A Minecraft server without plugins is a server without protection, without permissions and without the tools to fix problems. Here are the ten plugins that belong on every Paper or Purpur server, in the order you install them.
1. LuckPerms
Permissions decide who can do what: which player can teleport, who can build where, who can moderate. LuckPerms is the standard. It works through a web editor you open with /lp editor, so you drag and drop permissions instead of editing config files. Groups like "player", "moderator" and "admin" are set up in minutes.
2. EssentialsX
Over a hundred basic commands: /spawn, /home, /tpa, /warp, /kit, /msg and many more. EssentialsX is the swiss army knife plugin you set up once and then forget about. Install EssentialsX Spawn for spawn behaviour on first login and EssentialsX Chat if you want prefixes based on LuckPerms groups.
3. WorldGuard
Region protection. Select an area with WorldEdit, turn it into a region and decide which players can build, PvP or open chests. Essential for a spawn that must not be demolished or an event area with custom rules.
4. WorldEdit
Place, copy, move and replace blocks in bulk. WorldEdit is a building tool, not a protection tool, but WorldGuard needs it to select regions. On creative servers it is the most used plugin; on survival you restrict access to builders and admins.
5. CoreProtect
Logs every block change, chest interaction and chat message. If someone demolishes a build, you roll it back with /co rollback u:griefername t:1h. CoreProtect is the reason griefers do no lasting damage on well-managed servers; everything is reversible. It stores data in a local database and uses little memory.
6. GriefPrevention
Lets players claim their builds with a golden shovel. Inside a claim, nobody else can build or open chests. GriefPrevention works without admin intervention: players receive claim blocks automatically as they play. Ideal for public servers where you cannot protect every build by hand.
7. Spark
Performance monitoring and profiling. With /spark tps you see the current TPS, and with /spark profiler you start a recording that shows exactly which plugin or process uses the most tick time. On Paper 26.x, Spark is built in by default. On older versions you install it separately.
8. ViaVersion
Lets players on older Minecraft versions join your newer server. If you run 26.3 but a player still has 1.21.11, ViaVersion translates the protocol. Useful when not everyone updates at the same time. Note: new blocks and items are invisible or look different to older clients.
9. DiscordSRV
Links the server chat to a Discord channel. Messages in Minecraft appear in Discord and the other way around. Join and leave notifications, console commands from Discord and account linking are built in. For any community that uses Discord, this is the bridge between the two platforms.
10. Vault
Vault is a bridge layer. It connects permission plugins (LuckPerms), economy plugins and chat plugins so they work together. You do not actively configure Vault, but many plugins require it as a dependency. Install it and forget it.
Installing in two minutes
Download the .jar file from Hangar, Modrinth or SpigotMC. Upload it to the plugins folder via the Files tab in the game panel. Restart the server. Check with /plugins that everything is green. Red means an error; the cause is in the console and is usually a wrong Minecraft version.
All Minecraft plans at HostValues run Paper and support every plugin listed above.
How many plugins can my server handle?
Dozens, as long as they are well written. The problem is rarely the count but the quality: one badly coded plugin with 100,000 downloads can cause more damage than twenty lightweight plugins combined. Use Spark to measure.
Do these plugins work on Fabric?
No. These are Bukkit/Spigot/Paper plugins. Fabric uses its own mods. The two ecosystems are not compatible.
Do I need to buy paid plugins?
Not for a standard survival or SMP server. All ten listed above are free and open source. Paid plugins are for specific functionality like minigames, custom items or detailed web stores.
