Which Minecraft server software should you pick: Vanilla, Paper, Fabric, Forge or a modpack?

When you order a Minecraft server at Alama, one question comes before the first block is placed: which server software? Five names are on the screen, and if you are new, they all sound the same. They are not. The choice decides what you can add, and what your friends have to do to join.

This guide explains the five, in plain words, and ends with a quick way to choose.

First, plugins and mods are not the same thing

This is the idea that unlocks everything else.

• A plugin lives only on the server. It changes how the server behaves: land claims, shops, ranks, mini-games, chat tools. Players connect with the normal game and see nothing to install.
• A mod changes the game itself: new blocks, new items, new creatures, or a lighter and faster game. Because the game is different, every player needs the same mods on their own computer.

So the real question is not "what is better". It is "do I want my players to install anything?"

The five choices

Vanilla. The game as Mojang publishes it, with nothing added. Pick it to play with friends the way the game is. It is the simplest option, and there is nothing to break.

Paper. Adds plugins. Players join with the normal game and install nothing. Pick it for a community server: protect builds with land claims, run a shop, give ranks, set up a mini-game. Paper is also a popular choice because it is built to run smoothly. If you want to go further on this one, our guide to setting up a Java server properly covers it.

Fabric. Adds mods: new blocks and items, or lighter and faster play. Players need the same mods. Pick it if the mods you want say they need Fabric.

Forge. Adds mods too, and is the long-standing family of large content mods. Players need the same mods. Pick it if the mods you want say they need Forge.

Modrinth. Starts from a modpack: a ready-made set of mods, installed for you. Pick it to play a modpack without assembling it yourself. Packs are heavy, so the bigger tiers suit them best.

Fabric or Forge: do not guess

Both add mods, but a mod is written for one of them. A mod made for Fabric will not run on Forge, and the other way round. You do not choose the one you like better. You look at the mods you want, read which one each asks for, and pick that.

If your list needs both, you will have to choose a side, or look for an equivalent mod on the other one.

Why modpacks are different

A modpack is a mod list somebody already tested together. That saves you hours of fixing mods that fight each other. The price is weight: dozens of mods use a lot of memory when the server starts and while it runs. That is why the Modrinth choice says the bigger tiers suit it best, and why a small tier is better for Vanilla or Paper.

Your players need the pack too, installed the same way, so share the pack's name with them before the first evening.

A short way to choose

Ask yourself three questions, in this order.

1. Do my players want to install nothing? Then choose Vanilla, or Paper if you want plugins.
2. Do I want new blocks, items or a very different game? Then you want mods: choose Fabric or Forge depending on the mods you picked, or Modrinth if a ready-made pack already does what you want.
3. Do I want a community with ranks, claims and shops? Choose Paper.

If you are still unsure, start with Vanilla for a few evenings with friends. If nothing is missing, you are done. If something is, you now know what to look for.

Good to know

Every tier can run all five choices, and the choice is made when the server is built. To try another one, you order another server. The free Minecraft tier is a fair place to test: it has 1 GB of RAM, 10 GB of disk and 2 backups, a modest size: fine to try Vanilla or Paper with a few friends, too small for a heavy pack.

Ready to pick? Open the order page, choose Minecraft, and the five choices are right there. If you want to read about each one again, the help centre has a page for it.