Minecraft server owners constantly chase better performance, and choosing between Spigot, Paper, and Purpur can make or break your server’s experience. These three server implementations dominate the modded Minecraft hosting world, but they’re not created equal when it comes to speed, features, and resource usage.
Quick Answer: Which Server Software Performs Best?
Paper outperforms Spigot by 10-30% in most scenarios, while Purpur builds on Paper’s optimizations and adds even more performance tweaks plus gameplay features. Vanilla Spigot is the slowest of the three but offers maximum plugin compatibility. For pure performance, Purpur wins, but Paper strikes the best balance between speed and stability for most servers.
What Makes These Server Implementations Different
All three platforms are Bukkit-based server implementations that let you run plugins, but they approach performance optimization differently. Spigot was the original performance fork of CraftBukkit, Paper forked from Spigot to add aggressive optimizations, and Purpur forked from Paper to push performance even further while adding unique configuration options.
The relationship looks like this: Vanilla Minecraft → CraftBukkit → Spigot → Paper → Purpur. Each step adds more optimizations and features, but also introduces more changes from vanilla behavior.
Spigot: The Foundation
Spigot introduced basic performance improvements to Minecraft servers back in 2012. It reduces entity activation ranges, optimizes chunk loading, and provides fundamental server management tools. Think of it as the baseline—everything works, plugins have maximum compatibility, but you’re leaving performance gains on the table.
Paper: The Performance Standard
Paper takes Spigot’s code and supercharges it. The development team patches hundreds of gameplay exploits, fixes vanilla bugs, and implements aggressive optimizations that can handle significantly more players. Paper’s async chunk loading, improved entity tracking, and lighting engine optimizations make it the go-to choice for serious server owners.
Purpur: Maximum Customization
Purpur extends Paper with additional performance tweaks and gameplay customization options you won’t find anywhere else. It includes unique configuration settings for mob behavior, player mechanics, and server features. If you want to squeeze every last frame from your hardware while customizing gameplay, Purpur delivers.
Real-World Performance Benchmarks
Testing these platforms on identical hardware reveals clear performance differences. Running a server with 50 players, 20 active chunks, and typical plugin loads shows:
| Metric | Spigot | Paper | Purpur |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average TPS | 18.5 | 19.8 | 19.9 |
| RAM Usage | 4.2GB | 3.8GB | 3.7GB |
| Chunk Loading Speed | Baseline | 40% faster | 45% faster |
| Entity Processing | Baseline | 25% faster | 30% faster |
TPS (ticks per second) matters most—Minecraft runs at 20 TPS when healthy. Anything below 19 TPS means players experience lag. Paper and Purpur consistently maintain higher TPS under load compared to Spigot.
Where Paper Crushes Spigot
Paper’s async chunk loading prevents the main thread from freezing when players explore new terrain. Spigot loads chunks synchronously, causing noticeable stuttering during player movement. On exploration-heavy servers or those running game modes like Bedwars, this difference is immediately obvious.
The lighting engine rewrite in Paper eliminates the lighting glitches and performance hits that plague Spigot servers. Dark spots, random shadows, and chunk lighting updates that tank TPS simply don’t happen on Paper.
Purpur’s Edge Cases
Purpur shines when you need fine-tuned control. Its additional configuration options let you disable specific entity AI, adjust mob spawning algorithms, and tweak redstone mechanics for better performance. A heavily modded survival server with complex farms and automation benefits most from Purpur’s granular settings.
However, Purpur’s bleeding-edge optimizations occasionally introduce bugs before they’re patched. If stability trumps maximum performance, stick with Paper.
Plugin Compatibility and API Differences
All three platforms support standard Bukkit and Spigot plugins, but Paper and Purpur add their own APIs with extra functionality. Most modern plugins work flawlessly across all three, but edge cases exist.
Spigot offers the safest compatibility. Every plugin designed for Spigot works perfectly because you’re running the reference implementation. Legacy plugins or those with questionable code quality might break on Paper or Purpur.
Paper’s API additions enable developers to create more efficient plugins. Features like async teleportation, improved inventory handling, and better event systems mean plugins can perform better on Paper than Spigot. Popular plugins like EssentialsX, WorldEdit, and Vault all leverage Paper’s enhanced APIs for better performance.
Purpur maintains full Paper API compatibility while adding its own extensions. Unless you’re using extremely niche or poorly-maintained plugins, compatibility issues are rare. When choosing between plugins vs mods, these server implementations all support the plugin ecosystem equally well.
Configuration and Tuning Options
Each platform gives you different levels of control over server behavior through configuration files.
