playit.gg: Host Game Servers Without Port Forwarding

playit.gg solves a specific problem: making a game server running on your computer reachable from the outside without touching your router. It creates a tunnel to its servers and gives you a public address to share with friends. This is especially useful if your connection uses a shared IP, where port forwarding wouldn’t work anyway.

Here is how it works: a small program on your computer opens an outbound connection to the playit servers, which then route incoming traffic back to you. Since the connection starts from inside, there is nothing to configure on your router.

playit servers are located in an anycast network across about twenty data centers in Europe, America, Asia, and South America: friends connect to the node closest to them. Your real IP address remains hidden, and the service filters out some DDoS attacks before they reach your line—a useful feature if the server becomes public.

When you need #

Your connection uses a shared IP address with other customers (known as CGNAT), which is common on home connections and especially on FWA and mobile data: in this case, port forwarding is simply not possible.
You don’t have access to the router, for example in a shared house or a corporate network.
You only need it for a few evenings and don’t want to change your network configuration.

If instead you have a public IP and router access, opening the port directly remains faster and doesn’t depend on anyone else.

How to use it #

Register on the playit.gg official website and download the program for Windows, Linux, or macOS (there is also a Docker image).
Launch it and link it to your account: it will show you a link or a code to confirm in the web panel.
From the panel, create a tunnel, choose the game type or protocol, and specify the server’s local port: for Minecraft Java, it is 25565 on TCP; for Bedrock, it is 19132 on UDP.
The service provides you with a public address: this is what you give to your friends.

The program must remain open along with the server: if you close it, the tunnel drops. It is also the quickest way to take your server offline from the world, if you need to.

playit.gg web panel showing two tunnels, connection status, and public address — The public address assigned to the tunnel is what you give to friends

Keeping a fixed address #

This is the question everyone asks, because changing the address every time means having to rewrite it for everyone.

The address is tied to the tunnel, not the session: as long as you don’t delete the tunnel from the panel and keep using the same one, the address won’t change. Two things will cause it to change: deleting and recreating the tunnel, or creating a new one every time instead of reusing the existing one.

If you play often, then create just one, write down the address, and always reuse it. With the paid plan, you can also get a custom address or use your own domain, which is easier to remember.

The running playit program window showing the tunnel linked to the account — Closing this window drops the tunnel and the server becomes unreachable again

Pin the address in the group. Put it in a pinned message in the chat or Discord channel where you organize your games. It sounds trivial, but it saves you from the “what was the address?” question at the start of every match.

Limitations to keep in mind #

Latency increases. Traffic no longer goes directly from you to your friends but passes through the service’s servers. The extra delay depends on how close the nodes are: in a turn-based game, you won’t notice it; in an action game, you will.

The free plan has limits. A few tunnels (usually a few TCP ports and some UDP ports), shared bandwidth, and no guarantees: there can be slowdowns during peak hours. Premium costs 3 dollars per month and adds more tunnels, custom addresses, and more games.

You depend on an external service. If playit has issues or changes its terms, your server becomes unreachable even if it is running perfectly fine.

The server is still your computer. The tunnel only solves the connection: if you turn off your PC, the world can no longer reach it.

Think about what you are exposing. A tunnel makes a service reachable from the internet, much like opening a port. The same precautions apply: keep your server software updated, enable player whitelists, and do not expose any services other than the one you actually need.

Alternatives #

Solution	Advantage	Disadvantage
Port forwarding on the router	No intermediary, minimal latency	Requires a public IP and router access
Private network between friends	Simple, secure, no exposure	Everyone must install a program
Paid hosting	Always on, guaranteed performance	Monthly cost
Free hosting services	No cost	Waiting queues and automatic shutdowns

The choice depends on how many people there are and how often you play. For a fixed group that meets every week, a private network like Tailscale is more stable than a tunnel; for a one-off evening with someone outside the group, a tunnel is faster. The most well-known free hosting services for Minecraft are Aternos and similar ones.

FAQ #

Is playit.gg free? #

The base plan is free and is enough to let a group of friends play. Premium, at 3 dollars per month, adds more tunnels, custom addresses, and better performance: it’s only necessary if the server is used frequently or by many people.

Does it only work with Minecraft? #

No. It has presets for Minecraft Java and Bedrock, Terraria, Valheim, Palworld, Factorio, and others, and in general, it handles any service responding on a TCP or UDP port: other games, voice servers, test websites. In the panel, you specify the protocol and local port, and the tunnel does the rest.

Does it increase game lag? #

Yes, because the traffic takes a longer route through the service’s servers. In Minecraft with four friends, you’ll barely notice it; in a fast-paced competitive game, you will feel it.

Is it safe? #

The tunnel doesn’t expose your computer more than opening a port would: only the service you specified becomes reachable, and your IP remains hidden. The precautions are the same as for any exposed server: keep it updated and limit who can join.

Do I need to keep the program open? #

Yes, the tunnel remains active as long as the program is open. If that computer frequently hosts the server, you can set it to launch automatically (on Linux, it can be installed as a service), but keep in mind that everything still depends on that computer being turned on.