You're on Free by default.
Upgrade when you want more.
Preview members get full Pro access at no cost right now. After launch, stay on Free, add a Pro subscription, or grab a 90-day Season Pass - your call.
Limited preview - invite code required
Free vs Pro, at a glance
After Preview
Free
Everything you need to run your first server
Free
- 1 running server, unlimited worlds
- Browse & install mods, plugins, datapacks
- Analytics & customizable scoreboard
- Daily backups with restore
- Keeps running automatically, restarts on crash
- Server address (with mob name suffix)
Free During Preview
Pro
More servers, deeper insights, Discord integration
$9.99 /month
- Up to 3 servers, unlimited worlds
- Live world map, inventory & admin actions
- Investigation, anti-cheat & social graph
- Discord bot, chat bridge & remote console
- All 30+ metric streams & Turbo Nerd charts
- Unlimited session history & web dashboard
- Scheduled backups every 15 min
Pro is normally $9.99/month - free for all preview members
Coming after preview
Season Pass
90 days of Pro access - perfect for summer breaks, holidays, or trying everything out. $24.99 one-time.
Hibernation
Taking a break? Your worlds stay safe in encrypted cloud storage until you're ready. $1.99/month.
Full feature comparison
Hover over any feature to learn more
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Installation & Setup | ||
| Automatic WSL2 + Docker install Silent, Guided First-Run Install SpawnBox installs everything it needs automatically. The installer silently enables the Windows Subsystem for Linux, downloads and installs the official WSL2 runtime from Microsoft, imports an Ubuntu environment, installs Docker Engine inside that Ubuntu environment, and registers a background helper as a Windows Task Scheduler entry. You don't need Docker Desktop, you don't touch PowerShell, and you don't manage WSL distros yourself. Three background services continuously monitor the setup and repair themselves if anything regresses. Installing Docker and WSL2 manually is a day of work if you've never done it before. SpawnBox handles it in about 10 minutes automatically. One reboot is needed if WSL2 wasn't already enabled on your PC (a Windows limitation, not a SpawnBox choice), and if your BIOS has hardware virtualization disabled SpawnBox tells you how to turn it on. After the one-time setup, creating each new server takes about 5 minutes. | ||
| Import existing server or world Import World Wizard A guided wizard that pulls an existing Minecraft server or standalone world folder into SpawnBox. Scans the source, detects server type, version, worlds and their dimensions, and lets you selectively bring over mods, plugins, datapacks, and access control (whitelist, operators, bans) in a single flow. Works from another SpawnBox server, a Minecraft world you backed up, a friend's PC, or any other Minecraft host. Coming from Realms, Aternos, Apex, or a friend's PC? Point SpawnBox at your world folder and it figures out everything else. Your builds, players, and data come with you. | ||
| Minecraft version upgrade In-Place Version Upgrade A proper in-app flow for upgrading a server to a newer Minecraft version, with automatic pre-upgrade backup, version-compatibility warnings, and a guided walk-through. Minecraft itself handles the world-format migration on first boot - SpawnBox orchestrates the backup and handoff. On the roadmap. Until it ships, the Import World wizard lets you move an existing world into a new server running the newer version. Upgrading a Minecraft server version is one of the scariest operations in self-hosting because world data can rewrite on first boot. When this ships, SpawnBox will back up before touching anything, so rollback is one click away. | Soon | Soon |
| Server Setup & Management | ||
| Create servers Unlimited Server Creation Create as many servers as you want on any tier. SpawnBox handles all the technical setup automatically. Vanilla, Paper, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, and Quilt are all supported. Want a survival server AND a creative server AND a modded server? Create them all for free. You only pay for how many you run at the same time. | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Running at the same time Concurrent Running Servers You can create unlimited servers, but this controls how many can be online at the same time. Each running server is fully isolated with its own resources. The limit is checked when you click Start. Running a modded server for your friend group and a vanilla server for your family? That takes two concurrent slots. Stop one to start another, or upgrade for more. | 1 server | Up to 3 |
