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Playit.gg, Ngrok and Hamachi Alternative for Minecraft (Free, No Port Forwarding)

Comparing ways to put a home Minecraft server online without port forwarding: playit.gg, ngrok, Hamachi, e4mc and VoxelPort. What each needs from you and your friends, and which is simplest.

If port forwarding doesn’t work for you (CGNAT, a locked router, hostel Wi-Fi), you need something that connects your server out to the internet instead. There are several tools for this. Here is how they compare for a group of friends playing Minecraft.

Compared

ToolFriends installAddressWatch out for
VoxelPortNothingStays the same; custom name.voxelport.in for supportersWindows and Linux app; relays in India and Europe
playit.ggNothingGenerated address; custom domains on the paid planFree plan limits change; check their site
ngrokNothingChanges on restart (free)Free TCP needs a credit/debit card on your account; bandwidth cap
HamachiHamachi, for everyoneHamachi IPAbout 5 people on the free plan; a VPN running on every PC
e4mc / Essential (mods)Nothing / Essential modChanges each sessionShares a singleplayer world: only while you’re playing, limited server control

Based on each tool’s public docs and reviews in October 2026. Free plans change, so check the tool’s own site.

What VoxelPort does differently

Switch in two minutes

Get VoxelPort from the Microsoft Store (Windows 10 and 11), download the Windows installer directly (if Windows warns, click More info → Run anyway), or get the Linux build from GitHub. It's free, open source, and needs no account.

  1. Already have a server folder? Click Import Existing Server and pick it. Otherwise click + Add Server.
  2. Click Start, then Make public.
  3. Copy your address and send it to friends. Stop your old tunnel (playit agent, ngrok, Hamachi) — you don’t need it any more.
Running a server outside VoxelPort (a Docker container, another panel)? Use Tunnel a server I already run elsewhere on the start screen: it puts any local port online the same way.

Questions

What is the best alternative to Hamachi for Minecraft?

A tunnel or relay, so your friends don’t install anything. With VoxelPort your friends join with plain Minecraft using an address, and there is no member limit.

Does ngrok work for Minecraft for free?

It can, but ngrok’s free plan asks you to add a credit or debit card before TCP endpoints work, and the address changes when you restart. VoxelPort needs no card and keeps your address.

Is VoxelPort like playit.gg?

Both put a home server online without port forwarding. VoxelPort is also a server manager: it installs and runs the server, Java and Bedrock support for you, and supporters can get a custom address (yourname.voxelport.in).

Do my friends need to install anything?

Not with VoxelPort, playit.gg or ngrok: they join with normal Minecraft. With Hamachi everyone installs Hamachi, and with mods like e4mc or Essential the host (and with Essential, often friends) needs the mod.

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