Knowledge base
PLUGINS
The server software and APIs behind every plugin you install.
- 4 entries
- Concept reference
Plugins are the fastest way to change a server, and they only exist because of a specific family of server software. Bukkit defined the API, Spigot carried it forward, Paper is the modern implementation most servers run, and Purpur layers gameplay options on top.
These entries map that family tree and explain what each piece actually provides, which is the context you need before choosing a jar to install.
Paper: The Most Widely Used Minecraft Server Software
What Paper is, where it came from, how it differs from vanilla, and why most servers run it: performance patches plus the full Bukkit plugin ecosystem.
Read entry Plugins · Updated 2026-09-11Spigot: The Server Software Most Forks Build On
What Spigot is, how it relates to CraftBukkit and Paper, what it still does well, and why most modern servers run a fork of it instead of Spigot itself.
Read entry Plugins · Updated 2026-09-11Purpur: Paper With Gameplay Toggles On Top
What Purpur adds to Paper: optional gameplay features like rideable mobs and elevators, hundreds of toggles, and identical performance and plugin support.
Read entry Plugins · Updated 2026-09-11Bukkit and the Plugin API: How Server Plugins Work
What the Bukkit API is, why plugins are server-side, how the ecosystem relates to Spigot and Paper, and what “Bukkit plugin” means in practice today.
Read entryKNOW ENOUGH TO START?
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