| Worlds per server World Profiles Per Server Each server can have unlimited world profiles - separate world folders with their own settings, whitelists, and game rules. Switch between them by selecting a different world and restarting. All worlds stay on disk, only one is active at a time. Perfect for running a "Season 2" world while keeping Season 1 intact, or having a creative test world alongside your survival world on the same server. | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Guided setup wizard Guided Setup Wizard Step-by-step wizard walks you through server creation: choose your server type (Vanilla, Paper, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, or Quilt), select a Minecraft version, browse and install mods or datapacks, configure world settings, set up who can join, and review everything before launch. Search for your friends' Minecraft usernames to add them to the whitelist. Creating a new server takes about 5 minutes end to end: pick type, version, mods, world settings, and who can join, then the wizard spins up the container and hands it back ready to start. The wizard handles the technical plumbing that usually takes hours of research. | ||
| Server type migration Server Type Migration (With Full Data Preservation) Switch a running server between Vanilla, Paper, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, and Quilt, and SpawnBox preserves more than most users expect. It takes an automatic full backup before touching anything, then migrates: your world data (chunks, regions, player positions, inventories, villager trades), your player files (stats, advancements), AND your entire historical gameplay analytics - session history, combat events, chunk activity, investigation anchors. It also handles the quiet detail that Paper and non-Paper servers store dimensions differently (Paper splits Nether/End into root-level folders; non-Paper nests them), merging or splitting as needed. Started on Vanilla and want to add mods? Migrate to Fabric without losing your world - and without losing your session history, combat stats, or investigation data either. The pre-migration backup is always ready to roll back to if anything looks off. | ||
| Properties & gamerules editor Visual Settings Editor Edit server.properties and game rules through a visual interface instead of hand-editing config files. Every option is explained in plain English. Switch between the visual editor and the raw file when you need full control. No more guessing what "spawn-protection=16" means. The editor explains each setting so you understand what you're changing before you change it. | ||
| Interactive console with autocomplete Interactive Server Console A live server console that shows everything happening on your server in real-time. Type commands with autocomplete that knows every command your server supports - including player names. Search and filter the log to find exactly what you need. Need to give a player an item, change the weather, or check something? Start typing and SpawnBox suggests the command. No need to memorize syntax or look anything up. | ||
| Always Running | ||
| Runs without the app open Always Running, Even With the App Closed A lightweight Windows 11 helper that runs independently of the SpawnBox app. It manages your servers, backups, Discord bot, DNS updates, and UPnP - even when you close the app or log out. On most modern hardware, you can host a server and play on the same PC. Close your laptop, go to school, and your Minecraft server keeps running. The background helper handles everything. No separate server PC required. | ||
| Auto-start servers on boot Auto-Start on Boot The background helper starts automatically with Windows and brings your servers online without you lifting a finger. Each server can be individually configured for auto-start. Power outage at 3 AM? Windows update reboot? Your server comes back online automatically. Your friends might not even notice it went down. | ||
| Auto-restart on crash Crash Detection & Auto-Restart The background helper polls every 30 seconds and detects when a server has stopped unexpectedly. It automatically restarts it - but with crash loop protection: if a server fails 3 times within 5 minutes, restarts are paused until you manually intervene. A buggy mod crashes your server while you're asleep? It restarts in under a minute. If it keeps crashing, SpawnBox stops trying and tells you what happened so you can fix the root cause. | ||
| Survives Windows Updates Survives Windows Updates When Windows installs updates and restarts your PC, SpawnBox comes back automatically and brings your servers online again. No manual intervention needed - it just works. The #1 killer of home Minecraft servers: unexpected Windows Updates. SpawnBox handles this automatically - your server survives the reboot and comes right back. | ||
| Scheduled restarts Scheduled Server Restarts Configure automatic restarts at set times (daily, weekly, custom intervals). Restarts clear accumulated memory pressure and apply any pending server updates. Minecraft servers get slower over time as chunks load and entities pile up. A daily 4 AM restart keeps things snappy - and nobody's online to notice. | ||
| Player Intelligence | ||
| Player analytics & statistics Player Analytics & Statistics Tracks everything players do: blocks mined, mobs killed, deaths, chat, advancements, PvP, ore mining, and more. Works even when your server is offline (reads saved stats). Scores each player across domains like exploration, building, mining, combat, and social activity to reveal their playstyle. Discover that your quiet friend has actually mined 14,000 diamonds, or that two players have been in a secret PvP rivalry for weeks. SpawnBox turns raw numbers into stories. | ||
