How to Set Up a Bedrock Realms Alternative

Why Look Beyond Realms

Minecraft Realms is the official hosted server option for Bedrock players. It is easy to set up, works on all Bedrock platforms and requires zero technical knowledge. But it comes with limitations: a 10-player cap, no plugin or add-on support beyond basic behavior packs, limited server-side configuration, no console access and a monthly subscription that adds up over time. A bedrock realms alternative server gives you more players, full plugin support, better performance tuning and no recurring fees beyond hosting costs.

Your Options

There are several paths to a bedrock realms alternative server, depending on your comfort level with server administration:

1. Self-Hosted BDS

Run the official Bedrock Dedicated Server on your own hardware or a rented VPS. You get full vanilla parity, the same gameplay experience as Realms but with higher player limits, custom server.properties tuning and the ability to add behavior packs and resource packs. Our BDS installation guide walks through the full setup.

2. Managed Hosting

Hosting providers offer one-click BDS, PocketMine and Nukkit deployments with web panels, automatic backups, DDoS protection and 24/7 uptime. You get the benefits of self-hosting without managing the hardware, firewall or operating system yourself. This is the closest experience to Realms in terms of convenience while giving you far more control.

3. PocketMine or Nukkit

If you need plugins (ranks, economy, minigames, anti-cheat), PocketMine or Nukkit let you build a feature-rich server that Realms cannot match. See our PocketMine guide or Nukkit guide for setup instructions.

4. Java Server with Geyser

Run a Java server (Paper, Purpur) with Geyser to let Bedrock players connect. This gives you access to the entire Java plugin ecosystem while still supporting phones, consoles and Windows 10/11 clients. It is a bedrock realms alternative server that also opens your doors to Java players. Read our crossplay guide for details.

Host any Bedrock or crossplay server with zero config headaches. Astroworld Hosting supports Geyser, BDS, and every server type on every plan.

Realms vs Self-Hosted Comparison

Feature	Realms	Self-Hosted / Managed
Max players	10	Unlimited (hardware dependent)
Monthly cost	$7.99/month	Free (self-hosted) or $5 to 15/month (managed)
Plugin support	No	Yes (PocketMine, Nukkit, Java+Geyser)
Custom add-ons	Limited	Full support
Console access	No	Yes
server.properties control	Minimal	Full
Automatic backups	Yes (limited slots)	Configurable, unlimited
Uptime	24/7	24/7 with managed hosting, depends on hardware for self-hosted
Setup difficulty	Very easy	Easy (managed) to moderate (self-hosted)
Platform support	All Bedrock	All Bedrock, plus Java with Geyser

Setting Up Your Alternative

Here is the fastest path to a working bedrock realms alternative server using managed hosting:

1. Choose a hosting provider that supports Bedrock (BDS, PocketMine or Nukkit). Look for UDP port support, since Bedrock uses UDP unlike Java's TCP.
2. Select a plan. For a small friend group (under 10 players), the cheapest tier is usually enough. For a community server, pick a plan with at least 2 GB of RAM.
3. Install BDS (or your preferred server software) through the hosting panel. Most providers offer one-click installers.
4. Configure server.properties with your preferred settings. Set the server name, difficulty, game mode, view distance and player limit. For a reference of every setting, see our server.properties guide.
5. Set up a whitelist if you want to keep the server private, similar to Realms' invite system.
6. Share the server IP and port (default 19132) with your players. On Bedrock, they go to Play, Servers, Add Server and enter your IP.

Connecting from Console

Console players (Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch) cannot add custom servers directly through the game UI. They need to use one of these workarounds:

• BedrockConnect: A DNS-based solution that redirects the "Featured Servers" list to show your custom server. Players change their DNS settings on their console to point at a BedrockConnect instance.
• Phantom: A tool that makes your server appear on the LAN games list for devices on the same network (or through a VPN like ZeroTier).

Both methods work without modifying the console. For more on getting console players connected, see our console crossplay guide.

See crossplay in action: Astroworld MC, IP play.astroworldmc.com, Java + Bedrock.

Migrating from Realms

If you already have a Realms world, you can download it and transfer it to your new server:

1. Open Realms settings in the Bedrock client.
2. Click "Download World" to save a local copy.
3. The downloaded world is a .mcworld file. Rename it to .zip and extract it.
4. Upload the extracted world folder to your server's worlds/ directory.
5. Set level-name in server.properties to match the folder name.
6. Restart the server and verify the world loads correctly.

Player inventories and progress are stored inside the world data, so everything transfers with the world file. Achievements tied to the Realms subscription do not carry over, but gameplay progress does.

Is It Worth Switching

For casual players who just want to play with a few friends and do not care about plugins or customization, Realms is convenient and works well. For anyone who wants more than 10 players, server-side plugins, full configuration control or the ability to avoid a monthly subscription, a bedrock realms alternative server is the better choice. The setup takes 15 to 30 minutes with managed hosting and gives you a server that grows with your community.