Loved Realms? Here is the server you graduate to

Minecraft Realms is Mojang’s own subscription — the simplest way to keep a world online for a small friend group, set up right inside the game. It stays simple by design: no plugins, no mods, no console. This is the honest line for when that simplicity stops being enough.

Last updated 15 June 2026 · prices re-checked 15 June 2026

▎ THE VERDICT ▎

Stay on Realms if you want the most hands-off, Mojang-managed world for a handful of friends and you never plan to touch mods, plugins, or a server console. Switch to ChunkyHost the moment you want any mod loader, a plugin, file access, more players, or Bedrock and Java friends on one server — a real server starts at $4/mo and bills only while you play.

When Minecraft Realms is the better choice

You never want mods, plugins, or a console — you just want a world that stays up with zero admin.
You want the simplest possible Mojang-managed experience, set up directly in-game with no panel to learn.
Your group is small and you are happy with Realms’ low simultaneous-player cap.
You are on Bedrock and only want official Marketplace add-ons, not arbitrary modding.

Minecraft Realms vs ChunkyHost

	Minecraft Realms	ChunkyHost
Price	About $3.99–$7.99/mo (plan/region)	From $4/mo vanilla ($12 modded) · yearly −30%
Billing model	Flat monthly subscription	Hibernation — billed only for active play; $0 while idle
Mods & loaders	No Java mods or plugins (Java Realms)	Any loader Vanilla→NeoForge; 12,000+ plugins; 2,400+ modpacks
Server control	No console or file access	Full console, file manager, live TPS/MSPT graphs
Players	Low simultaneous-player cap	You set the slots; sized to your plan
Cross-play	Bedrock and Java are separate Realms	Geyser — Bedrock and Java friends share one server
Trial	Free trial via Mojang	7 days, no credit card

Where Minecraft Realms falls short

Java Realms cannot run server plugins or arbitrary Java mods — you are limited to vanilla gameplay. (Mojang’s own Realms pages describe a managed, first-party server without plugin or mod support.)
There is no server console or file access, so you cannot install plugins, edit configs, or run admin commands beyond the in-game options.
The simultaneous-player cap is small, so larger friend groups quickly outgrow it.
You pay the same flat monthly fee whether or not anyone is playing that month.

How switching works

Moving over is painless: download your Realms world from the in-game menu, then drop it into ChunkyHost’s file manager — and worlds from Apex, BisectHosting, Shockbyte or Aternos auto-import in one click.

FAQ

Can I run mods or plugins on Minecraft Realms?

Not on Java Realms — it runs vanilla Minecraft with no server plugins or arbitrary mods, and no console to install them. If you want any mod loader (up to NeoForge) or any of 12,000+ plugins, that is exactly where ChunkyHost picks up, from $4/mo.

Is ChunkyHost more expensive than Realms?

They are close on paper — Realms is roughly $3.99–$7.99/mo and ChunkyHost starts at $4/mo vanilla. The difference is that ChunkyHost hibernates when empty, so you are billed only for active play, and you get a full console, file access, and mod support Realms does not offer.

Will I lose my Realms world if I switch?

No. Download your world from the Realms in-game menu and upload it through ChunkyHost’s file manager — and you can pull a backup copy anytime.

Can my Bedrock and phone friends join with my Java friends?

Yes. ChunkyHost runs Geyser, so Bedrock and phone players can join the same server as Java players — something separate Bedrock and Java Realms cannot do on one world.

How many players can I have?

Realms caps simultaneous players low by design. On ChunkyHost you set the slot count to match your plan, so a bigger friend group is not a problem.

Try it free for 7 days

No credit card. Spin up a server in 60 seconds and only pay while you actually play.

Start free trial