| Session history Session History & Timeline Every time a player joins and leaves, SpawnBox records it as a session. Each session tracks what they accomplished: kills, deaths, ores mined, distance traveled, and more. Includes play pattern analysis - are they a morning player or a night owl? See who played when, for how long, and what they accomplished. Great for settling "I was online way more than you" debates, or spotting when a player stopped showing up. | 7 days | Unlimited |
| Scoreboard & player rankings Fully Customizable Scoreboard A configurable leaderboard using Minecraft's native stats - deaths, mob kills, blocks mined, playtime, distance traveled, and dozens more. Customize which columns appear with a column picker. Stats are read directly from the world folder, no mods required. Settle every argument: who has the most kills? Who's played the longest? Who's died the most embarrassingly? Pin it in your Discord for bragging rights. | ||
| Social graph Player Social Graph Maps relationships between players based on who plays together, who chats with whom, who sends private messages, and who hangs out in the same areas. Relationships are labeled: "Best Friends," "Adventure Buddies," and more based on how much they interact. Community detection finds friend groups automatically. Discover your server's social dynamics. See who always plays together, who only logs in when certain people are on, and which players are the social glue holding your community together. | ||
| Investigation & anti-cheat detection Investigation & Anti-Cheat A dedicated investigation system that runs quietly in the background watching for x-ray mining patterns, spawn camping, suspicious base visits, griefing, and impossible movement speeds - and surfaces anomalies before you have to go looking. Location intelligence detects player bases automatically and flags unusual activity like x-ray mining patterns or suspicious ore discovery rates. Covers five domains: mining, combat, movement, items, and base activity. Catch cheaters and griefers without babysitting your server. SpawnBox analyzes mining patterns and flags players who happen to dig straight to every diamond vein. See who visited whose base and when. Especially valuable for parents running servers for kids and their friends. | ||
| Player inventory management Player Inventory Management See any player's complete inventory in real time - main slots, armor, ender chest, and hotbar with an indicator showing which slot they're holding. A 3D animated avatar shows their skin and equipment. Click any item for actions: duplicate it, delete it, send a copy to other players, or search who else has one. Inspect shulker box contents. An AI-powered insights panel scores their loadout, identifies notable items, and suggests improvements. A forensic timeline captures inventory snapshots at every join, death, and PvP fight - select any two snapshots and compare exactly what changed. A player says they were robbed? Open their inventory history, compare before and after the incident, and see exactly what disappeared. Want to replace a lost item? Click it in the old snapshot and regenerate it. Need to find hacked gear? Search every player's inventory on the server at once. | ||
| Player actions menu Player Actions Menu Right-click any player in the connected players list, or click their dot on the live map, for instant admin actions. Teleport players to world spawn, to detected bases and outposts by name, to other players, or to any coordinates. Change gamemode, kick, ban, op, whitelist - all with smart visibility that only shows relevant actions. Bulk-select multiple players for mass operations with progress tracking. Every teleport saves a return point. Your friend is lost? Right-click them and teleport them to spawn. A griefer showed up? Click ban - done. Hosting a PvP event? Select all players, teleport them to the arena, then click "Return all" when it's over. No commands to memorize, ever. | ||
| Whitelist, OP & ban management Access Control Panel Manage who can join your server (whitelist), who has admin powers (operators), and who is banned - all from one panel. Add players individually or in bulk. Search across all your servers to find players quickly. Your friend wants to bring someone new? Add them to the whitelist in two clicks. Someone causing trouble? Ban them just as fast. No more editing JSON files by hand. | ||
| Live Monitoring & Map | ||
| Real-time TPS & memory Live TPS & Memory Monitoring TPS (Ticks Per Second) measures how smoothly your server runs - 20 is perfect, and anything below 15 means lag. SpawnBox shows you a real-time health indicator: Healthy (18+), Moderate (15-18), Struggling (10-15), or Critical (below 10). Memory usage is tracked too so you know if your server needs more resources. When your friends say "the server is laggy," you can see exactly how bad it is and when it started. TPS below 15? Try reducing view distance or removing a heavy mod. | ||
