Types of SMP servers, and which one suits you
SMP only means survival multiplayer, yet the servers wearing the label run from a dozen friends on a private world to public networks with crowds online at all hours. Here's a plain map of the territory before you pick a spot to settle.
What SMP means
SMP stands for survival multiplayer. It's the regular survival game, played on a server instead of alone: you start with nothing, gather what you need, get through the nights and build, while other people do the same in the same world.
The name became popular partly through video series in which a group of players shared one long-running survival world. These days it covers almost any server built around survival, which is why two "SMPs" can feel nothing alike. The useful question isn't whether a server calls itself an SMP, but which kind it is.
The main kinds of SMP server
Most servers mix a couple of these, but nearly all of them lean towards one.
Vanilla SMP
The game as Mojang ships it, with a short list of rules on top. No new items, no new commands for players.
- Good for
- Purists and small groups who want the real thing.
- Check
- With nothing added, griefing and disputes are handled by rules and staff alone, so find out who those staff are.
Semi-vanilla or vanilla-plus
Vanilla gameplay with small conveniences the server adds, such as a way to set a home or ask to teleport to a friend.
- Good for
- Players who want the real game with less walking.
- Check
- What exactly is added. "Small" changes have a way of growing over time.
Private or whitelisted SMP
You apply, or someone invites you, and a whitelist keeps everyone else out.
- Good for
- Tight-knit groups and long collaborative builds.
- Check
- How active the core group is. When the founders drift off, these worlds can go quiet fast, and getting in at all can take a while.
Public SMP
Anyone with the address can join. You'll meet strangers, some of whom become the people you play with every week.
- Good for
- Meeting new players and finding someone online at any hour.
- Check
- Staff and anti-cheat. On a public server those two decide almost everything about the experience.
Lifesteal SMP
Survival with a PvP twist. In the usual setup, killing another player takes one of their hearts and adds it to yours, and running out of hearts takes you out of the game for a while.
- Good for
- Competitive players who like stakes.
- Check
- The exact rules, since they vary a lot from one server to the next.
Modded SMP
Survival plus mods that add new blocks, creatures or whole systems. Everyone installs the same pack before joining.
- Good for
- Players who know vanilla inside out and want something new.
- Check
- Which mod loader and game version you need. Mods are a Java Edition thing, so these servers are almost always closed to Bedrock.
Anarchy
No rules, or as close to none as a server can get. Technically survival multiplayer, but the opposite of the community feel most people mean by "SMP".
- Good for
- Players who want chaos and know what they're signing up for.
- Check
- Nothing will be protected, by design.
Survival on a network
A survival world that sits beside other gamemodes on a larger server, all reached from one address.
- Good for
- A big community, crossplay, and something else to play when you fancy a break.
- Check
- That the survival world is treated as a proper home, not an afterthought next to the headline modes.
| Kind | Who it suits | Bedrock players? | Worth checking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla | Purists, small groups | Varies | Who enforces the rules |
| Semi-vanilla | Vanilla fans who like shortcuts | Varies | What has been added |
| Whitelisted | Close friend groups | Varies | Whether the group is still active |
| Public | Anyone who wants company | Varies | Staff and anti-cheat |
| Lifesteal | PvP players | Varies | The exact heart rules |
| Modded | Players after new content | Rarely | Mod loader and version |
| Anarchy | Chaos seekers | Varies | That you really want no rules |
| Network survival | Groups wanting variety and crowds | Often, on large networks | Care given to the survival world |
Where the servers we rank fit
The four servers in our SMP ranking cover three of these kinds, which makes them a handy set of examples.
- Survival on a network: SunRealms and AkumaMC each run a Survival gamemode, regular Minecraft survival, next to other modes on the same address. SunRealms' other realms are Gens, Prison, Dungeons, Skyblock and Cobblemon. AkumaMC started as an OP Prison server and also runs Skyblock, Gens, Dungeons, RNG and Cobblemon.
- Vanilla SMP: Vanilla Europa is a European vanilla survival server for Java and Bedrock. No mods are needed, the economy runs on player chest-shops rather than a server currency, and the world has run since November 2018 without a full map reset.
- Closest to semi-vanilla: LoverCraft keeps survival at the centre and adds conveniences on top: chunk claims that grow with playtime, keep-inventory in the main world, mcMMO skills and player warps, with PvP kept to a separate area called the Wildlands.
Both networks surround their Survival worlds with plenty: SunRealms and AkumaMC take Java 1.8 to 26.3 and Bedrock on one address, run strict anti-cheat and have servers in North America and Europe, and each has a PvP arena with kits and lifesteal if that format tempts you. Each also runs in seasons, with a new one every six weeks; on SunRealms, store ranks and Sunbits carry over from one season to the next.
The network kind also answers the usual weakness of a public SMP, an empty world at odd hours: SunRealms usually has 500–1,000 players online across its realms and 18,000+ members on Discord, and AkumaMC usually has 1,000+ online and 55,000+ on Discord.
Which kind suits you?
- Three or four friends and no strangers: a private world, or a whitelisted server you run yourselves.
- You want company whenever you log on: a public SMP with a busy community.
- Your group is split between PC, phone and console: a crossplay server. Modded and many vanilla servers won't take Bedrock players at all.
- You want PvP with something on the line: a lifesteal server, or an arena on a bigger network.
- You get restless doing one thing for months: survival on a network, where another gamemode is one menu away.
Once you've picked a kind, How to pick an SMP server covers how to judge a particular server before you commit.
Questions about SMP types
What does SMP stand for in Minecraft?
SMP stands for survival multiplayer: ordinary Minecraft survival played on a shared server. Public examples include SunRealms (web.sunrealms.net) and AkumaMC (web.akumamc.net), both with Bedrock on port 19132.
What is the difference between a vanilla SMP and a lifesteal SMP?
A vanilla SMP plays like normal survival. A lifesteal SMP adds a PvP rule where, in most versions, a kill moves a heart from the loser to the winner. SunRealms and AkumaMC both have a PvP arena with kits and lifesteal.
Can Bedrock players join modded SMP servers?
Usually not. Most mods are made for Java Edition, and Bedrock uses add-ons instead, so modded SMPs are almost always Java-only. For a crossplay SMP, SunRealms takes Java and Bedrock at web.sunrealms.net, port 19132.