Updated 2026-10-16 · All guides

Paper vs Fabric vs Vanilla: which Minecraft server should you run?

When you set up a Minecraft: Java Edition server, the first choice is the server software. They all run the same game, but they differ in speed, in what you can add to them, and in how closely they stick to "pure" Minecraft. Here's the short version, then the details.

SoftwareBest forAdd-onsPlayers need mods?
PaperMost friend groups. Fast and stablePluginsNo
VanillaThe exact official game, nothing elseNone (datapacks only)No
FabricModded play: new blocks, mobs, techModsOnly for mods that add content
PurpurPaper fans who want even more settingsPluginsNo

Vanilla: the official server

Vanilla is the server Mojang publishes. Every mechanic behaves exactly as it does in single-player. That matters to technical players who build farms and redstone machines that rely on precise, sometimes quirky, game behaviour.

The downsides: it isn't the most efficient software, and you can't install plugins or mods. You can still use datapacks, which change recipes and add some features, but nothing like a full plugin.

Pick Vanilla if you want the untouched game, or you play on a brand-new snapshot before other software supports it.

Paper: the popular all-rounder

Paper is a modified server built on the long-standing Bukkit/Spigot plugin system. It's tuned for performance, with smarter chunk loading, better entity handling and lots of settings, so it handles more players and bigger worlds on the same hardware.

Its big advantage is plugins: small server-side add-ons for homes and teleports, land claims against griefing, block logging, and more. Players join with a normal, unmodified Minecraft client.

The trade-off: to stay fast and fair, Paper changes a few vanilla behaviours by default, such as some duplication glitches that certain farms rely on. Most of these can be turned back on in its config files, but if your group lives for technical redstone, test your favourite contraptions first.

Pick Paper if you're unsure. It's the best default for a group of friends, which is why HostCraft recommends it.

Purpur: Paper with extra options

Purpur is built on Paper, so it runs the same plugins with the same performance. It adds hundreds of extra settings, such as rideable mobs, tweaks to game rules and gameplay quirks. If you like fiddling with how your world plays, it's a fun upgrade. Otherwise, Paper is simpler.

Fabric: for mods

Fabric is a lightweight mod loader. Mods can do far more than plugins: add new blocks, items, mobs, dimensions and whole tech trees. Most mods are installed on both the server and every player's game, usually with a launcher like Prism, CurseForge or Modrinth App, and the versions must match.

Some Fabric mods are server-only and need nothing on the players' side. Performance mods like Lithium are popular this way, giving you some of Paper's speed while keeping vanilla behaviour very close. Most Fabric mods also need the Fabric API mod installed; HostCraft adds it automatically.

Pick Fabric if you want a modded experience, or near-vanilla behaviour with performance mods. Fabric doesn't run Paper plugins, and Paper doesn't run Fabric mods.

Can I switch later?

Usually, yes. The world folder works across all of them on the same Minecraft version, so you can move a Vanilla world to Paper. Always make a backup first. Going back from Paper to Vanilla works too, but worlds from Paper and Purpur store the Nether and End in separate folders, so they need moving. Removing a content mod from Fabric deletes that mod's blocks and items from the world.

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