Two-thirds of our 2026 shipped work is Bedrock; one-third is Java. Both have rough edges. Most articles online compare them at the player level. This is the developer-level take.
Bedrock wins
Marketplace distribution. Cross-platform out of the box. Stable scripting API since 1.20.50. Add-On JSON is verbose but predictable.
Java wins
Mods. The Forge / Fabric ecosystem can do things Bedrock won't allow for another five years (custom block models with arbitrary geometry, hard).
Bedrock loses
Behaviour packs are JSON. JSON is not a programming language. Logic that branches more than two levels deep starts to feel like writing assembly with a typewriter.
Java loses
There is no Marketplace. Distribution is "host a server, hope people find it". Monetisation is murky.
What we pick
Marketplace contracts → Bedrock. Showcase pieces + creator economy → Java. Brand integrations → whichever the partner already has installed.