Aternos-vs-exaroton

Feature comparison between Aternos and exaroton

Table of Contents

• Quick Comparison Table
• Aternos vs exaroton - Feature Comparison with Explanation
• What Makes exaroton Different
• Current Downsides of exaroton

Quick Comparison Table

#	Feature	Aternos	exaroton
1	Public API	Doesn’t provide a public API	Provides a public API
2	Custom startup arguments	Not possible	Supported
3	Performance	Lower performance	Better performance
4	Loading / saving speed	Slower	Faster
5	Ads	Funded by ads; many ads on the website	Paid service; ad-free
6	Startup queue	May be lined up in a queue when starting the server	No queue
7	RAM	Less than 3 GB without Medal boosts	Up to 16 GB
8	World upload size limit	1 GB	3 GB
9	Server storage limit (compressed)	4 GB	10 GB
10	Discord bot	No public Discord bot	Public Discord bot available
11	Autostart	Not available	Available
12	Autostop	Always enabled to save resources	Configurable; can be enabled to save credits
13	Custom plugins / mods	Not possible as some allow automatic shutdown circumvention	Any plugins / mods allowed
14	Paid plugins / mods	Not possible	Allowed
15	File downloads	Only certain files (worlds, configs, Bedrock addons, etc.)	Most files
16	Servers per account	Create up to 3 servers	Create up to 10 servers
17	Server regions	Central Europe only	Central Europe & North America
18	Server networks	Not supported	Supported
19	Custom server software	Not supported	Supported
20	Modpacks	Preloaded modpacks only	Custom modpacks can be uploaded
21	Preloaded modpacks	Fewer	More
22	Preloaded modpack modification	Cannot modify mod collection or configs	Possible with modpack overrides
23	Modpack versions	Latest only	Can use specific versions by uploading
24	Monetization	Not allowed	Allowed
25	Offline waiting lobby	Forced	Configurable
26	Player idle timeout	Limited; cannot be disabled	Not limited
27	Render / view distance	Limited	Not limited
28	Simulation distance	Limited	Not limited
29	24/7 always online	Not allowed	Possible but not recommended
30	Addons for mods / plugins	Only some allowed	Most / All allowed
31	Advertising	Aternos Discord only	Aternos and exaroton Discord

Aternos vs exaroton - Feature Comparison with Explanation

Public API

• Aternos does not provide a public API.
• exaroton does, see the official guide.

Custom Startup Arguments

• Aternos does not support custom startup arguments (e.g. Aikar’s flags).
• exaroton supports them, see the official guide.

Performance

• exaroton generally offers better performance than Aternos. Read more on allocated resources and hardware here.

Server Loading / Saving Speed

• exaroton has faster server loading and saving times compared to Aternos, given the same server size.

Ads

• Aternos is funded by ads and displays many ads on its website.
• exaroton is a paid service and completely ad-free.

Startup Queue

• Aternos servers may be placed in a queue when starting.
• exaroton has no startup queue.

RAM Allocation

• Aternos servers are limited to less than 3 GB of RAM without boosts from Aternos-Medal partnership (varies by software and version).
• exaroton allows up to 16 GB of RAM (16 GB is more than enough for most servers). See the official guide.

World Upload Size Limit

• Aternos: 1 GB
• exaroton: 3 GB

Server Storage Limit (compressed)

• Aternos: 4 GB
• exaroton: 10 GB

If you reach this limit, you can no longer start your server. Contact support for help on reducing server size.

Discord Bot

• Aternos does not offer a public Discord bot, as users must visit the website to start servers due to ad-based funding.
• exaroton provides a public Discord bot to start, stop, restart, manage your servers and more from your own Discord server. See the official guide.

Autostart

• Aternos does not offer this feature.
• exaroton supports Autostart, allowing servers to start automatically when a player tries to join. See the official guide.

Autostop

• Aternos always enforces Autostop to conserve limited resources.
• exaroton allows Autostop to be disabled, or enabled to save credits when the server is empty. See the official guide.

