I found a Bedrock Realm that has been running for over 2 years and it is a survival SMP style world. It keeps the vanilla survival feel but it also adds some extra stuff to make it more fun.
There is an economy with shops so players can trade and set up their own things. It also has a TPA system plus ranks and auctions so you can move around easier and mess with the market.
The vibe is chill and friendly and it is about making memories and building with other people. Their Discord is really active with over 1,000 members so it feels like there are always new people around.
They also do daily updates and giveaways and they want you to meet new friends and just have fun.
RedLine S2 Reset Semi Anarchy 1.21.11

RedLine Season 2 is back with a full reset and it runs on 1.21.11. It is a semi anarchy survival server where players can fight and raid and do whatever as long as they are not hacking or duping or abusing exploits beyond what the server allows.
Griefing stealing killing and even prisoning are all allowed. There are no easy commands like sethome or claims so you actually have to travel and protect your base the old school way.
The world border stays 12k by 12k. The server is also doing a staged start with the nether opening a few days after launch.
Kits matter here with stuff like the mace kit and TNT cart kit. Netherite is allowed again and there is also a Netherite SMP kit plus a trident spear kit. There are custom recipes too like the mace needing 3 cores and the spear using Netherite blocks.
Ender chests are limited to one row so you cannot stash everything safely. There is a cosmetic RedLine System where you can collect special named weapons with skins if you use the custom resource pack and only one of each item can be made so people will race and fight for them.
GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IPUltimate Hardcore SMP PERMADEATH CHAOS

Ultimate Hardcore is a hardcore SMP where death is the end and it stays that way. There are no revives and no second chances so every fight and every trip out to explore feels scary.
The world is huge at 300000 by 300000 blocks and PvP is on everywhere. Raiding and griefing are allowed too so you always have to watch your back.
It still feels like vanilla Minecraft but it has plugins that make hardcore more intense. I saw player heads and you can loot a dead players Ender Chest. It also has Simple Voice Chat and detailed stat tracking plus some quality of life stuff.
Over time people form strong groups and take land then eventually they die and it all gets left behind. The history is made by players only and nothing is scripted.
It runs on version 1.21.11 and it is made for players who want one of the most unforgiving survival experiences.
GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IPTrue Vanilla Semi Anarchy No Resets

FabricCraft is a survival server that sticks to real vanilla mechanics because it runs on Fabric. It is semi anarchy so you get a lot of freedom but there are still a few rules to keep things from getting out of control.
There are no land claims and there are no world resets so the world stays persistent and player driven. People end up making alliances and trading and starting rivalries and going on raids.
Hacked clients or mods that give you an advantage are not allowed. There is also a simple voice chat mod you can use across the server.
Griefing is banned within 1k of spawn and it is enforced by active moderation instead of claims. If you like building farms and redstone this server is made for that since your contraptions work the way you expect.
There is also a manhunt gamemode if you want to mess around with speedrun style chasing.
GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IPNightfall Realms Chill SMP Survival

Nightfall Realms is a relaxed survival SMP where people build and play at their own pace. It is focused on creativity and community and it pushes a zero toxicity vibe.
The server is still growing so new players can help shape it. There is no pay to win stuff and you can get vote ranks for perks just by voting.
It runs on Java 1.21.11 and it supports crossplay so Java and Bedrock players can join together. It feels like a place to build explore and just hang out.
GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IPCrafted Survival Semi Vanilla SMP
casual long term worldcommunity-driven serverexplore and settlegolden shovel claimsLand protection tools
I found a semi vanilla SMP server that is all about community and building cool stuff while still feeling like real survival.
It has a diamond based economy so people trade with diamonds and run player shops. There is also a shops menu so you can browse stores fast or set up your own.
Claims are a big deal here since you can protect your builds with golden shovels. It is PvE focused with no griefing and it also does not use keep inventory.
Java and Bedrock players can play together. There is a live world map you can check in your browser and separate resource worlds so the main world stays clean. You can also earn ranks and vote rewards and there are weekly events with a friendly community.
GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IPFresh 1.21.1 Survival SMP With Shops

I found a Java 1.21.1 survival SMP that is meant to stay small and feel like a real community. It is focused on long term play where your builds and progress actually matter.
It keeps a vanilla survival feel but adds quality of life stuff like tpa and sethome. There is also a player shop system so people can trade and build an economy.
They have crates and daily kits plus a daily crate and tokens you can spend. Proximity voice chat is available but it is optional.
Events are starting soon with PvP and group events where you can win prizes. The world is planned to be long term with no resets so you can commit to big projects.
GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IPRealm of Thrones Kingdom Wars SMP

Realm of Thrones is a small crossplay server where people build nations and try to grow into the top kingdom.
You can build up your own kingdom then level it up over time. Some players go for peace and trading while others go for fighting and conquest. The whole vibe is strategy and community stuff with empires forming and clashing.
There is a money system and ranks that go up with play time. As you rise you get more access and more prestige so it feels like you are always progressing.
You can also use configurable tech parts to make factories and try to become a big industry player. There are quality of life upgrades too so it stays fun with things like legendary fishing to sell, crates, a server shop, player shops, jobs you can level, and McMMO skills. They also just added around 25 quests and it is new and still being tested.
GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IPLong Term Java Bedrock Survival

This is a long term Minecraft server that supports both Java and Bedrock players.
It looks like you join through their Discord to get the server IP and connect with the community.
GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IPGaia Legends Fresh Start Semi Vanilla

I found a server called Gaia Legends and it is super new like about a week old. Even with a low player base it feels really polished and well setup.
It is semi vanilla and it has custom items plus jobs and other extra stuff. The cool part is it is easy to understand and everything feels simple to use in game.
There are crates but it does not feel pay to win. It sounds like you can get the crate stuff just by playing normally.
The owner is really active and seems to care a lot about the server and helping it grow. If you want to join a server from the start this one seems like a good pick.
GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IP

