Realms in one line: an always-on private world from Mojang, from $3.99 a month on Bedrock (you plus 2 friends) or $7.99 for up to 10 players. Its big limit for families: Bedrock and Java Realms are separate, so an iPad kid and a Java PC kid can’t share one.
What Realms costs
| Plan | Edition | Players | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Realms | Bedrock (iPad, phones, consoles, Windows) | You + 2 friends | $3.99/month |
| Realms Plus | Bedrock | You + 10 friends, plus Marketplace content | $7.99/month |
| Java Realms | Java (PC, Mac) | Up to 10 players | $7.99/month |
US prices at the time of writing (October 2026); Mojang can change them. Only the owner pays; invited players need their own copy of Minecraft.
What Realms does well
- Official and simple. Set it up from inside the game, no server knowledge needed.
- Always on. The world stays online when the owner isn’t playing.
- Invite-only. Nobody gets in without an invite.
- Consoles work. Xbox, PlayStation and Switch players can join Bedrock Realms.
- Cheap for a small group on one edition.
Where Realms falls short for families
- Java and Bedrock are split. If one child plays Java on a PC and another plays on an iPad, they need two different Realms and still can’t play together.
- Small player limits on the cheapest plan (you plus 2).
- No mods or plugins, so no extras like undo for a single build, teleport menus or moving rides.
- Backups are whole-world. If a sibling wrecks one build, restoring means rolling back everything.
- Building is all by hand. Fine for experienced builders; slow for a 6-year-old with a castle in their head.
The alternatives, side by side
| Realms | Rent a server | Host on one device | GenieCrafter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 to $7.99/month | A few dollars a month and up, plus your time | Free | $19.99/month |
| Setup | Easy | Technical | Easy | A couple of minutes |
| Always on | Yes | Yes | Only while the host plays | Wakes in a second when anyone joins |
| iPad and Java PC together | No | With extra software | No | Yes |
| Consoles | Yes | Needs workarounds | Yes | Not yet confirmed |
| Undo one build | No | With mods | No | Yes, any build |
| Builds from a sentence | No | No | No | Yes, the genie |
Server hosting prices vary a lot by company and memory; renting also means handling versions, whitelists and updates yourself.
Which should you pick?
Choose Realms if everyone plays Bedrock (or everyone plays Java), you want the official option, and you’re happy building by hand. It’s simple and cheap.
Rent a server if someone in the house enjoys tinkering and wants mods.
Choose GenieCrafter if your kids are on different devices, you want a private world without the setup, and you want them to be able to make big things by describing them, then play in them together.
Questions
How much does Minecraft Realms cost?
On Bedrock Edition (iPad, phones, consoles, Windows), Realms is $3.99 a month for you plus 2 friends, and Realms Plus is $7.99 a month for you plus 10 friends with a library of Marketplace content. On Java Edition, Realms is $7.99 a month for up to 10 players. Prices are set by Mojang and can change.
Is Minecraft Realms worth it?
For one family on one edition who want an always-on private world with no setup, Realms is good value. It is less of a fit when your kids are split between Java and Bedrock, when you want more control over the world, or when you want extras like undo and moving rides.
Can Java and Bedrock players share a Realm?
No. Bedrock Realms and Java Realms are separate products, so a PC player on Java cannot join an iPad player’s Realm. Putting the PC player on the Bedrock version for Windows solves this.
Do friends need to pay for Realms too?
No. Only the owner pays. Invited players join for free, but each one needs their own copy of Minecraft for the same edition.
What is the best alternative to Minecraft Realms?
It depends on what you need. Renting a server from a hosting company gives more control and mods, but takes technical setup. A free world hosted on one device works while the host plays. GenieCrafter is a private hosted world for families that lets Java and Bedrock players in together and adds a genie that builds what you describe.