| Activity timeline & search Unified Activity Timeline & Full-Text Search Every server event - joins, leaves, deaths, chat messages, advancements, PvP encounters, ore discoveries, block breaks - flows into one searchable timeline. Filter by player, event category, or time range, and search the full text of any event including chat messages. Chat is captured but not moderated in real time (SpawnBox doesn't intercept messages as they're sent) - it's preserved so you can search it afterward. Especially useful for parents hosting for their kids: if you ever need to see who said what in chat, it's a keyword search away. Someone griefed a build? Search for all block-break events near those coordinates. A player says they found diamonds? See exactly when and where. It's a DVR for your server. | ||
| Live world map with overlays Live Interactive World Map A full interactive map of your Minecraft world that updates as players explore. Shows player positions, death markers, chunk heat maps (where players spend the most time), and automatically detects player bases. Switch between Overworld, Nether, and End with a click. It's like Google Maps for your Minecraft world. See where everyone is right now, where they've been exploring, and where the secret bases are - all without installing a single mod. | ||
| Advancement tracking Advancement Tracking Track advancement progress for every player to see who's closest to completing every achievement. Works even when the server is offline by reading saved data. No mods needed - SpawnBox reads it all automatically. Running a race to see who completes all advancements first? Track everyone's progress at a glance. See who just needs "How Did We Get Here?" and who's still punching trees. | ||
| Insight chart history Insight Chart Time Range Interactive charts that show your server's activity over time. Zoom in to see what happened in a 5-minute window or zoom out to see weekly trends. An insight panel shows key stats at a glance, a live activity feed, and detailed breakdowns of each metric. See your server's story over time: when activity peaks, which days are busiest, whether your community is growing or shrinking. Longer history means deeper insights into seasonal patterns. | 7 days | Unlimited |
| 30+ metric streams 30+ Real-Time Metric Streams Peak concurrent players, total sessions, playtime, deaths, events, chat messages, PvP encounters, advancements, new chunks, resources mined (with per-ore breakouts: diamond, iron, gold, etc.), mob kills, distance traveled, damage dealt, villager trades, and more. Free gets peak online, deaths, and player count; Pro unlocks all 30+ streams. Overlay chat activity against player count to see how social your server is. Drill into ore breakouts to see who's mining what. Compare PvP encounters with deaths to find your most skilled fighters. | 3 streams | |
| Turbo Nerd chart view Turbo Nerd Charts Think stock market charts, but for your Minecraft server. Candlestick views show open-high-low-close patterns for any metric, with moving averages and trend indicators overlaid. It's intentionally over-the-top for the data nerds who want to analyze their server like a day trader. Spot trends before they're obvious. See player count patterns that predict activity surges. It's wildly over-engineered and we're proud of it. | ||
| Mods & Plugins | ||
| Browse & install mods, plugins, datapacks Built-In Modrinth Marketplace Browse, search, and install mods, plugins, and datapacks from Modrinth directly inside SpawnBox. Automatically filters to show only content compatible with your server's Minecraft version and type (Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, Quilt for mods; Paper for plugins; any server for datapacks). No more downloading JARs from sketchy websites and dragging them into folders. Find what you want, click install, done. SpawnBox handles the file placement and compatibility. | ||
| Asset-first compatibility solver Pick Mods First, Auto-Picks Version & Loader A flow no other Minecraft server tool offers. Pick the mods, plugins, or datapacks you want first, and SpawnBox's compatibility solver figures out which Minecraft versions and loaders your whole set works on. Instead of manually cross-referencing "does this mod work with that version?" across Modrinth pages, the wizard builds a compatibility matrix from real Modrinth release data and shows you only the Minecraft versions where all your selected add-ons are available. The single hardest part of running a modded server is version matching. Pick five mods: two support 1.20.1 but not 1.21, one is Fabric-only, one is Forge-only, one needs a specific library version. SpawnBox resolves the whole set in one pass. | ||
| One-click install with dependencies Dependency Resolution Engine When you install a mod, SpawnBox's resolver automatically identifies and installs all required dependencies - and their dependencies. It builds a full dependency graph, checks version compatibility, and prevents conflicts before they happen. Ever installed a mod just to crash because you forgot Fabric API? Or the wrong version of a library? SpawnBox figures out the entire dependency tree for you - one click, everything works. | ||
