Aternos is a free gameserver hosting service available to millions of players around the globe. To maintain free and accessible servers for everyone, we don't provide 24/7 hosting. Instead, your server automatically stops when the last player leaves. This method keeps our platform sustainable while ensuring fair access for all users.
Why doesn't Aternos offer always-on hosting?
Aternos is a free gameserver hosting service. To make this possible for millions of players worldwide, servers are only online when someone is actively using them. Keeping all servers online around the clock would require far more resources and would lead to higher costs, slower performance, and fewer available servers for everyone.
Since we want to offer free servers for everyone, 24/7 hosting is not possible.
No playtime limits! Play as long as you want!
Aternos does not enforce a playtime limit. You and your friends can play on your server as long as at least one person is online and active. The server will stay up for as long as you are actually playing – there is no fixed time limit or forced shutdown.
What happens if you try to force 24/7 hosting (e.g., bots)
Trying to bypass Aternos system by using bots, scripts, or other tricks to keep your server on 24/7 is against our rules and doesn’t work in the long run.
- The system automatically checks for artificial activity.
- Servers kept online using bots or similar methods can be detected and shut down.
- Accounts found trying to abuse the system may be restricted or suspended.
This policy keeps the platform fair for everyone so that servers are always available for real, active players.