You found an old tutorial that says to install Hamachi so your friends can join your Minecraft world, and you want to know if that still works in 2026 before everyone downloads it. It does, but only for small groups, and the tools that replaced it fit more friends for free. Below are Hamachi's current limits, the steps for Java Edition 26.3, and the free limits of ZeroTier, Tailscale, playit.gg and Radmin VPN, each read from the tool's own page on 3 November 2026.
Quick answer: Yes, Hamachi still works for Minecraft in 2026. LogMeIn still offers it at vpn.net for Windows, Mac and Linux, free for up to 5 computers per network, and a Java LAN world reaches everyone on your Hamachi network. The catch: the community help site Minecraft Hopper lists Hamachi as software that "causes login and multiplayer connectivity problems." The free alternatives fit more players: ZeroTier's free plan covers 10 devices on one network, Tailscale's free plan up to 6 users, Radmin VPN (Windows only) says it does not limit the number of gamers, and playit.gg's free tunnel lets friends join without installing anything.
Correction, 3 November 2026: an earlier version of this post said ZeroTier's free plan includes 25 users and Tailscale's 100. ZeroTier's free Personal plan covers 10 devices on one network, and Tailscale's free Personal plan up to 6 users. We rebuilt the comparison table below from each tool's own pricing page.
Does Hamachi Still Work for Minecraft in 2026?
Yes. This is what the vpn.net home page offered on 3 November 2026:
- Free plan: "Hamachi is free for up to 5 computers in your network." Your own PC counts, so that is you plus 4 friends.
- Platforms: downloads for Windows, Mac and Linux.
- Paid plans: these are for running Hamachi as a service in unattended mode. Standard costs $49 a year for 6 to 32 computers per network, Premium $199 a year for 33 to 256, and Multi-Network $299 a year.
Hamachi still does its job: it puts your computers on one virtual network, so a LAN world on your PC is reachable from your friends' homes. Two things have not changed since the old tutorials, though.
It is known for connection problems. Minecraft Hopper, the community help site the Minecraft Wiki links to, lists Hamachi under incompatible VPN software for all versions: it "causes login and multiplayer connectivity problems" and is "squatting on an occupied block of IPv4 address." The Minecraft Wiki's Hamachi tutorial opens with the same warning and is marked as needing an update.
Your PC is the server. The world is online only while you play in it, and your PC and upload speed carry every player. That is true for every VPN and tunnel in this post.
How to Use Hamachi for Minecraft Java 26.3
Mojang moved the LAN button in Java Edition 26.3, the current release since 15 September 2026, so older tutorials point to a button that is gone. Mojang's 26.3 changelog puts the World Options button "where the Open to Lan button used to be" in the pause menu.
- Everyone installs Hamachi from vpn.net. The host creates a network, and friends join it under Network, Join an existing network.
- The host loads the world, presses Esc, clicks World Options and, under Multiplayer, turns LAN on. Note the number in the Port box, which Mojang describes as "the port number to use when opening the world to LAN", or type your own port between 1024 and 65535 and use the same one every session, so friends can save the address.
- In Hamachi, each friend clicks the host's name and copies the host's IPv4 address. If the copied address contains letters, it is the IPv6 one; copy the IPv4 address instead.
- Friends open Multiplayer, click Direct Connection or Add Server, and enter that address with the port, in the form
HOST-IP:51234.
Every player needs their own Java account on the host's game version, because one account cannot join the same world from two computers. If friends time out, allow that port in the host's firewall, as the wiki's LAN tutorial advises.
The same join steps work over ZeroTier, Tailscale and Radmin VPN. Only the address changes.
Free Limits Compared (Checked 3 November 2026)
| Tool | How it connects | Free limit | Friends install it? | Paid option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamachi | Virtual LAN | 5 computers per network | Yes | From $49 a year (6 to 32 computers) |
| ZeroTier | Virtual LAN | 10 devices, 1 network, 1 admin, non-commercial use | Yes | Essential, $18 a month |
| Tailscale | Virtual LAN | Up to 6 users, non-commercial use | Yes | Standard, $8 per user a month |
| Radmin VPN | Virtual LAN | No paid features, no limit on gamers, Windows only | Yes | None |
| playit.gg | Public tunnel to your PC | 4 ports | No | Premium, $3 a month (16 ports) |
| Hosted server | Server in a data center | None, it is paid | No | Space-Node from €0.90 per GB of RAM a month |
Read from vpn.net, ZeroTier pricing, Tailscale pricing, Radmin VPN, the playit.gg home page and its Premium page. Limits and prices change, so check the page before you plan around a number.
ZeroTier: 10 Devices on One Network
ZeroTier is the closest match to Hamachi: a virtual network that your friends join with an ID. Its free Personal plan is "10 devices, one network" with "One network admin", for "Personal, non-commercial use" (pricing). Every PC counts as a device, so it fits you and 9 friends on one computer each, twice what Hamachi's free plan allows.
