Yes, you can make money from a Java Edition server, within Mojang's rules. The Minecraft server monetization rules are not in the EULA itself. They sit in the “Servers and hosting” section of the Minecraft Usage Guidelines, where Mojang says you may charge for access “as long as you follow the guidelines in this section.” As of November 2026, that section allows six ways of earning, and attaches obligations to all of them. This page walks through both documents and marks common store items as allowed, not allowed, or unclear.
Neither Mojang page shows a last-updated date, so everything here is “as of November 2026 (page undated)”. Mojang says the guidelines “often change” and that it can withdraw the permissions “at any time without notice”. This is not legal advice: Mojang itself says it cannot tell you whether a specific project complies and suggests speaking to an attorney.
EULA vs Usage Guidelines: which document says what
People searching for the “minecraft commercial usage guidelines” or “minecraft server guidelines” are usually looking for one section. There is no separate commercial-guidelines document any more: server monetization is now the “Servers and hosting” part of the Minecraft Usage Guidelines. A third-party knowledge base reports that the old standalone commercial guidelines URL now redirects to the Minecraft home page; we have not verified that.
- The EULA is the binding agreement. Its summary says “Do not distribute or make commercial use of anything we've made without our permission.” It also says that for the server version of Java Edition, “you can install it on a server and host online play.”
- The Usage Guidelines are the “extra permissions” layered on top. They are what makes charging for a server permitted rather than a breach. The EULA reserves the right to change or withdraw them.
So when forum threads say “the EULA allows cosmetics”, they mean the Usage Guidelines. And a permission that Mojang can revoke is a permission to treat carefully.
The eula.txt prompt
The first time you run the server jar, per the community-run Minecraft Wiki, it generates eula.txt containing eula=false and exits. Set it to true and the server will start. That line is you agreeing to the EULA, which is why monetization questions start here. Setup steps are in our guide to making a Minecraft server, and the settings file that appears next to it is covered in server.properties explained.
One related rule in the monetization section: you must not “hide or alter any of the dialogs or prompts that are part of Minecraft”, and Mojang names the EULA in that list.
What changed since the 2014 rules
Mojang's blog post “Let's talk server monetisation!” of June 12, 2014 made servers the second exception to the rule that you may not make money from Mojang's products (videos were the first). Its reason: hosting is expensive, and hosts should be able to cover costs without exploiting players. It said outright that the rules were meant to stop servers becoming “pay-to-win”. The original URL no longer resolves; there is an archived copy.
The rules differ now, and old advice still circulates. In 2014, in-game items could be sold only if purely cosmetic (“Pets, hats, and particle effects are OK, but swords, invincibility potions, and man-eating pigs are not”), and you could not charge real money for in-game currency. The current text allows gameplay-affecting “entitlements” under conditions and allows selling virtual currency under conditions. We found no dated source for when the wording changed, so this page gives no date for it. If a guide tells you it is cosmetics only, check its date.
What Mojang says you can charge for
The guidelines define a server as “a single connecting address or IP number”. Access must go only to users with a genuine paid-for copy of Minecraft, and it can't be limited to people who own or have access to out-of-game content or services. Then “you may make money by”:
- Charging for access, provided the cost is the same for everyone, everyone who pays gets all the mods you chose to enable (admin-only tools excepted), and you own or control the server for as long as you charge.
- Asking for donations, “so long as you don't offer the donor something that only they can use”. You may give all players server-wide rewards when donation goals are met.
- Selling entitlements that affect gameplay, “provided they don't ruin other players' experience or give a competitive advantage in the game”.
- Selling cosmetics, “except for capes or anything that attempts to visually act like the feature of a Minecraft player cape”.
- In-game display and video advertising that doesn't hurt gameplay or give some players a competitive advantage. Outside brands promoting unrelated products through Minecraft gameplay are covered by a separate “Constructed Promotions” section that needs prior written approval, so read it before taking sponsors.
- Selling and using in-game virtual currencies, as long as they have no real-world value and can't be cashed out, used or transferred across other servers, or converted to real currency; don't suggest they come from Mojang; and don't look like or have a name like Minecoins or any other virtual currency.
The donation trap
Community vocabulary blurs this: people talk about “donor ranks”. By Mojang's wording, a donation can't give the donor something only they can use. A rank only the buyer gets is a sale, and it has to pass the entitlement or cosmetics clauses instead.
Obligations that apply to every store
Whichever method you use, the guidelines say you may only monetize if:
- All servers, entitlements and advertising are suitable for audiences of all ages and don't harm the Minecraft brand. Mojang's examples include gambling, pornography, violence, terrorism and explicit lyrics.
- You make clear that you are responsible for end-user data privacy and protection.
- You give any user who pays real-world currency an online payment and purchase history.
- You show all content and pricing for your server before anyone joins, signs up or signs in.
- You don't use malware or spyware or run illegal activity.
- You require social influencers promoting your server to disclose their relationship with you and follow US FTC guidelines.
Mojang closes the section with: “We reserve the right to decide if the way you are monetizing your server is consistent with our brand. In short, don't do evil things to players and you should be fine.” The guidelines' essential rules, which apply to every use, add that you must make clear who the publisher or seller is and whom to contact about purchases and how; chat and forum links are not acceptable contact methods.
Naming and branding your server
- Don't make people think the server is official, approved or endorsed by Mojang or Microsoft. Don't use the Minecraft logo or other brand assets.
