Summary
- Running a single-player world on a Minecraft server offers the same experience as local play.
- However, one of the main benefits of hosting single-player worlds on a server includes being able to play anywhere you are.
- Also, running single-player worlds on a server allows for easy multiplayer access should you want to invite friends to join in on your fun.
I love Minecraft. But, more than playing it at my desk, I love playing Minecraft anywhere I am. Here’s why I keep my single-player world on a server instead of just my local desktop.
Minecraft Servers Aren’t Just for Multiplayer Worlds
Most people think of running a Minecraft server to play with friends. And, while that’s the primary use of running a Minecraft server, it’s not the only reason to run one.
Personally, I keep my single-player worlds on my server too. This is something that I’ve not seen many other people do. In fact, when talking about this article with others here at How-To Geek, some of the editors said they had never even heard of the notion of running a single-player world on a server.
Really, a single-player and multiplayer world on a server is the exact same as a multiplayer world except for one thing: don’t share the IP and port with others. So long as you use an allow list with only your own Minecraft user allowed to access the server, and don’t share the exact location, then the Minecraft world plays the same as if it was locally on your computer. Except, it’s not.
Hosting a Single-Player Minecraft Server Has Many Benefits
What benefits are there to hosting your single-player world on a server? Well, my favorite reason to do this is because it allows me to play that world anywhere I am.
When I kept my single-player Minecraft world on my desktop, I could only play it on my desktop. If I wasn’t home, I couldn’t play it.
Moving the world to a server opened up the door for me to enjoy my Minecraft world anywhere. One thing I want to do in 2025 is start (and keep going) a “forever world,” a trend that’s going around YouTube lately. Basically, a world that I don’t give up on. The Minecraft 2-week phase is a real thing, but I want to have a world I can keep coming back to month after month, year after year. A forever world is meant to expand with you, as you can always go to a new portion of the massive map and start anew, just in the same save.
However, if your save is on a desktop, then it’s tied to that specific computer. You’d have to remember to move the save to a new computer if you upgraded. Or, if the computer died, you could lose the save just the same. That’s where running the world on a separate server comes in handy.
As a hardware reviewer, I’m constantly changing components or even entire systems. Reinstalling Windows. Moving from this machine to that. Having my Minecraft world on a server means that, no matter which computer I’m on, I can easily just launch my mod pack, log in, and play.
Not only can I access my Minecraft world from multiple computers at home, but I can also play from anywhere. A few months ago, we were visiting my in-laws. I wasn’t feeling the best, so I was up in the bonus room away from everyone else. My father-in-law has a pretty high-powered gaming desktop up there, so I simply logged into my Minecraft account, entered the server details for my world, and I was up and going exactly where I left off at home.
I wasn’t even at home, and I was playing my single-player world. It was glorious.
Another huge benefit to running your single-player world on a server is when it comes to farms. I can’t play Minecraft without Create mod. Using Create, you can make farms for so many different items. These farms run constantly, and with a chunk loader and a world on a server, your farms can even run when you’re offline.
I have farms for iron, redstone, and even diamonds. All the farms run 24/7 (so long as my server is online) and my trains run to transport the produced items from the farm itself to my storage building. It’s great.
The only thing to keep in mind when it comes to running a single-player world on a server is the day counter never stops. So, if you want to keep track of 100 days, 1,000 days, or 10,000 days in a world, then playing on a server might not be the best option. Because, so long as the server is on, your world is running, and the day counter keeps ticking.
Most Minecraft server software typically has a backup function built-in too. This means that you can have regular backups run for your Minecraft world in the event that something happens to it. I’ve had to restore backups several times for various reasons. Mods breaking, me breaking things, or just world corruption. Having a backup on hand is always a good thing. Having the backup system automated is even better.
It’s Easy to Invite Friends in the Future
One final reason to run your single-player world on a server is the fact that it’s easy to open it up to friends in the future. I know that I’ve invited friends to my single-player instance several times before.
Now, I know that Minecraft somewhat has this built-in with local worlds, but it doesn’t work well for WAN connections. LAN, it’s great though.
Related
How to Start Your Own Minecraft Server for Multiplayer Gaming
Minecraft is a timeless classic, and you don’t even need a crazy PC to host a server.
But, if your single-player world is on a server and you run into a problem with building, need help with the Ender Dragon, or just want to play for a few hours with a friend, it’s all possible. Simply add your friend’s user to the allow list and give them the server information. They’ll be able to easily log in and help with whatever you need. Just remember to remove them from the allow list if you want to keep the server to just you in the future.
I’ve been hosting my own Minecraft server for years, and you should too.
