Here’s How To Play Minecraft With Friends Without Realms

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If you ever wanted to play Minecraft with your friends, you’ve probably heard about Realms. It’s an easily accessible way to get a server where you and your friends can play peacefully. It’s not; however, shocking news to find out that Realms has its limits. Besides, Realms isn’t free, and you can’t mod anything, so is there a way to play Minecraft with friends without Realms?

  • Article Breakdown:
  • You have three options to play Minecraft without realms. You can host a server, join a public server, or host a LAN network server.
  • The easiest option is to host a server which you can do for free or pay for it. All options include using third-party programs that are completely safe to use.

Minecraft Realms is Mojang’s solution to providing players with a server

Minecraft Realms was released in 2013, and by then, most of the third-party server-hosting websites were already up and running. The thing Realms has going for it is that it’s easy to set up, and it’s the only service that you can turn on in-game. Realms didn’t allow for mods which are essential if you want to experience a new dimension of Minecraft entirely. That’s why, in 2019, Minecraft introduced Realms Plus, which allows modding, but you can only ever mod using what’s available in the marketplace. It’s still a monthly subscription and only ten players can be in your Realm simultaneously.

What do you get with Realms?

You can get Realms for Bedrock and Java, but you can only get Realms Plus for Bedrock. Let’s look at the differences.

FeaturesBedrockJava
Realms/Realms PlusRealms
Monthly Subscription Rate3.99 USD/7.99 USD7.99 USD
Number of PlayersYou + 3/You + 10You + 10
Personal server available 24/7Yes/YesYes
Friends play for freeYes/YesYes
Minecraft Marketplace SupportYes/YesNo
Three WorldsYes/YesYes
Free Marketplace ContentNo/150+ Marketplace PacksNo
Supports User Created ContentYes/YesFree Community Content Included
Cross-Platform Play Across Bedrock
Devices & Consoles
Yes/YesNo
Crossplay With Java EditionNo/NoYes

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Are Realms & Realms Plus worth it?

That depends on your needs. If you need a bigger server, then no; if you want to mod endlessly, then also kind of no. Although Realms and Realms Plus have come a long way, they still have plenty of limitations. So how can you avoid using Realms to play Minecraft with your friends? The answers will vary depending on whether you play Bedrock or Java.

The solution

So the solution is to get a third-party server, but how do you configure the server, how much will you pay, and what can you do with these servers? That will depend on the server host you choose, but most allow you to mod for free, offer DDoS protection, host servers for Bedrock and Java, and so much more.

Paid server hosting

Prices for paid server hosting vary greatly from server hosting website to server hosting website. Within those websites, you’ll also find a wide range of options. For example, BisectHosting offers a monthly subscription as low as 2.99 USD with up to 12 players. The cheapest premium package with unlimited slots will cost 7.99 USD. With these prices alone, you can compare the Realms subscription fees and see that this is better.

If you’re worried about not knowing how to navigate the websites and start your server, these websites are made to make it as simple as possible since they know how confusing it can get. You can also use paid server hosting sites like Apex Hosting and ScalaCube. If you’re having a hard time deciding on a server host, you can go on Reddit and read opinions about server hosting websites for Minecraft and how they perform, free or paid.

Free server hosting

You might hear free and run for the hills since this usually means they contain malware that will seriously damage your device but rest assured, they don’t. I recommend Aternos and ScalaCube, which also have premium options. Aternos has no restrictions. You can mod endlessly, and over 77 million players are already using the service.

You can adjust anything you’d like; it offers full DDoS protection, automatic backups, custom worlds, and even support. It’s not even a problem if you play on Bedrock Edition, but the limitation is that you can’t make a server as a console player.

How can console players play without Realms?

Unfortunately, there’s no way for you to make your world in Minecraft to play with friends on consoles. You can, however, join a public server. Sure, you’ll have other people playing on them, but at least you’ll be able to play with your friends unless you get a Realms subscription. On PS4, you’ll need a Playstation Plus subscription, while on Xbox, you’ll need an Xbox Live subscription.

You can only play if you and your friends are all on the same LAN network. So far, this is the only way to do it, and it doesn’t seem like Mojang will change that shortly because it’s not entirely up to Mojang.

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Other Solutions

If you still don’t trust server hosting or have had a bad experience with one, you can test Hamachi. I’ve used Hamachi for various games, and it has never failed me. It’s malware-free and simple to set up and use.

LAN for Java

LogMeIn Hamachi is an amazing VPN service that lets you extend LAN-like networks. Setup is easy and to do it follow these steps:

  1. download and register, and let your friends join your Hamachi network by going to Network
  2. Join Existing Networks
  3. You, the host, then need to create a single-player world
  4. go to settings, and enable open to LAN. Give your friends the number you’ll then receive, and that’s it.
  5. Your friends will need to go to Minecraft –>Multiplayer –> Add A Server –> Go To Hamachi –> Click On Host Name –> Copy IPv4 address –> Paste into server address box along with the 5-digit number your host sent you
  6. Join server.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!

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