Why Java and Bedrock can't simply play together
Minecraft: Java Edition and Bedrock Edition share a name and most of the gameplay, but they're separate programs built from separate code. Java runs on Windows, macOS and Linux; Bedrock runs on consoles, phones, tablets and Windows. They even speak different network protocols: Java connects over TCP, Bedrock over UDP. A Java server simply doesn't understand a Bedrock client. More on the two editions.
| Java Edition | Bedrock Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Plays on | Windows, macOS, Linux | Consoles, phones, tablets, Windows |
| Add-ons | Plugins, mods, datapacks | Behaviour packs and add-ons |
| Connects over | TCP | UDP |
| Server software | Paper, Fabric, Forge, Vanilla… | Bedrock Dedicated Server, PocketMine-MP, Nukkit… |
What Geyser and Floodgate do
Geyser is a free, open-source translator. It sits next to your Java server, listens for Bedrock players and converts everything that goes back and forth, so a phone and a PC end up in the same world. It runs as a plugin on Paper and Spigot, and also on proxies such as Velocity and BungeeCord.
Floodgate is its companion. Without it, every Bedrock player also needs a Java Edition account to log in. With Floodgate, they join with just their Microsoft account. By default it puts a dot in front of their names (.Steve), so they never clash with a Java player called Steve.
Setting it up, step by step
Run Paper
Geyser works on Paper, Purpur and Spigot. If you're on Vanilla, switch from the panel's Versions tab; your world carries over. Paper vs Vanilla.
Install Geyser and Floodgate
Download both from geysermc.org, upload the two .jar files to the
pluginsfolder and restart. How to install plugins.Give Geyser its own port
Bedrock uses UDP and needs a port of its own. Add a second port in the panel's Network tab and set it as the
portunderbedrockinplugins/Geyser-Spigot/config.yml. The default 19132 isn't free on a shared node. Port setup.Restart and share two addresses
Java players keep the usual address. Bedrock players add the server with the same IP and the Geyser port. Two audiences, two ports.
The console catch
On Windows, phones and tablets, Bedrock players can add any server by its address. Xbox, PlayStation and Switch don't offer that option: the game only lists its featured servers. Console players can still get in with community workarounds, such as BedrockConnect, which changes the console's DNS to show a server list, or tools that show your server as a joinable friend on Xbox. It works, but it's one more step to explain to your players.
What doesn't survive the trip
| Thing | For Bedrock players, through Geyser |
|---|---|
| Mods (Forge, Fabric) | Don't work. Geyser translates vanilla Minecraft, not mods. |
| Complex inventory menus | Often look odd or don't render well. |
| Combat and redstone timing | Differ between editions, so PvP feels different. |
| Java resource packs | Don't apply to Bedrock players. |
None of this stops a survival SMP from working. It matters for competitive PvP, heavily modded servers and minigames built on custom menus. Tell your Bedrock players up front: «almost everything works, some menus look different» saves you a pile of bug reports. The full list of limits.
Does crossplay need more RAM?
A little. Our calculator adds about 256 MB for Geyser and Floodgate, and in most cases that doesn't change the plan you need:
| Your server | RAM to start with | Plan that fits | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper SMP, 10 players, 20 plugins | 3 GB |  Ares | $6.00/month |
| The same, with Geyser + Floodgate | 3 GB | Ares | $6.00/month |
| Paper, 25 players, 40 plugins, with Geyser | 5 GB |  Atenea | $9.00/month |
When a Bedrock server is the better choice
Geyser is for mixed groups. If every one of your players is on Bedrock, skip the translation and run a Bedrock server directly: Bedrock Dedicated Server, PocketMine-MP or Nukkit, with add-ons instead of plugins. Same plans and prices, chosen when you order. Bedrock hosting.
Java server + Geyser
- PC and Bedrock players together
- The whole plugin library
- Some menus and combat feel different on Bedrock
- Console players need a workaround
Bedrock server
- Everyone on Bedrock, natively
- Add-ons and behaviour packs
- No Java players
- A much smaller plugin scene
If you remember one thing
Mixed group? Paper with Geyser and Floodgate, its own UDP port and a quick test from a Bedrock device. Everyone on Bedrock? A Bedrock server, no translation needed. Heavy mods or competitive PvP? Keep it Java-only.
Questions people ask
Yes, with Geyser installed on the server. Add Floodgate so they don't need a Java Edition account.
Yes. Geyser and Floodgate are free and open source, maintained by the GeyserMC project.
Bedrock's default is 19132 over UDP, but on a shared node you add a second port in the panel and set Geyser to listen on it. Bedrock players connect to that port.
Yes, but Xbox, PlayStation and Switch can't add servers by address, so they need a workaround such as BedrockConnect.
No. Geyser translates vanilla Minecraft; content added by Forge or Fabric mods doesn't reach Bedrock players.
About this article: It comes from what I have learned running EnduranceNodes, and it is published here first. We sell Minecraft hosting, so everything I say about us can be checked on this site, and I point out where we are not the best fit.