(Estimated Read Time: 4 minutes)

Minecraft servers offer an amazing way to connect with friends, and what better way to enhance that experience then a few plugins?

Today we will be looking at the differences between CraftBukkit, Spigot, and Paper to find which best fits your server. By its end, you should have no trouble picking at all.

CraftBukkit

CraftBukkit has a long history as a modification to Minecraft’s server software. It was the first widely used form of plugin support, and without it, Spigot never would have existed. But has it withstood the test of time? Many would sadly say no.

While CraftBukkit is updated to this day by Spigot, events in 2014 ultimately saw to the end of the Bukkit team. It still offers the features it did back then, and has in no way declined, but Spigot simply offers more. Most find little reason to use it nowadays.

Those still interested in using CraftBukkit can look forward to a near vanilla experience with Bukkit plugin support. Some useful configuration options, optimizations such Asynchronous chunk loading, and vanilla bug fixes are still added, however.

Spigot

Spigot is a fork of CraftBukkit, which in turn is a modification of the Minecraft server software. A modification of a modification so to speak!

Spigot offers everything CraftBukkit does but with additional optimizations, bug fixes, configuration options, and features. Over 150, in fact! BungeeCord support, configuration of internal server values such as crop growth, and timing reports, naming just a few.

Those interested in using Spigot can look forward to an optimized but still vanilla feeling experience alongside Bukkit and Spigot plugin support.

Paper

Paper is a fork of Spigot which is a fork of CraftBukkit which is a modification of the Minecraft server software. That’s a lot of layers, but with good reason!

Paper offers everything Spigot does with the additional goal of providing the most optimized experience possible.

Gameplay and mechanic inconsistencies are patched, exploits fixed, and significant performance improvements not found in Spigot are added. An example being separate settings for tick distance and view distance. Normally they are one setting sharing a single value.

Those interested in using Paper can look forward to a highly optimized and nearly exploit-free experience which supports Bukkit, Spigot, and Paper plugins. It is not uncommon for server owners to report lag vanishing just from switching to it.

In conclusion

With so few reasons to use CraftBukkit, the choice usually comes down to Spigot or Paper.

Spigot offers a more vanilla feeling experience which some server owners may seek. Paper meanwhile provides everything Spigot does but with much, much, more optimization.

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Any server of a decent size should seek Paper as their default choice. The performance gains from Paper in large player count environments are simply too much to pass up on.

Smaller servers have a bit more freedom, but even then, we would still recommend Paper. The changes one may feel in their vanilla experience are vastly outweighed by the benefits Paper brings.

But you don’t need to take our word for it!

Test CraftBukkit, Spigot, and Paper servers first hand by following the steps here.

Until next time,

BisectHosting =)