The setup, from ZeroTier's quickstart:
- Sign up at central.zerotier.com, create your organization, open the default network under Networks and copy its 16-character Network ID.
- Friends install ZeroTier, click the ZeroTier icon, choose Join New Network... and paste the ID. On Linux the command is
sudo zerotier-cli join NETWORK_ID. - In the Member Devices tab, open the Actions menu next to each device marked "Not Authorized" and click Authorize.
- Friends join your LAN world with Direct Connection on your PC's ZeroTier IP address and the port.
Tailscale: Up to 6 Users, or Share One PC
Tailscale's free Personal plan is "Free forever" for "Up to 6 users", and the pricing page sets no cap on each user's own devices. It is for non-commercial use, and Tailscale's FAQ names "playing games with friends" as one of the things it is for (pricing).
You have two ways to let friends in:
- Invite them to your tailnet. Each friend then counts as one of the 6 users.
- Share only your PC. Machine sharing "is available for all plans" and gives a friend "access to only the shared machine in your tailnet, and nothing else." They can accept the invite from any Tailscale account. Tailscale quarantines shared machines by default: your PC accepts incoming connections from their tailnet but cannot start any, which is all a Minecraft host needs.
Friends connect to your PC's 100.x.y.z Tailscale address, as in Tailscale's own Minecraft guide, plus the LAN port.
playit.gg: No Install for Your Friends
playit.gg is not a VPN but a tunnel. In playit's words: "Only you run the agent, your players just connect" (playit.gg). Your friends add your tunnel address like any server and install nothing. Minecraft Java, both Minecraft Bedrock tunnel types and Simple Voice Chat are listed under Free.
The free plan gives you 4 ports. Premium costs $3 a month, raises that to 16 and adds regional tunnels, because free tunnels use "Global Anycast" routing that is "not always optimal" (Premium page). Our playit.gg guide walks through the setup for a Minecraft server on your own PC, plus the safety settings.
Radmin VPN: Free, but Windows Only
Radmin VPN builds a virtual LAN like Hamachi and calls itself "completely free software, without ads or any paid features"; its maker earns money from another product. It states: "Free Radmin VPN does not limit the number of gamers." Its site lists Windows 11, 10, 8 and 7 only, so a friend on a Mac or Linux PC cannot join.
When a Hosted Server Beats Hamachi
Every tool above keeps the world on your PC. It is offline when you are, and your upload speed carries every player. If your group plays on days you do not, or more friends join than your free plan fits, a hosted server removes the VPN step: friends add one address and play. On Space-Node's Minecraft server hosting, Standard plans start at €0.90 per GB of RAM a month (as of 3 November 2026), every plan includes DDoS protection, and you get a free .mymcserver.nl subdomain, so friends join with a name instead of an IP address.
FAQ
Does Hamachi still work with Minecraft in 2026? Yes. vpn.net still offers Hamachi free for up to 5 computers per network, and Java LAN worlds work over it. Minecraft Hopper lists it as software that causes login and multiplayer connectivity problems, so switch to ZeroTier or Tailscale if it acts up.
How many players can join a free Hamachi network? Five computers, yours included, so 4 friends. The Minecraft Wiki notes that you can host more than one network to let more players connect. The paid Standard plan, $49 a year, allows 6 to 32 computers per network.
Is ZeroTier free for Minecraft? Yes, for personal use. The free Personal plan covers 10 devices on one network with one admin (checked 3 November 2026). It is not 25 users, as older guides, including an earlier version of this one, said.
What replaced Hamachi for Minecraft? For a private virtual LAN: ZeroTier, Tailscale or Radmin VPN. To let friends join without installing anything: a tunnel such as playit.gg, or a hosted server.
Hamachi says I am connected, but Minecraft cannot connect. What now? Check that your friend uses your IPv4 address (no letters) and the port from your World Options screen, that everyone runs the same game version, and that your firewall allows that port. If it still fails, try the same world over ZeroTier or Tailscale.
Do my friends need to install anything? With Hamachi, ZeroTier, Tailscale and Radmin VPN, yes: everyone installs the app. With playit.gg or a hosted server, only you set something up, and friends just add an address.
Related: How to play Minecraft Java with friends, playit.gg guide, Best free hosting 2026
Sources
All opened on 3 November 2026:
- LogMeIn Hamachi: vpn.net
- ZeroTier: pricing, quickstart
- Tailscale: pricing, sharing machines, How to set up a private Minecraft server
- playit.gg: home page, Playit Premium
- Radmin VPN: radmin-vpn.com
- Mojang: Minecraft Java Edition 26.3, version manifest
- Minecraft Wiki: Tutorial: Hamachi connection LAN, Tutorial: Setting up a LAN world, World Options
- Minecraft Hopper: Known incompatible software