Players and owners should understand why a server sits where it does, so our ranking formula is open. This guide explains the default "By rating" sort, the other rankings, what paid promotion changes and what happens to servers that fake their online.
Rankings on the site
| Sort | Based on | Promotion bonuses |
|---|---|---|
| By rating (default) | votes this month + plan bonuses | yes: VIP, PREMIUM, partner link |
| By votes | honest votes this month only | no |
| By online | players right now | no |
| By reviews | review rating (weighted by how long the author has played) | no |
| New | date added | no |
| Growing | weekly growth of average online | no |
There are also sorts by individual review criteria (staff, community, donations, stability, originality), and a separate top by online page.
Tiers: servers with players first
Every list except "New" shows servers that are online and have players first, then empty and offline ones; the chosen sort applies inside each tier. An offline server with many votes is placed below any live server with players until it comes back.
The "By rating" formula
score = TIER + monthly_votes × multiplier + bonus_positions × gap + online / 10,000,000Tier
A large number given only to servers that are online with more than zero players — it lifts them above everyone else.
Monthly votes × multiplier
The main part is votes in the current calendar month; the count restarts every month. The multiplier is 1 for a regular server and grows with:
- VIP — ×1.15;
- PREMIUM — ×1.30;
- partner link — a small addition while the link on the server's website is confirmed.
All of these apply only while the plan or partnership is active and the server is online.
Bonus positions × gap
VIP adds +3 positions, PREMIUM +6. A position is measured as the average vote gap between neighbouring places in the current top 100 (at least one vote). If neighbours differ by 20 votes on average, "+3 positions" is about +60 votes. A plan never puts a server in a fixed place; a server with few votes won't jump over servers with far more votes.
Online as the final tie-breaker
Online is divided by ten million, so it only matters when servers have the same vote score.
Tip: the formula shows that regular votes from real players are the best way up. See how to vote and get rewards.
How often it updates
- A vote, a plan purchase or a server going up/down updates that server's place immediately.
- A full recalculation runs every 5 minutes.
- Monthly votes are recounted when a new month starts.
Category positions
Inside a category (e.g. anarchy or SkyBlock) servers are ranked by votes this month, with a separate position in each category.
What promotion changes — and what it doesn't
- Changes: the position in "By rating" (multiplier and bonus positions), the home "Featured servers" block for PREMIUM (fair rotation every 10 minutes), card styling.
- Doesn't change: rankings by votes, online and reviews, category positions, the votes themselves.
Promotion is only for servers with verified ownership. See the promotion page and how to promote your server.
How cheating is excluded
Online
The fake-online detector scores servers with 50+ players every 6 hours using independent signals, for example: online stuck at one value for hours, changes that are too smooth or lack a daily rhythm, too many round numbers, values sitting on a "grid" (real online multiplied by a factor), sudden jumps without a wipe or opening announcement, other monitoring sites showing several times less.
A server is flagged only after two high scores in a row; borderline cases go to a moderator. A flagged server:
- shows a warning with reasons on its card;
- has its online ignored in "By rating" (counted as zero);
- is excluded from the online sort, "Growing" and "Featured servers".
Servers running the companion plugin, which sends signed online reports, get an "online verified" mark and are not checked by the detector.
Votes
- one vote per account and per IP every 24 hours for each server;
- an account is required, and new accounts must wait a little;
- votes from networks used for cheating (some VPNs and hosting) are blocked;
- a browser check kicks in when something looks suspicious.
Blacklist
Servers with confirmed fake online or votes, and scam projects, go to the public blacklist with evidence. They are excluded from every ranking and can only be found among new servers or by name.
FAQ
Why is a server with big online below one with small online?
"By rating" is about votes, not online. Use the online sort to see the busiest servers.
Why did a server drop although its votes didn't change?
It is probably offline or has zero players (the lower tier), or its plan expired.
Can you buy first place?
No. Plans add a multiplier and a limited number of bonus positions; a server with far more votes still stays above. The honest top lists by votes and online are not affected at all.