We are an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Our goal is to help you make smarter financial decisions by providing you with interactive tools and financial calculators, publishing original and objective content, by enabling you to conduct research and compare information for free – so that you can make financial decisions with confidence. Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover.
The offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within the listing categories. But this compensation does not influence the information we publish, or the reviews that you see on this site. We do not include the universe of companies or financial offers that may be available to you.
At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here’s an explanation for
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions.
We value your trust. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers.
Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU – the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that you’re getting credible and dependable information.
You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey.
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers.
We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money.
Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service.
Minecraft has become a sensation, with well over 100 million copies sold for all platforms. And it’s not just kids who play the game; adults like it, too. The game started out for the PC, but has expanded to include versions for major gaming consoles and mobile devices.
The price for Minecraft varies, depending on where you buy it. If you buy it for a PC from the Minecraft.net website, expect to pay around $27 as of July 2017. You can also buy gift cards at the website. If you want to download Minecraft to your favorite console, expect to pay $20 to $30 for the base game, and about $30 or more on the Wii U if you opt to buy the Favorites Pack. Minecraft: Pocket Edition allows you to play the game on a variety of mobile devices and costs about $7 for the app.
How To Buy Minecraft Java Edition (Guide) | Purchase Minecraft
How do you want to play?
| Available for: | Desktop | Mobile | Modern console | Other devices | Legacy console | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Mac Linux (Java Edition) | Windows 10 or 11 (with Windows MR) | iOS | Android | Xbox | Nintendo Switch | PlayStation 4 (with PSVR) | Fire Devices | Oculus | Xbox 360 Edition | Nintendo Wii U Edition | New 2DS & 3DS Edition | Playstation 3 | Playstation Vita Edition | |
| Cross-platform play with Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox, Mobile, Switch, and PlayStation 4 Allows you to play with friends on different devices. | Not Applicable | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| Cross-play with Java Edition: Windows, Mac, and Linux Allows you to play with other Java edition players. | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| Split screen multiplayer (online multiplayer requires subscription sold separately) Playing split screen allows up to four players to play on the screen at the same time. | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Available | Available | Available | Available | Not Applicable | Available | Available | Not Applicable | Available | Not Applicable |
| Controller/touch support Use a compatible game controller or touch screen. | Not Applicable | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available |
| Minecraft Marketplace Discover new ways to play Minecraft with unique maps, skins, and texture packs. Available in-game from your favorite community creators. Purchases and Minecoins roam across Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox, Mobile, and Switch. On PlayStation 4 the Minecraft Store uses Tokens. Tokens are used only on PlayStation consoles and cannot be used on other platforms. Similarly, Minecoins cannot be used on PlayStation consoles. | Not Applicable | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| Downloadable Content (DLC) Use add-ons to customize your experience. Transform the look, and even change the behavior of mobs. | Not Applicable | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available |
| Mods Independent, user-made additions and changes to the game. | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| Official featured multiplayer servers (online multiplayer requires subscription sold separately) Public servers, partnered with Minecraft, that anyone can join, with multiplayer mini-games. | Not Applicable | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| Realms (Sold separately) Realms are servers, run by us, just for you and your friends. Invite an infinite number of friends to join your personal Realm, and play with up to 10 at a time. | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| Realms Plus (Sold separately) Get access to 100+ marketplace packs to play locally or on your personal Realm server. Play with up to 10 players at a time who can access all of the content in your Realm—for free! | Not Applicable | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| Host your own server Share your world with your friends and players around the globe. Host your own multiplayer game server. Join custom servers from mobile and PC. | Available | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| Join player-hosted multiplayer servers Multiplayer games hosted on other player’s servers. | Available | Available | Available | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Available | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| Achievements/Trophies Complete certain challenges to earn Achievements or Trophies. Only available in Survival mode. | Not Applicable | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Available | Available |
| LAN or WiFi Multiplayer Play with friends over LAN or WiFi. | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| Parental Controls with Xbox Live or Microsoft Account Xbox profiles and Microsoft Accounts have age-appropriate controls and settings that you can adjust to suit your family’s needs. If you’re playing the Java edition with a Mojang account, parental controls are not available. If you’re playing the Java edition with an Xbox Profile or Microsoft account associated with your Minecraft profile, parental controls are available. | Not Applicable | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| Ray Tracing Advanced graphics capabilities including support for physical based rendering, realistic lighting, vibrant colors, realistic water, and more. Content available in Minecraft Marketplace. Requires a DXR capable GPU. | Not Applicable | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Available | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| Minimum Requirements : | Recommended Requirements : | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i3-3210 3.2 GHz/ AMD A8-7600 APU 3.1 GHz or equivalent | Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz / AMD A10-7800 APU 3.5 GHz or equivalent |
| GPU (Integrated) | Intel HD Graphics 4000 (Ivy Bridge) or AMD Radeon R5 series (Kaveri line) with OpenGL 4.4* | |
| GPU (Discrete) | Nvidia GeForce 400 Series or AMD Radeon HD 7000 series with OpenGL 4.4 | GeForce 700 Series or AMD Radeon Rx 200 Series (excluding integrated chipsets) with OpenGL 4.5 |
| RAM | 4GB | 8GB |
| HDD | At least 1GB for game core, maps and other files | 4GB (SSD is recommended) |
| OS |
Internet connectivity is required for downloading Minecraft files, afterwards offline play is possible |
64 bit recommended
|
| Internet connectivity is required for downloading Minecraft files, afterwards offline play is possible | ||
| Software Requirements: | ||
| Minecraft Release 1.6 or newer. Older versions will need to be updated to current versions | ||
|
Please note that some users experience issues playing Minecraft while using a mismatched version of Java for their operating system (32 or 64 bit), while using certain versions of Java 7, or while multiple versions of Java are installed Starting from Minecraft 1.12, Java 8 will be required to run Minecraft. If you dont know whether you have Java 8, dont worry – our installers supply Minecraft with its own version of Java by default. |
||
| Minimum Requirements : | Recommended Requirements : | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 version 14393.0 or higher, Xbox One | Windows 10 version 14393.0 or higher, Xbox One |
| Architecture | ARM, x64, x86 | ARM, x64, x86 |
| Memory | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Motion controller | Not specified | Windows Mixed Reality motion controllers |
| Headset | Not specified | Windows Mixed Reality immersive headset |
| Processor | Intel Celeron J4105 | AMD FX-4100 | Intel i7-6500U | AMD A8-6600K |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 4000 | AMD Radeon R5 | NVIDIA GeForce 940M | AMD Radeon HD 8570D |
Skins and texture packs cost extra
You also have the option of downloading character skins and texture packs, which change the look of your game play. On the PC, these modifications are free at Planetminecraft.com. On the Xbox, PlayStation and Wii U consoles, you pay a small fee to download skins or texture packs, though occasionally they are offered for free. The cost for skin packs hovers around $2, while texture packs cost closer to $6. Skin packs for Minecraft: Pocket Edition for mobile devices cost around $2 each, with texture packs running $1 to $2, or free in some cases. Both skin and texture packs are in-app purchases.
FAQ
Do you get Minecraft for free?
Does Minecraft cost money?
Is Minecraft a monthly payment?
Do you pay for Minecraft once?
Players must have a Minecraft Account to play Minecraft. This requires a one-time purchase for the account. The account has to be compatible with the device.