Paper vs Spigot vs Purpur: Which Minecraft Server Software Is Best for Performance?

If you’re running a Minecraft server and care about performance, you’ve probably come across the same three names over and over again: Spigot, Paper, and Purpur.

They all look similar on the surface. They all support plugins. They all claim better performance than vanilla.
So why do opinions differ so wildly — and which one is actually best?

The honest answer: it depends on what you’re optimizing for.

This guide breaks down the real differences between Spigot, Paper, and Purpur, how they affect performance in practice, and when each one makes sense.

First: They’re All Related (But Not Equal)

Let’s clear up a common misconception.

These server types aren’t competitors built from scratch. They’re part of the same lineage:

• Spigot is built on top of Bukkit
• Paper is a fork of Spigot
• Purpur is a fork of Paper

Each step adds more changes, more optimizations, and more configuration options — but also more responsibility for the server owner.

Spigot: Stable, Familiar, and Conservative

Spigot is the “middle ground” between vanilla and heavy optimization.

What Spigot Does Well

• Reliable and widely supported
• Excellent plugin compatibility
• Minimal behavior changes compared to vanilla
• Easier to debug than heavily modified forks

Performance Characteristics

• Improves tick handling compared to vanilla
• Some async operations
• Limited tuning options
• Relies more on raw hardware than configuration

When Spigot Makes Sense

• Small to medium servers
• You value stability over squeezing every last TPS
• You’re running older or niche plugins
• You don’t want to touch dozens of config options

Bottom line:
Spigot is safe, predictable, and fine — but it leaves performance on the table.

Paper: The Performance Sweet Spot for Most Servers

Paper is where Minecraft server optimization really starts to shine.

It takes Spigot and adds:

• Deeper performance optimizations
• Smarter entity handling
• Asynchronous chunk loading
• Extensive configuration control

Why Paper Performs Better

• Reduces unnecessary tick work
• Optimizes entity AI and collisions
• Improves memory usage patterns
• Fixes long-standing performance bottlenecks

Trade-Offs

• Some mechanics behave slightly differently than vanilla
• Requires proper configuration to shine
• Poorly configured Paper can still perform badly

When Paper Is the Best Choice

• Survival servers with plugins
• Community servers (10–100+ players)
• Servers that want better TPS without extreme tweaks
• Owners willing to spend time tuning configs

Bottom line:
For most servers, Paper offers the best balance between performance, control, and stability.

Download your Paper jars at JarVault

Purpur: Maximum Control, Maximum Responsibility

Purpur builds on Paper and pushes optimization — and customization — even further.

It exposes dozens of additional settings that let you:

• Fine-tune mob AI behavior
• Adjust gameplay mechanics
• Reduce CPU and RAM usage aggressively
• Control edge cases Paper doesn’t touch

Why Purpur Can Perform Better

• More granular performance knobs
• Ability to disable expensive mechanics
• Better handling of large-scale farms
• Greater control over entity limits and ticking

The Downsides

• Easy to misconfigure
• Can break intended gameplay balance
• Not ideal if you don’t understand the settings
• Debugging is more complex

When Purpur Makes Sense

• High-player-count servers
• Performance-critical environments
• Experienced administrators
• Servers optimized for farms, events, or minigames

Bottom line:
Purpur can outperform Paper — but only if you know what you’re doing.

Download your Purpur jars at JarVault

Performance Isn’t Just the Server Software

This is where many comparisons go wrong.

Paper or Purpur won’t magically fix:

• Slow CPUs
• Insufficient RAM
• Bad plugin choices
• Excessive chunk loading
• Poor JVM settings

In real-world setups, performance is influenced by:

• CPU single-core speed
• RAM availability during spikes
• Disk I/O
• Player behavior
• Server configuration

Software choice matters — but it’s only one piece of the puzzle.

Quick Comparison Overview

So Where Does Serverwave Fit Into This?

One thing all three server types have in common is this:
their resource usage isn’t static.

Paper and Purpur, in particular, are designed to:

• Use RAM more dynamically
• Handle spikes more efficiently
• Scale with real player activity

That creates a mismatch with traditional hosting models that lock you into fixed plans.

This is where Serverwave fits naturally into the equation.

Instead of tying your server to rigid RAM tiers or player slots, Serverwave lets Paper and Purpur do what they’re good at — scale when needed, and stay lean when idle. Busy evening? Event night? New world generation? Resources are there without manual upgrades or downtime.

You’re not forced to guess:

• How many players you’ll have next month
• Whether you need Purpur all the time
• How much RAM you’ll need during peak hours

Serverwave adapts alongside your server software — not against it.

Final Verdict

• Spigot is safe and familiar
• Paper is the best choice for most servers
• Purpur is powerful, but demands experience

There’s no universally “best” option — only what fits your server’s goals and workload.

And when your hosting environment matches that reality, server software choices stop being compromises and start being tools.