# Minecraft Realms: A Quick Reference for Private Server Play

Canonical: https://guides.gaialegends.pro/posts/minecraft-realms-quick-reference
Published: 2026-09-30
Updated: 2026-09-30
Version scope: Java Edition & Bedrock Edition (Realms)

> Minecraft Realms is Mojang's official private server hosting service. It lets you create and manage a server directly from the game with no technical setup. Bedrock Edition offers two tiers: Realms Core ($3.99/mo, 2 players max) and Realms Plus ($7.99/mo, 10 players plus Marketplace Pass). Java Edition Realms cost $7.99/mo for up to 10 players, with recurring monthly or one-time 30/90/180-day packages. All players get a 30-day free trial, and any subscription includes a separate Preview/snapshot Realm. Realms are designed for small groups of friends or family, not large public servers.

<TldrBox>Minecraft Realms is Mojang's official private server hosting service. It lets you create and manage a server directly from the game with no technical setup. Bedrock Edition offers two tiers: Realms Core ($3.99/mo, 2 players max) and Realms Plus ($7.99/mo, 10 players plus Marketplace Pass). Java Edition Realms cost $7.99/mo for up to 10 players, with recurring monthly or one-time 30/90/180-day packages. All players get a 30-day free trial, and any subscription includes a separate Preview/snapshot Realm. Realms are designed for small groups of friends or family, not large public servers.</TldrBox>

## Key Takeaways

| Point | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Minecraft Realms is an | Minecraft Realms is an official server hosting service managed directly in-game, requiring no port forwarding or server knowledge. |
| Bedrock Edition has two tiers | Realms Core (2 players, $3.99/month) and Realms Plus (10 players, $7.99/month, includes Marketplace Pass). |
| Java Edition Realms support | Java Edition Realms support up to 10 players and cost $7.99/month, with options for recurring monthly or one-time 30/90/180-day packages. |
| All new accounts get | All new accounts get a 30-day free trial of Realms (one per account). |
| Each subscription includes a | Each subscription includes a separate Realm for Minecraft Preview (Bedrock) or Java snapshots, accessible from the same subscription. |
| Realms are intended for | Realms are intended for small private groups, not large public servers. |

If you want a private Minecraft server for you and your friends without wrestling with port forwarding, server files, or hosting costs, Minecraft Realms is the simplest solution available. It's the official server hosting service from Mojang Studios, built right into the game.

## What Is Minecraft Realms?

Minecraft Realms is a subscription-based hosting service that lets you create and manage a private server entirely from inside the game. You don't need any knowledge of how hosting on the internet works.

> Minecraft Realms is an official subscription-based server hosting service that allows players to create and manage their own private Minecraft servers. Minecraft Realms is an official subscription-based server hosting service that allows players to create and manage their own private Minecraft servers.

> Hosted by Mojang Studios, Realms provides a simple way to create servers and allows the owner to manage them from inside the game, without knowledge of hosting on the internet. Hosted by Mojang Studios, Realms provides a simple way to create servers and allows the owner to manage them from inside the game, without knowledge of hosting on the internet.

Only the server owner needs a subscription. Anyone you invite can join for free — no additional payment required.

> Only one player needs to own the subscription, while other players can be invited to a Realm for free. Only one player needs to own the subscription, while other players can be invited to a Realm for free.

Realms are designed for small groups, not massive public servers. Think of it as your private survival world you can share with a handful of friends.

> Realms are not intended for large public servers, but for groups of friends or as a family server. Realms are not intended for large public servers, but for groups of friends or as a family server.

## Realms Core vs. Realms Plus: Bedrock Edition Tiers

Bedrock Edition (including Windows 10/11, consoles, and mobile) offers two subscription options. The main difference is player count and access to the Marketplace Pass.

| Feature | Realms Core | Realms Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Price (monthly) | US$3.99 | US$7.99 |
| Max players online | 2 | 10 |
| Marketplace Pass | No | Yes (all content included) |
| Upgrade path | Can upgrade to Plus anytime without losing the Realm | N/A |

> There are two types of subscriptions in Bedrock Edition: Realms Core (US$3.99 per month) and Realms Plus (US$7.99 per month). The main difference is that Realms Core is limited to 2 players at a time active in a world, and Realms Plus is limited to 10 players. There are two types of subscriptions in Bedrock Edition: Realms Core (US$3.99 per month) and Realms Plus (US$7.99 per month).The main difference is that Realms Core is limited to 2 players at a time active in a world, and Realms Plus is limited to 10 players.

Realms Plus also includes access to all Marketplace Pass content. Realms Plus also includes access to all Marketplace Pass content.

If you start with Realms Core, you can upgrade to Realms Plus at any time without losing your world or server. Realms Core subscriptions can be upgraded to Realms Plus at any time without the loss of the Realms server.

## Java Edition Realms: Pricing and Options


![Minecraft Realms: A Quick Reference for Private Server Play supporting Minecraft scene 1](/images/posts/minecraft-realms-quick-reference-inline-1.webp)

Java Edition has a single subscription tier that supports up to 10 players. It costs US$7.99 per month, with two payment methods:

- **Recurring monthly charge**: Automatically renews every 30 days.
- **One-time charge**: Pre-pay for 30-day, 90-day, or 180-day packages; renewal is manual.

