Minecraft Server Types Explained: Vanilla, Paper, and Forge

Howdy Friends! So you want to run your own Minecraft server. First question you’ll hit: what kind of server should you run? The answer depends on how you want to play. Let’s break it down simply.

Vanilla — The Classic Experience

Vanilla is the official Minecraft server straight from Mojang. No modifications, no extras. Just Minecraft as it was meant to be played.

Choose Vanilla if:

• You want the purest Minecraft experience
• You’re playing with a small group of friends
• You don’t need plugins or mods

The downside is performance. Vanilla doesn’t handle large numbers of players well, and there’s no way to add plugins to customize your server.

Paper — Vanilla Plus Performance

Paper is the most popular server type for good reason. It runs the same gameplay as Vanilla but with major performance improvements under the hood. It also supports plugins — add-ons that let you customize your server without changing the game itself.

Want to add an in-game economy? A minigames arena? Land protection so players can’t grief each other? There’s a plugin for all of that.

Choose Paper if:

• You want smooth performance with more players
• You want to add plugins to customize your server
• You’re running a server for a friend group or small community

Paper is our default recommendation for most players. It’s stable, widely supported, and easy to manage.

Forge — The Modded Experience

Forge is built for mods — full game modifications that can completely change how Minecraft plays. We’re talking new dimensions, new creatures, magic systems, tech mods, and much more. The Minecraft modding community has been building on Forge for years, and the library of available mods is massive.

The catch is that everyone who joins your server needs to have the same mods installed on their game. It’s a bit more setup upfront.

Choose Forge if:

• You want to play with mods, not just plugins
• You and your friends are comfortable installing a mod pack
• You want a heavily customized Minecraft experience

Quick Comparison

Not Sure? Start with Paper.

For most players — especially first-time server owners — Paper is the sweet spot. It performs well, it’s easy to manage, and plugins let you grow the server over time without starting over.

GR Host Minecraft plans support Vanilla, Paper, and Forge. We’ll help you get set up on whichever fits your style. Check out our Minecraft hosting plans or reach out if you have questions — we’re happy to help you get your server up and running.

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