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GuideJava or Bedrock
Two games share the same name and do not talk to each other. What sets them apart, and what it changes the day you open a server.
Pick the edition your players already own. That is the only criterion that matters at the start: a Java server does not accept a Bedrock client, and a Bedrock server does not accept a Java client. No setting in the game or in the panel changes that.
In plain terms: if the group plays on computers and wants mods or plugins, it is Java. If someone plays on a phone, tablet or console, it is Bedrock. If the group is split between the two, read the second half of this page before deciding.
What sets them apart
Five differences are enough to decide. The last one only shows up when you set up a whitelist.
| CRITERION | JAVA | BEDROCK |
|---|---|---|
| Devices | Windows, macOS, Linux. | Windows, Android, iOS and iPadOS, home consoles. |
| Mods and plugins | Forge, NeoForge, Fabric and Quilt for mods. Bukkit, Spigot and Paper for plugins. | Add-ons, that is, behavior packs and resource packs. Neither Forge nor Fabric. |
| Servers | An address typed in by hand and kept in your server list. | An address and a port. On console, the interface does not always let you add an address of your choice. |
| Purchases | No in-game store. Maps and packs come from community sites. | A built-in marketplace, paid with in-game currency. |
| Account name | A username specific to Minecraft. | The Microsoft account gamertag, shared with other games. |
Getting them to play together
The usual bridge is called Geyser. It is a plugin, installed on a Java server, that translates what a Bedrock client says. The server then sees both audiences arrive on the same map. A second plugin usually comes with it to deal with accounts, since a Bedrock player has no Java username.
This setup costs time: it is configured by hand, it follows Minecraft updates at its own pace, and some plugins misbehave with translated players. Bedrock add-ons, for their part, do not cross the bridge. Present it to your players as a work in progress, not as a switch to flip.
What we vouch for stops here: Bedrock installs in one click from the panel, just like Vanilla, Paper, Forge or Fabric, and plugins install from the panel, with no file transfer. A bridge between the two editions remains a setup you build yourself, and we do not offer it as a plan.
What you start with us
Both editions are covered by the list of engines installable in one click. For Java, you then choose what runs on top: Vanilla, Paper, Spigot, Purpur, Forge, NeoForge, Fabric, Quilt, or a Curse, Modrinth or FTB modpack. The details are in versions and modpacks. For Bedrock, you select the engine and start.
On the plugin side, the panel catalogue lists 18,774, installable from the panel. Our page plugins explains which ones to install first. Keep in mind that plugins are a Java server matter: a Bedrock server does not take them. In both cases, your server gets a custom address, with no port to type, and the number of players is not limited.
Decide in three lines
- Everyone on a computer: Java. You open the door to mods and plugins.
- One player on a phone or a console: Bedrock. You accept doing without plugins.
- Mixed group: a Java server, then the bridge, set up by you.
If this is your first server, the full step-by-step guide is on create a Minecraft server.
Try both before you choose
The 10-day trial runs on the same hardware as the paid plans, with no bank card. You install the engine of your choice in one click, Java or Bedrock.