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Realms Alternatives for Friends: Cost, Players, Mods, What You Give Up

Last checked: 6 October 2026

The main alternatives to Realms for a Java Edition friend group are free hosts such as Aternos and Minehut, exaroton (pay for the hours the server runs), self-hosting on your own PC, and Shulkerboxes (free Java Edition hosting, invite-only, US only, gameplay recorded for AI datasets). Realms for Java costs $7.99 USD a month and lets you plus 10 other players play at the same time, according to minecraft.net on 6 October 2026. Choose with three questions: do you need mods or plugins, will more than 11 people be online at once, and do you want a monthly bill?

What Realms gives you

Realms is Mojang’s own hosting. On minecraft.net, as checked on 6 October 2026, Realms for Java Edition:

  • Costs $7.99 USD a month, recurring. New subscribers get a one-month free trial that continues at the monthly price unless cancelled.
  • Lets you plus 10 other players play at the same time. You can invite many more; the page lists 10,000 invited friends.
  • Is always on. The page lists a personal server available 24/7, and friends can play when you are not online.
  • Includes free backups and three world slots, with one world playable at a time.
  • Keeps your worlds. After a subscription expires you have 18 months to download them.

For a group that wants no setup at all and is happy to pay, that is a good deal, and the options below are not automatically better.

What you give up with Realms

  • A monthly bill. $7.99 a month is $95.88 a year at the listed price.
  • A cap on players online at once. You plus 10. A bigger group has to take turns.
  • Mods and plugins. The Realms for Java page lists “free community content” and does not list mods or plugins.
  • Bedrock friends. The Realms page says a Java Realm is only for Java players, and a Bedrock Realm only for Bedrock players.

Alternatives compared

ServiceCostPlayers online at onceMods / pluginsWhen nobody is onWhat you give up
Realms (Java)$7.99 USD a month, after a one-month trial for new subscribersYou + 10“Free community content” listed; mods and plugins not listedAlways on (24/7)A monthly bill and the player cap
AternosFreeUnlimited slots, per its siteYes: plugins (Paper, Spigot, Purpur), mods (Forge, NeoForge, Fabric, Quilt) and modpacksStops empty servers after a countdownAds on its site; a start queue when its servers are full
MinehutFree Starter plan and paid plans10 player slots on the free Starter planPlugins, uploaded from the dashboardFree servers sleep when empty and wake when a player joins1 GB RAM on the free plan; its cookie notice says ads keep free servers free
exaroton1 credit per GB of RAM per hour; trial without a payment methodCheck its siteYes: Forge, Fabric, NeoForge, Paper, Purpur, Spigot, and 500+ modpacksOptional start by joining and automatic shutdown after idle timeYou pay for every hour it runs after the trial
Self-hostingFree server software from minecraft.net; your PC and powerLimited by your PCYesRuns only while your PC is onSetup, a PC left on, and port forwarding or a tunnel
ShulkerboxesFree, no ads, no credit cardCheck before you joinCheck before you joinWakes when a friend joins, ready in about a minuteUS only, invite-only waitlist, gameplay recorded for AI datasets

How to choose

  1. Want zero setup and always on, and happy to pay? Stay on Realms.
  2. More than 11 people online at once? Aternos says it has unlimited slots; exaroton or self-hosting also work if you give the server enough memory.
  3. Need mods or plugins? Aternos, exaroton or self-hosting for both; Minehut for plugins.
  4. Play a few evenings a week and can pay a little? exaroton charges only for the hours the server runs.
  5. Want zero cost and no ads? Self-hosting, or Shulkerboxes if your group is in the US, has an invite, and is comfortable with gameplay recording.

Moving a world off Realms

  1. Download the world from your Realm. Minecraft.net says worlds stay downloadable for 18 months after a subscription expires.
  2. On the new host, create a server on the same game version as the world.
  3. Upload the world through the new host’s file manager or world upload tool, if it has one.
  4. Start the server and check that builds and inventories look right before you cancel Realms.

Version mismatches are the most common problem after a move. See our outdated server guide. If friends can’t reach the new address, see the timeout guide.

Where Shulkerboxes fits (and doesn't)

Shulkerboxes is free server hosting for Minecraft: Java Edition friend groups, with no ads and no credit card. A server wakes up when a friend joins and is ready in about a minute, and your group gets a private Discord channel with the team. It is invite-only with a waitlist and open in the US only. It is free because gameplay is recorded and de-identified into AI training datasets, and chat is recorded only if you opt in (full explanation). Every player sees a notice before playing. Compared with Realms, there is no monthly bill; the trade is the recording. If your group needs mods, plugins, or Bedrock, ask before you join or pick an option above that says it supports them.

Have an invite code? Enter it on the home page. No invite yet? Join the waitlist and we will save you a spot.

FAQ

How much is Realms for Java Edition?

Minecraft.net lists Realms for Java at $7.99 USD a month, recurring (checked 6 October 2026). New subscribers get a one-month free trial that continues at the monthly price unless cancelled.

How many players can play on a Java Realm?

You plus 10 other players at the same time. You can invite more friends than that; the Realms page lists 10,000 invited friends.

Can I use mods on Realms for Java?

The Realms for Java page lists free community content and does not list mods or plugins. If your group needs mods, use a host that says it supports them, or self-host.

Is there a free alternative to Realms?

Yes. Aternos and Minehut have free plans with ads and limits, self-hosting costs only your PC and power, and Shulkerboxes is free for US groups with an invite, paid for by recorded gameplay.

What happens to my Realm world if I stop paying?

Minecraft.net says your worlds are yours to keep, and you have 18 months to download them after the subscription expires.

Sources