Move a Minecraft Realms World to Your Own Free Server (Java and Bedrock)

The short answer: You download the world from your Realm, pack it as a ZIP (Java) or as a .mcworld or ZIP (Bedrock), and upload it to your own server of the same edition. At mcfreehost this is free: create a free server, click "Upload world" in the panel under Game Settings → Worlds, restart, invite your friends. Java worlds belong on a Java server, Bedrock worlds on a Bedrock server; they can't be swapped directly. Don't cancel your Realms subscription until everyone has played on the new server and found their belongings again.

This guide is current as of October 27, 2026. The steps in Minecraft come from the official Realms help on minecraft.net, the Minecraft Wiki and the menu texts of Java 26.3. The details about mcfreehost come from our product configuration and the panel. We have not personally played through a move from a real Realm for this guide; what we haven't verified is listed below in the verification section.

Realms or Your Own Server: What You Gain and What You Give Up

Realms is Mojang's official server service. You pay a monthly subscription, your friends join without a subscription of their own, and the world is always online. A free server at mcfreehost costs nothing but has fixed limits. The comparison:

What Realms does better: A Realm is always on, and nobody waits for the server to wake up. Invitations work through the game itself, including for friends on Xbox, PlayStation and Switch. Realms creates backups automatically. If that matters to your group and the subscription doesn't bother you, stay with Realms.

What your own server does better: You pay nothing, play on the version of your choice and can install plugins or mods on Java. On Paper, Java and Bedrock players share one world.

About sleep mode: Of 5,634 wake-up attempts on 424 free servers between September 25 and October 25, 2026, 97.5% succeeded. The median time until the server was reachable again was 39 seconds, and in 95% of cases it took at most 82 seconds. If you want the server to never sleep, there is the Always Online option for €1.99 per month. How mcfreehost differs from other free providers is covered in the Aternos alternative.

Before the Move: Sort Out Edition and Version

Edition: A world from a Java Realm needs a Java server, a world from a Bedrock Realm needs a Bedrock server. Java stores worlds in the Anvil format, Bedrock in a LevelDB database. The panel checks this on upload and rejects a world of the wrong edition. If you want to switch editions, you need a converter (section further below).

Version: Realms always runs on the latest full release of Minecraft, which for Java is 26.3 as of this guide. Your server needs the same version as the world or a newer one. If a world is from a newer version, the panel blocks it and tells you to update the server version first. If you upload an older world to a newer version, the panel asks first, because Minecraft converts the world in the process. You set the version under Manage → Version. Bedrock servers at mcfreehost update themselves by default.

Marketplace content (Bedrock only): Skins, textures and worlds from the Marketplace are tied to your account and are mostly stored encrypted. Don't expect them to work on your own server, and check them during the test run.

Java: Download the World from the Realm

For this you need the account that owns the Realm.

1. Start Minecraft Java and open Minecraft Realms in the main menu.
2. Select your Realm and click Configure Realm.
3. Open World Backups and choose Download Latest. According to the Minecraft Wiki, Realms creates a backup on Java every few hours as long as players are online; each of them can be downloaded as a singleplayer world.
4. The world then appears under Singleplayer in your world list. Select it, click Edit and then Open World Folder.
5. In the file window, go up one folder and pack the entire world folder as a ZIP. The level.dat file sits directly in the world folder.

If you're looking for the folder yourself: worlds are in the saves folder of your Minecraft folder, which is in %APPDATA%\.minecraft on Windows, in ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft on macOS and in ~/.minecraft on Linux.

Your inventory is part of the world. A server stores each player's inventory and position in a separate file per account, from Java 26.1 on in the world folder under players/data. Because Realms and your server use the same Microsoft accounts, everyone should find their belongings again. We haven't tried this with a real Realms backup; check it during the test run.

