I found a small semi vanilla SMP that is in testing right now
They plan to properly start in about a week so it feels like a good time to get in early and be ready for launch
It is meant to stay close to normal Minecraft survival and keep things simple
Malgazar SMP is a chill survival server on 1.21.11 where people actually try to not wreck your builds. The server is hosted in the UK and it runs on Purpur. It is for official Minecraft launchers only.
The vibe is friendly and pretty active with around 13 or more online usually and about 400 overall. Most players live near the hub area around -1k -1k so it feels like you can find neighbors fast.
The rules are serious about respect. No griefing no stealing no scamming no slurs no drama no x ray and no cheats. PvP is only if both players agree and pets and animals are protected too. Breaking rules can get you locked in a cage for a while or banned.
There are QOL features like keep inventory and explosions not destroying blocks plus veinminer. There is mcMMO for skill rankings. Fishing has extra rare loot and the world border is set to 15k with the outer end islands resetting every week. There is also a tool that can roll back grief fast and show who interacted with blocks.
I found a Minecraft server host that lets you run a full server for 24 hours for free. It is made for testing so you can see how it feels before you pay anything.
You can use it for SMP stuff or PvP stuff or modded gameplay. You can add plugins and run events and invite your friends to see how it performs.
It says no credit card is needed and there is no commitment. The panel has a terminal a version changer a server splitter with options a datapack installer and a one click plugin installer.
I found a Minecraft group that is looking for more players.
They want people to join up and get the info through their Discord server. Not much else is said so it feels like a simple come hang out and play kind of thing.
I found a new Minecraft server that is being paid for and it is an economy based SMP.
It has crate keys plus commands like sell and warp. There is also a shop system and more stuff to do while you play and build.
The Kingdom of Solaria is a modded Cobblemon server that feels like a big adventure world with a friendly player base and active staff.
There are multiple dimensions to explore like The Aether and Eternal Starlight. There is also a second overworld that is just for gathering resources and it resets weekly so it stays fresh.
Combat is a big deal here with mods like Simply Swords and Mythic Metals. If you like building there are lots of decoration and furniture mods too.
You can take on Cobblemon Raid Dens with harder fights and rare Pokemon at higher difficulties. There are also Battle Towers for more fights and rewards.
The server has handwritten lore you can play in game using FTB Quests. There is currency to earn and you can spend it in a player run market or an official shop at spawn.
Solaria also has exclusive currencies called SolCoin and LunaCoin. There are custom cosmetic forms for Pokemon and staff made Pokemon rebalance changes so more Pokemon feel useful.
If you want big battles there is a full League with eight Gym Leaders. The Elite Four area is said to be under construction at spawn and it sounds like more is coming.
I found NostalgiaCraft and it is a vanilla style SMP that is trying to feel like old Minecraft with friends. It keeps stuff simple so it does not feel bloated and it focuses on normal survival and building.
Griefing is against the rules and the server has a protected spawn plus rollback help if something goes wrong. The world has been running since 2020 and they say there are no resets so builds can stay for the long run.
The map is huge with a 300k by 300k border and it is on dedicated hardware with the goal of staying at 20 TPS. There is a vanilla economy vibe with player shops and trading and no extra currency plugins.
It also has a graylist system so you can join and play right away. Spawn is protected in a 1400 by 1400 area for trusted members and outside of that is survival. It supports Bedrock too and it just updated to 1.21.11.
I found a small modded server called Fools Ambrosia and it is really big on roleplay and story. The whole world has this myth vibe with immortals and mortals and a long history of wars and fallen gods. Now there are only four gods left and they made something new which is you.
The server says it is roleplay first and gameplay second. They do regular scheduled events for several timezones and some are casual and some are super lore heavy. They also say any character can become important in the story if you actually show up and take part.
It runs on a lightweight NeoForge modpack with around 160 mods and they claim it can work on a potato. They also talk about having a custom made server backend and a friendly admin team that keeps putting in effort so the server lasts.
Mods mentioned include Origins with 16 choices and Biomancy 2 if you want the weird flesh stuff. The big question is if players keep the peace or repeat the old wars for power.
GamerHub Towny is a small Towny and SMP server that is all about relaxing and building up your own place. It is chill but still has a casual competitive feel so you can keep growing and improving.
The rules are simple and meant to keep things friendly. No griefing no stealing and the world does not reset.
You can claim land with Towny and work on your town over time. There are jobs plus MCMMO and an in game ranking system so you can grind and level up.
There is Dynmap so you can see the world. You can also use player warps and player shops plus a sell only server shop.
It supports 1.21.x and the community is active across AU EU and US timezones so it is usually easy to find someone online.