Paper, Purpur, Spigot or Fabric: Which to Choose?

Introduction

Short answer: for a server with plugins, pick Paper. It runs Spigot and Bukkit plugins, it is faster than Spigot and it fixes hundreds of bugs. Pick Purpur if you want even more gameplay settings, Fabric (or Forge, NeoForge) if you want mods, and Vanilla if you want to add nothing at all. Spigot no longer has a real reason to be chosen for a new server.

On Serv-Minecraft, you can switch software at any time from the Version tab of the panel. For a plugin server with friends or a community, the Plugins plan at €8.99 a month (12 GB of RAM) is built for Paper and Purpur.

This guide compares the five server programs you will see everywhere, explains what really changes for your players and your world, and answers the questions that come up most often on forums.

Plugins or mods: the real question to ask first

Before comparing Paper and Fabric, you need to know what you want to add to the game. The two families do not mix.

• Plugins run only on the server. Players join with regular Minecraft and install nothing. Plugins add commands, ranks, land claims, an economy, minigames: EssentialsX, LuckPerms, WorldEdit, GriefPrevention. They need a Paper, Purpur or Spigot server.
• Mods change the game itself: new blocks, new creatures, new dimensions. In most cases every player has to install the same mods on their side. They need a Fabric, Forge or NeoForge server, depending on what each mod requires.

A plugin will not start on Fabric, a mod will not start on Paper. If you are unsure, ask yourself one question: do I want my friends to install anything? If the answer is no, it is a plugin server, so Paper.

For the plugins worth installing on day one, see our guide to essential Minecraft server plugins. For mods, the guide on installing Forge or Fabric on your server covers each loader.

The five server programs compared

Vanilla: Mojang's official server

This is the server.jar file published by Mojang, with no changes. It ships the same day as every new version, which makes it the only option a few hours after an update. On the other hand, it accepts neither plugins nor mods and it is the least optimized of the five: past a dozen players or a few big farms, TPS drops faster than elsewhere.

Who it is for: a small group of friends who want the game as is, or a test server on the day of a new release.

Spigot: the ancestor

Spigot is a modified version of the official server that made the Bukkit API popular, the API almost every plugin has relied on for more than ten years. There is no official ready-to-use download: you have to build it yourself with the BuildTools utility. It is still maintained, but it has been overtaken by its own descendants.

Who it is for: almost nobody anymore. Plugins written for Spigot run on Paper, which does better on every point.

Paper: the default choice

Paper started as an improved Spigot, then split from it for good at the end of 2024 (the "hard fork" announced by the PaperMC team from 1.21.4 onwards). It keeps compatibility with the Bukkit and Spigot API, so with nearly every plugin, and adds:

• parallel chunk loading, which reduces stutter while players explore;
• fine-grained entity settings (activation range, per-chunk limits) to keep TPS stable;
• hundreds of bug and exploit fixes;
• a richer API than Spigot's for plugin developers.

By default, Paper fixes some mechanics that Mojang considers bugs but that technical players use a lot: TNT, sand and rail duplication, bedrock breaking. They can be turned back on in config/paper-global.yml, under unsupported-settings.

Who it is for: 9 plugin servers out of 10, from 3 to 100 players.

Purpur: Paper with more knobs

Purpur is built on Paper. It keeps every optimization and accepts the same plugins, then adds a purpur.yml file full of gameplay options you will not find anywhere else without a plugin: riding mobs, tuning each mob's behavior, changing the length of day phases, allowing actions blocked in vanilla. These options also let you switch off expensive mechanics that slow down a busy server.

Who it is for: community and survival servers that want to customize the game without stacking plugins. If you never touch purpur.yml, Purpur behaves like Paper.

Fabric: lightweight mods and optimization

Fabric is a mod loader. It is lightweight, it follows new Minecraft versions quickly and it has the richest ecosystem of optimization mods: Lithium (a faster game engine that keeps mechanics unchanged) and FerriteCore (less memory). These mods run on the server side only: players can still join with regular Minecraft.

Fabric has a clear edge for technical players: it stays true to vanilla mechanics, farms and redstone machines included, where Paper fixes some of them. On the other hand, it accepts no plugins. No EssentialsX, no LuckPerms: you need their mod equivalents, which are fewer.

Who it is for: modded servers, and technical or SMP servers that want exact vanilla redstone. Forge and NeoForge play the same role for big modpacks (see creating a modded Minecraft server).

