Bedrock Server Software: BDS vs PocketMine-MP vs PowerNukkitX

If you want a server for Bedrock players, you have far fewer choices than on Java. There is Mojang's own server, and a small number of community projects that rebuilt the server from scratch so you can use plugins.

In this guide, we will compare the three names you will see most: Bedrock Dedicated Server (BDS), PocketMine-MP and PowerNukkitX. We will look at what each one is good at, what it is missing, how fast it follows new Bedrock releases, and what changed in 2026.

By the end of this guide, you will know which Bedrock server software fits your server, and which one you should avoid for a new project.

The Short Version

Software	Written in	Plugins	Status (November 2026)
Bedrock Dedicated Server	C++ (official, closed source)	No. Add-ons and scripts instead	Official. Updated with every Bedrock release
PocketMine-MP	PHP	Yes	End of support announced July 2026. Last release supports Bedrock 26.30
PowerNukkitX	Java	Yes	Active. Version 3.0.6 supports Bedrock 26.60

For most people the answer is BDS. If you need plugins, look at PowerNukkitX. PocketMine-MP is no longer a good choice for a new server, and we explain why below.

Bedrock Dedicated Server (BDS)

BDS is Mojang's official server for Bedrock Edition. You download it from minecraft.net for Windows or Linux. Officially, Linux means Ubuntu 22.04 or newer, but it runs on other x86-64 distributions with the right libraries.

Because it is the real game, everything works the way players expect: world generation, redstone, mob behaviour, villagers, farms, the lot. That is the biggest reason to pick it.

What you can customize

• server.properties → game mode, difficulty, max players, view distance and more
• allowlist.json and permissions.json → who can join and who is an operator
• Add-ons → behavior packs and resource packs, the official way to add custom items, mobs and rules
• Script API → JavaScript inside behavior packs, for custom game logic

What it does not have

BDS has no plugin API. You cannot drop in a land claim or economy plugin like you would on a Java Paper server. Unofficial plugin loaders for BDS exist (Endstone is one), but they are not made by Mojang and have to catch up after every BDS update.

BDS also has no setting for RAM limits. The Minecraft Wiki lists 4 GB of memory as the minimum and notes you may need more with over 10 players (source: Minecraft Wiki).

Ports and the 2026 network change

The default BDS port is 19132. Older guides also mention 19133 for IPv6, which belongs to the old RakNet connection method. Since Bedrock 26.50, BDS uses a new method called NetherNet by default, and in 26.60 Mojang marked RakNet as deprecated. The server.properties that ships with BDS 1.26.61.1 now contains:

server-port=19132
server-udp-ports=19132
transport=nethernet

With NetherNet, the IPv6 port setting is ignored and BDS opens one socket for both IPv4 and IPv6 on server-port. Players first contact the server over TCP, then play over UDP. If you host at home, open your port for both TCP and UDP, not just UDP like older guides say.

PocketMine-MP

PocketMine-MP is a Bedrock server written from scratch in PHP, with over 10 years of history. It became popular for minigame servers because of its plugin API and multi-world support.

Its own README is honest about the downside: PocketMine-MP "is NOT a vanilla Minecraft server software" and it is "poorly suited to hosting vanilla survival servers". It does not have vanilla world generation, redstone or mob AI, among other things. Behaviour packs are not supported either (source: PocketMine-MP on GitHub).

End of support in July 2026

In July 2026, the project announced that no one was left on the team willing to update it for new Minecraft versions, and that "no further updates will be provided by the PMMP team". They published documentation for anyone who wants to fork it and keep it updated.

What this means in practice:

• The last release is 5.44.3 from July 6, 2026, for Bedrock 26.30.
• Bedrock 26.40, 26.50 and 26.60 have all come out since then. Bedrock updates itself on players' devices, so current players cannot join an unmodified PocketMine-MP server.
• Poggit, the plugin site, now redirects to a GitHub archive of approved releases.

If you already run a PocketMine-MP server, you can keep it as long as a maintained fork supports the current Bedrock version, or plan a move. For a new server, we do not recommend it.

PowerNukkitX

PowerNukkitX is an open source Bedrock server written in Java, built on the Nukkit family of servers. It is the most active plugin-capable option right now.

The project lists these features on its GitHub page:

• Custom items, blocks and entities
• Vanilla-like mob AI and vanilla world generation
• Full vanilla command support
• A plugin system, with a Plugin Hub on powernukkitx.org

Requirements from its docs: Java 21 or newer, 2 GB RAM minimum and 4 GB or more recommended (source: PowerNukkitX requirements).

It also supports NetherNet, the new Bedrock connection method. Support was merged in September 2026, before Bedrock 26.60 deprecated the old method, so it is ready for current Bedrock clients. Its NetherNet signaling runs over TCP on the server port by default, so that port needs TCP open as well as UDP.

Note: "Vanilla-like" is not the same as vanilla. PowerNukkitX is a rewrite of the game's server logic, so some mechanics can behave differently from BDS. If your players care about exact farms or redstone timings, test those first. Old Nukkit plugins may also need changes to run.

How Fast Each One Follows New Bedrock Releases

This matters more on Bedrock than on Java. Players' games update automatically, and an outdated server simply turns them away. Here is what happened with the 2026 updates, based on the release dates on GitHub and the Minecraft Wiki:

PowerNukkitX has kept up within a day for the last three updates. That is a good track record, but it is still a community project, so there is always a chance of a gap after a big Bedrock update.

Full Comparison

Which One Should You Pick?

• Survival with friends, Realms-style → BDS. It is the real game and it never falls behind.
• Custom content without plugins → BDS with add-ons and the Script API.
• Minigames, economy, custom commands → PowerNukkitX.
• An existing PocketMine-MP server → keep it only with a maintained fork, otherwise plan a move.
• Java and Bedrock players together → skip all three and run a Java server with Geyser. Read our Geyser and Floodgate guide.

On EternalZero, you can switch a server to Bedrock and pick the Bedrock version in the Versions Changer, and keep a backup before every update in the Backups tab.

Not sure which edition your server should be built around? Read Bedrock or Java: What to Choose for Your Next Server. For a wider view of all server software, see What's the Best Minecraft Version for Your Server?

Conclusion

For a Bedrock server in late 2026, start with BDS. It is official, it always matches the current game, and add-ons cover a lot of customization.

If you outgrow it and need real plugins, PowerNukkitX is the active choice and it has kept up well with recent updates. PocketMine-MP served the community for over a decade, but without updates it can no longer accept current Bedrock players, so leave it out of new projects.