If you’re a parent of a young gamer, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Minecraft. It’s one of the most popular games in the world, and kids love it for its open-ended gameplay and creative possibilities. A lot of people assume that Minecraft is free because it is available on mobile devices and is incredibly popular.
Is Minecraft Free?
We want to be extra clear on this: There is no way to play the full version of Minecraft for free. Any website that tells you otherwise is doing so with ill intent. Beware of those websites and steer clear.
Was Minecraft Ever Free?
Minecraft has been around a long time and some people (and outdated websites) will reference a free version that was available. This was when Minecraft was still in a beta state so it was full of bugs, didn’t have a lot of its current features and was still being “finished.” That free version is no longer available and isn’t supported anymore.
Are There Any Versions of Minecraft that ARE free?
There are a few limited ways to have Minecraft experiences at no cost, but none of them are really comparable to the full version of the game.
Minecraft Classic
There is a version of Minecraft that is available on your browser called Minecraft Classic. The problem with this version is that it is a version of Minecraft from before the game was released. It’s a beta version of Minecraft with only 32 blocks, only the creative mode, and very old graphics. It doesn’t really make a good substitute for modern-day Minecraft. It’s more of a novelty/nostalgia tool for veteran players.
Is there a Minecraft Demo?
Minecraft: Java Edition has a demo available on the Minecraft website for those who want to try it before they buy! It’s limited in two ways – it isn’t multiplayer and you can only spend so much time playing it. However, if this sounds like your thing then head over straightaway because downloads are available! There are demos for the Java edition, and the Bedrock version for Windows 10, Android, and PlayStation 4.
1. Navigate to the Free Trial page on the Minecraft site. (https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/free-trial)
2. Scroll down to select the version you are looking to demo.
3. If you are looking for the Windows, Android, or PlayStation demo, then click the appropriate black square with the corresponding logo.
4. If you are looking for the Java edition demo, then scroll down the page until you see the Java edition section of the page. Select the correct demo based on your computer’s operating system (Windows, Mac, or Linux) and click the green “Download Now” button.
What about the Minecraft Education Edition?
Minecraft Education Edition is a powerful tool for teaching young children programming, architecture, chemistry, and engineering. The Educational version is available on both mobile and ChromeOS, but you cannot play Minecraft without signing in with a Minecraft Education account from school or somewhere else.
The main benefit of Minecraft Education Edition is that it is set up for teachers and students to use collaboratively in the classroom. It is automatically set up for a server of 30 people to play together in a learning environment without any external server set up.
There are also a handful of blocks and entities for teachers to use to make it a better learning environment. Two examples are:
- A chalkboard with text boxes to help give instructions and learning goals
- NPC’s to help guide students through collaborative work.
Another interesting feature of the education edition is the chemistry tools. There is a wide selection of tools and items to help teach chemistry, from learning about the formation of atoms, to what happens when certain elements combine.
The Education Edition also has a group of adventure maps, similar to those featured on the Minecraft Bedrock editions marketplace, focused on education and teaching. It also features a coding course, where students can write code and implement it into the game, this is very useful for tech education teachers teaching younger students.
Where can you get a Minecraft Educational Account?
This tool is mainly used in schools, but parents who are homeschooling their children may also find this tool useful, as gaming is a great way to get children engaged and active in learning. Purchasing the education edition for your homeschool is a little complicated though, as it requires jumping through some hoops.
Step one, is to sign up for a Microsoft 365 admin center account, this is how schools manage emails for students, as a homeschooler you may already have one because other programs use them, so you can use the one you already set up if you do.
After you have the admin center account, you have to register your child in the account, this shouldnt be to hard, pick an email and user name for them, this is how your child will log in to Minecraft Education Edition.
Then you have to purchase a license for the Education Edition, this will happen through the Minecraft Education Edition website, a license will cost $12 per year.
After you purchase the license you will assign it to your child in the 365 Admin Center. After youve done that, youll be set to use Education Edition, its available on chromeOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and Ipad/IPhone
How Much Does Minecraft Cost?
Of course, Minecraft isn’t free, it’s one of the best-selling games of all time. But, Microsoft does a great job of making it accessible to everyone. The game is fairly inexpensive on all platforms, ranging from $5-$10 on mobile devices, and around $25 dollars on consoles and PC.
Is Minecraft on Xbox Game Pass
Minecraft is available on Xbox Game Pass for those with an Xbox or a Windows computer.
- Xbox – Bedrock Edition
- Windows Computer – Bedrock Edition AND Java Edition
So, there you have it. Minecraft is not free, but there are ways to get limited access to some of the features in the game. We hope you found this post helpful and that you’ll join our Facebook group for more answers to gaming questions. Thanks for reading!
What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!
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5 comments
Okay I’m totally out of the loop, but I had no idea there was an Education version of Minecraft! That’s fantastic!! I wonder if I could have used it in my music classrooms when I was doing public school teaching, lol.
Also, question: What’s the difference between Java version and Windows 10 version? Again, I may just be a luddite out of the loop, but I have both on our old desktop computer, and could only ever make one work properly. Idk what’s going on, there
We have an article covering the differences between versions coming very soon!
Great information here, thanks for sharing all this. I’ve noticed a high number of free but fake versions of Minecraft in app stores and it can be hard to navigate for anyone, let alone a parent who knows nothing about games. Super useful article, hopefully it helps some fellow parents!
Thank you for the kind words of support!
Great coverage of Minecraft Education! I’m trying to get it setup for my students. I think that Code.org worked with Minecraft to make a few free Hour of Code versions of Minecraft Education. I will report back if I get it setup with all the tips and tricks!