use the Mac's local IP address. Find it with ipconfig getifaddr en0 in Terminal, or under System Settings › Network.
• From outside your home: forward TCP port 25565 on your router to the Mac's local IP address, and give your friends your public IP address. If your router's WAN address differs from your public IP (or starts with 100.64 to 100.127), your provider uses carrier-grade NAT and forwarding can't work from home.

7. Stopping, settings and backups

• Type stop in the server window to shut down and save the world. Don't just close the window.
• Edit server.properties (for example max-players, difficulty, motd) while the server is stopped.
• Back up the world folder regularly, with the server stopped.
• Keep the Mac awake while people play: in System Settings, stop it from sleeping automatically when the display is off.

When a Mac isn't enough

A home server is only online while your Mac is on, and your upload speed limits the number of players. For a server that runs 24/7, a Minecraft VPS starts at $10 a month with 4 GB of RAM, and our game VPS plans include DDoS protection. On a Linux VPS, follow how to make a Minecraft server on Linux.

Official documentation: Minecraft: Java Edition server download.