I found ValueGameNode and they just launched a free tier in Helsinki. They say it is no BS and no hidden fees and it is all about performance.
The free tier comes with 2GB RAM and 10GB NVMe SSD disk. CPU is listed as 200 percent usage.
You can grab a slot through their free tier page and they also have a Discord if you want to talk with them.
MinecraftOffline is a Finland hosted server for people who want a world that stays forever. They say the map will never reset so your builds can keep going for a long time.
It runs on version 1.21.11 and it uses custom plugins to add its own twist. The server is built on reliable hardware and it is meant to feel good for players in Europe.
I found a vanilla Minecraft server host that seems built for small groups like 5 to 15 players. It is the kind of setup where you pick Minecraft and a plan and it comes online super fast.
The storage is NVMe so chunks load quicker and world generation does not crush the TPS like before. It also has DDoS protection included which helps a lot if your server has been hit in the past.
It uses a Pterodactyl panel so it is easy to handle plugins backups and the console right in your browser. Pricing starts at 4.99 a month for 1.5GB and the 4GB plan is 14.99 a month.
The only downside is there are only US and EU locations right now so other regions might feel laggy. There is no one click modpack installer yet so you have to upload the server jar yourself. Support is not 24 7 live chat but email replies have been fast and there is a 7 day free trial to test it.
New Horizons is a chill SMP that tries to stay close to vanilla and avoids pay to win stuff. It uses quality of life plugins so survival feels better but still normal.
The world has Terralith generation so you can find exciting new biomes. It also has Better Structures on the surface and underground so exploring stays interesting.
The server supports both Java and Bedrock players. It has an online interactive map and it pre generates chunks with Chunky to keep gameplay smooth.
You can use land claims and home commands. The community is friendly and the server development is community driven. There are also community events sometimes.