Paper vs Spigot vs Fabric vs Vanilla: Which Server Software in 2026?

Choosing your Minecraft server software shapes what you can run—plugins or mods—and how well the server performs. Vanilla, Paper, Spigot, and Fabric each have a different job. This guide explains what they are, when to use which, and how to pick the right one for your server in 2026.

Vanilla

Vanilla is the official Minecraft server jar from Mojang. No plugins, no mods—just the game as shipped. You get the same behavior as single-player and maximum compatibility with the latest Minecraft version. Use vanilla when you want zero extra software, a pure survival or creative experience, or when you're testing something without any third-party code. Downsides: no anti-cheat, no grief protection, no custom features, and generally worse performance and tick stability than optimized forks. For how many players a server can handle, vanilla is usually the most limited because the server does more work per tick.

Spigot and Paper (plugins)

Spigot is a fork of the vanilla server that adds a plugin API. Plugins are server-side only: they add features (economy, minigames, land protection, anti-cheat) without changing the game client. Players join with the normal Minecraft client—no mods required. Paper is a fork of Spigot that further optimizes the server: better TPS, lower CPU use, and many bug fixes and config options. In 2026, Paper is the default choice for any plugin-based server; Spigot is still used but Paper is faster and more actively maintained.

Use Paper (or Spigot) when you want plugins—ranks, claims, shops, custom commands, minigames—and your players use the standard Java client. Paper improves TPS and server health compared with vanilla, so you can often run more players or heavier plugins on the same hardware. Most Minecraft server hosts offer one-click Paper/Spigot installs.

Fabric (and Forge) — mods

Fabric is a modding platform. Mods change the game on both server and client: new blocks, items, mechanics, dimensions. Players must install the same mods (or modpack) as the server to connect. Fabric is lightweight and fast to update; it's common for vanilla-plus and light modpacks. Forge is the other major mod loader—heavier, with a huge ecosystem; most large modpacks (e.g. ATM10, RLCraft) run on Forge. You don't choose "Fabric vs Paper"—you choose plugins (Paper) vs mods (Fabric/Forge). If your server runs a modpack, you use the loader that pack targets (usually Forge or Fabric).

When to use which

Performance and hosting

Paper typically gives the best TPS and lowest CPU use for a given player count and plugin set—so you need less CPU and RAM than vanilla for the same experience. Fabric modpacks vary; light packs are efficient, heavy packs need more resources (see modded server RAM and pack-specific guides). Vanilla has no optimizations, so it's the most demanding per player for tick stability.

If your host offers one-click installs, pick the jar that matches your goal: "Paper" for plugins, or the modpack/loader (e.g. "ATM10", "Fabric 1.20") for modded. That sets the server software for you. For Java vs Bedrock, this comparison applies to Java; Bedrock uses different server software entirely.

Summary

Paper vs Spigot vs Fabric vs Vanilla boils down to: Vanilla = no plugins or mods; Paper (or Spigot) = plugins, best choice for most community servers; Fabric/Forge = mods, required when you run a modpack. Choose the software that matches what you want to run—then size your plan with enough CPU and RAM for that setup. For more on capacity and lag, see what a healthy Minecraft server feels like and why Minecraft servers lag.