Paper vs Purpur vs Spigot vs Fabric vs Forge

Which Minecraft Java server type to run, what your players need to install, and how Paper, Purpur, Spigot, Fabric, Forge and NeoForge compare.

5 min read · Updated Sep 23, 2026 · By GuavaHost Team

Paper, Purpur, Spigot, Fabric, Forge and NeoForge are all ways to run a Minecraft Java server, and picking between them mostly comes down to one question: do you want plugins or mods? This guide explains the difference, compares each server type side by side, and covers what happens if you switch later.

Plugins or mods: the decision that comes first

Plugins are add-ons that run only on the server. They use the Bukkit API (the programming interface that Spigot, Paper and Purpur share) to add things like land claims, economies, ranks and minigames. Players join with the normal, unmodified Minecraft launcher.

Mods change the game itself: new blocks, mobs, machines, dimensions. They need a mod loader (Fabric, Forge, NeoForge or Quilt) on the server, and most content mods also have to be installed by every player.

The two do not mix. Plugins do nothing on a Fabric or Forge server, and mods do nothing on Paper. Datapacks are the exception: they are a built-in Minecraft feature, so they work on every type in this guide. See How to install datapacks, and for how these add-on types compare across games, Mods vs plugins vs modpacks vs datapacks.

Side-by-side comparison

The plugin side

Paper

Paper is built from Spigot's code with a large number of performance improvements and bug fixes on top. It runs almost every Bukkit and Spigot plugin, plus plugins written for Paper only. It is the default on new GuavaHost Minecraft Java servers, and for most communities it is the right answer.

One thing technical players notice: Paper fixes some vanilla glitches that certain farms and duplication tricks rely on. Several of these can be switched back on in Paper's configuration, and Optimize Paper for performance covers which settings to leave alone.

Purpur

Purpur is built on top of Paper, so it runs the same plugins and gets the same performance work. It adds a purpur.yml file packed with extra gameplay options, such as rideable mobs and tweaks to individual mob and block behaviour. Pick Purpur if you want those knobs; otherwise Paper is simpler. New Minecraft versions sometimes reach Purpur a little after Paper.

Spigot

Spigot is the older platform Paper grew out of. It runs Bukkit and Spigot plugins but not Paper-only ones, and it is slower. There is very little reason to choose it over Paper unless a specific plugin tells you it only supports Spigot.

Vanilla

The official server from Mojang. No plugins, no mods, just the game and any datapacks you add. Paper also runs datapacks, so many owners who want a vanilla feel still pick Paper for the performance.

The mod side

Fabric

Fabric is a lightweight mod loader that updates to new Minecraft versions quickly. It is home to popular performance mods such as Lithium and FerriteCore, which only need to be on the server. Most Fabric mods also need the Fabric API mod installed alongside them.

Forge and NeoForge

Forge is the long-standing loader behind most classic big modpacks, particularly on 1.20.1 and older. NeoForge is a community fork of Forge that split off in 2023, and most new large modpacks for 1.20.2 and newer are built on it. From 1.20.2 onwards, Forge mods and NeoForge mods are not interchangeable, so check which loader each mod names on its download page.

Quilt

Quilt is a fork of Fabric that can load most Fabric mods. Its own ecosystem is small, so unless a mod you need is Quilt-only, Fabric is the easier choice.

If you are installing a modpack, the pack decides for you: it is built for exactly one loader and one Minecraft version. See Installing a modpack.

Can I run plugins and mods together?

Not with any of the types above. Hybrid server software that tries to load both does exist, but plugins and mods regularly break on it and it tends to lag behind new versions. The more reliable route is to pick one side and look for the equivalent there. Many popular tools exist on both: LuckPerms (permissions), spark (lag profiling), Chunky (world pre-generation) and Simple Voice Chat all have plugin and mod versions.

Quick picks

• Friends SMP with a few quality-of-life plugins: Paper.
• Plugins plus lots of gameplay toggles: Purpur.
• Vanilla gameplay that runs faster, with optional client mods: Fabric with server-side performance mods.
• A specific modpack: whatever loader the pack uses.
• Java and Bedrock players together: the Minecraft Geyser plan, which is a Paper server underneath. See Set up Geyser and Floodgate.

Switching later

You change server type from the Versions tab, as shown in How to change your Minecraft Java server version. Take a backup on the Backups tab first, every time.

• Between Paper, Purpur and Spigot: your world and plugins carry straight over, except Paper-only plugins, which will not load on Spigot.
• From Vanilla to Paper: Paper converts the world on first start. On 1.21.x and older, Paper stores the Nether and End in separate world_nether and world_the_end folders, so going back to Vanilla later means moving those dimension folders back into world by hand.
• Between plugin types and mod types: plugins stop loading on a mod loader, and mods stop loading on Paper. Worse, opening a modded world without its mods permanently deletes every modded block and item in it. Only make this jump with a backup, or on a fresh world.

Whatever you pick, match the Java version to your Minecraft version. Choosing a Java version has the table.

Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.

• paper
• purpur
• spigot
• fabric
• forge
• neoforge
• quilt
• server software
• plugins
• mods

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