"How do I play with my friends?" has three different answers, and which one is right depends on how many of you there are and how often you play. Here's each one, with its limits stated up front.

1. Playing on the same network (LAN)

Open your single-player world and choose "Open to LAN" from the game menu, and other players on the same internet connection will see your world and join with one click. No setup, no settings, no cost.

And that's exactly where it stops: everyone has to be in the same house, on the same network. A friend in another city can't join this way. The world also runs inside your game, so when you quit, everyone drops.

When it's right: two or three people living in the same house, playing occasionally.

2. Running a server on your own PC

You can download Mojang's server file and run it on your own computer. It's free and everything is under your control. In exchange you take on four things:

  • Router configuration. For people outside to connect you have to open port forwarding on your router. Some internet plans don't allow it at all.
  • The address problem. On most home connections the IP address changes from time to time, and every time it does you have to hand your friends a new address.
  • Keeping the PC on. When you shut your computer down, the server goes with it. Your friends can't play while you sleep.
  • Your upload speed. Home connections have fast download but slow upload; as players join, everyone's ping is limited by your upload speed.

For a detailed walkthrough and comparison, see how to set up a server.

When it's right: if you enjoy the technical side, there are only a few of you, and leaving your PC on isn't a problem.

3. A rented server

The server runs on a machine independent of your computer. All four points above disappear:

  • No router configuration, no port forwarding.
  • You get a stable address of your own. Give it to your friends once and never update it.
  • It runs while your computer is off.
  • Connection speed doesn't depend on your home internet.

In our model you're charged hourly, only while the server is on; nothing accrues while it's off and there's no monthly commitment. On top of that, with nobody connected the server puts itself to sleep after 15 minutes, so a server you forgot about doesn't drain your balance — we cover this in the idle sleep article.

You don't have to pay to try it: you can open one free server per account. On the free tier the package and the software are fixed and idle sleep can't be turned off.

If a friend of yours plays on a phone

When part of your group plays on a PC (Java) and part on a phone or the Windows 10/11 edition (Bedrock), you turn the cross-play bridge on from the panel with one click on a rented server, and both sides join the same world.

The conditions, stated up front: plugin-family server software (Paper, Purpur, Spigot, CraftBukkit), Minecraft 1.20.5 or newer, and at least 4 GB. Game consoles (Xbox, PlayStation, Switch) are not supported. Detail in the cross-play guide.

Which to choose

  • Same house, now and then: LAN is enough, don't set up anything else.
  • Different cities, a few hours at the weekend: a rented server — the hourly model is made for exactly this pattern.
  • Always on, with a crowd: a rented server; on a paid package you can turn idle sleep off.
  • You want to tinker and there are only a few of you: your own PC works, but make sure you can configure your router.

Ask yourself before deciding

  • How many of you are there? Two or three people get by on very little; past ten, the bottleneck is usually not RAM but the core that runs the world's per-second work.
  • How often will you play? Paying a month up front is waste for a group that plays a few hours a week; the hourly model exists for exactly that gap.
  • Will you want plugins or mods? Plugins can be installed on any package; mods and modpacks need noticeably more memory, so they unlock from 8 GB.
  • Should it stay up when you're not there? That single question usually settles the choice between your own PC and a rented server on its own.

Two common mistakes

The first is giving friends an IP address. On a home connection the IP changes, and every time it does you have to send everyone a new one; a rented server gives you a stable address you share once.

The second is buying the biggest package on day one. You can't know how many people will stick around until you play. Starting small and, if needed, stopping the server to move up is cheaper — your world stays exactly as it is.

Once you've decided, the setting up your first server article walks you through it step by step, and the RAM guide covers how many GB you need.