# 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.

Source: https://www.beaconhosting.org/knowledgebase/how-to-install-spigot-or-papermc-on-a-minecraft-server
Category: Minecraft
Last updated: 2026-10-22

## Install Paper

1. Open your server and go to **Backups**. Create a backup, in case you want to go back.
2. Go to **Package Manager** and click **Browse packages**.
3. Search for **Paper** and open it.
4. Pick the **Minecraft version** you want and click **Install**.
5. 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.
6. 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.