The original version of Minecraft, Java Edition, which supports cross-platform play between Windows, macOS, and Linux, could be purchased and played by creating an account with the developer Mojang.

Microsoft has declared that beginning in 2021, you'll have to create a Microsoft account in order to play the game. Up until now, players with a Mojang account created through Minecraft: Java Edition ...

It's not an option I would recommend too much in the long run, because to play, that person will have to be connected and with the server running at all times. In other words, every time you want to ...