Minecraft Realm vs Servers, Which one is best?
Minecraft Realm or Minecraft Server, which one should you pick? That is a good question.
When creating a Minecraft multiplayer world, it's a good idea to choose the right one that will be beneficial to both you and its members long term.
That's why in this article I'll explain the difference between a Minecraft server and a realm, the pros and cons of each, and which one is best for your needs and goals.
Summary
Realms and servers are both Minecraft servers. Realms are servers owned by official Minecraft companies, Mojang and Microsoft. They are easy to create, available 24/7, and require a monthly subscription.
Custom servers can be hosted by a 3rd party company or self-hosted, which requires more steps. They can be free. However, other costs, 24/7 availability, and subscriptions all depend on the host of choice.
They both allow friends/online players to join; however, with 3rd party servers, players may experience lag if the server host is far distance from their region.
So which is best for you? First, you need to know what realms are, 3rd party servers, how they work and their advantages and disadvantages.
What are Minecraft Realms?
Minecraft Realms are official servers hosted by Mojang and Microsoft, they require a monthly subscription and can hold up to 2 or 10 players along with you, depending on the payment plan.
Realms can be cross-played on any device, such as Mobile, PC, Console, etc.; however, they can't cross-play editions, so a bedrock player cannot join a Java realm and vice versa. They are lag-free and fully optimized to properly run in Minecraft and are up 24/7.
How do realms work?
On Bedrock Edition, there are regular Realms, which can hold You + 2 other players and are USD 3.99 per month, and Realms Plus, which can hold You + 10 other players and are USD 7.99 per month.
Once set up, you will be given a code to share with friends or other online players, which is required for them to join. This code is only available to you and whoever you share it with.
Realms run 24/7 with no downtime at all and have regular backups. If the subscription runs out, the realm can be downloaded and played for 18 months until it's officially deleted; that's if the realm owner doesn't renew the subscription within that time. If they renew before 18 months the realm will be back up and running.
Realms also comes with realm stories, which is similar to social media, where you can share images, updates and stories of course, achievements will be automatically shared there, too.
Advantages of owning a Minecraft realm:
● It's easy to create
● Available 24/7
● Friends play for free
● Free Backups
● Supports Minecraft Marketplace
● Cross-play on all devices
● Access to Realm Stories
Disadvantages:
● Holds no more than 10 players + you.
● Regular Realms don't have Marketplace pass.
What is a Server?
Minecraft servers are also multiplayer and require an IP address and a port to join. They can be hosted by a third-party company or self-hosted.
Servers can have over 10 players depending on host, subscription and/or custom build choice. Subscriptions and/or prices may vary depending on the server hosting company or cost to set up if self-hosted. They can be played on any device and cross-played on both bedrock and Java edition if enabled.
Advantages of owning a server
● A lot more customization options.
● Can hold more than 10 players.
● Available 24/7
● Friends play for free. (If you choose to, which you should)
● Cross-play on all devices
● Can be cross-played on both bedrock and java edition, if enabled.
Disadvantages:
● More costly than realms. (depending on the host or subscription choices)
Should you choose a server or a realm?
Choose a realm if you...
- Just want a server for friends or a small community,
- Don't want to set up a large server,
- Want a Short-term way to host multiplayer.
Choose a server if you want to...
- Build a large community of more than 12 players,
- Have a long-term multiplayer world,
- Have multiple mini-games,
- Earn money with it.
Main Differences/takeaways
Realms
Cost:
Require a monthly subscription.
Hosted by:
Mojang and Microsoft. (the companies behind Minecraft).
How to join:
Requires an invite code.
Amount of members:
Realms can hold 2 to 10 players max, depending on subscription choice.
Optimized.
So you and others will have a lag-free experience.
Available.
24 hours, all 7 days of the week (24/7).
Security.
You and all player's account information is secured.
Setup scale:
Easy ▪︎ normal ▪︎ hard
Easy - A few clicks of a button.
Servers
Hosted by:
A third-party company or can be Self-hosted.
How to join:
Requires a server IP, and port.
Amount of members:
Can hold any amount (depending on the host).
Optimization, availability, and security,
It all depends on the host and subscription choice.
Setup scale:
Easy ▪︎ normal ▪︎ hard
Normal - Requires more steps, but can be done.
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