How to Install Paper on a Minecraft Server
Switch your Minecraft server to Paper for plugins and better performance. Paper runs Spigot and Bukkit plugins too.
Install Paper
- Open your server and go to Backups. Create a backup, in case you want to go back.
- Go to Package Manager and click Browse packages.
- Search for Paper and open it.
- Pick the Minecraft version you want and click Install.
- The panel shows what will change. Installing server software replaces what is installed, and it may swap the Java runtime to the one that version needs. Confirm.
- Package changes are queued and applied the next time the server starts, so restart it from Console when you're done.
Your world carries over. Plugins go in the plugins folder; install them from Package Manager.
Paper, Spigot and Bukkit
Paper is built on Spigot, which is built on Bukkit. Paper runs Spigot and Bukkit plugins unchanged, and it's much faster, so there's no reason to run Spigot itself. Package Manager installs Paper, not Spigot.
Other PaperMC software
| Software | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Paper | The normal choice for a plugin server |
| Folia | Very large servers; splits the world across CPU cores. Many plugins don't support it |
| Velocity | A proxy that links several servers into one network |
Note
Moving from Fabric or Forge to Paper? Mods don't run on Paper. You'll need plugins that do the same jobs.