Summary
CraftBukkit, Spigot, and PaperMC are three popular implementations Minecraft servers use. CraftBukkit is a modified version of the official Minecraft server software that allows plugins to be added to the game, making it easier to customize the gameplay experience. Spigot is a fork of CraftBukkit that includes additional optimizations, performance enhancements, and new features that make it more flexible and user-friendly. PaperMC is another fork of Spigot that takes the concept of performance optimization to the extreme, focusing on minimizing lag and improving server stability.
Difference between CraftBukkit, Spigot, and Paper
Adding plugin support to servers is a must-have for all Minecraft server owners. Vanilla Minecraft does not allow for such modifications (outside of data packs), so most turn to either CraftBukkit, Spigot, or PaperMC to modify their servers. Which plugin instance is the right choice for your server?
CraftBukkit
- CraftBukkit was the first widely used plugin support platform.
- Still updated by the Spigot team, but it's mostly dated.
- Most have switched from Bukkit to Spigot because of the lack of support and dated infrastructure.
Spigot
- Is a fork of Bukkit and what essentially took over the Bukkit platform. Spigot offers everything Bukkit offers, but with more optimization and better structuring to allow servers to run smoothly.
- Offers everything CraftBukkit offers, but with more features and optimizations.
- Optimized for a smooth Vanilla Minecraft experience, but still falls short of what most choose to run now, PaperMC.
PaperMC
- PaperMC takes all of what Bukkit and Spigot did so well and optimizes an already well-running machine.
- Provides the most optimized experience between all three options.
- PaperMC is now the go-to for most server owners and is what we at BisectHosting suggest everyone runs over Spigot and Bukkit.
- Includes a Crash and Timings reporting system that helps find causes of lag and crashes.
Conclusion
Running plugins on a Minecraft server is a necessity for most server owners. To get the most optimized experience, we at BisectHosting suggest going with PaperMC for all your server plugin needs!
