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Server lag kills the Minecraft experience faster than anything else. Your players are rubber-banding, blocks take forever to break, and everyone’s frustrated. The frustrating part? Lag usually isn’t one problem—it’s a combination of fixable issues that compound.
Server lag happens when your server can’t process game events fast enough to keep players in sync. This could be CPU bottlenecks, memory leaks, chunk loading problems, or plugin conflicts. The good news: most lag issues have straightforward solutions you can implement today.
Understanding Server Lag vs. Network Lag
Before you start troubleshooting, know what you’re actually dealing with. Server-side lag means your server hardware is struggling—players see delayed block breaks, mobs freeze, or the server struggles to catch up with tick processing. Client-side lag is the player’s internet connection or their computer. Network lag sits in between, caused by routing issues or packet loss.
You can tell the difference quickly. If everyone on the server experiences lag simultaneously, it’s server-side. If one player complains while others are fine, it’s likely their connection or client performance.
Check Your Server’s Performance Metrics First
Don’t guess at what’s wrong. Most server software gives you real data about what’s actually happening.
Monitor TPS and MSPT
TPS (Ticks Per Second) tells you if your server is keeping up. Minecraft targets 20 TPS—if you’re consistently below that, your server is struggling. MSPT (Milliseconds Per Tick) shows how long each tick takes to process. Anything above 50ms per tick will cause noticeable lag.
Run the command /tps in-game (on Paper, Spigot, or similar servers) to see real-time numbers. If you’re seeing 15 TPS or lower, you’ve got a serious problem. Between 15-19 TPS means something’s eating resources.
Use Spark for Deep Diagnostics
The Spark profiler is the most useful tool for finding lag causes. It shows you exactly which plugins, mobs, or chunks are consuming CPU time. Install it, run a profile for 30-60 seconds during peak lag, and you’ll get a detailed breakdown of what’s actually slow.
The Big Lag Killers (And How to Fix Them)
1. Too Many Entities
Mobs, items, and armor stands pile up fast, especially on older servers. Each entity takes processing power. Too many in one area and your server chokes.
Fix it: Set entity limits in your server configuration. In bukkit.yml or paper-global.yml, adjust:
- Max entities per chunk (usually 16 is reasonable, 8 if you’re struggling)
- Max mobs per chunk (cap it at 4-8)
- Despawn ranges for mobs and items
Use a plugin like ClearLagg to automatically remove excess items and mobs. Set it to clear every 10-15 minutes during peak times.
2. Chunk Loading Issues
When players load new chunks, the server has to generate terrain, run block ticks, and load entities. If too many chunks load at once, you get lag spikes.
Fix it: Limit chunk loading speed in your server properties:
- Set
spawn-chunks-per-tickto a reasonable number (10-20) - Reduce
max-chunk-send-rateif players are flying and loading chunks rapidly - Use
view-distancestrategically—10 is usually the sweet spot between performance and visuals
If you’re running a heavily-modded server or have lots of custom terrain generation, this becomes even more critical.
3. Plugin Conflicts and Memory Leaks
Badly written plugins consume memory and CPU. Sometimes they leak memory over time, meaning your server gets slower the longer it runs until you restart.
Fix it: Use Spark to identify which plugins are slow. Disable suspicious ones and test. Common culprits include:
- Outdated protection plugins running checks constantly
- Poorly optimized custom plugins
- Plugins that hook into every single event
Keep your plugins updated. Developers fix performance issues regularly. If a plugin hasn’t been updated in 6+ months and you’re on a newer server version, it might be time to find an alternative.
For deeper memory issues, check our guide on Minecraft server memory issues and OutOfMemoryError solutions.
4. Redstone and Hopper Farms
Redstone contraptions and massive farms are lag factories. A single hopper ticking 8 times per second doesn’t seem bad until you have 1,000 of them.
Fix it: Implement hopper limits and redstone tick controls:
- Limit hoppers per chunk or per player
- Use Hopper Limiter or similar plugins to cap hopper activity
- Disable redstone tick updates in areas with excessive contraptions
- Encourage players to use AFK farms responsibly or schedule them for off-peak times
5. JVM Memory and Allocation
Running your server with insufficient RAM causes constant garbage collection, which freezes the server during cleanup. Too little memory and you’ll hit OutOfMemoryError crashes.
Fix it: Allocate enough RAM (minimum 4GB for small servers, 8GB+ for 20+ players), but don’t over-allocate. More RAM than you need just wastes resources.
Optimize your JVM arguments. Check our detailed guide on Minecraft server JVM arguments and performance tuning for the latest flags that actually improve performance.
6. World Border and Far Spawn Areas
If your spawn area is huge and constantly loaded, it’s always consuming resources. Every block, every entity, every redstone contraption in that area counts.
Fix it: Set a reasonable world border to prevent players from exploring infinitely. Keep spawn areas relatively small and optimized. If you have a creative building area, consider running it on a separate server instance.
Quick Wins You Can Implement Today
Restart your server regularly. Memory leaks accumulate. A nightly restart clears them. Set it to 4 AM when nobody’s playing.
Disable unnecessary features. Do you really need weather? Phantoms? Striders? Disable what your players don’t care about in server.properties.
Optimize your server software. Paper and Purpur are significantly faster than vanilla Spigot. If you’re not using them, switch. The performance difference is noticeable.
Monitor actively. Use tools like Grafana with Prometheus to track performance over time. You’ll spot trends before they become critical problems.
When It’s Time to Upgrade Your Hardware
If you’ve optimized everything and lag persists, your server might genuinely need better hardware. A single-core CPU can’t handle 50+ players no matter how well you configure things. If you’re hitting CPU limits consistently, upgrading to a faster processor or more cores helps immediately.
If you’re managing your own server infrastructure, consider a managed hosting solution. GameTeam.io offers optimized Minecraft server hosting starting at just $1/GB—with performance tuning already built in. Get 20% off for a limited time and let the infrastructure handle itself while you focus on your community.
FAQ: Minecraft Server Lag
Why does my server lag only at night or during peak hours?
More players = more entities, chunks, and processing. Your server hits its limit when player count spikes. Reduce entity limits or implement per-player chunk limits to scale better with population.
Can I reduce lag without restarting my server?
Partially. You can use ClearLagg to remove entities, reload plugins, or adjust settings on the fly. But memory leaks require a restart to fully clear. Schedule restarts during low-traffic windows.
Does lowering view-distance help lag?
Yes, significantly. Fewer loaded chunks = less processing. Drop it from 12 to 10 or even 8 and you’ll see improvement. Players notice the reduced draw distance less than you’d think.
What’s the best server software for performance?
Paper is the standard choice—it’s Spigot-compatible but with major performance improvements. Purpur goes even further with additional optimizations. Avoid vanilla if you’re running plugins.
How much RAM do I actually need?
Allocate 1-2GB per 10 players as a baseline, plus 2-3GB for the server itself. So a 30-player server needs roughly 5-6GB. Monitor actual usage with tools like htop to find your sweet spot.
Minecraft server lag is almost always fixable. Start with diagnostics, identify the bottleneck, and address it systematically. Most servers run smooth after implementing just a few of these fixes.
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