Is Minecraft Realms Worth It? [Honest Review]

You’ve likely seen “Realms” show up in the menu of Minecraft, maybe you clicked it once, maybe you ignored it. But what is Minecraft Realms exactly? And more importantly: is it a good value in 2025?

I dove in, created a Realm, tested what it actually offers, and compared it to realistic alternatives. Here’s what I found, so you don’t have to waste money if you’re not getting what you need.

What is Minecraft Realms?

Minecraft Realms is the official hosting service by Mojang. In short: you pay a monthly fee, and you get a private server accessible 24/7 for you and your friends. No need to run the server yourself, deal with hosting setup, or configure too much.

For $7.99/month, you get:

• A private vanilla Minecraft world
• Support for up to 10 friends + you (11 total players)
• Automatic world backups
• A few template maps and adventure worlds
• Always-online access (no need to host on your PC)

Sounds convenient, right?

On paper, yes... but in practice, Realms is extremely limited.

Realms Limitations

When you buy a Realm, Mojang starts up a vanilla Minecraft server on its own infrastructure. You can name it, upload a world, or choose a template but you give up a lot.

❌ Player limit & hosting size

• Up to 11 players (owner + 10) for Java Edition.
• There is no official path to large player counts (20, 30, 50) with Realms.

❌ Limited freedom

• You do not have access to the server console, file system, or advanced configuration. You can’t install server-platforms like Paper or Spigot.
• Mods and plugins: Not supported on Realms.
• World upload size or heavy builds: While there’s no officially published “GB limit” as of 2025 from Mojang, many users report problems when uploading large worlds.

If you love customizing your world, adding automation, or experimenting with redstone mechanics, Realms isn’t for you.

❌ Crossplay & device limitations

• Java Edition Realms only supports Java players (Windows, Mac, Linux). It does not support Bedrock/console/mobile crossplay for Java Realms.
• If you want a server where Java + Bedrock edition players can play together via one server, Realms is not it. You’d need a third-party host + something like GeyserMC.

Performance: Okay, But Nothing Special

Realms handles world generation quite well (flying with Elytra or 2-3 players constantly exploring the world) however if you happen to have lots of entities, redstone farms it can become quite laggy fast.

But since Realms don’t offer resource scaling, you’re stuck with whatever hardware they give you, and that hardware isn’t close to modern Ryzen 9 or NVMe setups you’d get with a proper host.

So while Realms can run a world with few friends smoothly, it’s not suitable for larger or more demanding worlds.

Value for Money – The Real Question

Let’s break it down.

For the same or lower price, you can get a fully-featured Minecraft server with Paper, Forge, or Fabric, full file access, and crossplay support... all within a few minutes.

So Why Does Minecraft Realms Exist?

If third-party providers are "so much better" then why does Minecraft Realms even exist?

Well, Realms is designed for complete beginners who:

• Only play Vanilla Minecraft
• Dont want to deal with setup or configuration
• Just want to play with a few friends privately

And that’s fine! For absolute simplicity, Realms is super convenient. The moment you want any control, customization, or performance, Realms instantly falls short.

It’s like paying for a tiny pre-built PC when you could get a gaming rig for the same price.

Verdict: Is Minecraft Realms Worth It?

No. Not in 2025, and probably not ever, unless Mojang massively upgrades it.

Here’s the reality:

• $8/month is expensive for what you get
• 11 players max is too small
• Small world limit is ridiculous (around 5GB)
• No plugins, no mods, no console

If you’re serious about Minecraft, or even mildly interested in customization, Realms just doesn’t cut it.

Better Alternative: WiseHosting (and Why It Beats Realms)

If you want the best alternative for Minecraft Realms, it's WiseHosting. Built by the creators of Shulkercraft (2.4M subscribers), WiseHosting focuses exclusively on Minecraft, unlike many other third-party hosting providers that focus on 50+ other games.

So while Realms locks you in, WiseHosting gives you the freedom to build anything, from private survival servers to massive modded communities.

True Crossplay (Java + Bedrock Together)

Realms’ “cross-device” ≠ crossplay. With WiseHosting, enable GeyserMC in one click and let Java and Bedrock players join the same server. PC, console, and mobile finally share one world.

Mods, Plugins, and Total Control

Run the server your way: optimization plugins on Paper, massive quest mods on Forge/Fabric, performance datapacks, and custom configs. Access your files, view logs, use the console, schedule restarts, and automate backups.

Upgrades as Your World Grows

Start small, pay for what you use, and upgrade RAM/CPU as your player base grows. No world caps, no slot ceilings, and no “sorry, that map is too big”.

24/7 Minecraft-First Support

Because WiseHosting focuses on Minecraft only, support speaks your language: Paper configs, Geyser quirks, Forge crashes, plugin conflicts, and lag diagnosis. WiseHosting support team is ran by real server owners and system administrators that know what's like to run a server.