Custom Plugins / Mods

• Aternos restricts custom uploads for plugins and mods because some can prevent automatic shutdown. Only those in the plugins/mods section are usable, there are over 42,000 plugins/mods available.
• exaroton allows uploading any plugins and mods (drag and drop works). See the official guide.

Paid Plugins / Mods

• Paid plugins/mods are not possible on Aternos.
• exaroton allows the use of any plugins/mods, including paid ones.

File Downloads

• Aternos only allows downloading specific files (e.g., worlds, configs, Bedrock addons).
• exaroton allows downloading most server files (use Ctrl + A to select all files).

Server Creation Limit per Account

• Aternos: up to 3 servers
• exaroton: up to 10 servers

Server Regions

• Aternos: Central Europe only
• exaroton: Central Europe and North America (See the official guide)

Server Networks

• It’s not possible to create a proxy server on Aternos.
• exaroton supports server networks, see the official guide.

Custom Server Software

• exaroton allows uploading and running custom server software, not just prelisted options. See the official guide.
• This is not possible on Aternos.

Modpacks

• Aternos only allows using preloaded modpacks or creating a custom modpack by manually installing mods one by one in the mods section.
• Instead of using one of the preloaded modpacks or creating a custom modpack, exaroton also allows uploading custom modpacks. See the official guide.

Preloaded Modpacks

• exaroton offers more preloaded modpacks for quick setup and instant play. See the official guide.

Modification of Preloaded Modpacks

• Aternos does not allow modifying the mods or configs of preloaded modpacks.
• exaroton supports modpack overrides.

Modpack Versions

• Aternos only provides the latest version of preloaded modpacks. Preloaded modpacks get updated automatically when a new version is out.
• exaroton allows using specific modpack versions by uploading them as custom server software. See the official guide.

Monetization

• Since Aternos is free, earning real money from its servers is not allowed and may result in permanent suspension of your Aternos account.
• exaroton allows server monetization.

Offline Waiting Lobby

• The offline waiting lobby cannot be disabled on Aternos.
• exaroton allows enabling or disabling the offline waiting lobby. See the official guide.

Player Idle Timeout (AFK kick)

Idle (AFK) players are kicked from the server after a certain time. This is a feature of Vanilla Minecraft.

• On Aternos, the idle timeout is 10 minutes by default and cannot be disabled. On Java Edition, this can be increased via /setidletimeout command but the maximum value is limited to 30 minutes. Trying to circumvent the idle timeout by any way is a violation of Aternos’ terms of service and will result in permanent suspension of your Aternos account(servers).
• exaroton does not limit this. It can be configured on the options page or using the /setidletimeout <minutes> command on Java Edition. If set to 0, the idle timeout is disabled.

Server Render / View Distance

The amount of world data the server sends the client, measured in chunks in each direction of the player (radius, not diameter). In the Minecraft client, this option is called “Render distance” and can be set to a lower value than the server’s view distance to improve the client performance and FPS. However, it is not possible to set it to a higher value than the server’s view distance to load more chunks. Setting it higher won’t change anything.

Java Edition players can use a client sided mod like Bobby or Distant Horizons to achieve a greater render distance than the server’s.

• On Aternos, the maximum value of server view distance is limited to 15 on Paper/Purpur/Bedrock and 10 on other software for performance optimization. Read more here.
• exaroton does not limit this. It can be configured in the server.properties file. It is not recommended to set the server view distance higher than 10.

Simulation Distance

The maximum distance from players that living entities may be located in order to be updated by the server, measured in chunks in each direction of the player (radius, not diameter). If entities are outside of this radius, then they are not ticked by the server and they are not visible to players.

• On Aternos, the maximum value of simulation distance is limited to 5 for performance optimization.
• exaroton does not limit this. It can be configured in the server.properties file. It is not recommended to set the simulation distance higher than 10.

