Minecraft Realms Alternatives: LAN or a Hosted Server?
Minecraft Realms is Mojang's official option and the easiest to start, but it's locked down: 10 players at a time on Java, no mods or plugins, no file access. The two real alternatives are LAN play, free but tied to your network, and a managed Minecraft server from €5.99 per month, which takes plugins, mods and more players.
Key takeaways
- Realms: zero set-up, but 10 players at a time on Java, vanilla only, and a monthly subscription.
- LAN / friends-list invites: free, but the host has to stay in the game, and remote friends need a workaround.
- Managed server: plugins, mods, a whitelist, more players, online 24/7, from €5.99 per month at OnPowered, panel included.
- Simple rule: Realms for a small vanilla world with two to four friends; a hosted server as soon as you want plugins, a modpack or a growing community.
What Minecraft Realms does, and what it doesn't
Realms is Mojang's in-house hosting: a private world that's always online, where only the owner pays and everything is managed from the game's menus. No server software to install, no ports to open, no panel to learn. In exchange, it's deliberately closed, and the limits show up quickly once your group wants more than vanilla survival.
| Criterion | Realms (Java) | Realms (Bedrock) |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | One plan, monthly or prepaid | Realms Core or Realms Plus |
| Players at once | Up to 10, fixed cap | 2 (Core) or 10 (Plus) |
| Mods / plugins | None (no Forge, Fabric, Paper or Spigot) | None (limited Bedrock add-ons) |
| Data packs / resource packs | Yes | Yes |
| Access to server files | No | No |
| Worlds | 3 slots, 1 active at a time | Same |
| Java ↔ Bedrock crossplay | No (Java and Bedrock Realms are separate) | No |
These limits are the ones documented on the Minecraft Wiki's Realms page, which also lists Mojang's current subscription prices. In short: Realms is perfect for a vanilla survival world with a few friends, and that's where it stops. The moment someone asks "can we add an economy plugin?" or "shall we try a modpack?", you need to look elsewhere.
Alternative 1: playing over LAN (free)
The no-cost option: open your single-player world to others. On Java, that's "Open to LAN" from the pause menu; on Bedrock, the multiplayer setting of a shared world. Your friends join the game you're already playing. On Java, the friends list added in 2026 also lets you invite people from outside your network, peer-to-peer.
The trade-offs are real. Classic LAN assumes everyone is on the same network (same house, same Wi-Fi). To play with friends elsewhere, you either expose your connection, use a virtual network tool, or rely on friends-list invites. In every case your own machine and home connection run the server. Close the game or switch off the PC and the world is gone, and the save stays tied to your computer. LAN works for an evening; it doesn't work for a server that has to carry on when you're not there. We cover all three approaches in our guide to setting up a Minecraft server with friends.
Alternative 2: a managed Minecraft server
This is the option that removes every Realms limit without the hassle of self-hosting. You rent a server, it runs 24/7 in a data centre, and you control it from a web panel. At OnPowered, servers are hosted in Brussels, Belgium, on a Pterodactyl panel: one-click version manager (Paper, Purpur, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, Velocity…), mod and plugin installers for Modrinth and CurseForge, backups, a server.properties editor, and one-click migration from FTP/SFTP if you're bringing an existing world.
What it unlocks compared with Realms:
- Plugins (permissions, economy, land protection, anti-grief) and complete modpacks.
- More players: plans start at 8 GB of RAM and 3 vCores, enough to go well beyond 10 connections.
- A whitelist, proper moderation, and full file access to tweak whatever you like.
- Java + Bedrock crossplay on the same server via Geyser, which Realms doesn't offer. Our guide to a Minecraft server for Java and Bedrock explains how.
- DDoS protection included, and support in English.
The entry price is €5.99 per month (Coal plan) on OnPowered's Minecraft hosting, with a 7-day free trial to test before paying. For a network (a lobby plus survival plus creative, for example), the multi-server Box plans host several servers in one service from €15.99 per month.
Realms or a hosted server: how to choose
Match the option to what your group actually needs. Most groups land in one of these cases:
| What you need | Best fit |
|---|---|
| Vanilla survival, 2 to 4 friends, zero admin | Realms |
| An impromptu session, everyone under one roof | LAN |
| Plugins (ranks, economy, protection) | Managed server |
| A Forge or Fabric modpack | Managed server |
| More than 10 regular players | Managed server |
| PC, console and mobile players together | Managed server (Geyser) |
| Several linked servers (a network) | Multi-server Box |
If you're still unsure, the most reliable tipping point is player count plus the wish for plugins. Under five players on pure vanilla, Realms does the job. Beyond that, or as soon as a plugin comes up, a hosted server does far more for a similar monthly budget. Our Minecraft hosting comparison lists the technical criteria worth checking.
What about free hosts like Aternos?
Free hosts such as Aternos let you create a server with plugins and mods without paying, which Realms doesn't allow. That's handy for testing an idea or tinkering over a weekend. But the model has built-in limits: the server goes through a queue at start-up, it shuts down a few minutes after the last player leaves, RAM is capped, and nothing guarantees it's available at peak times. For a group that plays regularly, those interruptions get old fast, and that's usually when people switch to paid hosting so the server simply stays on. Our Aternos alternatives guide goes through the options.
FAQ
Can I add mods to Minecraft Realms?
No. Java Realms run strict vanilla Minecraft: no Forge, no Fabric and no Paper or Spigot plugins. Only data packs and resource packs are accepted. For a modded server or one with plugins, you need a hosted server that gives you access to the files and lets you choose the server software.
How many players can join a Realm?
On Java, up to 10 players at a time, with no way to buy extra slots. On Bedrock, 2 players with Realms Core or 10 with Realms Plus. A managed server doesn't have that cap: the limit depends on the RAM and CPU of the plan you choose, so a growing group can simply upgrade.
Can Java and Bedrock players play together without Realms?
Yes, on a hosted server with Geyser and Floodgate: Bedrock players on consoles, phones and Windows join a Java server without needing an extra account. Realms doesn't support this kind of crossplay, because a Java Realm and a Bedrock Realm remain two completely separate worlds.
How do I move a Realms world to a hosted server?
Download the world from the Realm's menu, then upload it to the server through the panel's file manager or over FTP/SFTP, keeping the same game version. At OnPowered, a one-click migration feature can also pull an existing server over from FTP/SFTP access, which saves the manual copying.
Which OnPowered plan fits your server?
Leaving Realms with a small group: Coal (8 GB) for vanilla, Iron (16 GB) once plugins come in. Both run Java and Bedrock.
| Plan | RAM | vCores | Storage | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal | 8 GB | 3 | 20 GB NVMe | €5.99 per month | Order |
| Iron | 16 GB | 4 | 40 GB NVMe | €11.99 per month | Order |
| Gold | 24 GB | 5 | 70 GB NVMe | €16.99 per month | Order |
| Diamond | 32 GB | 6 | 100 GB NVMe | €22.99 per month | Order |
| Emerald | 48 GB | 8 | 120 GB NVMe | €35.99 per month | Order |
Free 7-day trial on the Minecraft plans, no commitment: start the trial. Full details: Minecraft plans.
See also
- Minecraft server with friends: 3 ways to play together
- Minecraft server for Java and Bedrock: play together
- Aternos alternatives: when free hosting isn't enough
- Minecraft hosting comparison
- Guide: hosting a Minecraft server
If Realms is too limited for what you have in mind, a managed Minecraft server at OnPowered starts from €5.99 per month, Pterodactyl panel included, data centre in Brussels and support in English, with a 7-day free trial to make sure it suits you. Start the free trial on Coal or see all Minecraft plans.