How to Play Minecraft with Friends

So you want to play Minecraft with friends but you're not sure how to actually get into the same world. Yeah, Minecraft doesn't make this obvious - there's no "invite friend" button. You have to pick a method, and each one has trade-offs.

Here's every way to play Minecraft with friends, with the honest pros and cons of each.

Method 1: LAN (Local Network Play)

LAN is the old-school way to play Minecraft with a friend. It's dead simple, but you have to be in the same room on the same Wi-Fi.

How to set up LAN play

1. One player opens a singleplayer world
2. Press Esc and click "Open to LAN"
3. Choose your game mode and click "Start LAN World"
4. Your friend opens Minecraft, goes to Multiplayer, and your world should appear in the list

Pros

• Completely free
• No setup or accounts needed beyond owning the game
• Works instantly

Cons

• Only works when you're on the same Wi-Fi network (same house)
• The world is only available while the host player is playing
• Not ideal for more than 2–3 players
• If the host's computer is slow, everyone suffers

Best for: You're at a friend's house and want to mess around for a few hours.

Method 2: Self-Hosted Server (on Your Own Computer)

You download the server .jar from Mojang, run it on your PC, set up port forwarding, and share your IP. Your computer literally becomes the server. It works, but it's a whole thing.

How to set up a self-hosted server

1. Download the Minecraft server .jar file from the official website
2. Run the file and configure server settings (server.properties)
3. Set up port forwarding on your router (port 25565)
4. Share your public IP address with your friends
5. Friends connect using your IP in the Multiplayer menu

Pros

• Free (no monthly cost)
• Full control over server settings, mods, and plugins
• No player limits beyond what your hardware can handle

Cons

• Requires technical knowledge: port forwarding, firewall rules, Java configuration
• Shares your home IP address with everyone who connects - this is a real security and privacy risk
• The server is only online while your computer is running
• Your PC's performance suffers while hosting
• If your internet goes down, so does the server
• Setting up mods or plugins requires even more technical work

Best for: People who are comfortable with port forwarding and don't mind their PC running 24/7.

Method 3: Minecraft Server Hosting (Easiest Online Option)

Instead of running a server on your own computer, you pay someone else to run it for you. The server lives in a data center somewhere, it's always on, and your friends just connect with an address. No port forwarding, no leaving your PC running overnight.

How it works with LuckyChunk

Most hosting services throw you into a control panel where you pick RAM, CPU cores, and server software. That's fine if you know what you're doing, but if you just want to play with your friends it's way more than you need.

LuckyChunk skips all of that. Here's the whole process:

1. Pick your Minecraft version
2. Pay ($20/month)
3. Your server is ready - share the address with your friends

That's it. No settings to configure, no control panels to learn. The server runs 24/7 and handles up to 20 players.

Comparison: All 3 Ways to Play Minecraft with Friends

Which Method Should You Choose?

Here's the quick answer:

• Playing in the same room? Use LAN - it's free and instant.
• Want full control and you're comfortable with networking? Host it yourself.
• Want to play online with friends without any hassle? Use LuckyChunk. Pick your version, pay, and your server is ready in under a minute.

If you don't want to deal with port forwarding, a hosting service is probably the move. LuckyChunk is the least amount of work - you're literally playing within a minute of signing up.