Minecraft Bedrock Edition server hosting for a small friend group (2026)
Minecraft: Bedrock Edition is the cross-play family (Pocket / PE roots, Windows 10/11, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, mobile) — not the same product page as Java small-group hosting (Night 1) or Java modpacks / ATM / RLCraft (Night 8). Among our six hosts, Shockbyte, Apex Hosting, Nodecraft, PebbleHost and GameTeam publish Bedrock product pages today; BisectHosting has a Bedrock page with features but the per-GB rate did not display as a clear plan total on the fetch we read (stock / waitlist notices also showed). Prices below were read from each host’s own Bedrock (or Bedrock version) page. Confirm availability and the bill at checkout.
RAM, addons, Realms vs dedicated
- Friend-group fit: Bedrock Dedicated Server (BDS) for a passworded 4–8 friend world. You do not need a public Realm-scale community box for Discord night.
- RAM honesty (host claims only): Apex labels 1 GB as “Minimum for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition.” GameTeam’s Bedrock page says start at 2 GB for a few friends and step up past ~10 concurrent. Shockbyte’s Bedrock ladder starts at Dirt 1 GB; Nodecraft Premium “Great for Small Worlds” starts at 2 GB. Treat 1–2 GB as the host-stated entry band for a quiet survival world; 4 GB if you grow players or addons. Do not reuse Java Paper / Forge / ATM RAM tables from Night 1 or Night 8.
- Addons / behavior packs (host claims only): Shockbyte lists Behavior Pack & Addon Support (and pre-release + full release). Nodecraft FAQ covers adding addons via file uploader and plugins via one-click installer / file uploader. Bisect lists integrated datapacks/plugins (ModrinthAPI) and “Full Mod Support” on the Bedrock page. Apex panel copy mentions installing mods / maps / settings. PebbleHost emphasises cross-platform simplicity on Budget; Premium adds a one-click modpack installer (Java-oriented catalog — confirm Bedrock suitability at checkout). See Night 6.
- Realms vs dedicated (honesty): Minecraft Realms is Mojang / Microsoft’s own subscription — none of these six hosts sold Realms on the Bedrock pages we read. They rent dedicated Bedrock instances (panel, FTP/SFTP where claimed, always-on or Wake & Play). Dedicated ≠ Realms; pick dedicated when you want host-panel control, file access, or a non-Realms invite model. Confirm console join rules (Xbox / PlayStation / Switch) on the host’s docs before you buy — marketing “console” copy is not a join guarantee for every platform.
Comparison: Minecraft Bedrock Edition plans
Price sources: every price comes from the host’s own Minecraft Bedrock page (fetched 24 Oct 2026, NZDT). No third-party or search-summary prices are used. Recurring monthly figures are preferred over first-month sale teasers (sales disclosed where shown). TBD means the host page showed no clear plan total, Coming Soon / waitlist, or the per-GB rate did not render as a single monthly figure. Confirm at checkout.
| Host | Entry tier | Bigger tiers | Notes | Oceania | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ShockbyteAU brand | Dirt · 1 GB · list $3.99/mo Sand 2 GB $7.99 · Cobblestone 3 GB $11.99 |
Iron 4 GB $15.99/mo Gold 5 GB $19.99 · Redstone 6 GB $23.99 · Diamond 7 GB $27.99 · Zeus 12 GB $47.99 |
Behavior Pack & Addon Support; mobile / console / PC marketing; Ryzen 9 7950X up to ~5.7 GHz · NVMe · DDoS; 72hr self-serve refund | Melbourne company; Australia location on Minecraft catalog — ping-test before annual | Default AU-friendly Bedrock ladder with clear 1–4 GB steps |
| Apex Hosting | 1 GB · recurring $3.99/mo $2.99 first month (25% off disclosed). Labeled “Minimum for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition” |
4 GB recurring $14.99/mo ($11.24 first) 8 GB $27.99 ($20.99 first) · EX 16 GB $71.99 ($53.99 first) |
Panel: mods / maps / settings; FTP; free subdomain; Switch to Java Edition CTA; EX Series Ryzen 7 5800X (APAC) called out | Sydney / Australia listed on Apex location pages (no extra cost called out on AU pages we have used elsewhere) | Polished panel + stated 1 GB Bedrock minimum; pay the recurring number |