Java: Upload the World to the Free Server

1. Create the server: Create a free Minecraft server with Java. If you want exactly the behavior of Realms, choose Vanilla. Paper allows plugins and cross-play with Bedrock but changes some Vanilla details: according to the Paper documentation, for example, duplicating TNT, carpets and rails with pistons is off by default (allow-piston-duplication). If your group has such farms, stay with Vanilla or enable the option in Paper.
2. Set the version: under Manage → Version, matching the Realms world.
3. Upload the world: Game Settings → Worlds → Upload world. Enter a new world name (letters, numbers, underscores, hyphens) and select your ZIP or .tar.gz. The regular form accepts files up to 95 MB; for larger worlds, use "Upload large world (resumable)" below it. The unpacked world must fit into the 10 GB of storage of the free server. The panel checks the archive beforehand: it needs a level.dat, and from Java 26.1 on additionally a world_gen_settings.dat. The import continues in the background even if you leave the page.
4. Activate the world: Once the world appears in the list, click Switch next to it and restart the server. Your previous world is kept, because the upload is stored under a new name.

Alternative via SFTP: You can also upload the world folder with an SFTP program. The credentials are under Files & Data → Files, and the port is 2022. SFTP also works while the server is stopped; however, a sleeping server doesn't accept the login, so start it first. Afterwards, enter the folder name in the "World Name" field under Game Settings → Configuration and restart. In the panel's file manager, individual files are limited to 64 MB; for entire worlds, the world upload or SFTP is the better route.

Bedrock: Download and Export the World from the Realm

According to the official Realms help, you proceed like this (the help uses the English menu items):

1. In Minecraft, go to Play and open the overview of your Realm's world slots.
2. Choose the slot with the world you want, then Edit World.
3. Download World fetches the latest state of the world; under Backups you'll find older backups.
4. After the download, the world is in your local world list.

Now you need the world as a file:

• Windows: Edit the world in the list and choose Export World at the bottom. You get a .mcworld file. Leave the Clear player data option off, otherwise the inventories and positions of all players are gone. According to the Minecraft Wiki, export is only available on Windows.
• iPhone and iPad: In the Files app under "On My iPhone" or "On My iPad", open the folder Minecraft/games/com.mojang/minecraftWorlds. The folders have cryptic names; you can recognize the right one by the levelname file. Select the contents of this folder and compress them. For mcfreehost the ZIP is enough; you don't need to rename it to .mcworld.
• Android: Same principle in the folder com.mojang.minecraftpe/games/com.mojang/minecraftWorlds. On newer Android versions, file managers often can no longer access this folder; in that case, the route via Windows is easier.
• Xbox, PlayStation and Switch: There is no official export there; according to the Minecraft Wiki, Realms is the only official way to move worlds on consoles. So sign in with the Realm owner's account on a Windows PC or phone and download the world there.

Bedrock: Upload the World to the Free Server

1. Create a free Bedrock server as described in the guide Free Minecraft Bedrock Server. It runs on the official Bedrock Dedicated Server.
2. Under Game Settings → Worlds → Upload world, select the .mcworld or ZIP file. The panel pre-fills the world name from the file name.
3. After the regular upload, the panel makes the world the active world itself; restart the server afterwards. After the resumable upload for large files, you click Switch yourself.
4. Friends on PC and mobile join via the Servers tab using the address from the panel. On Xbox, PlayStation and Switch, the button for custom servers is missing; the Bedrock guide explains the workaround.

From Java to Bedrock or Vice Versa

If your group wants to switch editions, you need a converter. In its documentation for creators, Microsoft points to Chunker, a free, open-source program from Hive Games. It runs locally on your computer. According to the project page, Chunker currently supports Java up to 26.3 and Bedrock up to 1.26.60. You should know the limitations:

• Mobs and other entities are not transferred, with the exception of paintings and item frames. Villagers, pets and armor stands will be missing afterwards.
• Player inventories are not transferred.
• Structure data, such as for villages or strongholds, doesn't come along.
• Chunker is not an offering from Mojang or Microsoft.

Convert a copy, keep the original and check the result in singleplayer first. The other route is often simpler: the Java world stays on a Paper server, and Bedrock players join through cross-play.

Invite Friends and Secure the Server

Only people you invite can join a Realm. Your own server is reachable via its address, which is shown in the panel. You don't need port forwarding on your router (server without port forwarding). To make sure only your group gets in:

• Java: Under Game Settings → Configuration, turn on "Enable Whitelist" and enter your friends' names under Whitelist. Keep online mode on: it verifies accounts with Mojang and protects player names and account IDs, which the player data is tied to.
• Bedrock: Under Game Settings → Whitelist, enter the gamertags and turn on allowlist enforcement.

