Free servers on ShadowNode sleep after 15 minutes without players and wake up in seconds when you join. Until now there was one catch: only the owner could wake a sleeping server. If a friend tried to join first, they were asked to wait for you. For SMPs with friends in different time zones, that was annoying — so we fixed it.
Wake Access: in your console under Players → Wake Access you can now add your friends’ Minecraft names. Anyone on the list wakes the server simply by joining — no account, no setup on their side. Running a public community server? Flip the “Anyone can wake” toggle and every player who connects brings it back up, Aternos-style but without the queue.
Friend links: want a friend to actually help run the server? Open the Sub-users tab and create a friend link. Whoever has the link can sign in to a limited view of your console — only your server, only the permissions you picked (console, power, players, mods, backups or files). No billing, no credentials, no other servers. The link stays valid, so your friend just keeps it and signs in whenever they like.
You stay in control: every link is listed with its status, and hitting Revoke cuts access instantly — even for someone who is logged in at that moment. Removing a name from the Wake Access list works the same way.
Both features are live now on every Minecraft plan, including free. And if your server should simply never sleep at all: the Always On upgrade keeps it running 24/7 for $2/month.