| BisectHosting | TBD Bedrock page showed “… / GB” without a clear monthly plan total on the fetch we read |
TBD | Datapacks/plugins (ModrinthAPI); Full Mod Support; game swap 110+; PC / PlayStation / Xbox / Game Pass / Mobile crossplay marketing; DDoS; NVMe | 21 locations claimed; page showed an out-of-stock / waitlist notice for a location — verify Sydney at checkout | Feature-rich BisectOne Bedrock path once the cart shows a real bill and stock |
| GameTeam | From $0.49/GB (Budget) Advertised “from” rate on Minecraft hosting; Bedrock page recommends start at 2 GB. Billing term and plan totals not shown as a single monthly figure — TBD |
TBD | Install Bedrock from Versions tab; less RAM than Java claimed; unlimited slots marketed; AI copilot on Minecraft hosting; weekly billing; 72-hour money-back | Global locations claimed (check for AU) | Budget experimenters who already like GameTeam’s version switcher; confirm region + monthly equivalent |
| Nodecraft | Premium 24/7 2 GB · recurring $9.98/mo $6.99 first month. Budget Wake & Play 2 GB $5.96 recurring ($4.17 first) — comparison table marks Budget “Not recommended for this game” |
Premium 4 GB $19.98/mo ($13.99 first) Premium 8 GB (first-month sale shown; confirm recurring at cart) · Budget 4 GB $11.92 · 8 GB $23.84 |
Addons via file uploader; plugins via one-click / file uploader; SFTP; game swap; cloud backups; free DNS hostname | Sydney, Melbourne & Auckland listed on Nodecraft location / network pages | AU/NZ always-on Bedrock — prefer Premium over Wake & Play for random join hours |
| PebbleHost$/GB | Budget from $1/GB Page title / Budget ladder: ~$4/mo at 4 GB. Ryzen 7 5700X · unmetered NVMe · unlimited slots |
Premium tier (higher $/GB; Ryzen 9 / EPYC by region — AU Premium: EPYC 4465P claimed) — confirm cart total | Cross-platform marketing (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, mobile); Budget vs Premium CPU split; Premium one-click modpack installer (confirm Bedrock fit) | Australia listed on Budget + Premium location lines | Lowest list $/GB with AU listed for a quiet Bedrock world — read Budget vs Premium before heavy addons |
Sources (host-owned, fetched 24 Oct 2026, NZDT): shockbyte.com, apexminecrafthosting.com, bisecthosting.com (features; plan totals TBD), gameteam.io (from $0.49/GB via Minecraft hosting; 2 GB start claim), nodecraft.com, pebblehost.com/version-bedrock. No host is crowned “#1”. Confirm RAM, addons, console join rules and the recurring bill at checkout.
Oceania / AU–NZ wedge
Cross-play friends still feel bad ping. Prefer hosts that list Australia / Sydney / Melbourne / Auckland and ping-test with the whole Discord before an annual term. Shockbyte (AU company), Apex (Sydney on location pages), Nodecraft (Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland), and PebbleHost (Australia) all advertise AU presence on pages we read. Bisect’s 21 locations include Sydney on other products — the Bedrock page showed stock / waitlist language, so treat location as a checkout checkbox. See the Oceania ping guide (Night 5).
Practical shortlist (not rankings)
- Cheapest confirmed always-on entry: Shockbyte Dirt 1 GB $3.99 or Apex 1 GB $3.99 recurring — Apex explicitly calls 1 GB the Bedrock minimum.
- AU/NZ, always on, clear Premium ladder: Nodecraft Premium 2 GB $9.98 recurring (skip Budget if friends join at random hours).
- Lowest list $/GB with Australia listed: PebbleHost Budget ~$1/GB — upgrade path to Premium if CPU-bound.
- Need Java later or already on Java: see Night 1 / Night 8 — do not mix Bedrock and Java worlds on one SKU without a host-supported bridge.
- Under ~$20: every confirmed entry plan here sits under the budget guide once you stay at 1–4 GB.
Official links (affiliate placeholders)
Buttons below point at official Bedrock (or Bedrock version) pages today. Tracked affiliate URLs will replace the #aff-* anchors once programs approve — see affiliates.md.
Related (pipeline)
Affiliate disclosure
HostForTheSquad may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page (Shockbyte, Apex, BisectHosting, GameTeam, and others when approved). Commission rates do not decide table rows or “best for” notes. Prices and stock change — always verify on the host’s site before you pay.