| Modpack creation & export Modpack Collections & Export Save your mod setup as a "collection" - a portable list of mods with pinned versions. Export collections so friends can import and get the exact same mod setup. Collections are stored alongside your server config. Getting friends to install 47 mods correctly is a nightmare. Create a collection, share it, and everyone gets the exact same setup. No more "it works on my machine." | ||
| Backups & Safety | ||
| Manual backup & restore One-Click Backup & Restore Creates a backup of your world, player data, whitelist, ops, bans, and server settings. Before backing up, SpawnBox safely pauses saving to ensure data consistency. Restores include a safety check: you can't restore to the active world while the server is running. About to try something risky? One click to back up first. If it goes wrong, restore in seconds. Your world, your player data, your settings - all preserved exactly as they were. | ||
| Scheduled backups Automated Scheduled Backups The background helper automatically backs up your worlds on a schedule. Daily at a configured time (e.g., 3 AM) on Free, and every 15 minutes on Pro. The background helper auto-discovers new servers and sets up default daily backups. Retention policies clean up old backups automatically. Pro users get backups every 15 minutes - worst case, you lose 15 minutes of progress. For a server with 20 players building together, that's the difference between "no big deal" and "we lost everything." | Daily | 15 min |
| Cloud backup sync Cloud Backup Sync Automatically sync your local backups to cloud storage for offsite protection. Your backups live on your machine and in the cloud - safe from hardware failure, theft, or accidental deletion. Hard drive dies? Laptop stolen? Your Minecraft world - the one your friends have been building for 6 months - is safe in the cloud. Restore to a new machine and keep going. | Soon | |
| Discord Integration | ||
| Activity bot Discord Activity Bot Posts rich embeds to your Discord server for every event: player joins/leaves, deaths (with death messages!), advancements, server starts/stops, and crashes. Each embed includes a status line with player count, uptime, and latency. Events are batched intelligently - chat batches together, but a player death posts immediately. Your Discord becomes a live feed of your Minecraft server. Friends see "Steve was slain by a Creeper" and jump online to help. It keeps your community engaged even when they're not playing. | ||
| Connect Card with live scoreboard Discord Connect Card A persistent, live-updating embed in your Discord that shows server status, connected players, uptime, server details, version, and installed mods. Includes an embedded scoreboard image showing crown holders and top players. Optionally links to your public web portal. The card edits itself in-place whenever the state changes - never spams your channel. Pin this in your #server-info channel. Players see who's online, the server address, what version you're running, and top scoreboard rankings - all without leaving Discord. It's your server's always-up-to-date business card. | ||
| Chat bridge (Discord to Minecraft) Bidirectional Chat Bridge Use /say to broadcast messages from Discord into Minecraft chat, and /msg to privately message players. In-game chat automatically appears in your Discord channel as embeds. Link your Discord and Minecraft accounts with /link for full access. Your friends on Discord and your friends in Minecraft can talk to each other. The community stays connected whether someone is at their PC or checking their phone. | ||
| Remote console from Discord Discord Remote Console Run server commands directly from Discord with /console. Link your Discord account to your Minecraft operator account with /link, then execute any server command from your phone. Includes autocomplete for commands and player names. You're at school and someone is griefing your server. Pull out your phone, type /console ban griefer123 in Discord, and they're banned. No need to remote into your PC. | ||
| Player follow notifications Player Follow Notifications Players can use /follow to get a DM whenever their favorite players join or leave the server. Great for friends who want to play together but aren't always checking. Use /incognito to go invisible to followers when you want some quiet time. Your best friend logs in at 3 PM? You get a DM instantly. No more "I was online for an hour and nobody came!" - follows keep your crew in sync. | ||
| Connecting Friends | ||
| UPnP port forwarding Automatic UPnP Port Forwarding SpawnBox talks to your home router automatically to open the right ports so friends can connect from the internet. If your router restarts, SpawnBox detects it and sets everything up again within minutes. No manual router configuration needed. The hardest part of hosting a Minecraft server is port forwarding. Most guides say "log into your router and..." - SpawnBox does it automatically. Your friends can connect without you touching your router. | ||
