Which Java software is for you?

# 🤍 Vanilla Software (Developed by Mojang) 🤍

The vanilla software is available for download from the Minecraft website

This option provides the complete vanilla gameplay experience but doesn't support plugins from Spigot or elsewhere. However, it does support vanilla data packs, offering some additional functionality. It runs on Java and is recommended primarily for small SMP servers with friends. Using it for larger/public SMPs is not well optimized and lacks support for AntiCheat plugins.

Bukkit (CraftBukkit) and Spigot

Bukkit and Spigot are grouped together here due to their similarities.

Bukkit is the original fork of vanilla software that supports Bukkit plugins available here. It aims to maintain as much of the vanilla experience as possible while providing slight performance improvements.

Spigot, a fork of Bukkit, has been around since the early days of Minecraft Java server software. It seeks to deliver a vanilla-like experience with better performance and broader plugin support. The Spigot plugin page (the best source for Spigot and its forks) can be found here, boasting an active community.

PaperMC

PaperMC is our recommended software for various reasons.

It's a fork of Spigot that strives to offer top-notch performance alongside vanilla gameplay aspects. Supporting most, if not all, Spigot and Bukkit plugins found on major sites, PaperMC also embraces data packs and vanilla features. Though relatively new in the Minecraft server world, it's hailed as one of the finest software choices for Java Minecraft.

Other PaperMC Forks

There are PaperMC forks that promise even better performance and support all the features of PaperMC.

Please note that if you experience any issues, we would suggest trying Paper instead of these forks as it may cause some issues related to the server as a lot of changes/optimizations have been done to these forks.

* Purpur: This fork of PaperMC introduces new and unique configuration options, allowing for a gameplay experience unlike any other. While offering more settings for server fine-tuning, Purpur also integrates additional performance patches from Pufferfish and Airplane.

* Leaf: Leaf is a Paper fork focused on finding the balance between performance, vanilla behavior, and stability, designed for large-scale networks in high-load environments.

Please do note that most plugins do not support Folia at all. “Folia won't be useful for the majority of servers out there and will break most public plugins. It's ideal for servers with very high players counts, that offer gamemodes that naturally spread players out, such as SkyBlock or SMP.” - PaperMC

* Folia: Folia is an optimized fork of PaperMC designed to improve performance on Minecraft servers with many players or entities. It uses a multi-region parallel system to run tasks simultaneously, reducing lag without sacrificing compatibility with most Paper plugins. It’s ideal for large networks or high-performance public servers.

* CanvasMC: CanvasMC is a high performance fork of Folia aiming to provide a stable and consistent region threading environment, alongside tons of optimizations and performance features for large scale servers.

Updated on: 06/28/2026