Minecraft Server Guides

Host a private Minecraft server for friends and family without port forwarding.

These guides walk you through hosting a private Minecraft server secured with Twingate. Your server stays off the public internet, and only players you invite can connect. Pick the guide that matches your setup.

Choose Your Edition

Vanilla Java Edition

Unmodded Java Edition. The best place to start.

Best for: Getting started, small groups, vanilla survival or creative servers.

Docker Compose: uses the itzg/minecraft-server image
Linux (bare metal): native install with systemd

Modded Server (Forge)

Forge with mod support. The Docker guide includes automated CurseForge modpack installation. The Linux guide covers manual Forge and mod setup.

Best for: Modpacks (All the Mods, RLCraft, etc.), custom gameplay, groups that want more than vanilla offers.

Docker Compose: auto-downloads CurseForge modpacks, or manual mods
Linux (bare metal): manual Forge install with systemd

Bedrock Edition

Cross-platform Bedrock server for Windows, iOS, Android, and ChromeOS players.

Best for: Cross-device groups between PC and mobile devices.

Docker Compose: uses the itzg/minecraft-bedrock-server image
Linux (bare metal): native install with systemd

Comparison

	Java (Vanilla)	Java (Forge)	Bedrock
Protocol	TCP `25565`	TCP `25565`	UDP `19132`
Min RAM	2 GB	4-8 GB	1 GB
Player platforms	Win / Mac / Linux	Win / Mac / Linux	Win / iOS / Android / ChromeOS
Mod support	No	Yes	No
Deployment options	Docker, Linux	Docker, Linux	Docker, Linux

How It Works

All guides use the same Twingate architecture:

[Player's Device]
     ↓ Twingate Client
[Twingate Cloud]
     ↓
[Twingate Connector]
     ↓
[Minecraft Server]

The Docker guides use Docker Compose to run the Minecraft server and Twingate Connector as containers on any OS that supports Docker. The Linux guides install both services natively on a Linux machine and manage them with systemd. In both cases, the Connector opens an outbound connection to Twingate Cloud. Players install the Twingate Client on their devices and connect to the server using its private IP address. No ports are exposed to the internet.

Common Requirements

Every guide assumes you have:

A Twingate account (sign up free)
The Twingate Client installed on each player’s device

Docker guides require Docker and Docker Compose installed on the host machine. Linux, macOS, and Windows are all supported.

Linux guides require a Linux machine (Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 or Debian 12), plus Java (for Java Edition / Forge) or the Bedrock binary (x86_64 only) and systemd.

RAM and disk requirements vary by edition. Check the specific guide for details.

Last updated 6 days ago

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