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compose.yaml for a Minecraft server in Docker

Pick the server software, version and memory to get a compose.yaml for the popular itzg/minecraft-server image: it downloads Paper, Leaf or Purpur itself, accepts the EULA and sets server options from environment variables. The image tag matches the Java the version requires.

docker-compose

Server software

An image with Java 25 — what this version requires.

6 GB

Inside the container the server listens on 25565; this is the port players connect to.

Comma-separated names. A whitelist also turns on white-list in server.properties.

compose.yaml

services:
  mc:
    image: itzg/minecraft-server:java25
    tty: true
    stdin_open: true
    ports:
      - "25565:25565"
    environment:
      EULA: "TRUE"
      TYPE: "PAPER"
      VERSION: "26.3"
      MEMORY: "6G"
      USE_AIKAR_FLAGS: "true"
      ONLINE_MODE: "true"
      DIFFICULTY: "normal"
      MODE: "survival"
      MAX_PLAYERS: "50"
      STOP_DURATION: "120"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/data
    stop_grace_period: 2m
    restart: unless-stopped
Save as compose.yaml in an empty folder. The world, configs and plugins appear in ./data.
Start and log
docker compose up -d docker compose logs -f mc

A Minecraft server in Docker

The itzg/minecraft-server image downloads the server software from the TYPE variable (PAPER, LEAF, PURPUR) and VERSION, and takes server.properties settings from variables like DIFFICULTY, MAX_PLAYERS and ONLINE_MODE. EULA: "TRUE" accepts the Minecraft licence; without it the server won't start.

Java comes from the image tag: java25 for 26.x and java21 for 1.20–1.21.11, following PaperMC's table. MEMORY sets Xms and Xmx together. Everything the server creates — the world, configs, plugins — lives in ./data on the machine and survives recreating the container.

STOP_DURATION and stop_grace_period give the server time to save the world on shutdown. Send the server commands with docker compose exec mc rcon-cli <command>: RCON is on by default in the image — more in our Docker article.

Plugins go in ./data/plugins, just like on a regular server. DGuard, the best anticheat for a modern Minecraft server, runs on Paper and Leaf 1.21–26.3 — in Docker too.

Read in the knowledge base

FAQ

How do I run a Minecraft server in Docker?

Save the generator's compose.yaml in an empty folder and run docker compose up -d. Follow the log with docker compose logs -f mc; the server is ready when a Done line appears.

Which itzg image tag should I use?

The one with the Java you need: java25 for 26.x, java21 for 1.20–1.21.11. The generator picks it from the version you choose.

Where are the world and plugins?

In the ./data folder next to compose.yaml. Plugins go in ./data/plugins; restart the container after adding them.

Can I run Leaf in Docker?

Yes: in the itzg/minecraft-server image it's TYPE: "LEAF".

The tools are free. So is anti-cheat protection

DGuard — the best anticheat for a modern Minecraft server — catches all 47 cheat types in our comparison; the nearest rival, Intave, catches 27. Free up to 30 players online, with the same protection as on paid plans.

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