24/7 Online

Aternos

• Running your server 24/7 is not possible on Aternos because it is a 100% free service. Aternos has limited resources and wants to ensure they are used by active players.
• Trying to circumvent this is a violation of Aternos’ terms and will result in your Aternos account(servers) being suspended permanently. Read more here.

exaroton

• On exaroton, it is possible to run your server 24/7. However, this is not the intended use case for exaroton and will be more expensive than other hosting providers. It is recommended to enable Autostart and Autostop to only run your server when there are active players.
• If you run a large public server that almost always has players online, a traditional monthly subscription-based hosting provider might be cheaper. However, if you only play a few hours per day with your friends, you can save a lot of money by only running your server when you actively use it with exaroton.

Addons for Mods / Plugins

Aternos

• On Aternos, whether addons for specific mods or plugins are allowed always depends on how those addons are implemented in the mod/plugin in question. If a mod/plugin implements their addon system in a safe way, Aternos generally allows addons to be uploaded. For example, content packs for the Immersive Railroading mod are supported.
• If the way a mod/plugin implements their addon system or the addon itself might allow circumventing Aternos’ restrictions, such as bypassing the automatic shutdown, then such addons cannot be used on Aternos. For example, gunpacks for the TaCZ mod, addons for the Fisk’s Superheroes mod, addons for the Lucraft: Core mod, content packs for the Flan’s Mod, addons for the Skript plugin are not supported.

exaroton

• On exaroton, most, if not all, addons for mods and plugins are supported.

Server Advertising

• Aternos server advertisements are only allowed in the Aternos Discord’s servers channel.
• exaroton server advertisements are allowed in both the Aternos Discord’s servers channel and the exaroton Discord’s servers channel.

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What Makes exaroton Different

1. Unlike the traditional hosting providers with a fixed monthly plan, exaroton is pay-as-you-go! You are only charged for the time you actually use your server. Read about pricing here.
2. exaroton is not meant for running your server 24/7. After all, most servers don’t have players online all the time. Just enable Autostart and Autostop so players can join and play anytime while saving your money.
3. There’s no subscription; you don’t need to worry about getting a bill charged automatically. You only pay when you choose to buy credits.
4. Share payments for your server with your friends in a safe way with credit pools!
5. You can change your server’s allocated RAM at any time whenever needed.
6. exaroton servers are fully DDoS protected to keep you safe from DDoS attacks.
7. exaroton provides an easy-to-use user interface, making server management simple and intuitive.
8. Want to create a Java-Bedrock crossplay server? exaroton makes this effortless, eliminating the need for manual setup. See the official guide.
9. Import your Aternos servers to exaroton instantly with just a few clicks!
10. Unlike many other hosting providers, exaroton offers unlimited free backups! Backups stay even after server deletion. Just enable automatic backups and you are worry-free!
11. Tired of the default exaroton.me address? Use a custom domain name!
12. exaroton is made by a company with 12+ years of server hosting experience, continuously adding new features!

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Current Downsides of exaroton

1. Certain plugins/mods may not work, such as voting or backup plugins/mods, as well as web map plugins/mods (e.g., Dynmap, BlueMap).
2. exaroton only provides one port per server, so it’s not possible to use both GeyserMC and a voice chat plugin/mod simultaneously.
3. Although planned, there are currently no servers in the Asia region.
4. Renaming files on the website is unfortunately currently not possible due to the way exaroton’s storage system is implemented. exaroton is planning to fix this in the future but it requires a major overhaul of some core systems.
5. Only the latest server log file is stored.
6. FTP is not supported on exaroton, but you can still upload various files.
7. exaroton does not provide static IP addresses, due to the dynamic pricing model.
8. The /restart command added by Spigot is not supported on exaroton. (Note that you should never use /reload or /bukkit:reload on Bukkit-based software like Spigot/Paper/Purpur. Use /minecraft:reload instead for reloading datapacks.)

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Made with ❤️ by Adriel