Self-Hosted Alternatives to Minecraft Realms

Source: Dev.to

Why Replace Minecraft Realms?

Minecraft Realms costs $7.99 / month (Java) or $3.99 / month (Bedrock) for a server limited to 10 players, with no mod support.
Over a year that’s $48 – $96 for a server you don’t control, can’t mod, and that disappears the moment you stop paying.

A self‑hosted Minecraft server has:

• No player limit (beyond your hardware)
• Full mod and plugin support
• Complete world control
• Zero extra cost if you already have hardware

Limitation Comparison

The easiest way to replace Realms: itzg/minecraft-server Docker image

The image handles Java version management, server downloads, and automatic updates. You can have it up and running in under 5 minutes.

Minimal Docker‑Compose file

services:
  minecraft:
    image: itzg/minecraft-server:2026.3.1
    container_name: minecraft
    ports:
      - "25565:25565"
    environment:
      EULA: "TRUE"
      TYPE: "PAPER"
      MEMORY: "4G"
      MAX_PLAYERS: "20"
      MOTD: "Our Server"
      ENABLE_RCON: "true"
      RCON_PASSWORD: "change-this-password"
      ENFORCE_WHITELIST: "TRUE"
      WHITELIST: "player1,player2,player3"
    volumes:
      - mc_data:/data
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  mc_data:

What this gives you

• Paper server – 2‑3× better performance than vanilla/Realms
• 20 player slots (customizable)
• Whitelist for access control (like Realms invites)
• RCON for server administration
• Automatic updates on container restart

Full Minecraft server guide →

Optional: Web UI with Pterodactyl

If you prefer a Realms‑like web panel, Pterodactyl provides a polished management interface. It’s overkill for a single server but shines when you run multiple Minecraft (or other game) servers.

Full Pterodactyl guide →

Migrating your Realms world

1. Download the world from Realms

   Open Minecraft Java Edition → Realms → your Realm → Configure → World backups → Download Latest

   The world will be saved to ~/.minecraft/saves/.

2. Generate the default world structure

   docker compose up -d   # start the container once
   docker compose down     # stop it

3. Copy the Realms world into the Docker volume

   # Find the volume path
   docker volume inspect mc_data | grep Mountpoint
   
   # Replace the path below with the one you got above
   sudo cp -r ~/path/to/realms-world/* /var/lib/docker/volumes/minecraft_mc_data/_data/world/

4. Start the server again

   docker compose up -d

Your Realms world is now running on your self‑hosted server.

Replacing Realms invites

• Whitelist – add players via the WHITELIST env var or through RCON
• Tailscale – install Tailscale on the server and on friends’ machines for a zero‑config private network (no port‑forwarding)
• Port forwarding – forward port 25565 on your router for direct internet access

Cost & Feature Comparison

A self‑hosted server on existing hardware saves $96 / year. Even a cheap $5 / month VPS gives you more power and flexibility than Realms at a lower price.

Trade‑offs to consider

• One‑click vs. terminal – Realms starts with two clicks; Docker needs a terminal.
• Authentication – Realms uses Microsoft account integration automatically. Self‑hosted servers rely on a whitelist or third‑party auth plugins.
• Realms‑specific features – Mini‑games, Realm Stories, Marketplace world templates are unavailable on self‑hosted servers (but you gain far richer mod/plugin ecosystems).
• Automatic management – Realms handles updates and backups invisibly. With Docker you get auto‑updates on container restart, but you must configure backups yourself.

For most friend groups, the mod support and cost savings far outweigh these trade‑offs.

Frequently asked questions

How can I let friends connect without port‑forwarding?

Use Tailscale. Install it on the server and on each friend’s machine. Tailscale creates a private VPN mesh; friends connect to the server’s Tailscale IP address in Minecraft. Setup takes under 5 minutes per person and is free for personal use.

How many players can a self‑hosted server support?

It depends on hardware and server software.

• Paper (recommended) with 4 GB RAM handles 20‑30 concurrent players comfortably.
• With 8 GB RAM and an Intel i5 / Ryzen 5 (or better), 50 + players is achievable.

Rule of thumb: allocate 200‑300 MB RAM per player. Even a $5 / month VPS (2 GB RAM) comfortably supports 5‑10 players, already more than Realms’ 10‑player cap.

How do I add mods or plugins?

• Paper: drop plugin .jar files into the plugins/ directory and restart.
• Forge / Fabric: set TYPE: "FORGE" or TYPE: "FABRIC" in the Docker‑Compose file, then add mods to the mods/ directory.

Paper gives you thousands of Bukkit/Spigot plugins (Dynmap, EssentialsX, WorldEdit, grief‑prevention, etc.). Forge/Fabric unlocks technical mods such as Create, OptiFine, shaders, and more. Realms supports none of these.

What about uptime and automatic restarts?

• The container runs with restart: unless-stopped, so it restarts automatically after reboots or crashes.
• On a VPS the server runs 24/7 with no intervention.
• On a home server, enable “power on after AC loss” in BIOS and ensure Docker starts at boot.
• For monitoring, tools like Uptime Kuma can alert you if the server goes down.

How can I back up my world automatically?

Add a backup container alongside your Minecraft server:

services:
  minecraft:
    # … (same as above)

  mc-backup:
    image: itzg/mc-backup
    container_name: mc-backup
    environment:
      BACKUP_INTERVAL: "24h"
      BACKUP_KEEP_DAYS: "7"
    volumes:
      - mc_data:/data:ro
      - backup_data:/backup
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  mc_data:
  backup_data:

The itzg/mc-backup image creates scheduled snapshots of the world/ folder and stores them in a separate volume (or external storage).

Backups of Your World Data

backup:
  image: itzg/mc-backup:latest
  environment:
    BACKUP_INTERVAL: "24h"
    RCON_HOST: minecraft
    RCON_PASSWORD: "change-this-password"
  volumes:
    - mc_data:/data:ro
    - mc_backups:/backups

• This creates daily world backups.
• For off‑site backup, sync the mc_backups volume to cloud storage with Restic or BorgBackup.

Cross‑Platform Play with a Proxy

Not directly, but yes with a proxy.

Install Geyser – a plugin/mod that translates the Bedrock protocol to the Java protocol. With Geyser on your Paper server, Bedrock players (mobile, console, Windows 10) can join alongside Java Edition players. This gives you something Realms can’t: cross‑platform play between Java and Bedrock on the same server.

# Example server configuration
TYPE: "PAPER"
# Add the Geyser‑Spigot plugin to your server's plugins folder

Running a Server on a Raspberry Pi

• Raspberry Pi 4 (4 GB) or Pi 5 can handle a small server (2‑5 players) with Paper and a moderate view distance (8‑10 chunks).
• Performance is acceptable for casual play but may struggle with heavy redstone, large builds, or more than five concurrent players.

Alternatives for better performance

Related Topics

• How to Self‑Host a Minecraft Server
• Best Self‑Hosted Game Servers
• Pterodactyl Game Server Panel
• Minecraft vs Valheim Server
• Docker Compose Basics
• Tailscale Setup
• Backup Strategy