Pros and Cons of Owning a Server

Creating a server is a fun and rewarding experience. However, it is important to know going into it that there are pros and cons to making your own server. Please note that these pros and cons are for the typical server. It does not necessarily include all servers.

Pros:

 * 1) Create a Minecraft server of your design
 * 2) Provide a server experience players enjoy
 * 3) You aren't limited by other servers' rules and restrictions
 * 4) Potentially make money

Cons:

 * 1) Typically costs money each month. Hosting costs are almost always required and prices vary depending on your server type. There are additional optional costs such as a dedicated IP, domain, logo/banner art, custom plugins, premium plugins, etc.
 * 2) Most servers are not able to make a sustainable profit and at best they break even
 * 3) Creating and managing a server is very time consuming
 * 4) You may end up spending a lot more time working on the server than playing it
 * 5) It can be very hard to gain and keep an active playerbase
 * 6) You will need to learn many new skills to create and manage a server. That said, this wiki aims to make this step easier.
 * 7) You have a responsibility to your players. This can be a pro or a con. People rely on you which can be nice, but it also means you can't abandon the server for two weeks and expect everything to be alright. That said, there are ways to minimize problems when you have to go inactive for a period of time, such as having a trustworthy and reliable staff team.

Recommendations:
Please bare in mind these are solely my opinions. Your views on it may vary.


 * 1) Don't create a server if you're just trying to make money. I understand the attraction, but you'll likely end up spending more money than you make long-term.
 * 2) Similarly, don't rely on server donations to pay server costs
 * 3) Have a clear idea of the type of server you want beforehand and the features it will provide
 * 4) There are thousands of servers so determine how yours will stand out before making it