SMPs (Survival Multiplayer servers) are the heart of the Minecraft community. Inspired by Hermitcraft and the Dream SMP, thousands of players are looking for their own SMP to call home. Here's how to find the perfect one.
What Makes a Good SMP?
The best SMPs have: an active and mature community, regular events and build competitions, grief protection without feeling restrictive, a stable uptime history, and a reasonable player count (20-100 active players is the sweet spot for community feel).
Public vs Whitelist SMPs
Public SMPs let anyone join — great for jumping right in, but quality varies. Whitelist SMPs require an application — they're harder to get into, but the community quality is typically much higher. Many of the best SMPs use an application process to maintain a good environment.
Hermitcraft-Style Servers
If you love Hermitcraft's vibe, look for servers that emphasize building, redstone, community projects, and a shopping district. These servers typically have a "no PvP unless consensual" rule and encourage collaboration over competition.
Finding Your SMP
Browse our SMP category on MC-Servers.io to find active survival multiplayer servers. Check player counts and uptime to make sure the server is healthy before investing your time in building.