Paper runs plugins without asking your players to install anything. Pick your Minecraft version and the rest is handled — the server comes straight from PaperMC, the right Java comes with it, and the plugin search in your panel only offers you things that will actually run.
Paper is a Minecraft server that loads plugins, and everything a plugin adds runs on our side. Your friends join with the game they already have — no launcher, no downloads, nobody left out because they could not get it working. That one property decides most of the choice below.
| Server software | Players install | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | Nothing | You want plugins — permissions, land claims, moderation, pre-generation — and players joining with a normal client. |
| Vanilla | Nothing | You want Minecraft exactly as Mojang ships it and no plugins at all. |
| Purpur | Nothing | You already want Paper and also want its extra gameplay and configuration options. Paper plugins keep working. |
| Fabric | The mod set | You want mods rather than plugins, and everyone will install the same mods. |
| Forge / NeoForge | The modpack | You are running a modpack. Our Modpacks tool handles these; Forge starts at Minecraft 1.17. |
All six are one click apart in the Versions tab, so this is not a decision you are locked into. Read the modded guide if you are leaning towards a pack.
Choosing a Minecraft version is the only decision you make. Everything below is work you would otherwise be doing yourself, in the order you would have had to do it.
| The chore | What happens here |
|---|---|
| Finding the right jar | Nothing to hunt down. The server comes straight from PaperMC, not a repackaged copy from a forum post. |
| Matching the Java version | You never pick one. Choose your Minecraft version and the Java it needs comes with it — which removes the most common reason a hand-built server refuses to start. |
| Knowing what you are running | The exact Paper build is written into your panel and printed in your console. When a plugin misbehaves you can tell its author the build you are on instead of guessing at “latest”. |
| Accepting the EULA | One checkbox in the panel. We write the file. |
| Generating the world | Overworld, Nether and End are built on the first start, and the plugins folder is waiting for you when it finishes. |
The one decision that is genuinely yours is which Minecraft version to run — and that is the one worth a moment’s thought.
The Plugins tab searches Modrinth and only shows plugins that list support for your server’s software and Minecraft version, so the usual mistake — installing a jar built for a different version — is much harder to make. Installs land in the plugins folder and load on the next restart.
You are not limited to that catalogue. Upload a jar yourself for anything hosted elsewhere, or use the file manager and SFTP for bulk configuration work.
Permissions, land claims, anti-grief, moderation tools, world pre-generation — the plugins that make a shared server survivable are a search box away rather than an evening of downloads and uploads.
Plugin authors need time to catch up after a Minecraft release. Choosing a version before your essential plugins support it can leave you with a server those plugins will not load on.
So if a particular plugin is the reason you want Paper, choose the newest Minecraft version that plugin supports rather than the newest one in the list. The Versions tab shows every release, and you can move later once your plugins catch up.
The Stop button asks Paper to shut down properly rather than pulling the plug on it, so your chunks are saved and every write finishes before the process exits. That is the difference between a clean restart and explaining to your friends where the last hour went.
Create a panel backup and download a copy before a version change or a batch of new plugins. Worlds opened on a newer Minecraft version may not safely go back to an older one.
How version changes work →Tell support your current server software, Minecraft version, plugin list and world size before you order. We will confirm what transfers cleanly and what needs changing, instead of you finding out afterwards.
Ask before you order →Plugins are the usual reason a Paper server needs more RAM. Changing plan resizes the same server and keeps its files and address, so start conservatively rather than over-buying.
How upgrades work →Java servers run on dedicated physical hardware in Helsinki, Finland, with NVMe storage and network-level L3/L4 DDoS filtering.
Explore European hosting →The RAM included with your plan is reserved for your server. CPU, storage I/O and network capacity are shared across the hosting platform.
Explore the hardware →The plans page carries the current price and resources for every size. A 7-day first-order money-back guarantee applies under the published policy.
Read the refund policy →Paper is a Minecraft server built on Spigot and Bukkit. Its practical advantage is that it loads Bukkit plugins, so you can add permissions, land claims, world pre-generation or moderation tools without touching anyone’s game client. Vanilla cannot load plugins at all.
No. Paper is server-side only, so an unmodified Minecraft Java Edition client on the matching version connects normally. That is the main difference from Fabric, Forge and NeoForge servers, where a modpack usually has to be installed on every player’s computer.
You choose the Minecraft version; we install the current Paper build for it, straight from PaperMC rather than a repackaged copy. The exact build number is written into your panel and printed in your console, so you are never running an anonymous “latest” — when a plugin misbehaves you can tell its author precisely which build you are on.
Plugins need time to catch up after a Minecraft release. If a particular plugin is the reason you want Paper, pick the newest Minecraft version that plugin supports, not simply the newest one in the list. You can move up later.
No, and you cannot get it wrong. Choose the Minecraft version you want and the server switches to the Java that version needs. Mismatched Java is one of the most common reasons a hand-built Minecraft server refuses to start, and it simply is not a step here.
Search the Plugins tab and click install. Results are filtered to plugins that list support for your server’s software and Minecraft version, so the usual mistake — grabbing a jar built for a different version — is much harder to make. The jar lands in the plugins folder and loads on the next restart. You can still upload your own for anything hosted elsewhere.
No. The Stop button asks Paper to shut down properly rather than pulling the plug on it, so chunks are saved and disk writes finish before the process exits. Take a backup before big changes anyway — a version change or a batch of new plugins is the risky moment, not the stop.
Yes to both. The Versions tab moves the same server between Vanilla, Paper, Purpur, Fabric, Forge and NeoForge, and changing plan resizes the server without changing its address or deleting its files. Purpur is a Paper fork that keeps plugin compatibility and adds configuration options; Fabric and the Forge loaders run mods instead of plugins.
Paper is the practical choice when you want plugins and your friends want to join with the game they already have. Choose enough RAM for your plugin list, and ask us first if you are moving an existing world.
Compare Minecraft plans