Minecraft is a popular game that can be played online with others or offline by yourself. It does offer a limited free version and a number of trial versions for different systems.
You can pay a once-off fee to get the software, and then if you choose to play with others on one of the Minecraft servers, you may need to pay a monthly fee to access those servers.
| Purchase Price | Optional Monthly Price | |
| Minecraft: Java Edition | $26.95 | $7.99 |
| Minecraft for Windows | $29.99 | $3.99-$7.99 |
| Minecraft for Mobile Devices | $6.99 | $3.99-$7.99 |
| Minecraft for Xbox | $19.99 | $3.99-$7.99 |
| Minecraft for Nintendo Switch | $29.99 | $3.99-$7.99 |
| Minecraft for Playstation | $19.99 | $3.99-$7.99 |
| Minecraft China Version | Free | $3.99-$7.99 |
| Minecraft Education Version | $5-$12 per user/year | $3.99-$7.99 |
| Minecraft for Raspberry PI | Free | $3.99-$7.99 |
Is There a Free Version of Minecraft?
Minecraft has a number of different options to play for free or cheaper. All versions come with a trial that can change depending on what system you use, but the standard trial is five days of in-game play or 100 minutes of play time.
The China and Raspberry PI versions of Minecraft are free, though they may not be available to you.
There is a permanently free version of Minecraft, which you can access by going to https://classic.minecraft.net/, but it does have some limitations. For example, it is only available via a browser with an internet connection, you can not save your game, and you are stuck with the original version of the game from 2009, with no new features that have come out since then.
How to Download Free Minecraft
The free version of Minecraft Java Edition can be downloaded from here: https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/free-trial
The trial version for Windows, Xbox, Playstation, Android, and Vita can be found in your play store for each game, so it will require an internet connection to access.
What Can Free Version of Minecraft Do?
The free version of Minecraft available at https://classic.minecraft.net provides an original version from 2009, so whatever the game looked like and the features available at that time will be available. The limitation will be that it’s only accessible from an internet-connected web browser, and you can’t save any games, and no new features are being added.
Trial versions of Minecraft offer full access to the game for a short period of time, and then you must purchase or lose access to the game.
Difference Between Free and Paid Minecraft
With Minecraft, you get a free web-based version, a trial version, and a paid version. Your paid and trial versions are exactly the same, and the trial is just giving you a short taste of the game so that you try it out and also check your system is powerful enough.
The free version is really no comparison. You are missing out on 10+ years of development and changes that have been made.
The free version would only be suitable for people that want a basic game to play and don’t care about saving games or new features that will be included. The most significant benefit is that it’s free, so if you really enjoy Minecraft, the free version is not a good option.
Can Free Version of Minecraft Be Used on All Devices?
The free version of Minecraft can be played on any device that is connected to the internet and has a JavaScript-enabled web browser.
Trial versions can be played on most OS and devices, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Playstation, Xbox, and Vita.
Is Minecraft Still Free in 2024?
Minecraft is completely free for anybody that doesn’t mind playing an older version of the game through a web browser. If you enjoyed the game in 2009 but find it too complex now, the free version is perfect.
It is severely limited and does not get any updates of new features or bug fixes, there is no way for you to save your game, so once the browser closes, it’s all gone. You also won’t be able to join any external servers, though you can invite friends to play with you in the browser.
Click here to play the free version right now.
For anybody who wants to trial the game and ensure they like it before purchasing or ensure their system can handle the game, the trial version is a great option to get a very short sampling of the game.
Click here to get more details and to download the trial versions.
