How to Set Up a Minecraft Bedrock Edition Server on a VPS

Minecraft Bedrock Edition is the version played by the vast majority of mobile (iOS/Android), Windows 10/11, VR and console gamers, because crossplay is built right in, unlike Java Edition which is primarily a PC affair. If you want a server that stays online 24/7 for your friends without leaving your own machine running, renting a VPS and installing Mojang's official Bedrock Dedicated Server is a cost-effective, fully controllable option. This guide walks through the process on Ubuntu, from preparing the machine to keeping it healthy over time.

What is the Bedrock Dedicated Server?

The Bedrock Dedicated Server (often shortened to bedrock-server) is Mojang's official, free server software for Linux and Windows that supports every Bedrock client. Players on phones, tablets, Windows 10/11 and VR can all connect to the same world instantly. This is the crossplay backbone that makes Bedrock so popular.

One crucial caveat: consoles (Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch) face restrictions when connecting to third-party servers. Xbox in particular does not let you type an external server address directly in the standard menu, because Microsoft has not opened that path. Many console players resort to workarounds such as changing the console's DNS settings, which is not officially supported and does not always work. Be honest with your group about this.

Bedrock vs Java server differences

Before you start, understand that Bedrock and Java are entirely separate ecosystems. Java-side plugins and mods will not work on Bedrock at all.

Aspect	Bedrock Server	Java Server
Supported players	Mobile, Windows 10/11, VR, consoles (restricted)	PC (Windows/macOS/Linux)
Protocol/port	19132 UDP	25565 TCP
Extensions	Behavior/Resource Packs (Add-ons)	Bukkit/Spigot/Paper plugins, Forge/Fabric mods
Scripting language	JavaScript API / JSON	Java
Resource needs	Light, low RAM	Heavier, requires a JVM
Architecture	x86-64 only	Any architecture with a JVM

The official Bedrock server still does not support Bukkit-style plugins. If you genuinely need a flexible plugin system, the community turns to alternative software such as PocketMine-MP or Nukkit, at the cost of compatibility that may lag behind the latest game version. If you want Java and Bedrock players sharing one server, you need a proxy such as Geyser + Floodgate, an advanced topic worth studying separately.

Preparing the VPS and hardware requirements

The Bedrock Server is fairly lightweight; a modest VPS comfortably handles a small group of friends. But there are two hard requirements.

• It must be x86-64. Mojang's binary is compiled for x86-64 only and will not run natively on ARM. You would need an emulator like box64, which is complex and hurts performance, so pick an x86-64 VPS from the start.
• It needs glibc. Use a distro such as Ubuntu or Debian that uses glibc, not Alpine which uses musl.

As a rough guide, 3-5 players run fine on about 1 GB of RAM, while 10-20 players should have 2 GB or more. On the storage side, SSD helps chunk loading and world saves feel snappier.

Create a dedicated user for the server

For safety, never run the server as root. Create a separate user.

sudo adduser --disabled-password --gecos "" mcbedrock
sudo su - mcbedrock
mkdir ~/bedrock && cd ~/bedrock

Isolating the user lets you limit privileges, so if a vulnerability appears in the software it will not compromise the whole system.

Download and install the Bedrock Server

Visit the official minecraft.net Bedrock Dedicated Server download page for Linux and copy the latest zip link (the link changes with every update, so always pull it from the live page).

# Install required tools
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y unzip curl

# Download (replace the URL with the latest link from minecraft.net)
cd ~/bedrock
curl -O https://minecraft.azureedge.net/bin-linux/bedrock-server-x.xx.x.xx.zip

# Unzip
unzip bedrock-server-*.zip

After unzipping you will have bedrock_server, server.properties and the supporting folders.

Configuring server.properties

The server.properties file is the central point for all settings. Open it with nano server.properties and adjust the key values.

• server-name the name players see
• gamemode the game mode (survival/creative/adventure)
• difficulty difficulty level (peaceful/easy/normal/hard)
• max-players maximum player count
• level-name the world folder name
• allow-cheats enable/disable cheat commands
• online-mode set to true to require Xbox Live authentication (recommended for security)
• server-port normally 19132; IPv6 uses server-portv6=19133

server-name=AsiaGB Bedrock
gamemode=survival
difficulty=normal
max-players=10
level-name=Bedrock level
allow-cheats=false
online-mode=true
server-port=19132
server-portv6=19133

Opening the firewall port

The most common mistake is forgetting that Bedrock uses UDP, not TCP. Open the wrong protocol and players simply cannot connect.

sudo ufw allow 19132/udp
sudo ufw allow 19133/udp   # for IPv6
sudo ufw reload
sudo ufw status

If your provider has an additional network-level firewall, remember to open 19132/UDP in their control panel too.

Running the server and keeping it in the background

The Bedrock binary needs LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. so it can find its bundled libraries.

cd ~/bedrock
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./bedrock_server

But if you close SSH the server dies with it, so use screen or tmux to keep it running.

sudo apt install -y screen
screen -S bedrock
cd ~/bedrock && LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./bedrock_server
# Press Ctrl+A then D to detach without stopping the server
# Reattach with: screen -r bedrock

For real long-term use, create a systemd service so the server starts automatically on reboot and restarts after a crash. It is far easier to manage and much more stable.

Connecting clients and long-term upkeep

In the Bedrock client go to Play > Servers > Add Server, then enter a name, your VPS IP address and port 19132. Mobile and Windows 10/11 players connect immediately, while Xbox players may need the DNS workaround mentioned above.

Routine maintenance tasks

1. Back up the worlds/ folder regularly; this is your entire world data.
2. Update the software whenever Mojang ships a new version, because updated clients cannot join an older server.
3. Watch logs and RAM/CPU usage to tune max-players to your hardware.
4. Manage the whitelist and permissions.json for players and admins.

Once everything is in place, a Bedrock server on a VPS quietly runs in the background so your friends can play together any time, at low cost and with full control, from small friend groups to a mid-sized community.

Frequently Asked Questions

What port does the Bedrock Server use, and is it TCP or UDP?

The default port is 19132 for IPv4 and 19133 for IPv6, and both are UDP, not TCP. If you open the wrong protocol on your firewall, players simply cannot connect, so always use a command like sudo ufw allow 19132/udp.

Can I run a Bedrock Server on an ARM VPS?

Not directly. Mojang's binary is compiled for x86-64 only. To run it on ARM you would need an emulator such as box64, which is complex and reduces performance, so it is best to choose an x86-64 VPS running Ubuntu or Debian from the outset.

Can Xbox players join my server?

There are restrictions. Microsoft does not let Xbox type an external server address directly in the standard menu. Many console players use a DNS workaround, which is not officially supported and does not always work. Mobile and Windows 10/11 players connect far more directly.

Can the Bedrock Server use Java-style plugins?

No. Bedrock and Java are separate ecosystems, so Bukkit/Spigot plugins do not work. Bedrock uses behavior/resource pack Add-ons instead. For flexible plugins the community uses PocketMine-MP or Nukkit, and to let Java and Bedrock play together you need a Geyser + Floodgate proxy.