Differences Between CraftBukkit, Spigot, and PaperMC

CraftBukkit, Spigot, and PaperMC are three popular implementations that Minecraft servers use. CraftBukkit is a modified version of the official Minecraft server software that allows players to install and use plugins, while Spigot is an optimized fork of CraftBukkit that offers improved performance and additional features. PaperMC is a further optimized fork of Spigot, providing even better performance and additional bug fixes. In this guide, we will explore the differences between these three implementations and help you decide which one is right for your Minecraft server.

Differences between CraftBukkit, Spigot and Paper

Adding plugin support to servers is a must for all Minecraft server owners. Vanilla Minecraft does not allow such modifications (outside of data packs), so third-party platforms are needed. CraftBukkit, Spigot, and PaperMC are the three most popular options, each offering different levels of optimization and features.

CraftBukkit

- CraftBukkit was the first widely used platform for plugin support.

- It is still updated by the Spigot team, but is mostly outdated.

- Most have switched from Bukkit to Spigot due to lack of support and outdated infrastructure.

Spigot

- It is a fork of Bukkit and essentially took over the Bukkit platform. Spigot offers everything Bukkit offers, but with more optimization and a better structure to allow servers to run more smoothly.

- Offers everything CraftBukkit offers, but with more features and optimizations.

- Optimized for a smooth Vanilla Minecraft experience, but still falls short of what most choose to run now, PaperMC.

PaperMC

- PaperMC takes everything Bukkit and Spigot did so well and optimizes a machine that already runs well.

- Provides the most optimized experience among the three options.

- PaperMC is now the preferred choice for most server owners and is what at HolyHosting we suggest everyone run instead of Spigot and Bukkit.

- Includes a crash reporting and timing system that helps find the causes of lag and crashes.

Conclusion

Running plugins on a Minecraft server is a necessity for most server owners. To get the most optimized experience, at HolyHosting we suggest choosing PaperMC as your server platform. It offers the best performance and the most features, making it the best choice for most server owners.