Almost every friend group has someone who plays Minecraft on a phone or tablet, which means Bedrock, while the rest are on Java. And the standard answer to "can we all play on one server?" has long been: technically yes, if someone volunteers to be the sysadmin for the evening.
The usual way
Crossplay between Java and Bedrock isn't a Mojang feature. It comes from GeyserMC, an open-source project that translates between the two editions, plus Floodgate so Bedrock players don't need a Java account. Most hosts let you install both yourself. That "yourself" covers a lot: pick the right builds, open an extra port, edit config files, and update everything whenever Minecraft updates. Get one step wrong and your Bedrock friends stare at a connection screen that never finishes.
On Chunklink
Every server here has crossplay built in and switched on. There is no toggle, because there is nothing to decide: your Java friends join with your address, and your Bedrock friends join with the same address on a phone, tablet, or the Windows 10/11 edition. No extra port, no separate app, and no Java account for them either; their Xbox Gamertag is enough.
The whitelist and bans understand both sides too: Bedrock players appear in your player list with a Bedrock tag, and you manage them like everyone else.
One player, both editions
If you play Java at your desk and Bedrock on the couch, you can link your accounts. Once linked, you are one player: same name, same skin, same whitelist spot, and the inventory from your Bedrock sessions carries over. If both editions run on one Microsoft account, signing in with Microsoft links them automatically; if not, the page gives you a code to type in-game.
What doesn't work yet
Official console support. Xbox, PlayStation and Switch don't let you enter a server address on their own. The free BedrockConnect app works around that and gets console players onto custom servers, but we don't officially support it yet: it can work for your group, we just can't promise it. Phones, tablets and PCs stay the reliable route.
Try it with one friend
The best test takes two minutes: start a server, send the address to the one friend who always says "I only have it on my phone", and watch them walk into your world. The first 8 hours are free, no card needed.