How to Play Minecraft With Friends on Java Edition

Short answer: if your friends are in the same house, use Open to LAN: it's built in and free. If they're elsewhere and you want a world that's always there, the easiest way is a hosted server such as Beacon: it's online 24/7, friends join with one address, and there's no port forwarding or PC left running. For a one-off session, a LAN-sharing mod or a VPN works too, but the world goes offline when you do.

Your options at a glance

Everyone needs their own copy of Minecraft: Java Edition, signed in with their own account, on the same game version as the world they join.

Open to LAN

The quickest way to play with people on your home network.

1. Load your singleplayer world.
2. Press Esc and click Open to LAN.
3. Choose the game mode for others, whether to allow cheats, and a port (or leave the default).
4. Click Start LAN World. The chat shows the port it's using.

Your friends open Multiplayer and wait a few seconds: your world appears under Scanning for games on your local network. If it doesn't, they can use Direct Connection with your computer's local IP and the port, for example 192.168.1.20:51234.

The catches:

• It only works on the same network.
• The world is only up while you're in it. When you quit, everyone is disconnected.
• Your computer runs the game and the server at once, so it needs to be reasonably powerful for more than two or three players.
• If friends can't see it, allow Java through your computer's firewall.

Open to LAN over the internet

Two free mods turn Open to LAN into something friends elsewhere can join:

• e4mc (Fabric, Quilt, Forge, NeoForge): when you click Open to LAN, it gives you a public address to send to friends. They join it like any server, without installing the mod.
• Essential (Fabric, Forge): adds an invite button to your world. Your friends need Essential installed too.

These are the easiest option for a group of friends playing together, but the world still goes offline when you do, and your PC still does all the work.

Use a VPN

A mesh VPN such as Tailscale or ZeroTier puts everyone on one virtual network, as if you were all in the same house.

1. Everyone installs the VPN app and joins the same network (on Tailscale, the host invites the others).
2. The host opens their world to LAN, or runs a server.
3. Friends use Direct Connection with the host's VPN address (a 100.x.x.x address on Tailscale) and the port.

LAN discovery usually doesn't work across a VPN, so friends type the address by hand. A VPN avoids port forwarding and doesn't show your home IP to the internet, but every player has to install it, and it's still only up while the host is.

Join a public server

Thousands of public servers run minigames, survival and SMP worlds. You and your friends can all join the same one with nothing to set up. It's the fastest way to play together, but it isn't your world: someone else sets the rules, the version and who can join.

Realms

Minecraft Realms is Mojang's subscription server. It's always online and easy to set up from inside the game, but it runs vanilla only (no plugins or modpacks), has a small player limit, and you can't change much. See Minecraft Server Hosting vs Minecraft Realms.

Run your own dedicated server

A dedicated server is a separate program that hosts the world, so it doesn't depend on anyone being in the game. You choose the version, the rules, the plugins or mods, and who can join.

Host it yourself

You run the server on your own computer and forward port 25565 on your router. It's free, but:

• the world is only online while your computer is on;
• your home upload speed limits how many players it can take;
• every player learns your home IP address;
• some internet providers (those using CGNAT) make port forwarding impossible.

Step by step: How to Make a Minecraft Server.

Rent a server (the easiest way)

A host runs the server for you in a data centre. It stays online 24/7, your friends can play when you're not around, and you manage it from a web panel: no port forwarding, and nobody sees your home IP.

On Beacon it takes a few minutes:

1. Pick a plan in the Minecraft store. 2 GB suits a few friends on vanilla or Paper; modpacks need 6 GB or more.
2. Open your server, choose Paper, Vanilla, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge or a modpack in Package Manager, and start it.
3. Copy the address from Network and send it to your friends.
4. Run whitelist on and whitelist add FriendName in Console so only your group can join.

This is the best fit when:

• your group plays at different times;
• you want plugins, a modpack or more than a handful of players;
• the person hosting doesn't want to leave their PC on.

Which should you choose?

• Same house, one evening: Open to LAN.
• Different houses, everyone plays at once: e4mc or a VPN.
• A world that's always there: a Beacon server. It's the only option here that stays online without anyone's PC on, lets everyone play at different times, and runs plugins and modpacks. Host it yourself only if you have a computer that can stay on and a connection you're happy to share.

Play with friends on Beacon

Beacon is built for exactly this: a server your group can use whenever they like, without anyone leaving a PC on.

• Online 24/7. Friends play when you're asleep, at work or on holiday.
• Ready in minutes. Most servers are online within a couple of minutes of ordering, with nothing to install or port-forward.
• Fast hardware. AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D processors and NVMe storage, so the world keeps up with everyone exploring at once.
• Any setup. Vanilla, Paper plugins, Fabric or Forge mods, or a whole CurseForge or Modrinth modpack from Package Manager.
• Bedrock friends too. Add Geyser and friends on consoles and phones can join the same world: see How to Install Geyser and Floodgate.
• Private by default. Manage the whitelist from Players, and give a co-owner their own panel access from Users instead of sharing your password.
• Safe. Backups and DDoS protection on every plan, and your home IP is never shown.
• Start small. Plans start at 1 GB, and you can upgrade or downgrade at any time without losing your world.

Not sure yet? Try it with the free trial first. Then pick a plan in the store, and see How to Set Up a Private Minecraft Server for Friends for the rest.