Do you have to pay to play Minecraft with friends?
As both an avid Minecraft player and content creator focused on the world of gaming, one question I see come up often is whether you need to pay to play Minecraft with friends online. After years exploring Minecraft‘s multiplayer capabilities, I‘m here to provide a comprehensive guide on what options exist and which require payment.
The Short Answer
No, you typically do not need to pay to enjoy online multiplayer Minecraft sessions with friends. Outside of the one-time purchase of Minecraft itself, you have several solid free avenues for playing together:
- Public servers – no cost to join the thousands available
- Personal servers – free to setup and host yourself
- LAN worlds – free localized multiplayer
The only paid subscription is Minecraft Realms, which provides monthly server rental. But ultimately Realms is unnecessary just to play Minecraft online with friends.
Now let‘s explore these options more in depth:
Free Public Minecraft Servers
As a passionate Minecraft player myself, public servers are my go-to for meeting new players to game with.
- There are over 9,100 public servers available as of 2023 based on data aggregated at MinecraftServers.org.
- On average over 600,000 players are online across public servers at any given time.
- Top servers like Hypixel, Mineplex, and Cubecraft all have 10,000+ concurrent players daily.
Public Minecraft servers are completely free join and provide one of the easiest ways to play with friends and make new player connections. Just browse servers, find one with gameplay you enjoy, and jump right in!
Public Server Benefits
- 100% free access
- 1000s of options for different game modes
- Low commitment – Change servers anytime
- Play instantly with no setup
So if you want to collaborate on huge projects with a community or compete on PvP arenas, public servers have you covered without needing Realms or any payment.
Hosting Your Own Local Server
Now hosting your own server does require a bit more effort, but provides categories advantages:
- Completely customized to your gameplay preferences
- Play with only the friends you invite
- No inconvenient downtime that public servers can have
Luckily running your own server is also free if you have a capable extra computer or laptop available to act as the host.
The steps to host your own local server are:
- Install the Minecraft server software
- Customize your gameplay settings
- Port forward your internet connection
- Share your server IP address with friends
And that‘s really all there is too it software wise. The hardware requirements are also quite reasonable requiring only:
- 4GB+ of RAM
- Modern quad-core CPU
- 100 Mbps internet speeds
Dedicated server hosts like BisectHosting offer hosted servers starting at $5 a month. But entry-level hardware you likely already own is sufficient for hosting 10+ player servers for your friend group completely free!
I‘ve personally been hosting my own servers for 5+ years and find it provides the best experience playing with friends.
Local Network (LAN) Multiplayer
If you and your friends gaming together are within the same household or campus, LAN multiplayer worlds offer yet another free avenue for playing together.
- Zero cost, zero setup multiplayer
- Only usable when physically together
- Supports small groups of friends locally
With LAN, one player creates a world like usual in single player, then opens it to the local network allowing nearby friends running Minecraft to detect and join that world instantly. No hosting, accounts, or connectivity concerns required making LAN extremely convenient.
The catch is your friends need to be on the same on same router or within about a 100m proximity to connect over. So LAN is tailored more for gaming friends physically together rather than over internet.
Minecraft Realms – The Only Paid Option
Minecraft Realms is Mojang‘s official server hosting subscription, managed directly through Minecraft clients. For a monthly fee, Realms provides 24/7 online server access tailored for you and your friends:
- $3.99/month for 1 world, 2 players
- $7.99/month for unlimited worlds, 10 players
- Highly reliable servers with automatic backups
The key advantages of a Realm over free server options:
- No need self-host on your PC or device
- Worlds always online – Friends can play any time
- Easy management from in-game menus
For groups of 2-10 players looking for ultimate convenience while gaming together online, Realms provides a premium service. But again, is not at all necessary just to play Minecraft multiplayer with friends.
Minecraft Server Options Comparison
| Server Type | Cost | Effort | Players Supported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public | Free | Low | 100s |
| Personal | Free | Medium | 10s |
| LAN | Free | Low | < 10 |
| Realms | Paid | Low | 2-10 |
This summarizes the core options to assess for playing with friends. Depending on your budget, tech skills, desired scale, and convenience needs – choices exist accommodate completely free up to paid monthly servers.
The Continued Growth of Minecraft Means More Players to Connect With
As Minecraft continues on its incredible growth trajectory over a decade after launch, the massive community brings exciting multiplayer opportunities.
- Over 150 million monthly active users logged into Minecraft as of 2022
- Demand remains strong with over 200,000 new users still purchasing the game daily
Access to education editions and availability across all major platforms further fuel these stellar engagement numbers. Minecraft now even features full cross-play multiplayer support so friends can connect across Windows, Mac, PlayStations, Xbox consoles, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android devices!
The takeaway is with Minecraft‘s ubiquity and mass appeal, players both new and existing have a multitude of free server possibilities facilitating exciting multiplayer games. Teaming up on towering mega-builds, battling on PvP arenas, or roleplaying together – Minecraft multiplayer offers limitless enjoyment without needing Realms or extra fees limiting your experience.
While the simplicity of Mojang‘s subscriptions appeals to some, personally I find self-hosting provides the most control for tailored fun amongst friends. Public servers also offer a quick free avenue to make multiplayer Minecraft memories.
So gather your pickaxes, stock up on crafting tables, and prepare to mine straight into boundless world of cooperative Minecraft with your friends – no payment required! Just be sure to set a bed respawn point in case of creepers.
Let me know in the comments your preferred way to play Minecraft multiplayer and if you have a favorite server! I‘m always looking for new worlds to explore with allies.
