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Papermc Review

Worth it

Should I use Papermc?

Software - papermc.io

· 1 day ago

Buy Paper if you run a public Minecraft server and want plugins plus speed. Skip it for modded servers or if you want managed one-click hosting.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 25 public sources, mostly Reddit threads, GitHub, and official docs.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Self-host

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Public plugin servers
  • Minigame and SMP server admins
  • Self-hosters comfortable with Java
  • Big servers needing performance gains

Not for

  • Modded server owners. Fabric and Forge fit mods better
  • Non-technical players wanting one-click hosting
  • Vanilla purists who reject forks
  • Business buyers shopping for software called Paper

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Exploits surface periodically. Update fast or players get compromised.

medium

Hosts charge separately to run Paper. Free software does not mean free hosting.

medium

Minecraft is poorly optimized. Paper still needs RAM and config tuning.

low

December 2024 hard fork generated debate. Check project health before long-term bets.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free and open source server software.
  • Most widely used, high performance Minecraft server.
  • Improves Minecraft performance over vanilla.
  • Large plugin ecosystem through Hangar.
  • Official docs and admin guides for troubleshooting.

Cons

  • Plugin-only. Modded servers need Fabric or Forge.
  • Past exploits force fast server updates.
  • No paid support. You rely on forums and docs.
  • December 2024 hard fork raised continuity questions.

Sources & method

- 10 sources - Publishes a security page and hardening guides. Past exploits required fast server updates.

official x3review x3security x3news x1
  • Log4Shell (CVE-2021-44228) hit Minecraft servers, Java-based servers, including Paper, needed emergency patches for this vulnerability.
  • Paper exploit requiring urgent update, Admins reported a Paper exploit and urged immediate updates.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free software, donation funded, no license fees.
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Guess: needs manual setup, config tuning, troubleshooting.
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Large plugin ecosystem, API, Folia fork.
  • Support quality: 3/5. Community forums and docs only. No paid support.
  • Security posture: 3/5. Public security page, but exploits demand fast patches.
  • $0 Price Free open source server software
  • Yes Free tier Project runs on donations via Open Collective
  • Most used Market position Widest-used Minecraft server on GitHub

Pricing

Self-host

$0

  • Full server software
  • Community support via forums and docs
  • Project funded by donations

Security

Publishes a security page and hardening guides.

  • Log4Shell (CVE-2021-44228) hit Minecraft serversJava-based servers, including Paper, needed emergency patches for this vulnerability.⁸
  • Paper exploit requiring urgent updateAdmins reported a Paper exploit and urged immediate updates.⁷

Past exploits required fast server updates.

What users say

Admins on Reddit treat Paper as the default plugin server, with ongoing debate against Fabric for mods.

“Paper is Spigot but better.”
Reddit, r/admincraft
“Is PaperMC still the way to go?”
Reddit, r/admincraft

Alternatives

Compare Papermc with each alternative.

  • Spigot

    Older lighter fork. Fewer fixes than Paper.

    Papermc vs Spigot

  • Fabric

    Better for mods. Not a plugin server.

  • Vanilla server

    Official server. No plugins. Stock experience.

Companies that use it

  • ScalaCube
  • Apex Hosting⁵
  • Nitrado
  • Campfire Hosting
  • FreeMcServer
Full analysis

Based on 25 public sources, mostly Reddit threads, GitHub, and official docs.

Free open source Minecraft server. Default pick for plugin servers. Wrong pick for mods or hands-off hosting.

Methodology

Based on 25 public sources, mostly Reddit threads, GitHub, and official docs.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. PaperMC/Paper: The most widely used, high performance Minecraft servergithub.com
    official
  2. PaperMC: Homepapermc.io
    official
  3. Paper is Spigot but betterreddit.com
    review
  4. Is PaperMC still the way to go?reddit.com
    review
  5. The Benefits of Using Paper for Your Minecraft Serverapexminecrafthosting.com
    review
  6. The PaperMC Hard Forkmedium.com
    news
  7. Paper exploit found! you need to update fast!reddit.com
    security
  8. Mitigate the Log4j vulnerability CVE-2021-44228dietpi.com
    security
  9. Product security pagepapermc.io
    security
  10. Hangar plugin platformhangar.papermc.io
    official

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