How to Play Minecraft Multiplayer: All 4 Ways Compared

There are four ways to play Minecraft with other people: join a public server, rent a Realm, share a world over LAN, or run your own server. For two or three friends in different homes, a Bedrock friend world or a Realm is the least hassle. For a big group that plays every day, a hosted server wins.

The one rule that cuts across all four: Java Edition and Bedrock Edition are separate games online. A Java player can’t join a Bedrock Realm, and a Bedrock player can’t open a Java server address. If your group is split, settle that first (our Java vs Bedrock comparison helps), or use a Java server with GeyserMC, covered at the end.

Multiplayer options compared

Method	Cost	Editions	Always online?	Setup
Public server	Free (ranks optional)	Java or Bedrock, per server	Yes	None
Realms	Monthly subscription	Separate Java and Bedrock Realms	Yes	Minutes
LAN / friend world	Free	Both	Only while the host plays	None
Your own server	Free software, you supply hardware or a host	Both (different server software)	If you keep it running	An hour or more

Public servers

These are servers run by communities and companies, from minigame networks to small survival worlds. On Java you add an address in Multiplayer; on Bedrock you use the Servers tab. The step-by-step lives in how to join a Minecraft server.

Public servers are the fastest way to find people to play with, but you play by their rules and on their world. If you’d like to know what the big names are like before you join, see our explainers on Hypixel and SMP servers.

Realms

Realms is Mojang’s own private server service. You pay monthly, invite friends by name, and the world stays online even when you’re asleep. Bedrock has two tiers (a cheaper one for 2 friends at a time and Realms Plus for 10), while Java has a single plan for up to 10 players. Prices and limits are in our Minecraft Realms guide.

Realms is the right answer for families and small friend groups in different time zones. It’s the wrong answer if you want mods or plugins.

LAN and friend worlds

Java: load a single-player world, press Esc, choose Open to LAN, pick a game mode and whether cheats are allowed, then start. Anyone on the same network sees the world in their Multiplayer list. It only works on the same local network; friends across town can’t join this way.

Bedrock: in the world settings, make sure Multiplayer Game is on. Friends on the same Wi-Fi see it under the Friends tab as a LAN game, and anyone on your Microsoft friends list can join over the internet while you’re playing. That online friend-join is the best free feature Bedrock has over Java. If a friend gets “Unable to connect to world”, our Bedrock connection fixes go through the causes in order.

The catch with both: when the host quits, the world goes offline for everyone.

Your own server

Mojang gives away the Java server (server.jar) and the Bedrock Dedicated Server for free. You run them on a spare PC or rent a machine from a host. You get full control: plugins, mods, whitelist, backups, and the world never depends on one player being online. You also get the work: updates, port forwarding and keeping it running. The full setup is in how to make a Minecraft server.

Home hosting often fails on mobile data and many broadband connections because of CGNAT, which means outsiders can’t reach your PC. The setup guide explains how to check for it and what to do instead.

Mixing Java and Bedrock players

GeyserMC is a free plugin (or proxy) for Java servers that translates Bedrock connections, so Bedrock players on phones and consoles can join a Java server. Its companion Floodgate lets them join without owning a Java account. It works well for survival and building; fast PvP and some redstone behave a bit differently for the Bedrock players. It’s the only real cross-edition option, and it requires a Java server you control or one that already runs it.