SLASHPLAY
vs ATERNOS
Both let you run a Minecraft server, but they work very differently. Aternos is free and ad-supported with queues and shared hardware; SLASHPLAY is a dedicated, pay-as-you-go server with no queue. Here's an honest, side-by-side look so you can pick what fits — no spin.
| Aternos | SLASHPLAY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, supported by ads. | Pay-as-you-go from $0.03/hour. No subscription, no ads. |
| Games | Minecraft only — Java & Bedrock. | Minecraft and Counter-Strike 2 — more on the way. |
| Server software | Vanilla, Paper, Purpur, Spigot, Forge, Fabric, NeoForge, Quilt and modpacks (Java); Bedrock. | Vanilla & Paper for Minecraft; dedicated CS2. |
| Mods, plugins & worlds | Plugins, mods, preconfigured & custom modpacks, and custom world uploads (up to 200 MB). | Paper runs Bukkit/Spigot plugins; Vanilla unmodified. |
| RAM | Assigned by software — around 2.4 GB for Vanilla 1.20.1, more for modded setups. | You pick the size — 2 to 16 GB dedicated, billed by the hour. |
| Starting a server | Goes through a queue during busy times — wait for a free slot, then confirm to start. | Starts on demand in seconds. No queue. |
| When no one is online | Free servers automatically stop after a while to free shared resources; you restart them (and may queue again). | Runs until you stop it, or on a schedule you set. You only pay for the hours it runs. |
| Hardware | Shared infrastructure with resource limits; 4 GB of storage per server. | A dedicated, isolated container per server. Saved data is stored for about $0.01 per GB per month — a few cents to keep a world. |
| DDoS protection | Included, free. | Included, free. |
| Backups | Automatic backups to your own Google Drive. | Snapshots saved each time the server stops — you choose how many to keep. |
| Control & tools | Managed through the Aternos website; limited file access. | Web dashboard with RCON console, scheduling, and team roles. |
| Sign-in | Aternos account. | Discord. |
| Hosting | Shared infrastructure. | EU (Germany) — more regions to come. |
Aternos is a free Minecraft server host, supported by ads and operated by Aternos GmbH (the same team behind the paid pay-per-use host Exaroton). For a free service it's genuinely full-featured: it runs Minecraft Java and Bedrock across Vanilla, Paper, Purpur, Forge, Fabric and modpacks, supports plugins, mods and custom world uploads, includes free DDoS protection, and can back your world up to your own Google Drive. The trade-offs come from sharing resources across a very large user base: starting a server goes through a queue during busy times, free servers automatically stop when no one is online, each server is capped at 4 GB of storage, and RAM is assigned per software (around 2.4 GB for Vanilla). If you want something that costs nothing and you don't mind ads, queues, and your server sleeping when empty, Aternos is a strong option.
SLASHPLAY is a pay-as-you-go game-server host. Each server runs in its own dedicated container, starts on demand in seconds with no queue, and runs until you stop it (or on a schedule you set). You're billed by the hour — from $0.03/hour — with no subscription and no ads, so you only pay for the time it's actually running. It hosts Minecraft and Counter-Strike 2, with more games on the way — so once you're in the SLASHPLAY ecosystem you can use it for anything else you need hosted too. It's built to work hand-in-hand with the companion SLASHPLAY Discord bot, and gives you a web dashboard, RCON console, automatic saves, scheduling, and team permissions.
RAM is where the two differ most. On Aternos it's assigned automatically based on your software and version — a Vanilla 1.20.1 server gets around 2.4 GB, and modded setups get more. On SLASHPLAY you choose your size up front — from 2 GB up to 16 GB of dedicated RAM — and pay for it by the hour while the server runs.
Choose Aternos if…
- You want it completely free and don't mind ads.
- You only play Minecraft, casually.
- A queue and your server sleeping when empty are fine.
Choose SLASHPLAY if…
- You want your server live in seconds, with no queue.
- You want it to run when you want — including scheduled.
- You want dedicated resources, RCON, or team controls.
- You want to host other games too.
- You're fine paying a few cents per hour when you are gaming.
Is SLASHPLAY free like Aternos?
No. Aternos is free and supported by ads. SLASHPLAY is pay-as-you-go — from $0.03/hour with no subscription and no ads. You pay only for the hours your server is running.
Does SLASHPLAY have a queue like Aternos?
No. On SLASHPLAY your server starts on demand in seconds. There's no queue to wait through.
Does my server stop when no one is online?
On Aternos, free servers auto-stop when empty to free shared resources. On SLASHPLAY the server runs until you stop it (or on a schedule you set) — but since you're billed by the hour, many people do stop it when they're done to avoid paying for idle time.
Can I host Counter-Strike 2?
On SLASHPLAY, yes. Aternos hosts Minecraft only (Java and Bedrock).
How much RAM do you get?
Aternos assigns RAM by software — around 2.4 GB for a Vanilla server, with more for modded setups. On SLASHPLAY you pick your size up front: 2 to 16 GB of dedicated RAM, billed by the hour.
Are Aternos and SLASHPLAY the same company?
No. Aternos is operated by Aternos GmbH, which also runs the paid pay-per-use host Exaroton. SLASHPLAY is operated by SLASHPLAY ApS.
TRY SLASHPLAY.
Honest comparison — pick whichever fits you.
Comparison based on each service's publicly available information and may change over time. Aternos is a trademark of its respective owner; SLASHPLAY is not affiliated with Aternos.