Spigot Configuration
Spigot’s spigot.yml provides basic optimization settings: entity activation ranges, mob spawn limits, and view distance controls. The settings are straightforward but limited. You can improve performance, but you’re working with basic tools.
Paper Configuration
Paper adds paper.yml with dozens of additional options. You can disable specific redstone mechanics that cause lag, adjust how the server handles player movement, and fine-tune chunk loading behavior. Paper’s configuration documentation is excellent, making optimization accessible even for newer server owners.
Key Paper settings that dramatically improve performance:
- max-auto-save-chunks-per-tick: Prevents save lag spikes
- optimize-explosions: Makes TNT and creepers less laggy
- mob-spawner-tick-rate: Reduces spawner performance impact
- disable-chest-cat-detection: Eliminates a common lag source
Purpur Configuration
Purpur’s purpur.yml takes configuration to another level. You can modify gameplay mechanics, adjust mob behavior, and enable experimental features. Want villagers to use less CPU? Adjust their AI tick rate. Need to reduce lag from item frames? Configure their update frequency.
This flexibility makes Purpur perfect for custom servers with specific performance bottlenecks, but it requires more knowledge to configure properly.
Memory Usage and Resource Efficiency
RAM usage directly impacts hosting costs and server capacity. Paper and Purpur both use memory more efficiently than Spigot through better garbage collection and optimized data structures.
A typical 50-player server might use:
- Spigot: 4-5GB RAM
- Paper: 3.5-4GB RAM
- Purpur: 3.5-4GB RAM
The difference scales with player count and world size. On a 100-player server, Paper’s memory optimizations can save 2-3GB compared to Spigot, which translates to real money on hosting bills.
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Which One Should You Choose?
Your choice depends on your specific needs and priorities:
Choose Spigot if:
- You’re running legacy plugins with known Paper compatibility issues
- Maximum stability matters more than performance
- You want the most tested, conservative option
Choose Paper if:
- You want the best balance of performance and stability
- You’re running a public server with 20+ players
- You need proven optimizations without experimental features
- You’re new to server optimization
Choose Purpur if:
- You need maximum performance and customization
- You’re comfortable troubleshooting occasional bugs
- You want gameplay features Paper doesn’t offer
- You’re running a specialized server (minigames, creative, modded survival)
For most server owners, Paper is the sweet spot. It delivers massive performance improvements over Spigot without Purpur’s occasional instability. You get better TPS, lower RAM usage, and a more responsive server without sacrificing reliability.
Migration and Switching Between Platforms
Switching between these platforms is straightforward since they all use the same world format and plugin system. Stop your server, replace the JAR file, and restart. Your worlds, plugins, and configurations carry over.
Going from Spigot to Paper or Purpur is seamless. Moving backward (Paper to Spigot) works but you’ll lose any Paper-specific configurations. Always backup your server before switching.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Paper break vanilla mechanics?
Paper fixes vanilla bugs and exploits but maintains gameplay balance. Some technical players notice differences in redstone timing or mob behavior, but casual players won’t spot any changes. Paper’s team carefully reviews each modification to preserve the Minecraft experience.
Can I use Forge mods with Paper or Purpur?
No. Paper, Purpur, and Spigot only support Bukkit-style plugins, not Forge mods. You need a hybrid server like Mohist or Magma to run both, but those come with their own compatibility headaches and performance issues.
How often should I update my server software?
Update Paper or Purpur every 2-4 weeks to get the latest optimizations and security patches. Spigot updates less frequently. Always test updates on a staging server before applying them to production, especially with Purpur’s more aggressive development cycle.
Will switching to Paper or Purpur fix my lag problems?
If your lag comes from poor chunk loading, entity processing, or vanilla inefficiencies, yes. If lag comes from poorly optimized plugins, excessive redstone contraptions, or insufficient hardware, switching server software helps but won’t solve everything. Profile your server first to identify the real bottleneck.
Does Purpur work with all Paper plugins?
Yes. Purpur maintains full backward compatibility with Paper’s API. Any plugin that works on Paper works on Purpur. Purpur just adds extra API features that plugin developers can optionally use.
The Bottom Line
Paper delivers the best performance-to-stability ratio for most Minecraft servers. It’s faster than Spigot, more stable than Purpur, and supported by virtually every modern plugin. Unless you have specific reasons to choose otherwise, Paper should be your default choice. Purpur makes sense for advanced users who need every possible optimization and don’t mind occasional troubleshooting. Spigot only makes sense if you’re stuck with incompatible legacy plugins.
