Looking for a private server to play World of Warcraft? Whether you’re after a wacky adventure that would be impossible in retail or you’re longing for the good old days of WoW, this list will help you out.
10. Sirus (WotLK, Soulseeker)
Sirius is one of the most populated Wrath of the Lich King servers. It’s based on the 3.3.5a expansion but with a few tweaks. Players can change factions, play as new races (mostly from future WoW expansions), and take advantage of a few quality-of-life items to make the game easier.
Across its four servers, there are around 20,000 players, with the most popular being Soulseeker, which offers Blizzlike leveling. The reason Sirius isn’t higher on the list is because it mainly caters to Russian players, and very few speak English.
9. Whitemane (Cata, Whitemane)
Whitemane is a relatively new Cataclysm server that’s only been out for a few months but is already drawing players in. The server features faster leveling, cross-faction communication, AoE looting, and a heavy emphasis on PvP. The website even has an active PvP leaderboard.
Whitemane is also very strict with its rules and frequently bans cheaters and hackers. The website boasts over 150,000 registered players, but doesn’t show the number of active ones. As a newcomer to the space, Whitemane has yet to stand the test of time, but we’re keen to see what the future holds.
8. Unlimited WoW (Classic, level 225 server)
Unlimited WoW is what its name suggests: Unlimited. As soon as you log in, your character will instantly level to 225. Why such a high level? We don’t know, but it sounds awesome. Is the game balanced at such a high level? Absolutely not, but that’s the appeal.
Of course, even if you do find the best meta build for such a ridiculously high level, it won’t help you much against players with premium VIP status and pay-to-win items. While it’s far from the fairest private server, Unlimited WoW is just dumb fun, and we always need a bit of that!
7. Turtle WoW (Classic+)
Turtle WoW isn’t just a fun WoW Classic server, it’s also one of the oldest-running private servers on the list. It has been going for over five years, and doesn’t seem like it’s stopping anytime soon. Instead of keeping up with past expansions, Turtle WoW completely ignores them and does its own thing.
This is primarily a role-playing server with lots of different classes and races and a very dedicated population. Turtle WoW also takes all the quality-of-life features from modern WoW expansions and puts them into the Classic era. It’s truly a unique and beloved server worth checking out.
6. Stormforge (MoP, Netherwing)
Stormforge is a healthy private server based on the Mists of Pandaria expansion. It has two realms with about 10,000 active players, but most of the population is on the Netherwing server.
While it does offer one of the most stable Mists of Pandaria experiences, it also has a cash shop where players can buy character boosts, XP boosts, mounts, and more. Those who long for the glory days of the peaceful Pandaren may be able to get their fix on this private server, but beware its pay-to-win elements.
5. WoW Circle (BFA, BFA Server)
WoW Circle is a densely populated private server with three servers, each focused on a different expansion. Currently, their most populated server is based on Battle for Azeroth patch 8.3.7. Across all three servers, there are about 10,000 active players.
WoW Circle also has one of the healthiest PvP scenes out of all private servers. Like Sirus, this is another server with a high proportion of Russian-speaking players, but there are a few international guilds that will accept English speakers.
4. Project Ascension Conquest (Vanilla, Conquest)
Project Ascension (WotLK) was already a truly unique experience with its classless combat system, but the new Conquest server from the same team adds so much more. There are new classes like Witchdoctor, Tinkerer, and Reaper, new spells, and new gameplay options, among other new content.
It’s honestly overwhelming. Unfortunately, to actually experience this server, you need to contribute to their project. It’s still in its Alpha stages, so it will be interesting to see what becomes of the project when it finally launches.
3. Firestorm (SDL, Shadowlands Server)
What makes Firestorm stand out? Reliability! This server has been actively running for years, and when most private servers get shut down, Firestorm always prevails. Most importantly, Firestorm seems to be following Blizzard’s expansion release schedule, as it rolls out a new one every two years.
Currently, its most active Server is Shadowlands, but it also has three other realms and even a Dragonflight closed beta test. If you want a private server as close as possible to current retail WoW, you’ll find few that are better and more reliable than Firestorm.
2. Warmane (WotLK, Icecrown)
Warmane has been online for over 8 years and still hasn’t been shut down. That’s beyond impressive for a private server. With four realms (three for WotLK and one for MoP) and even queue times on their most popular server, you can bet you’ll run into other players.
Unfortunately, as reliable and well-maintained as it is, Warmane does offer a cash shop that sells pay-to-win items, so don’t expect to win any PvP battles unless you open your wallet. Even so, few can argue that there is a safer private server out there than Warmane.
1. Project Ascension (WotLK, Ascension)
If you’re someone who knows all the ins and outs of World of Warcraft, there lots of reasons why you should check out Project Ascension. The team behind this private server has created a classless version of the beloved MMORPG, where players create their own characters with any spell available from the game.
If you ever dreamed of creating your ultimate (and possibly overpowered) hybrid WoW class, Project Ascension may just be the private server for you. But the classless system isn’t only experimental: The developers are working on updates and fixes all the time, and are even working on a whole new server with unique classes (it’s number four on this list). Project Ascension isn’t just an alternative way to play WoW, it’s basically a whole new MMORPG.
And those were some of our favorite private WoW servers. It’s nice to level faster on private servers, isn’t it? Did you know that thanks to Chromie, you can level faster in retail WoW as well? Check out our guide on how to level fast in retail WoW to learn more.
