Plugins vs addons on Bedrock
A common mix-up worth clearing up: Bedrock servers do not run Java plugins. If you want to change how your world behaves or looks, you use addons instead.
3 min read · Updated Oct 1, 2026 · By GuavaHost Team
Why plugins don't work on Bedrock
Plugins (small programs that add features to a server) are a Java Edition thing. They rely on Java server software like Spigot or Paper. Bedrock Edition uses a completely different server engine, so it has no way to load them.
That is why your control panel does not offer a Plugins page on a Bedrock server: under Minecraft tools you only get Server properties. If you come across a plugins folder or a plugin installer elsewhere, for example in the classic game panel, ignore it. Anything you drop in there will simply do nothing. It is not that you set it up wrong. Bedrock just has no support for that kind of file.
What Bedrock uses instead: addons
Bedrock adds features through addons. An addon is made of one or both of these two pack types:
- Behavior packs. These change how things work: mob behavior, custom items, game rules, scripted events and so on.
- Resource packs. These change how things look and sound: textures, models, sounds and UI.
Many addons ship both parts together. A behavior pack often needs its matching resource pack so the new stuff actually appears the way it was designed to.
One handy detail: the same addon packs work on your own Bedrock client and on the server. If a pack works in single player, it will generally work on the server too, which is not something you can say for Java plugins.
Some addons need experiments
Addons that use newer features, especially scripting, often need experimental toggles or the Beta APIs switched on for the world. A Bedrock server has no settings screen for that, so the switch is made in the world itself. Enabling experiments and Beta APIs on Bedrock shows the dependable way to do it. Check the addon's page before you install it, since it will usually say if it needs this.
What if you want plugins and Bedrock players?
If the plugins are the point (economy, land claims, minigames and the like), the answer is a Java server rather than a Bedrock one. With Geyser, a Java server can let Bedrock players join too, from phones, consoles and Windows. You get the whole world of Java plugins, and Bedrock players still get in. The trade-off is that Bedrock behavior packs do not run there, because the world is a Java world. Geyser explained covers what works and what differs between the editions.
Common questions
Can I turn a Java plugin into an addon? No. They are built for different server software and cannot be converted. Look for an addon that does something similar instead.
Do players have to download the addon? Not by hand. The server offers its resource packs to players when they join. The texturepack-required setting in server.properties decides whether players must accept them to join, as Minecraft Bedrock server.properties explained describes.
Why is there no Plugins page for my Bedrock server? Because there is nothing for it to do. The Plugins page appears on Java servers that run plugin software such as Paper, and a Bedrock server cannot load plugins.
The short version
- Java Edition: plugins.
- Bedrock Edition: addons (behavior packs and resource packs).
- Plugins on a Bedrock server are a dead end. Use addons.
- Want plugins and Bedrock players together? Use a Java server with Geyser.
When you are ready to actually add one, see Installing Bedrock addons.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.
- bedrock
- addons
- plugins
- behavior-packs
- resource-packs
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