Server Software

Compare Minecraft server software by developer, architecture, Vanilla differences, fork lineage, compatibility, best use cases, and current maturity.

Pick by requirements, not hypeA Paper fork, a mod loader, a proxy, and a from-scratch server solve different problems. Start with the ecosystem your plugins/mods require, then compare performance and features inside that family.

Paper-family forks

Paper-based forks that add extra features or performance changes while keeping broad plugin compatibility.

Region-threaded servers

Advanced projects built around Folia-style region threading and parallel world workloads.

Proxies

Network layers used to connect multiple backend servers behind one address.

Bedrock servers

Native Bedrock server implementations and Bedrock-focused forks.

Mod loaders

Platforms for running server-side mods instead of Bukkit/Paper plugins.

Distributed servers

Projects that try to spread one server or world across multiple machines or processes.

Sponge implementations

Sponge API implementations for servers that rely on the Sponge plugin ecosystem.

Hybrid servers

Hybrid projects that try to bridge plugin and mod ecosystems in one server stack.

Developer frameworks

Developer-first frameworks for building custom multiplayer experiences rather than traditional server administration.

Developer / alternative implementations

Alternative or niche implementations that are useful mainly for specific developer or testing scenarios.

Legacy / status pages

Older, special-status, or legacy projects that may still appear in comparisons or migrations.