No start button to press
Players connect to your address and the server boots while they wait in a lobby. Aternos starts from its website or its own Dawn launcher, and when it's busy you wait in a queue and confirm your spot.
Enzonic vs Aternos
The Aternos alternative that starts when you join.
On Aternos, someone has to press Start, and when servers are full you wait in a queue and confirm your place. An Enzonic free server starts by itself when a player connects, with 3.5 GB RAM and SFTP.
Facts checked 2026-10-12 from Aternos's own pages. Sources are listed below.
How we checked. This comparison is written by the Enzonic team, so we are not neutral. Every fact about Aternos comes from Aternos's own website or help pages, read on 2026-10-12; the links are under Sources. We did not run performance benchmarks, so nothing here ranks speed. Where Aternos is the better fit, we say so.
Aternos vs Enzonic at a glance
Side by side, from each host's published pages.
| Feature | Aternos | Enzonic |
|---|---|---|
| Free resources | RAM depends on software and version (e.g. 2,400 MB for Vanilla 1.20.1); CPU and disk not published | 3.5 GB RAM, 200% CPU, 5 GB SSD |
| Player slots | Unlimited | Unlimited player slots |
| When nobody is online | Stops when the last player leaves (after a countdown) | Hibernates after 15 minutes with nobody online |
| Starting it again | Start button on the website, or automatically for players using Aternos' Dawn launcher | Starts by itself when a player connects; they wait about 20 s in a lobby, then join |
| Queue | When capacity is full; you must click to confirm near the front or lose your place | Players wait in a lobby while it starts (about 20 s); nothing to confirm |
| Ads and chores | Ad-funded; detects ad blockers and asks you to disable them | No renewal timer, activity checks or start button |
| Mods and plugins | From Aternos' curated list only; no custom plugin or mod uploads | Upload your own, or use the mod and plugin installers (modrinth, spigot) |
| File access | Web file browser; no FTP | SFTP and web file manager, including on the free tier |
| Paid upgrade | None on Aternos (its sister service exaroton is paid) | Wood 4 GB: $2.62 first month, then $3.49/mo; Iron 8 GB: $4.87 first month, then $6.49/mo |
| AI assistant | None found | Enzica, an optional AI assistant in the panel |
| Inactive servers | Deleted after about 3 months without a start | Long-idle free servers are archived to cloud storage, then restored in one click or downloaded |
Why people choose Enzonic over Aternos
Your own mods and plugins
Upload any plugin or mod over SFTP. Aternos only allows mods and plugins from its curated list and has no FTP.
A clear amount of RAM
3.5 GB RAM, 200% CPU, 5 GB SSD. Aternos' RAM depends on the software and version (its example: 2,400 MB for Vanilla 1.20.1).
Choose Aternos if these matter most
What Aternos does well, from its own pages.
- Completely free, with no paid plan at all and unlimited player slots.
- A huge community: Aternos shows over 140 million users on its homepage.
- Supports a wide range of software, including Paper, Forge, NeoForge, Fabric, Quilt, modpacks and Bedrock.
- Custom domains, shared access and automatic backups to Google Drive.
Move from Aternos in three steps
- 01
Download your world
Export your world folder (and plugins or mods) from your current host's file manager or backups.
- 02
Create your Enzonic server
Sign up, pick the same Minecraft software and version, and choose the free tier or a plan.
- 03
Upload and start
Upload the files with SFTP or the web file manager, start the server, and share your new address.
Aternos alternative: questions
Aternos' help center says "In general, no." It points to exaroton, its paid sister service, for starts without waiting.
No. Aternos stops servers when the last player leaves, and its terms ban bots or fake players used to keep a server online.
No. Aternos blocks custom plugin and mod uploads and has no FTP. You can install mods and plugins from its own list.
Yes. One free Minecraft server per account with 3.5 GB RAM, 200% CPU, 5 GB SSD, no credit card, subject to capacity. Paid plans are optional.
Download your world from Aternos (most hosts offer a world download or backup), create a free Enzonic server with the same software and version, then upload the world folder with SFTP or the web file manager and start the server.
It sleeps when nobody is online, but your address always works: when a player connects, the server starts by itself while they wait in a lobby for about 20 seconds, then they join. Nobody has to open the panel or press start.
Sources
Checked 2026-10-12.
- Aternos homepage
- Aternos: server RAM
- Aternos: queue
- Aternos: 24/7 hosting
- Aternos: uploading files and FTP
- Aternos: ad blockers
- Aternos terms
- Dawn launcher autostart
Aternos is a trademark of its owner and is used here only to identify the service being compared. Enzonic is not affiliated with Aternos. Prices and features change; check the host's site before buying. Spot something out of date? Email admin@enzonic.com.
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