How to Set Up a Free Minecraft PE Server Using Oracle Cloud in 2025

This is the updated 2025 edition of our original Minecraft PE server guide. We’ve completely revised the tutorial with the latest Oracle Cloud features and Minecraft PE updates.

Looking to create your own Minecraft PE server without spending a dime? You’re in the right place! In this guide, I’ll walk you through setting up a completely free Minecraft PE server using Oracle Cloud’s Free Tier. As someone who’s helped numerous gamers set up their servers, I can tell you that Oracle Cloud offers one of the best free solutions available for MinecraftPE today.

Key Benefits of This Minecraft PE Server Setup

Before we dive into the setup process, here’s what makes this solution perfect for Minecraft PE servers:

• 100% Free: Unlike other Minecraft PE server hosting options
• High Performance: Enough power to host 10-15 players smoothly
• 24/7 Uptime: Your Minecraft PE server stays online continuously
• Full Control: Complete access to server settings and configurations
• Latest Version Support: Compatible with all recent MinecraftPE updates

A Minecraft Pocket Edition server running on Oracle Cloud free tier infrastructure

Why Choose Oracle Cloud for Your Minecraft PE Server?

Oracle Cloud’s Free Tier is a game-changer for Minecraft PE enthusiasts. Here’s what you get:

• 4 ARM-based OCPUs and 24GB RAM (using Ampere A1 Compute)
• 200GB of block storage
• Always Free - no credit card required after trial
• Enterprise-grade infrastructure

Compared to paid hosting services that can cost $5-20 per month, Oracle Cloud’s Free Tier provides more than enough resources to run a smooth Minecraft PE server for you and your friends.

Getting Started with Oracle Cloud

1. Create Your Oracle Cloud Account

1. Visit Oracle Cloud Free Tier
2. Click “Start for Free” and fill in your details
3. Verify your email and phone number
4. Add your credit card (required for verification, but won’t be charged)
5. Choose your home region (pick one closest to most players)

Pro Tip: Some regions have better resource availability than others. If you get capacity errors, try a different region.

2. Setting Up Your Virtual Machine

Here’s where many guides fall short, but I’ll help you avoid common pitfalls:

# First, create a new Virtual Cloud Network (VCN)
1. Navigate to Networking > Virtual Cloud Networks
2. Click "Create VCN"
3. Name: minecraft-vcn
4. CIDR block: 10.0.0.0/16
5. Create with default options

For the compute instance:

1. Go to Compute > Instances > Create Instance
2. Name your instance: minecraft-server
3. Select Image and Shape:
   • Platform: Canonical Ubuntu
   • Version: 22.04 Minimal
   • Shape: VM.Standard.A1.Flex (Ampere)
   • OCPUs: 4
   • Memory: 24 GB

Important: If you get an “out of capacity” error, use this helpful script that automatically retries creation:

// Save as retry-creation.js
const script = document.createElement('script');
script.src = 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gardinbe/oracle-compute-instance-creation-script/refs/heads/master/script.js';
document.head.appendChild(script);

3. Installing Your Minecraft PE Server

Once your VM is running, connect via SSH and follow these commands:

# Update system
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install required packages
sudo apt install -y wget unzip screen

# Create minecraft directory
mkdir minecraft && cd minecraft

# Download Minecraft Bedrock server
wget https://minecraft.azureedge.net/bin-linux/bedrock-server-1.20.50.zip
unzip bedrock-server-1.20.50.zip

# Set permissions
chmod +x bedrock_server

4. Configuring Your Server

Edit the server.properties file:

nano server.properties

Essential settings:

server-name=My Oracle Cloud Server
gamemode=survival
difficulty=normal
allow-cheats=false
max-players=10
server-port=19132

5. Performance Optimization

Here’s where Oracle Cloud’s free resources really shine. With 4 OCPUs and 24GB RAM, you can optimize for performance:

1. Adjust view distance in server.properties:

view-distance=16

2. Create a startup script (start.sh):

#!/bin/bash
screen -S minecraft -dm bash -c 'LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./bedrock_server'

3. Make it executable:

chmod +x start.sh

6. Connecting to Your Server

1. Find your server’s public IP:

   • Oracle Cloud Console > Compute > Instances > Your Instance
   • Copy the Public IP address

2. Open these ports in Oracle Cloud:

   • Navigate to your VCN’s security list
   • Add Ingress Rules:
     • Port 19132 (UDP)
     • Port 19133 (UDP)

To connect from Minecraft PE:

1. Open Minecraft
2. Click “Play”
3. Go to “Servers” tab
4. Click “Add Server”
5. Enter your server’s IP and port (19132)

Server Optimization for Minecraft PE

To ensure your Minecraft PE server runs smoothly, here are some PE-specific optimizations:

1. Memory Allocation

   • Minecraft PE servers are generally more efficient than Java editions
   • Allocate 2-4GB RAM for optimal performance
   • Leave remaining RAM for system operations

2. Network Settings Add these to your server.properties for better PE performance:

   max-threads=8
   network-compression-threshold=512

Advanced Tips and Tricks

Ready to take your home server game to the next level? If you’re interested in building a proper home lab for hosting multiple game servers and other applications, check out our guide on setting up Kubernetes at home.

Automatic Backups

Create a backup script:

#!/bin/bash
BACKUP_DIR="/home/ubuntu/minecraft/backups"
WORLD_DIR="/home/ubuntu/minecraft/worlds"

mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR
tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/world_backup_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).tar.gz $WORLD_DIR
find $BACKUP_DIR -type f -mtime +7 -delete

Monitoring Resource Usage

Install htop to monitor server resources:

sudo apt install htop

Keeping Your Server Running

To prevent Oracle from reclaiming your instance, ensure it maintains activity:

1. Keep at least one player connected regularly
2. Set up a cron job to ping the server hourly
3. Monitor CPU usage to stay above the 20% threshold periodically

Troubleshooting Common Issues

1. Connection Timeout

   • Check if server is running: screen -ls
   • Verify ports are open: sudo netstat -tulpn | grep bedrock

2. Out of Memory

   • Monitor memory usage: free -h
   • Check logs: tail -f bedrock_server.log

3. Server Crashes

   • Check logs for errors
   • Reduce view distance if necessary
   • Monitor CPU usage with htop

Conclusion

Setting up a Minecraft PE server on Oracle Cloud Free Tier is an excellent way to host your own gaming community without any cost. The performance you get from the 4 OCPUs and 24GB RAM is more than enough for a small to medium-sized player base.

For Minecraft PE server owners, remember these key maintenance tasks:

• Keep your MinecraftPE server software updated
• Regularly backup your world files
• Monitor resource usage
• Maintain regular activity to prevent instance reclamation

Last updated: February 2025

Related Resources:

• Official Minecraft PE Documentation
• Minecraft PE Server Commands List
• Oracle Cloud Free Tier Details

Tags: Minecraft PE server, free Minecraft server hosting, Oracle Cloud Minecraft, Minecraft Bedrock server, MinecraftPE, Minecraft PE free server, Minecraft PE servers