| RCON isolated from the internet RCON Is Private by Construction RCON (Remote Console) is the Minecraft protocol that lets software send administrative commands to the server. In SpawnBox, RCON runs on a private port inside the Docker network and is never exposed to your LAN, the internet, or UPnP. Only the SpawnBox backend on the same machine can talk to it. SpawnBox is the only authorized RCON client, and the port is deliberately held back from all external routing. Exposing RCON directly to the internet is one of the most common self-hosted-Minecraft security mistakes. SpawnBox's design makes that mistake impossible - you can't open RCON to the outside world even if you try, because the port is held back from portproxy and UPnP by default. | ||
| Server address (DNS subdomain) Dynamic DNS Subdomain Get a memorable address like yourserver.mc.spawnbox.app instead of sharing a confusing IP address. SpawnBox keeps it up to date automatically, even if your home internet address changes. Free users get an address with a Minecraft mob name appended (like epic-smp-creeper.mc.spawnbox.app); Pro users get a clean, reserved address (like epic-smp.mc.spawnbox.app). Instead of telling friends "connect to 192.168.1.47:25565" (which changes!), say "join epic-smp.mc.spawnbox.app." Easy to remember, always up to date, and way easier to share. | Ephemeral | Reserved |
| Reachability check (can friends connect?) External Reachability Check SpawnBox pings your server from outside your network to verify that friends can actually connect. Checks happen automatically after port forwarding changes, DNS updates, or a server starts - not on a timer, but whenever something changes. Includes player count and latency measurement. The most common question: "Why can't my friend connect?" SpawnBox tells you instantly whether your server is reachable from the internet - before your friend even tries. No more guessing. | ||
| Web portal & public scoreboard Public Web Portal A live web page at yourserver.mc.spawnbox.app that anyone can visit - no app needed. Shows a scoreboard with player rankings, crown holders, server status, version, installed mods, and connection instructions. Published automatically whenever the scoreboard updates. Share a link and anyone can see your server's stats and rankings in a browser. It's the ultimate flex for your server community - and it drives recruitment. | ||
| Custom domain Custom Domain Use your own web address (like play.myserver.com) as your server address instead of the spawnbox.app one. Connect your domain and SpawnBox handles the rest. Want a real brand for your server? "Join play.epicraft.com" hits different than a random subdomain. | Soon | |
| Getting Started | ||
| 48-hour Pro trial (free) 48-Hour Pro Trial After the preview, every new user gets all Pro features free for 48 hours - no credit card required. The clock starts when you activate the trial, giving you time to explore everything. During the preview, all participants already have full Pro access. Set up your Discord bot, register your server address, and experience everything SpawnBox can do. After 48 hours, you drop to Free - but everything you set up stays. | ||
| Community support Community Support Get help from the SpawnBox community and team via our Discord server. Bug reports, feature requests, and general help - all in one place. You're never alone. Other people running servers for their friends and family are one message away, and the dev team actually reads and responds to every message. | ||
| Priority support Priority Support We're exploring dedicated support channels for Pro users with faster response times. During the preview, everyone gets direct access to the founder via Discord. During the preview, support is personal and direct. We're evaluating how to scale this as the community grows. | TBD | |
Billing questions
Quick answers about preview access, cancellation, and the annual discount. For product questions, see the full FAQ.
Is SpawnBox really free during the preview?
Yes. Every preview member gets full Pro access at no cost, no credit card required. After the preview, your account keeps everything you built and either stays on Free or upgrades to Pro for $9.99 per month.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel Pro whenever you want - you keep Pro features until the end of your current billing period, then your account moves to the Free tier. Nothing is deleted, nothing is locked. Local backups and 24/7 running continue on Free.
What's the annual discount?
Save about 17% by paying annually. Pro drops from $9.99/month to $99.99/year (about $8.33/month). You can switch between monthly and annual billing anytime.
Join the preview. Pro access free.
Get your invite code and help shape the future of Minecraft server management.
Requires Windows 11. After the preview, pricing returns to normal - but you'll have shaped what you're paying for.
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