Minecraft server types: Paper, Fabric, NeoForge and more

A Minecraft Java server can run one of six server types. Paper is the best pick for most groups: it’s fast, and it runs plugins that need nothing on your friends’ side. Choose Fabric or NeoForge when you want mods, and Vanilla when you want the game exactly as Mojang made it.

Bedrock servers have one type, the Bedrock Dedicated Server from Mojang. This guide is for Java.

The six types at a glance

Every type downloads from its own project (Mojang, PaperMC, PurpurMC, FabricMC, NeoForged or Forge), never from us.

Plugins or mods?

Plugins run only on the server. They add commands, land claims, shops, homes, ranks, mini-games and more, using blocks and items the game already has. Your friends join with the normal game, and Bedrock friends can join through the Bedrock addition. Plugins come from Hangar and Modrinth.

Mods change the game itself. They can add new ores, machines, mobs and whole dimensions. When a mod adds content, every player needs it too, at the same version. Mods come from Modrinth and CurseForge, and whole sets of them come as modpacks.

A server type runs plugins or mods, not both. If you’re not sure, start with Paper. You can switch later.

Which one to choose

• “We want to play survival together and add a few extras.” Paper.
• “We want the game exactly like single player, nothing else.” Vanilla. Paper also plays like Vanilla but runs faster. A few redstone tricks behave differently on Paper, so pick Vanilla if your group builds those.
• “We want to change everything: mob behaviour, item rules, rideable mobs.” Purpur.
• “We want a modpack.” Pick it from the modpack directory. It sets the right type for you.
• “We want our own small set of mods.” Fabric for lighter mods and the newest versions. NeoForge for big content mods.
• “Our favourite pack only runs on Forge.” Forge.
• “Some of us play on phones or consoles.” Paper or Purpur with the Bedrock addition. Fabric and NeoForge work too, but only with mods that run on the server alone.

Change the server type

You can change the type at any time in Settings > Server type.

1. Open Settings, pick the new Server type, and change the Game version too if you want a different one.
2. Read the warning. It lists plugins or mods that won’t carry over.
3. Confirm. We take a backup first, then install the new server files.
4. Start the server and check Console for errors.

Switching safely

Some other rules:

• Plugins and mods don’t carry across. Plugins stay in the plugins folder and mods in mods, but the new type ignores the other kind. Paper plugins also work on Purpur.
• Fabric and NeoForge mods are different files. A Fabric mod won’t load on NeoForge, even for the same game version. Install the NeoForge build of each mod.
• NeoForge and Forge mods are drifting apart. Mods for recent versions are made for one or the other. Check which one each mod supports.
• Try it on a copy. In Games, duplicate your save and switch the copy first. If it goes well, play on the copy.

Versions and Java

Each type supports its own list of game versions, and new Minecraft releases reach Paper and the mod loaders a few days or weeks after Mojang. Pick a version in Settings > Game version that your type, and your mods, support.

The panel also picks the right Java for you. Minecraft 26.1 and later need Java 25, 1.20.5 to 1.21.11 need Java 21, 1.18 to 1.20.4 need Java 17, and very old versions like 1.12.2 and 1.16.5 need Java 8.

Minecraft 26.1 changed version numbers to match the year: 26.1, 26.2 and 26.3 came out in 2026, after 1.21.11. Mods made for 1.21.x need an update from their makers to run on 26.x, and some plugins do too.