Paper vs Spigot: Which should you use?

If you’re starting up a Minecraft server you’ll quickly stumble upon names like CraftBukkit, Spigot, and Paper. They all look similar, but each adds a layer of performance, customization, and polish on top of the original game server.

For beginners, choosing the right one can be confusing, so let’s break it down simply.

If you are looking for a software for modded gameplay you should check out our article on Fabric vs Forge.

Quick answer (for impatient readers)

Go with Paper unless you absolutely need a plugin or gameplay mechanic that only works cleanly on Spigot.

The Evolution: CraftBukkit → Spigot → Paper

To understand the difference, it helps to know how these projects evolved:

Vanilla (Mojang) Server

The official server software from Mojang is stable, but basic. No plugin support, limited performance tuning.

CraftBukkit

CraftBukkit was the first major modification of Minecraft’s Vanilla server that let you install plugins. Before it, there was no easy way to add commands, teleport systems, world protection, or custom gameplay rules.

Today, CraftBukkit is largely unsupported. It’s not updated as frequently anymore, but it’s the base that everything else (Spigot and Paper) builds on.

Spigot

Spigot took CraftBukkit’s foundation and optimized it for performance and flexibility. It runs smoother, uses fewer resources, and allows server admins to tweak settings like view distance, entity limits, and tick timings.

Spigot made it possible for large multiplayer servers to run efficiently on modest hardware which is why it became the standard for years.

Paper

Paper goes even further, improving server speed, fixing bugs and exploits, and adding more configuration options. It’s tuned by default for smoother gameplay especially when you have many players, complex redstone machines, or large farms.

In short: Paper builds on Spigot, and Spigot builds on CraftBukkit. They’re all compatible with each other, but each adds something new.

Why most servers choose Paper

Better performance

Performance is where Paper shines the most. It lets you support more players and busier worlds on the same hardware. It has:

• Smarter chunk loading/saving (reduces lag when exploring).
• Optimized entity and redstone processing.
• More control through paper.yml configs.
• Regular updates that fix exploits and improve tick stability.

Even experienced server owners and developers (like Aikar, the Paper team lead) recommend Paper for nearly all modern servers.

Plugin compatibility is strong

Most Spigot plugins work perfectly fine on Paper. If a plugin doesn’t mention Paper, it usually works anyway. Only a few extremely niche plugins rely on old Spigot behaviors that might differ slightly.

Security & fairness by default

New server owners are often surprised that duplication exploits and certain block-breaking tricks get patched on Paper. That’s by design: Paper aims for stability and fairness by default.

Paper patches common dupes (e.g., TNT/rail/carpet) and blocks bedrock breaking by default. If your community wants those mechanics (for technical builds), you can re-enable them via config.

When Spigot still makes sense

Legacy or Spigot-only plugins: Some plugins (usually older or very low-level) expect Spigot internals. If a critical plugin breaks on Paper and has no alternative, Spigot is your safer short-term pick.

Another thing might be that if your gameplay relies on specific dupes/quirks and you don’t want to toggle Paper’s fixes, running Spigot can be simpler.

CraftBukkit: why no one plays it

CraftBukkit deserves credit for bringing plugins to Minecraft servers—but in 2025 it’s effectively a legacy base maintained under the Spigot umbrella. If you need a production server, use Spigot or (preferably) Paper instead.

Folia (tempting, but not for beginners)

You may hear about Folia, a Paper fork that splits the world into parallel “regions” to use more CPU cores. It’s impressive, but it breaks many plugins and isn’t a drop-in replacement. Unless you run very large, spread-out servers and know your plugin internals, stick to Paper.

The bottom line

Use Paper unless you have a very specific reason not to: it’s faster, safer, easier to profile, and broadly plugin-compatible. Use Spigot if a mission-critical plugin or exact vanilla behavior requires it.