Minecraft Server with Friends: 3 Ways to Play Together
To play Minecraft with friends you have three options: LAN if you're all on the same network, the in-game friends list for a one-off session from anywhere, or a hosted server that stays online all the time. The right choice depends on how often you play and how many of you there are.
Key takeaways
- LAN is free and instant, but everyone has to be on the same network and the game stops when the host quits.
- The Java Edition friends list lets you invite friends from anywhere, peer-to-peer, without a server or port forwarding. The cost is the host PC's performance, which caps you at two to four players.
- A hosted server runs 24/7 in a data centre, takes plugins and mods, backs up the world and doesn't depend on any one player.
- At OnPowered, a managed Minecraft server starts from €5.99 per month: 8 GB of DDR4 RAM, DDoS protection, Pterodactyl panel, data centre in Brussels, support in English, with a 7-day free trial.
The 3 ways to play Minecraft with friends
Every method comes down to one question: where does the world actually run? LAN and friends-list invites keep it on the host's computer; a hosted server moves it to a data centre. That single detail decides almost everything else: whether the world is available when the host is offline, how many players it can take, whether you can add plugins, and whether anything is backed up.
| Option | Online without the host | Plugins / mods | Realistic players | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAN | No | Whatever the open world has | 2 to 5, same network | Free |
| Friends list invite | No | Whatever the host's world has | 2 to 4 | Free |
| Hosted server | Yes, 24/7 | Installed from the panel | A few to several dozen | From €5.99 per month |
Option 1: LAN, everyone on the same network
From a single-player world, the pause menu gives you the multiplayer options: turn on local sharing (the old "Open to LAN") and the world becomes visible to other machines on your network. The Minecraft Wiki's LAN tutorial covers the steps for each edition.
It's ideal for a LAN party, a classroom or a family under one roof. No budget, and it takes seconds to start.
The catch: LAN means local. A friend outside your home network won't see anything. Opening it to the outside means forwarding a port on your router, which exposes your home IP address, or setting up a VPN between the machines, as the same wiki points out. And the world disappears the moment you leave it.
Option 2: inviting friends from the friends list
Java Edition 26.2 brought a built-in friends list along with peer-to-peer connectivity: you invite friends wherever they are and they join your single-player world directly. No server to rent, no port forwarding. Mojang's official announcement explains how it works.
For an impromptu evening with three or four people, it's the quickest option, and the only one that crosses networks without any fiddling.
The catch: your PC becomes the server. Close the game or lose your connection and everyone gets kicked. Your home upload speed and your processor carry the load for every player, so beyond two to four people things start to stutter. Moderation is down to you, live, and the feature is still young: Mojang keeps reworking it in newer snapshots.
Option 3: a hosted server, a world that runs without you
A hosted server is a machine in a data centre that runs the server software continuously, whether you're online or not. You manage it from a web panel. The world stays reachable at the same address all the time, even when nobody is playing, so friends in different time zones can drop in whenever they like.
In practice it unlocks plugins (Paper) and mods (Fabric, Forge, NeoForge) installed in one click from the panel, scheduled backups you can restore, a whitelist, roles, an automatic nightly restart, and as many players as the RAM and CPU allow, well past the two-to-four ceiling.
Minecraft Realms is Mojang's always-online alternative: a monthly subscription, but no plugins or mods on Java (only data packs and resource packs), a maximum of ten players online at once, and no file access. We compare Realms, LAN and a hosted server in our Minecraft Realms alternatives guide. Free hosts (Aternos and the like) exist too, but the start-up queue and automatic shutdown when the server empties keep them in testing territory; we explain what free hosting is really worth.
At OnPowered, the entry plan (Coal) is €5.99 per month: 8 GB of DDR4 RAM, 3 vCores, 20 GB of NVMe storage, DDoS protection included, hosted in Brussels, Belgium, with support in English. The version manager installs Vanilla, Paper, Fabric or Forge in one click, up to the current Minecraft Java release, and there's a 7-day free trial.
Java, Bedrock or both: who can join whom?
Java (PC) and Bedrock (consoles, mobile, Windows) can't join each other out of the box. With LAN and with friends-list invites alike, everyone stays in their own edition: a Java world only accepts Java players. That rules out the free options as soon as one friend plays on a Switch or a phone.
A hosted server removes that wall. With Geyser, a Java server accepts Bedrock connections without an extra account: friends on Switch, PlayStation, Xbox or a phone join the same map as the PC players. Every OnPowered Minecraft plan supports Java and Bedrock, and our guide to running a Minecraft server for Java and Bedrock explains the two ways to set it up.
Which option suits your group?
Pick based on where your friends are, how often you play and what you want to install. In order of effort:
- Same room (LAN party, classroom, family): LAN is enough, nothing else to set up.
- A one-off evening, two to four players, nothing to keep afterwards: a friends-list invite.
- Regular sessions, or a need for plugins, a whitelist and backups: a hosted server.
- A mix of PC and console/mobile players: a hosted server with Geyser, the only option that brings Java and Bedrock together.
- A growing community with a lobby and several worlds: a hosted server, or a multi-server Box that groups several servers in one service (from €15.99 per month).
To compare what matters before you pay, see our Minecraft hosting comparison and the guide to hosting a Minecraft server.
FAQ
Can I play Minecraft with friends for free?
Yes. LAN and friends-list invites cost nothing, but they both rely on one player's PC: the game stops when that player closes Minecraft or loses their connection. If you want a world that's available around the clock, you need a server that keeps running without the host being online.
What's the difference between LAN and a friends-list invite?
LAN only makes the world visible on your local network. The friends list, added to Java Edition in 2026, lets you invite friends from anywhere peer-to-peer, with no port forwarding. In both cases the host's PC runs the world, so it ends as soon as the host stops playing.
How many players can join without a dedicated server?
In practice, two to four. Beyond that, the host PC's processor and home upload speed become the bottleneck and everyone starts to lag. A hosted server doesn't have that ceiling, because the number of players depends on the RAM and CPU of the plan you choose, not on someone's home connection.
Do we need a server to play Java and Bedrock together?
Yes. Neither LAN nor friends-list invites cross the line between the two editions. Only a Java server running Geyser accepts Bedrock players on consoles, phones and Windows, putting them on the same map as the PC players. Every OnPowered Minecraft plan supports both editions.
Which OnPowered plan fits your server?
For a group of friends on vanilla, Coal (8 GB) is plenty. Planning to add plugins? Go straight for Iron (16 GB).
| 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 Realms alternatives: LAN or a hosted server?
- Free Minecraft server hosting: what you really get
- Aternos alternatives: when free hosting isn't enough
- Minecraft server for Java and Bedrock: how to play together
- Guide: hosting a Minecraft server
If your group plays often enough to be tired of restarting the world every time, a managed Minecraft server at OnPowered starts from €5.99 per month: Pterodactyl panel included, data centre in Brussels, support in English, and a 7-day free trial to test it with your friends before paying. Start the free trial on Coal or see all Minecraft plans.