How to Set Up a Minecraft Forge Server in 2025: The Complete Guide

Setting up a Minecraft Forge server is the best way to create a custom, modded multiplayer world for you and your friends. Whether you're a seasoned server admin or just a player who wants to host a game, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know—from the initial setup all the way to getting your friends connected.

Understanding Minecraft Forge Server Requirements

Before you jump into setting up your server, it's important to get a handle on the technical requirements and a few key compatibility issues.

Forge demands that the server and client versions match exactly. The framework has also changed significantly over time; versions 1.18 and up use an automatic installation, while older versions can be installed manually.

Here are the key things you need to get right:

• The server and every player must be using the exact same version of Forge.
• The mods folder on the server and on every player's computer must contain the identical set of mod files.
• You must have the correct version of Java installed for the version of Forge you're running.

Installing Your Minecraft Forge Server

The installation starts with grabbing the official installer and getting your server environment configured.

Step 1: Download and Run the Installer Head over to the official Forge website to download the installer. Once it's downloaded, run the file and choose the 'Install Server' option. This will create all the necessary files and folders for your modded server.

Step 2: Accept the EULA Before you can launch the server for the first time, you have to accept Minecraft's End User License Agreement (EULA). Open the eula.txt file that was just created and change the line eula=false to eula=true. The server won't start without this.

Step 3: Launch the Server You'll launch the server using a script like run.bat (for Windows) or start.sh (for macOS/Linux) located in your server directory. These scripts are pre-configured to run the server with the right Java arguments for better performance.

Managing Mods and Server Performance

Managing your mods correctly is key to keeping the server stable and making sure everyone has a smooth experience.

How to Install Mods For everything to work, the mods have to be in two places: the mods folder on your server, and the mods folder in every player's Minecraft directory. This ensures everyone's game has the same content and can connect without issues.

Performance Considerations Be patient on the first startup. Depending on how many mods you've installed, it can take anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes for the server to load everything. A heavy modpack with over 100 mods might even take the full 10 minutes. You'll see the server start a session, load the mods, and generate the world right in the console.

As noted in server documentation: "The server starts in a screen session named 'Forge', loading mods and generating the world."

Connecting Players to Your Forge Server

Getting other people connected involves a bit of prep on their end and some network setup on yours.

What Players Need Anyone who wants to join your server must have the exact same version of Forge installed on their own computer. If the versions don't match, they won't be able to connect, and it might even crash their game.

Network Setup To let friends connect over the internet, you'll need to port forward. Open port 25565 for both TCP and UDP in your router's settings. If you skip this, only people on your local home network will be able to join.

Taking Your Server to the Next Level

Once your server is up and running, you can start thinking about custom content to really make it your own. If you want to get into advanced customization, tools like Oraxen offer powerful ways to create unique items, blocks, menus, and GUIs with custom textures and models.

Your new Forge server is a blank canvas. Start by getting comfortable with installing mods and managing the basics. As you get more confident, you can dive deeper into the world of server administration. For those who want to push the boundaries, check out specialized plugins that open up a world of content creation.