A custom address for your Minecraft server, no port forwarding
Pick a name, give it to your players, they join. No router settings to change, no fixed IP needed, no networking knowledge required. Works on any home internet connection.
Why you'd want this
Running a Minecraft server is the easy part. Getting people to actually connect is where it usually falls apart. These are the four reasons that happens.
Port forwarding doesn't work for everyone
Most internet providers now share one public IP across many homes. Even if you change every router setting correctly, the connection still won't reach you. There's nothing you can do about it on the router itself.
Your IP address keeps changing
Most home connections rotate your public IP every few days. Yesterday's address stops working, the server looks offline to everyone, and you're back in Discord posting the new one.
Sharing a raw IP isn't ideal
Typing 86.142.71.204:25565 is clunky, easy to mistype, and it tells anyone who joins roughly where you live. A custom address is friendlier and keeps your IP private.
Router settings are intimidating
Even when port forwarding does work, getting into the router config and changing the right settings without breaking the home internet is more risk than most people want to take on.
How it works
Think of it like call forwarding for your Minecraft server. A small program on your PC stays connected to one of our servers, and when a player types your address into Minecraft, we pass the connection through to your server. Your router never receives an incoming request, so there's nothing to set up on it.
Player ─▶ yourname.play.mcservermanager.com ─▶ Relay node (EU or AU) ─▶ Your PC ─▶ Minecraft server
============================================ MC Server Manager - Relay Pro v1.0.0 ============================================ [14:02:11] Connecting to relay node 88.99.174.31:7001 ... [14:02:11] Connected. Players can join: survival.play.mcservermanager.com:25565 [14:02:11] Bedrock players connect to: survival.play.mcservermanager.com:25410
Because the connection comes from your side outward, your router treats it like any other normal program reaching the internet. There's nothing to open, nothing to configure, no risk of accidentally exposing anything else on your network. The same setup works on home wifi, mobile data, hotel wifi, anywhere with an internet connection.
Setup, start to finish
If you can run a Minecraft server, you can do this. About two minutes from sign up to your first player joining.
Sign up and pick your address
Create an account, pick a region (EU or AU) and the name you want, something like survival or myserver. That becomes your full address: survival.play.mcservermanager.com. Pay by card or top up a credit balance.
Download the setup pack
One click and you get a small ZIP file. Inside is the relay program (a JAR file), a config file with your account details already filled in, and start scripts for Windows, Mac and Linux. Nothing to edit by hand.
Unzip and run the start script
Put the unzipped folder anywhere you like. Double click start.bat on Windows, or run ./start.sh on Mac and Linux. A console window opens, the relay connects, and prints your address ready to share. Leave the window open while you want the server reachable.
Share the address
Send your full address to anyone you want to play with. They paste it into Minecraft as a server and connect. Java players use the standard port, Bedrock players use a separate port the relay shows when it starts.
If you use the MC Server Manager desktop app, the relay is built in and starts automatically with your server, no JAR or scripts needed. The setup pack above is for anyone not using the app, or running their server on Mac or Linux.
Pricing
One flat price per region, less than a coffee a month. No contract, cancel any time from your account page and it stops at the end of the month.
Hetzner data centre in Nuremberg. Best for European, UK and Middle East players.
£2.00 / month on direct subscription
Kamatera data centre in Sydney. Best for AU, NZ and South East Asia players.
£3.00 / month on direct subscription
In the US? You can use the EU node for now while we work on a North America node. See the FAQ for expected latency.
One note for MC Server Manager Lite users
The standalone relay (the version you set up with the ZIP) costs the same for everyone, the price above. It only costs more if you activate the relay from inside the Lite desktop app, because doing it that way also unlocks the paid app features for as long as you're subscribed. If you don't use the app, or you have Standard already, you pay the price above.
How it compares to the alternatives
There are a few ways to share a Minecraft server. Here's an honest look at how Relay Pro fits in so you can pick what's right for you.
vs port forwarding on your router
Free if your internet provider supports it, but most home connections no longer do. Even when it works, it exposes your real IP address to anyone who joins your server. Relay Pro works on any connection and keeps your IP private.
vs renting a server from a hosting company
Paid hosting starts around £5 to £10 a month and keeps your server online 24/7 without your own PC running. Relay Pro is for the case where your PC is already running the server, you just want people to be able to connect to it from outside your network.
vs playit.gg
Playit works, but the player-facing address is on their domain by default and a custom name needs a paid plan. Setup also requires installing and signing into their separate client app. Relay Pro gives you a custom address at the entry price and runs from a single JAR with no extra accounts.
vs ngrok
Ngrok is a general-purpose tunnel built mainly for web traffic. Bedrock support takes extra setup, custom domains are on a higher pricing tier, and the free version changes the address every restart. Relay Pro keeps the same address across restarts and handles Java and Bedrock natively.
Common questions
Do I need to open ports on my router?
No. The relay opens an outbound connection from your PC to our server, the same kind any browser or game makes when it goes online. Your router doesn't need any incoming ports opened, which also means it works on connections that don't allow port forwarding at all.
Is it complicated to set up?
No. Sign up, download the ZIP, double click the start script. The config file inside has your account details already filled in, so there's nothing to type or configure. The whole thing takes about two minutes.
Does it work for Bedrock players on console, mobile or Windows?
Yes. Java players connect using your address on the standard port. Bedrock players use the same address on a separate port that's shown when the relay starts, and listed on your account page.
What do I need installed?
Just Java, which is already installed on any machine that runs a Minecraft server. The setup pack is a single JAR plus a config file and start scripts. Nothing else to download.
Does it work on Mac and Linux?
Yes. The setup pack includes start.bat for Windows and start.sh for Mac and Linux. Same JAR, same behaviour.
Is it safe to leave running?
Yes. The relay only handles traffic between your Minecraft server and players, it doesn't touch the rest of your PC and it doesn't expose any other ports. Stop it any time by closing the window.
How much latency does it add?
Around 20 to 80 milliseconds if you pick the closest region to your players. Similar to most paid hosting and to Realms, most players won't notice the difference compared to a direct connection.
I'm in the US, can I use this?
Yes, the EU node works for US players in the meantime, we just haven't set up a dedicated North America node yet. Realistic latency from the US to our EU node is around 90 to 120ms from the East Coast and 150 to 180ms from the West Coast, roughly the same as playing on many shared hosts. Playable for survival, building and most modes, less ideal for fast PvP. A US node is on the roadmap.
How many players can connect?
No limit from us. The real limit is your PC's CPU, RAM, and home upload speed, the same as any other hosting setup.
What happens if my internet drops?
The relay reconnects automatically when your connection comes back. Your address stays the same, players can rejoin once it's reconnected.
Does it work with modded servers?
Yes. The relay forwards the raw Minecraft traffic without touching it, so any server type works including vanilla, Paper, Spigot, Fabric, Forge and modpacks.
Can I cancel?
Yes, any time, from your account page. It stops at the end of the month you've already paid for. No cancellation fee.
Is there a free trial?
Not at the moment. The monthly price is small enough that one month is less than a coffee, and there's no commitment past that month if it isn't for you.
Skip the router setup, just play
Sign up, pick your address, share it. About two minutes from start to your players connecting.