Comparison
Paper vs Spigot
Updated October 18, 2026
Spigot is the classic server software for Bukkit plugins. Paper started as a fork of Spigot with performance patches, bug fixes and a much larger API, and is now the most used choice for plugin servers. Almost every Spigot plugin runs on Paper; the opposite is not true for plugins that use Paper's extra API.
Say Paper or Spigot and the version.
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| Spigot | Paper | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Bukkit/Spigot plugins | Yes | Yes, almost all |
| Runs Paper-only plugins | No | Yes |
| Performance | Good | Better on most servers: many optimisations and async chunk loading |
| Plugin API | Bukkit and Spigot API | The same plus many events, methods and Adventure text components |
| Configuration | bukkit.yml, spigot.yml | The same plus Paper's own global and per-world config files |
| Vanilla behaviour | Closer to vanilla | Fixes some exploits and bugs by default (some can be turned back on) |
| Getting it | Built yourself with BuildTools | Downloaded ready from papermc.io |
When Paper is the better choice
- Most survival, SMP, minigame and network servers: better performance with the same plugins.
- You write plugins and want the larger API: better text components, more events, async APIs.
- You want to move to Folia or use Velocity later: both come from the same PaperMC project.
When Spigot is the better choice
- Technical players rely on vanilla mechanics that Paper fixes or changes, such as some duplication or redstone behaviours, and you do not want to manage Paper's settings for them.
- You write a plugin that must run on every Bukkit server: build it against the Spigot API, and it will run on Spigot, Paper and their forks.
- A specific plugin you depend on officially supports only Spigot and misbehaves on Paper (rare, but it happens).
Paper today
In recent versions Paper has become a hard fork: it no longer takes every change from Spigot and develops on its own, while keeping support for plugins written for the Spigot API. In practice, a plugin author who targets the Spigot API reaches both, and one who needs Paper features targets Paper.
Moving a server from Spigot to Paper is usually a matter of replacing the server .jar with Paper of the same Minecraft version; worlds and plugins stay. Back up first and check the startup log.
Spigot and Paper plugins on Codexe
The Bukkit/Spigot/Paper type on Codexe covers both. Say "Paper" or "Spigot" and the version in the request: Codexe uses that API, compiles the plugin and checks it contains a plugin.yml (or paper-plugin.yml). Ask for Spigot if the plugin must run on both. Test servers run Paper, so a Spigot plugin is tested there too.
Questions
Will my Spigot plugins work on Paper?
Almost all of them, without changes. Plugins that use internal server code (NMS) need a build for that exact version on either server.
Is Purpur better than Paper?
Purpur is a fork of Paper with extra gameplay options. It runs Paper and Spigot plugins. Pick it if you want those options; otherwise Paper is enough.
Can I go back from Paper to Spigot?
Usually yes, with the same worlds, but plugins that need Paper's API will stop working. Back up before switching.
Does Paper run on old versions like 1.8?
Old Paper builds for 1.8.8 exist and are still used by minigame servers, but they get no updates. The same is true for old Spigot builds.
Make a plugin for your server
This prompt opens ready to send:
“A Paper 1.21.4 plugin called ChatFormat: chat format with LuckPerms prefixes and suffixes, MiniMessage colours for players with chatformat.color, a /chatformat reload command, the format in config.yml.”
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