Multiplayer in Minecraft

Multiplayer in Minecraft comes in several forms. You can open your world to LAN and play with a friend on the same Wi-Fi network. You can subscribe to Realms and have a server available 24/7 with no setup at all. Or you can join one of thousands of public servers, where Bed Wars, Sky Wars and multiplayer Survival matches run non-stop.

There are five topics here, each on its own page with concrete step-by-step instructions. No padding: go straight to the chapter you need and get a working solution.

What you will find in this guide

• How to play with friends - a comparison of all the methods: LAN, Realms, Aternos and private servers. You will learn which option fits your situation.
• Minecraft Realms - a complete guide to Mojang's official service. Pricing, setup, world management, backups and minigames.
• Best multiplayer minigames - an overview of the most popular modes on big servers: Bed Wars, Sky Wars, Murder Mystery, Build Battle and more.
• How to join a server - step-by-step instructions for Java and Bedrock Edition. Adding addresses and fixing connection problems.
• Friends List in Minecraft Java - how to add a friend by profile name, accept invitations and set your visibility. Also covers the new Other Players and Player Options screens from the 26.4 snapshots.

Minecraft multiplayer: versions and compatibility

Before you start, you need to know about one fundamental limitation: Java Edition and Bedrock Edition are not compatible with each other. A Java player cannot join a Bedrock server and vice versa (unless the server uses a special plugin such as GeyserMC). Bedrock Edition, on the other hand, has native cross-play between PC, consoles and phones.

If you are looking for server software, check our server downloads section, where you will find Vanilla, Paper, Spigot and more. And if you want to set up your own server from scratch, the server setup guide will take you through the whole process.