Which Minecraft server software should you use?
Published on 3 October 2026
For most groups of friends, Paper is the best pick: it runs smoothly, takes plugins and your friends don’t need to install anything. If you want mods, choose Fabric or NeoForge. Vanilla is Mojang’s plain server with no plugins or mods. Purpur and Folia are variants of Paper for people who want more settings or run a very large server.
Below you’ll see what each one does, who it’s for and how to switch later.
Plugins or mods: what’s the difference?
You really choose your server software based on what you want to add.
- Plugins only run on the server. They add commands, permissions, protection or minigames, but no new blocks or creatures. Your friends play with regular Minecraft and install nothing. Plugins run on Paper, Purpur and Spigot.
- Mods change the game itself: new blocks, machines, dimensions or mobs. Your friends usually need the same mods on their own computers, in exactly the same version. Mods run on Fabric, NeoForge or Forge, and a mod built for one loader won’t simply work on another.
The exception is mods that only do their work on the server, such as the optimisation mod Lithium. You can add those to a Fabric or NeoForge server without your friends installing anything. How to put either on your server is explained in Install plugins on your Minecraft server and Install mods and modpacks on your server.
Which server software fits your server?
| Software | What it runs | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| Vanilla | Data packs | you want the pure game |
| Paper | Plugins | you want plugins and a smooth server |
| Purpur | Plugins | you want more settings than Paper offers |
| Folia | Only plugins made for Folia | you run a very busy server with many CPU cores |
| Fabric | Fabric mods | you want individual mods or a Fabric modpack |
| NeoForge | NeoForge mods | you play a big modpack such as All the Mods 10 |
| Forge | Forge mods | your modpack still runs on Forge |
When is vanilla enough?
Vanilla is the server you download from minecraft.net. Everything behaves exactly like your single-player world, including the redstone and farms that technical players build. Plugins and mods won’t run on it, data packs will. A good choice if you just want to play and add nothing.
Why is Paper the default choice?
Paper is based on Spigot and built to run faster, with more settings and more room for plugins. There’s a huge range of plugins, from permissions and protection to minigames and a web map of your world. Paper also has a few useful extras built in, such as the spark profiler for tracking down lag and an anti-xray that hides ores from players using a hack to see through walls.
The honest downside: Paper differs from vanilla here and there, because it fixes bugs in the game. Its developers say many players won’t notice, but technical players may find that some farms or redstone contraptions behave differently. Servers at CakeHosting start on Paper by default.
Paper vs Purpur: what does Purpur add?
Purpur is built on Paper and runs the same plugins. Its goal is to make as much as possible configurable. In purpur.yml you’ll find lots of extra options for mobs, blocks and gameplay; you can make mobs rideable, for example. Handy if you want your server to feel different. If you don’t need those options, Paper does the same job.
Is Folia worth it?
Folia is a version of Paper that splits the world into regions and processes them on several CPU cores at once. That only helps on very busy servers where players are spread far apart. Its developers recommend at least 16 cores and warn that you should expect almost no Paper plugin to work on Folia without changes. For a group of friends, it isn’t needed.
Fabric or NeoForge for mods?
Fabric is a lightweight mod loader that tends to support new Minecraft versions quickly: in early October 2026 it already runs the 26.4 snapshots. Most mods also need the Fabric API, which goes into the mods folder like any other mod. Pick Fabric for individual mods, smaller modpacks and performance mods.
NeoForge started in July 2023 as a fork of Forge, when almost the entire team moved over. Many big modpacks run on it, such as All the Mods 10. Forge itself is still around, mainly for older packs.
Playing a modpack? Check the pack’s page to see which loader it uses, and pick that one. Setting up a pack with friends is covered in Running a modpack server with friends.
Want to try them yourself? On a Minecraft server at CakeHosting you switch between Paper, Purpur, Fabric, NeoForge and more yourself, right in the game panel. Plans start at €4.95 a month. See the Minecraft plans.
Can you mix plugins and mods?
Hybrids such as Mohist, Arclight and Youer load Spigot plugins next to mods. The Paper team is blunt about them: it calls such hybrids fundamentally flawed and doesn’t recommend them. Plugins and mods weren’t written for each other, so only go there if there’s really no other way, and test on a copy of your server first.
How do you switch server software?
In the game panel, open Versions and choose the software, the Minecraft version and the build. The server then works out the right Java version by itself. A few things to keep in mind:
- Make a backup first. Always, even if you only want to try something.
- Vanilla to Paper just works: Paper converts the way your world is stored. Going back to vanilla takes manual work, according to Paper.
- Paper to Fabric or NeoForge means leaving your plugins behind, because they don’t run there.
- Mods back to Paper costs you the blocks and items those mods added, because Paper can’t load them. For a new modpack, a fresh world is the safer start.
The steps are in Change your server version.
What about Bedrock or a network?
Bedrock only has Mojang’s Bedrock Dedicated Server, so there’s no Paper or Fabric to choose. For Java and Bedrock players together, run Paper with Geyser, as explained in Minecraft crossplay: Java and Bedrock together. To link several servers into one network, you need a proxy such as Velocity: Set up a Minecraft network with Velocity.
