Paper server guides
Vanilla gameplay, far better performance, and the entire Bukkit plugin library.
- Guides
- 8
- Last updated
- Written by
- Mihail Griniuc
Paper at a glance
Paper is the most widely used Minecraft server software: it plays exactly like vanilla, runs substantially faster, and is the only common choice that can load Bukkit plugins. Switch to it from your PufferHost panel in about two minutes — your world and inventories carry over untouched, and players join with the stock Minecraft client.
Paper sits at the centre of the modern Minecraft server world. It is a fork of Spigot — itself a fork of CraftBukkit — built with hundreds of performance patches that raise tick stability and cut the lag caused by entities, redstone, and large worlds, while keeping gameplay identical to vanilla. Because it implements the Bukkit and Spigot plugin APIs, it also unlocks the plugin ecosystem that vanilla servers can never load.
This hub collects every Paper guide on PufferHost in reading order: get it installed, understand what each config file actually controls, apply settings that help a small server instead of hurting it, choose the plugin set that fits your group, and diagnose lag with measurements rather than guesswork. Each guide stands alone, but together they take you from vanilla to a tuned Paper server without a single client-side download.
- Based on
- Spigot, itself a fork of CraftBukkit
- Players install
- Nothing — the vanilla client works
- Plugin API
- Bukkit, Spigot, and Paper
- Main configs
- server.properties plus config/ YAML files
Get started
Move from vanilla to Paper with your world intact.
Configure and tune
Know which file controls what — and which defaults to leave alone.
- How to Configure a Paper Server Know what each Paper config file controls: paper-global.yml, paper-world-defaults.yml, per-world overrides, spigot.yml and when to restart. Updated 2026-10-15
- Best Paper Settings for a Small Server Concrete Paper values for a 3 to 6 GB server: entity limits, chunk loading, hopper rates, collisions and view distance, with what each setting costs you. Updated 2026-10-15
Compare your options
Paper against Spigot and Purpur, on the axes that actually matter.
- Paper vs Spigot: Which Should You Run? Paper and Spigot share the Bukkit plugin API and the same world files. Paper is a fork with far more tick work done, so run Paper on almost every server. Updated 2026-10-15
- Paper vs Purpur: Which Server Software Fits? Purpur is a fork of Paper with optional gameplay features in its own config file. Pick Paper for strict vanilla mechanics, Purpur for rideable mobs and extras. Updated 2026-10-15
Optimize and extend
Squeeze stable ticks out of modest hardware, then add plugins that earn their RAM.
- How to Optimize a Paper Server Get more out of a small Paper server: start from the flags, trim the tick work in the config, pre-generate the map, and measure every change with spark. Updated 2026-10-15
- Best Paper Plugins for a Small Server A short list of Paper plugins worth installing on a small server, what each one replaces, and how to judge a plugin before it takes a slot. Updated 2026-10-15
Fix Paper problems
When ticks drop, diagnose the cause in the right order.
Common Paper questions
What is Paper and why do so many servers run it?
Paper is a free, open-source Minecraft server built on Spigot with extensive performance work. It keeps vanilla gameplay and world files identical while improving tick stability and supporting the huge library of Bukkit and Spigot plugins. Most public servers and a large share of private ones run Paper because it costs nothing and removes the main reasons vanilla struggles.
Do my friends need to install anything to join a Paper server?
No. Paper is server-side only, so everyone connects with the normal Minecraft: Java Edition client on the matching version. That zero-friction join is Paper’s biggest advantage over Forge or Fabric, where every player must install identical mods before they can connect.
Will switching to Paper break my world or my builds?
No — Paper reads vanilla world files directly, including everything in your world folder. Farms, redstone, inventories, and villages behave as they did unless you explicitly change gameplay settings later. Take a backup first anyway: it turns the small residual risk of any migration into a non-event.
Paper or Purpur — which should I run?
Choose Paper when you want classic plugin play with maximum compatibility and strict vanilla mechanics. Choose Purpur when you also want optional gameplay extras like rideable mobs and elevator blocks — Purpur is a Paper fork, so every Paper plugin still works. Our Paper vs Purpur guide breaks the decision down in detail.
Can I switch back to vanilla after trying Paper?
Any time. Change the server software back to vanilla in your panel and restart; nothing Paper does permanently alters your world files. Keep a backup from before the switch if you changed configs, so you can return to a known-good state in one click.
Does Paper cost anything on PufferHost?
No. Paper is free software and switching to it is free on PufferHost, including on the 3 GB free tier. Plugins, Paper’s config files, and version switching are all available without a paid upgrade — plan capacity, not software features, is the only limit.
Want to try Paper without installing anything? PufferHost runs a free Minecraft server with 3 GB of RAM and 10 slots. Create a free server.