> There are two types of subscriptions in Java Edition (also known as Java Realms), both with 10 players maximum: a reoccurring monthly charge that automatically renews the subscription every 30 days, or a one-time charge that comes in 30-day, 90-day, and 180-day packages and needs to be renewed manually. There are two types of subscriptions in Java Edition (also known as Java Realms), both with 10 players maximum: a reoccurring monthly charge that automatically renews the subscription every 30 days, or a one-time charge that comes in 30-day, 90-day, and 180-day packages and needs to be renewed manually.

Both subscriptions cost US$7.99 per month. Both subscriptions cost US$7.99 per month.

## Free Trial and Snapshot/Preview Realms

Every account that has never used a Realms trial before can get a **30-day free trial**. You can start it directly from the game or your Minecraft account page.

> All players are able to have a 30-day free Realms trial, providing they have not already had a free trial on their account before. All players are able to have a 30-day free Realms trial, providing they have not already had a free trial on their account before.

Any active Realms subscription also includes a completely separate Realm for running Minecraft Preview (on Bedrock) or Java snapshots. This lets you try upcoming features without affecting your main world.

> Any Realms subscription also includes a free Realms server for Minecraft Preview or Java snapshots, which exists separately from the default Realm but is connected to the same subscription. Any Realms subscription also includes a free Realms server for Minecraft Preview or Java snapshots, which exists separately from the default Realm but is connected to the same subscription.

## Requirements to Use Realms

Before you subscribe, make sure you meet these basic requirements:

- You must have purchased the full version of Minecraft and be signed in with a Microsoft account. Realms is a service that can be used only by players who meet these requirements: The player must have purchased the full version of Minecraft and must be signed in with a Microsoft account.
- A stable internet connection is required. The player must have a stable Internet connection.
- Parental consent is needed if you're under the age of 16 (US/EU) or 19 (South Korea).
- If you're on a console, you also need the console's online multiplayer subscription (e.g., Xbox Live Gold or Nintendo Switch Online).

## Managing Invitations and Player Access

As the owner, you control exactly who can join your Realm. From the Realms screen in-game, you can invite players by their Minecraft username or gamertag, and you can revoke invitations at any time. Only invited players can enter your Realm — there is no public listing.

If you want to prevent griefing, you can also back up your world, set player permissions, or use commands to protect builds (though Realms does not have plugin support; it runs vanilla Minecraft). For more advanced protection, see our guide on preventing griefing on Minecraft servers.

## FAQ

### Can I switch between Realms Core and Realms Plus without losing my world?
Yes. You can upgrade from Realms Core to Realms Plus at any time without losing your Realm or its world. If you downgrade, you'll need to manage the player limit (you may need to remove players to fit the new limit).

### Do I need a separate Realm for Java and Bedrock?
Yes. Realms are edition-specific. A Java Realm can only be joined by Java Edition players, and a Bedrock Realm only by Bedrock players. Subscriptions are separate per edition.

### Can I have multiple active Realms on one account?
Yes. One player can have multiple active Realms subscriptions simultaneously. One player can have multiple active Realms subscriptions.

### What happens if my subscription expires?
Your Realm will be taken offline after the subscription expires. Mojang typically keeps the world data for a grace period (usually 30 days or more) so you can renew and pick up where you left off.

### Does Realms support mods or plugins?
Realms runs vanilla Minecraft — the official server.jar (Java) or Bedrock Dedicated Server (Bedrock). You cannot install mods or plugins. However, you can use resource packs, data packs (Java Edition), and behavior packs (Bedrock Edition) on your Realm, as long as all players have them installed.

## Internal Links

- [How to Prevent Griefing on Minecraft Servers: A Complete Protection Guide](/posts/how-to-prevent-griefing-on-minecraft-servers)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can I switch between Realms Core and Realms Plus without losing my world?

Yes. You can upgrade from Realms Core to Realms Plus at any time without losing your Realm or its world. If you downgrade, you'll need to manage the player limit (you may need to remove players to fit the new limit).

### Do I need a separate Realm for Java and Bedrock?

Yes. Realms are edition-specific. A Java Realm can only be joined by Java Edition players, and a Bedrock Realm only by Bedrock players. Subscriptions are separate per edition.

### Can I have multiple active Realms on one account?

Yes. One player can have multiple active Realms subscriptions simultaneously. You can manage and buy new subscriptions from your Minecraft.net account page or in-game. Only the owner of a Realm needs a subscription; other players can join for free.

## Sources

- Minecraft Realms is an official subscription-based server hosting service that allows players to create and manage their own private Minecraft servers. — [Realms](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Realms)
- Hosted by Mojang Studios, Realms provides a simple way to create servers and allows the owner to manage them from inside the game, without knowledge of hosting on the internet. — [Realms](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Realms)
- Only one player needs to own the subscription, while other players can be invited to a Realm for free. — [Realms](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Realms)
- Realms are not intended for large public servers, but for groups of friends or as a family server. — [Realms](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Realms)
- There are two types of subscriptions in Bedrock Edition: Realms Core (US$3.99 per month) and Realms Plus (US$7.99 per month). — [Realms](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Realms)
- The main difference is that Realms Core is limited to 2 players at a time active in a world, and Realms Plus is limited to 10 players. — [Realms](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Realms)
- Realms Plus also includes access to all Marketplace Pass content. — [Realms](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Realms)
- Realms Core subscriptions can be upgraded to Realms Plus at any time without the loss of the Realms server. — [Realms](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Realms)