You can join a public "Minecraft: Java" server, or if you're willing to put in some work, create one of your own. If all your friends are on the same internet network, you can set up a LAN ...

Use the in-game settings to add friends in Minecraft Java (Image via Mojang Studios) The second and free method to play Minecraft with a friend involves hosting your own LAN server.

In the Minecraft Java 1.19 update, players can either play the game alone or with other players in a multiplayer world.

The Bedrock Edition of Minecraft is playable with friends using peer-to-peer online multiplayer, where you can join your friends’ active sessions for free. But if you want a server that will ...

The best Minecraft servers on Java and Bedrock can be hard to find, so we've dug them out for you, alongside instructions on how to host your own if you prefer to.