How to play Minecraft with friends
Published on 3 October 2026
There are six ways to play Minecraft with friends: on one screen, over your home network (LAN), online in a world a friend hosts, on a Realm, through a free host or on your own server. Which one suits you comes down to two questions. Do you play Java or Bedrock? And should the world stay online when the person who made it isn’t playing? Like cake, Minecraft is better shared, so here are all the options side by side.
First, the difference in one breath: Java Edition only runs on computers with Windows, macOS or Linux. Bedrock Edition runs on Windows, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, phones and tablets. The two can’t simply play together.
Which option suits your group?
| Option | Cost | Online without the host? | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split screen | Free | No | Bedrock on consoles only, up to four players on one screen |
| LAN | Free | No | Java and Bedrock, everyone on the same network |
| A friend’s world | Free, plus an online subscription on consoles | No | Bedrock, five or eight players at once depending on the device |
| Realms | $3.99 or $7.99 a month | Yes | Java or Bedrock, you plus 2 or you plus 10 players |
| Free host | Free | No, it stops when empty | Java and Bedrock, sometimes with a queue |
| Your own server | From €2.95 (Bedrock) or €4.95 (Java) a month | Yes | Plugins, mods, and Java and Bedrock together |
How do you play together in the same house?
On one console, up to four people can play on one screen. Connect another controller and press the menu button to join. This only works in the console versions of Bedrock.
On several devices on the same network, use LAN:
- Java: load your world, press Esc, choose Open to LAN and then Start LAN World. Your friends will see the world automatically under Multiplayer.
- Bedrock: under Edit World, in the Multiplayer section, turn on Visible to LAN Players. Your friends find the world under Play, on the Friends tab, under LAN Games.
LAN is free, but the world only exists while its host is playing. When their laptop closes, everyone is out.
How does Minecraft Realms work?
Realms is Mojang’s own server subscription. You start it from inside the game and invite your friends; you don’t need a server address or any settings. A Realm stays online all day, even when you’re not playing. According to minecraft.net there are three plans:
- Realms for Bedrock: $3.99 a month, for you plus 2 players at once.
- Realms Plus for Bedrock: $7.99 a month, for you plus 10 players.
- Realms for Java: $7.99 a month, for you plus 10 players.
A Bedrock Realm works on every Bedrock device, consoles included. A Java Realm can’t run plugins or mods. Every difference with your own server is covered in Minecraft Realms vs your own server: which suits you?
Can you play Minecraft with friends for free?
Yes, in three ways, each with a catch:
- A friend’s world (Bedrock). When you’re signed in with a Microsoft account, friends can join online through an invite or the Friends tab. The world is only there while its host is playing, and on consoles everyone needs an online subscription.
- A free host such as Aternos. You get a real server for Java or Bedrock, but you sometimes wait in a queue and the server stops when it’s empty. How to deal with that is in Aternos queue, sleep mode and lag: what to do.
- Running a server on your own PC. The Minecraft server software is free. Friends outside your home can only connect if you open a port on your router or use a tunnelling service, and the server is only online while your PC is on. How that works is in How to make a Minecraft server.
When should you get your own server?
Your own server is the only option that’s always online and gives you full freedom at the same time. It suits your group if:
- friends want to play when you’re not around;
- there are more of you than a Realm allows;
- you want plugins, mods or a modpack, or Java and Bedrock players together;
- you want to manage your own files and backups.
How much memory you need depends on the number of players and what you install. The server size calculator works it out for you.
A server for the whole group? A Bedrock server at CakeHosting starts at €2.95 and a Java server at €4.95 a month. It stays online, even while you sleep. See the Minecraft plans.
How do you play together on consoles and mobile?
Consoles, phones and tablets run Bedrock, and Bedrock players can play together whatever device they’re on. If your group mixes Java and Bedrock, you can all play on a Java server with the Geyser plugin. Setting that up is explained in Minecraft server for friends: Java and Bedrock together.
On consoles, keep two things in mind:
- Online play needs a subscription: PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online or, on Xbox, a Game Pass plan.
- You can’t add your own server. A console only lists the featured servers. There are workarounds, each with downsides, explained in A Minecraft server on PS5, Xbox or Switch.
Is your child playing with school friends? Then also read A Minecraft server for your kids: a parent’s guide. For a Bedrock server for the whole class, see the Bedrock plans.
