Minecraft Vanilla Snapshots are pre-release versions of upcoming Minecraft updates. They allow you to test and experience new features, blocks, mobs, and mechanics before they're officially released. Hosting a snapshot server is perfect for content creators, beta testers, and communities who want early access to new content and want to provide feedback to Mojang during development.

Vanilla Snapshot servers typically require the same RAM as stable Minecraft releases. We recommend 2GB RAM for 1-10 players, 4GB RAM for 10-20 players, and 6-8GB RAM for 20+ players. Since snapshots may contain experimental features or bugs, having extra RAM buffer (an additional 1-2GB) can help maintain performance during testing.

No, snapshot versions are not compatible with stable releases. Players must use the same snapshot version as the server to connect. Worlds created in snapshots may experience corruption or data loss when reverting to stable versions, so we always recommend maintaining backups. Our hosting includes automatic backup systems to protect your data during snapshot testing.

Mod and plugin compatibility with snapshots is limited. Most mods require stable API releases and won't work with experimental snapshots. However, some server-side plugins and data packs may work if they don't rely on specific version APIs. Our control panel allows easy testing of compatible plugins, but we recommend running snapshots without mods for the most stable experience.

Player capacity on snapshot servers is identical to stable versions, limited only by your allocated resources. Our plans range from 4 slots for small testing groups up to 100+ slots for large community servers. Since snapshots may have performance issues due to their experimental nature, we recommend starting with fewer players and scaling up as stability improves.