- You may use the name “Minecraft” in a secondary description if needed to be honest, but “You may not use the Minecraft name as the primary or dominant name or title.” Mojang's example: “Kotoba Miners: A Minecraft server for Redstone builds” is fine; “Minecraft - the ultimate Kotoba server for Redstone” is not.
- Prominently include a disclaimer similar to “NOT AN OFFICIAL MINECRAFT [PRODUCT/SERVICE/EVENT/etc.]. NOT APPROVED BY OR ASSOCIATED WITH MOJANG OR MICROSOFT” on your listing, description, website and related materials.
A free public server is not exempt. The guidelines say that sharing with the community, “whether you plan to make money off it or not”, counts as commercial, and name servers explicitly.
Pay to win, gambling and crate keys
The Usage Guidelines and EULA don't use the phrase “pay to win” (the 2014 blog post did). The nearest test is the entitlement clause: no ruining other players' experience, no competitive advantage. Neither phrase is defined, so any claim that Mojang “bans pay-to-win” goes beyond the text.
Gambling appears in the guidelines only as an example of content unsuitable for all ages and harmful to the brand. Paid loot boxes, paid random rewards and crate keys aren't addressed by name. Whether a paid crate counts as gambling is unclear: read the guidelines, and remember Mojang reserves the right to decide. Local law may also apply; Mojang's 2014 post told sellers to check the legality of selling digital items in their region. This page does not cover gambling or consumer law.
Store platforms: Tebex and CraftingStore
Mojang's guidelines name no payment provider. Two platforms server owners commonly look at, described by their own sites:
- Tebex sells webstores and checkout, and says it acts as “Merchant of Record” handling fraud, compliance and chargebacks.
- CraftingStore calls itself a game donation platform supporting Minecraft: Java Edition, with a free plan and paid tiers, and lists coupons, gift cards and Discord integration.
These are self-descriptions, not reviews or recommendations, and we did not compare fees. A platform supporting Minecraft doesn't mean Mojang approves it, and the platform's own rules are separate from Mojang's. The obligations above, such as purchase history and pricing disclosure, are still yours to meet.
What Mojang can do about it
Only what the documents state: the EULA reserves the right to “suspend or permanently ban anyone who violates these Community Standards or this EULA” and to take down content at its discretion. The Usage Guidelines say permissions “may be revoked at any time if we think that it is appropriate to do so, or we don't like what you are doing”, and point to a help form for reporting violations. We found no published penalty schedule for servers. The guidelines also close with a catch-all: if something isn't covered and Mojang hasn't otherwise said it's okay, that “probably means we don't want you to do it”.
Is this allowed? Store items checked against the text
| Item | What the text says | Verdict (Nov 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic rank (prefix, chat colour, title) | Selling cosmetics is allowed, except capes | Allowed |
| Cape or cape-like cosmetic | Explicitly excluded | Not allowed |
| Cosmetic pet, hat, particles | Cosmetics clause (the 2014 post named these as examples) | Allowed |
| Donation with no exclusive perk | Allowed; server-wide rewards at donation goals are fine | Allowed |
| “Donation” that gives the donor a rank or kit only they get | Donations may not give the donor something only they can use | Not allowed as a donation; judged as a sale |
| Kit, XP boost, fly, extra homes | Gameplay entitlements allowed if they don't ruin others' experience or give a competitive advantage | Grey area: the tests are undefined. A combat kit on a PvP server is the clearest fit for “competitive advantage” (our interpretation) |
| Queue or reserved-slot priority | Not named | Unclear: read the guidelines |
| Crate key, loot box, paid random reward | Not named; gambling is named only as unsuitable content | Unclear: read the guidelines |
| Server currency for real money | Allowed if no real-world value, no cash-out, no cross-server transfer, no Minecoins-like name or look | Allowed with conditions |
| Paid entry or whitelist | Same cost for everyone, all enabled mods for all payers, you control the server throughout | Allowed with conditions |
| Selling a plugin or mod you wrote | The EULA says your mods are yours as long as you don't sell them or try to make money from them; the guidelines' mod section has no sentence permitting sale | Unclear: read the EULA (see plugin best practices for the technical side) |
FAQ
Can you monetize a Minecraft server?
Yes. The Usage Guidelines say you may host a server and even charge for access, following the section's rules. That is a revocable permission, not a right.
Can you sell ranks on a Minecraft server?
Cosmetic ranks, yes. Ranks that carry gameplay perks fall under the entitlement clause and its undefined “competitive advantage” test.
Is monetizing Minecraft mods illegal?
We can't call it illegal. The EULA says mods you create are yours as long as you don't sell them for money or try to make money from them, and the Usage Guidelines give no permission to sell. Read both yourself.
Can I charge for a Realm?
No. The EULA says you cannot sell, lease, rent or deal in access to your Realm or receive benefits for letting others play on it.
Is it safe to open port 25565?
That is a security question outside these documents; start with the server setup guide.
Sources
- Minecraft EULA and Minecraft Usage Guidelines, read November 3, 2026 (both undated).
- Mojang, “Let's talk server monetisation!”, June 12, 2014, via the Wayback Machine.
- Minecraft Wiki: Server.jar for eula.txt behaviour (community-run).
- Tebex and CraftingStore, first-party descriptions.
For how servers' economies and stores have evolved more broadly, see our history of Minecraft servers.
A note on in-game money
MCRPG (coming soon) is building a single-ledger gold economy, described on the economy guide. Nothing on this page says how any server, MCRPG included, should run a store.