PowerNukkitX Server Hosting

What is PowerNukkitX and how does it differ from Nukkit?

PowerNukkitX is open-source, feature-rich server software for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, written in Java. It descends from the Nukkit family by way of PowerNukkit, and it is actively developed today, with regular updates for current Bedrock protocols.

The real difference is in the goals. Nukkit focuses on a lean core and a flexible plugin API. PNX works to bring the game closer to vanilla, with vanilla-like mob AI, advanced world generation built on Terra and vanilla command support. It also adds developer tools Nukkit does not have, such as support for custom blocks, items and entities.

That makes PNX a good choice for communities that want economies, land claims or custom content without giving up the survival feel, for Java teams that want to design their own items, and for servers looking for an active alternative now that PocketMine-MP's official updates have stopped. If you want pure, exact vanilla, Vanilla Bedrock or LeviLamina is still the more accurate pick.

How do custom blocks and items work in PowerNukkitX?

In PNX all server-side logic is implemented in Java. When you want a new block, item or entity, you define its behavior inside a plugin using the Java API, and for its appearance you prepare a resource pack with the textures and models. Resource packs go into the resource_packs folder as zip files and the server sends them to players as they connect, so nobody has to install anything on their client.

There is one important limit: PNX does not support Bedrock behavior packs, because its own Java code decides how mobs, blocks and items behave. Do not expect a .mcaddon made for BDS to work if you upload it as-is; if you want the same content on PNX, it has to be rewritten as a plugin. The upside is that control stays entirely on the server, so recipes, drop rates and interactions for custom items cannot be altered by tampering with the client. After adding custom content, restart the server and check the console for registration errors.

How much RAM and which plan does PowerNukkitX need?

PNX runs on a 64-bit Java 21 or newer and uses memory through the JVM heap. Vanilla-like mob AI, richer world generation and custom content all need more memory and more CPU than classic Nukkit. Chunk generation pushes the CPU hardest when players spread out in different directions and explore new terrain at the same time.

For a small friends survival server, Bronze 4GB is enough, but groups beyond eight players are more comfortable on Silver 6GB. For a community of 15 to 25 players with custom blocks, economy plugins and a widely explored world, we recommend Gold 8GB. Beyond roughly 35 players, core count is what matters: Bronze through Diamond have 4 vCores, Emerald 6 and Xtreme 12. A tight heap shows up as momentary freezes, while a CPU shortfall shows up as mobs stuttering and blocks responding late. Keeping the view distance in pnx.yml sensible for your community's size eases both.

Plugins, pnx.yml and day-to-day administration

One of PNX's most practical changes is putting configuration in one file: settings that used to be spread across server.properties and nukkit.yml are merged into pnx.yml. Server name, port, game mode, difficulty, whitelist and performance behavior are all managed there, and a restart applies your changes.

Plugins are uploaded to the plugins folder as .jar files. The PNX team's Plugin Hub lists community plugins, and developer documentation lives at powernukkitx.org. Spigot, Paper and Purpur plugins are written for Java Edition and will not run on PNX. Plugins written for classic Nukkit may not always load cleanly either because of API differences, so prefer versions updated for PNX.

When Minecraft updates, players can only keep connecting once you move to a PNX release that supports the new protocol. Take a backup from the panel before updating, then confirm in the console that your plugins load on the new release. You can reach every file through the panel's file manager or over SFTP.

Joining a PowerNukkitX server from phones, PCs and consoles

Bedrock players join a PNX server the same way they join any Bedrock server. Android, iOS and Windows players go to Play, open the Servers tab, add a new server and save the address and port from your panel. If the server has custom content, the resource pack downloads on the first connection, so that first join can take a little longer.

For Xbox, PlayStation and Switch owners, Mojang's restriction is the same: consoles have no field for a custom address. Community DNS redirect services, or apps that announce the server on the local network as a LAN game, are the usual ways around it. Players' client versions have to be compatible with the protocol PNX supports. If you later connect the server to a WaterdogPE network as it grows, remember to configure it so the proxy handles authentication.