Paper, Purpur or Fabric: decide in 30 seconds

• I want ranks, an economy, land protection, minigames: Paper.
• I want all that and fine control over gameplay: Purpur.
• I want new blocks, mobs or dimensions: Fabric, Forge or NeoForge, depending on the mods.
• I build technical redstone and tick-perfect farms: Fabric with Lithium, or Vanilla.
• I want to play the new version on release day: Vanilla, while Paper and Fabric catch up (a few days to a few weeks).
• More than 200 players on a single map: look at Folia, a Paper offshoot that spreads the map over several CPU cores. Many plugins are not compatible: it is a tool for very large networks, not for a server with friends.

As for resources, Paper and Purpur need less RAM than a modded server: 6 to 12 GB is enough for most plugin servers, against 8 to 16 GB for a well-filled Fabric server and more for a big Forge modpack. The breakdown by player count is in our guide how much RAM for a Minecraft server.

Switching software on your server

On Serv-Minecraft, the switch is done in the panel, with no command line:

1. Make a backup from the Backups tab. It is the only clean way to roll back.
2. Version tab: choose the Edition (Paper, Purpur, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge or Vanilla), then the Minecraft Version.
3. Click Install version, then start the server.
4. For plugins: Plugins tab, search SpigotMC or Modrinth and install in one click. For mods: the mods folder through the Files tab or SFTP.

When you install Paper or Purpur, the panel also applies proven starting settings: a cap on saved entities per chunk for arrows and experience orbs, and the Alternate Current redstone engine, which is far lighter. It behaves like vanilla redstone in the vast majority of cases; if a very technical machine acts differently, set redstone-implementation: VANILLA back in config/paper-world-defaults.yml.

Moving your world to a new host at the same time? Follow the guide to transfer a Minecraft server, then apply the 15 tips to optimize a Minecraft server.

Frequently asked questions

Do Spigot plugins work on Paper?

Yes, in nearly every case. Paper keeps the Bukkit and Spigot API, and SpigotMC remains the main plugin source for Paper. Only a few plugins that hook into the server's internal code may break since the late-2024 split: their page usually says so.

Is Purpur better than Paper?

Neither better nor worse: it is Paper with extra options. With the same settings, performance is very close. Pick Purpur if an option in purpur.yml interests you, otherwise Paper is enough.

Can you put plugins on a Fabric server?

No. Fabric only loads Fabric mods. There are "hybrid" servers (Mohist, Arclight) that try to load mods and plugins together, but they are unstable, lag behind new versions and make every update harder. For a server meant to last, pick one family.

If I move from Vanilla to Paper, do I keep my world?

Yes. On first start, Paper automatically moves the Nether and the End into the world_nether and world_the_end folders. Going back to Vanilla means putting those dimensions back by hand: keep the backup made before the switch.

Will Paper break my farms and redstone?

It fixes some exploits (TNT, sand and rail duplication) that well-known farms rely on. Other farms work. Duplication can be re-enabled in paper-global.yml, and the redstone engine set back to vanilla in paper-world-defaults.yml.

Do my players need to install anything?

With Paper, Purpur, Spigot or Vanilla: no, the official launcher is enough. With Fabric, Forge or NeoForge: yes, as soon as a mod adds content (blocks, items, mobs). Server-only mods such as Lithium require nothing from players.

Is Fabric faster than Paper?

A Fabric server with Lithium and FerriteCore holds up well, but on a server with several dozen players Paper keeps the edge thanks to its entity and chunk settings. The real difference lies elsewhere: plugins on one side, mods and faithful redstone on the other.

Why not just use Spigot?

Because Paper does everything Spigot does, faster, with more fixes, and downloads directly while Spigot has to be compiled. There is no common case left where Spigot does better.

Is Folia for my server?

Probably not. Folia splits the map into regions processed in parallel: useful beyond a few hundred scattered players, but most plugins have to be rewritten for it. Below that, Paper or Purpur are simpler and just as smooth.

Can I switch software later?

Yes, between Paper, Purpur and Spigot without risk: the world and plugins stay compatible. Between plugins and mods it is a whole new server: plugins do not carry over, and a modded world opened without its mods loses the added blocks. Always back up first.

Summary

• Paper: the default choice for a plugin server.
• Purpur: Paper with extra gameplay options, same plugins.
• Fabric, Forge, NeoForge: for mods; Fabric for faithful redstone and optimization mods.
• Vanilla: the raw game, and the new version from day one.
• Spigot: overtaken by Paper, no longer worth choosing for a new server.

Want a Paper server ready in minutes? The Plugins plan at €8.99 a month includes 12 GB of RAM, one-click plugin installs from the panel and unlimited software switches.