Which Minecraft server software should I choose?
Choose Paper for plugins, Fabric or NeoForge/Forge for mods, Vanilla Bedrock for Bedrock players and Velocity for networks. Switch any time in the Versions tab (Bedrock: Change Egg).
- Difficulty:
- Beginner
- Time:
- 6 minutes
On this page
Short answer: pick Paper if you want plugins (ranks, economy, land claims, crossplay). Pick Fabric or NeoForge/Forge if you want mods or a modpack. Pick Vanilla Bedrock if all your players use Bedrock. You can change Java software any time from the Versions tab, and switch to Bedrock software with Settings → Change Egg, so this choice is not permanent.
Plugins or mods?
Plugins run only on the server. Players join with a normal, unmodified Minecraft. Good for survival, SMP, minigames and community servers.
Mods can add new blocks, mobs and dimensions. Most need every player to install the same mods (usually through a modpack launcher).
Plugins and mods use different loaders and do not mix. A Paper server cannot load Fabric mods, and a Fabric server cannot load Paper plugins.
Comparison table
Software | Edition | Supports | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
Paper (recommended) | Java | Plugins (Bukkit, Spigot, Paper) | Almost everyone. Fast, stable, huge plugin choice. |
Purpur | Java | Plugins | Paper plus many extra gameplay settings (rideable mobs, tweaks). |
Pufferfish | Java | Plugins | A performance-focused Paper fork; usually behind Paper on new versions. |
Folia | Java | Only Folia-compatible plugins | Very large servers with many players spread out, on big plans. |
Spigot | Java | Bukkit/Spigot plugins | Rarely needed. Paper runs the same plugins faster. |
Vanilla | Java | Datapacks only | The pure Mojang experience, and testing brand-new versions first. |
Fabric | Java | Fabric mods | Lightweight mods, performance mods, quick updates to new versions. |
NeoForge / Forge | Java | NeoForge / Forge mods | Big content mods and most large modpacks. |
Sponge | Java | Sponge plugins | Only if a Sponge plugin you need requires it. |
Vanilla Bedrock (recommended for Bedrock) | Bedrock | Add-ons (behaviour and resource packs) | Bedrock players on phones, Windows and consoles. |
Nukkit / PocketMine-MP | Bedrock | Their own plugins | Bedrock minigame servers. Not all vanilla features work. |
Velocity (recommended proxy) | Java proxy | Velocity plugins | Linking several servers into one network. |
BungeeCord | Java proxy | BungeeCord plugins | Older networks that already depend on it. |
Waterfall | Java proxy | BungeeCord plugins | Not recommended: it is discontinued. Move to Velocity. |
The Versions tab also lists more specialised software: Quilt and Canvas (Experimental), Velocity-CTD, Arclight, Mohist, Magma, DivineMC, Leaf, Leaves, ASPaper and Legacy Fabric (Miscellaneous), and the limbo servers LooHP Limbo and NanoLimbo (tiny waiting-room servers for proxy networks). Only pick one of these if a guide or plugin you follow asks for it; experimental software can be less stable.
More about the main choices
Paper
Paper is a high-performance server that runs Bukkit and Spigot plugins and fixes many bugs and exploits. It is the safest default for a public or friends server. Purpur is built on Paper and adds even more options, so most Paper plugins work on Purpur too.
Folia
Folia splits the world into regions and runs them on several CPU threads at once. This only helps when you have many players far apart from each other and a plan with lots of CPU. Most plugins do not work on Folia unless the plugin page says it is supported. For a normal server, Paper is faster and much simpler.
Fabric, Forge and NeoForge
Choose the loader your mods or modpack are made for. Check the mod's download page on CurseForge or Modrinth. NeoForge is a newer fork of Forge, and many modern mods now release for NeoForge. Install mods from the Mods tab. See How to install mods and How to install a modpack.
Bedrock software
Vanilla Bedrock is Mojang's official Bedrock Dedicated Server and plays exactly like Bedrock single-player. Nukkit and PocketMine-MP are community servers with plugin support, but they may lag behind new Bedrock updates and some vanilla mechanics behave differently. Read the Bedrock server guide.
Want Java and Bedrock players together? Use Paper with the Geyser and Floodgate plugins, not a Bedrock server. See Geyser and Floodgate crossplay.
Proxies
A proxy (Velocity or BungeeCord) does not contain a world. It connects players to other servers, such as a lobby and a survival server. You only need one if you run two or more servers as a network. See Velocity and BungeeCord proxy network.
How to switch
Open the Versions tab, click the software, click a version, and in the pop-up tick Accept EULA and click Install. For Bedrock software use Settings → Change Egg (Vanilla Bedrock, Nukkit, PocketmineMP). Back up first, because switching between some types (for example plugins to mods) is not reversible for your world. Full steps: How to change your Minecraft version or server software.
Frequently asked questions
Is Paper the same as Vanilla for players?
Almost. Paper fixes some bugs and a few technical tricks (certain duplication glitches and some redstone behaviour) work differently. Most of these can be changed in Paper's config files. Survival gameplay feels the same.
Can I use plugins and mods together?
Not on the standard software listed here. Choose one: plugins (Paper/Purpur) or mods (Fabric/NeoForge/Forge). Many popular plugins have a mod version, and the reverse.
Which software uses the least RAM?
Paper and Fabric are both light. Large modpacks on NeoForge or Forge need the most. See How much RAM do I need?
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