How your friends join, including Bedrock players on a Java server, is explained in the guide Minecraft Server with Friends. If the server is asleep, the first connection attempt wakes it. The in-game message then says the server is starting; after a short wait, you reconnect. How to keep it reachable around the clock is covered in Free Minecraft Server 24/7. You can create up to two free servers per account, one of which can be online at a time.

Cancel Realms Only After the Test Works

Let the subscription run until the new server has shown that everything is there:

1. All players join once.
2. Everyone checks their inventory, Ender chest and spawn point.
3. You look over the base, chests, farms and redstone machines, including in the Nether and the End.
4. You play a normal evening and watch for lag.
5. You keep the downloaded archive as a backup.

Even after the subscription ends, the worlds aren't gone immediately: according to the Realms FAQ, you have 18 months to download them. Still, don't rely on Realms backups; Mojang itself states that they are not kept indefinitely.

FAQ

Does the move cost anything? No. Downloading is part of the Realms subscription, and the free server at mcfreehost costs nothing. Costs only arise if you voluntarily add something, such as Always Online.

Are inventories and progress preserved? On Java they are stored in the world, in a separate file for each player; with online mode and the same accounts, they should reappear. We haven't verified this for Bedrock. In both cases, check it during the test run before you cancel Realms.

Can I upload my Java world to a Bedrock server? Not directly. The panel rejects worlds of the wrong edition. The route goes through a converter such as Chunker, with the losses mentioned above. It's often simpler to leave the Java world on Paper and bring Bedrock players in through cross-play.

My world is larger than 95 MB. What now? Under Worlds, use the "Upload large world (resumable)" section or upload the world folder via SFTP. The world must fit into the 10 GB of storage of the free server.

Why isn't my server reachable right away? A free server sleeps after 15 minutes without players. The first connection attempt wakes it; in our measurement, the median time until it was back was 39 seconds. After that, you reconnect.

Can I go back to Realms later? Yes. On Java, the Realm has an "Upload World" function for singleplayer worlds: download the world from the server, for example via SFTP, and put it in your saves folder. Hardcore worlds can't be uploaded, and for very large worlds the game warns you during download that you will no longer be able to upload them. On Bedrock, you replace a world slot with a local world via Replace World.

Sources and Verification

Verification: The procedures in Minecraft come from official sources and the Minecraft Wiki, the details about mcfreehost from our code and configuration, both read on October 27, 2026. In detail:

• Realms in general: Realms page and FAQ on minecraft.net: always online, three world slots, friends play without a subscription of their own, cross-play only within one edition, 18-month download period after the subscription ends.
• Downloading the world (Bedrock menu): Change Your Realm Worlds on minecraft.net, including the note that Realms backups are not kept indefinitely.
• Java menu texts: language files of Minecraft Java 26.3 ("Configure Realm", "World Backups", "Download Latest", "Open World Folder", "Upload World", notes on Hardcore and large worlds).
• Realms limitations: Minecraft Wiki: Realms, as of October 22, 2026: no mods and plugins, always the latest version, backups every few hours on Java, only official way for worlds on consoles.
• Export and storage locations: Minecraft Wiki: Importing and exporting worlds, Edit world (export only on Windows, "Clear player data"), .minecraft, Java Edition level format (player data from 26.1 under players/data), Marketplace.
• Converter: Chunker on GitHub (MIT license, supported versions, data that isn't converted) and Microsoft Learn: Chunker.
• Paper: Paper documentation on global configuration, allow-piston-duplication is off by default.
• mcfreehost: 2 GB RAM and 10 GB storage on the free plan, up to two free servers per account, one of them online at a time; sleep mode after 15 minutes; world upload up to 95 MB in the browser, resumable upload for larger archives, check of level.dat and edition; activate Java worlds via "Switch", Bedrock worlds are automatically active after the regular upload; SFTP on port 2022.
• Wake-up measurements: 5,634 wake-up attempts on 424 free servers from September 25 to October 25, 2026, 97.5% successful, median 39 seconds, 95th percentile 82 seconds.
• Not verified: a complete move from a real Realm, whether inventories from a Bedrock Realm are preserved, a conversion with Chunker.

Measured wake times: duration varies with load and queueing and can be substantially longer than one minute. Current P50, P95 and success rate: mcfreehost product facts.