Paper and Purpur are the two most used server software options for Minecraft in 2026. But Purpur is not an alternative to Paper. It is Paper, with an extra layer of configuration options on top. That nuance makes all the difference when choosing.
What Paper is
Paper is a fork of Spigot that runs the same plugins but has extensively rewritten the server internals for speed. Async chunk loading, entity optimizations and a built-in profiler (Spark is included by default) deliver measurably higher TPS on the same hardware. Virtually every serious server in 2026 runs Paper or something built on Paper.
Paper has the largest community, the best documentation and the fastest updates after a new Minecraft release. For 26.3, the Paper build was available within 48 hours.
What Purpur adds
Purpur takes the full Paper codebase and adds hundreds of configuration options that Paper deliberately keeps out. Examples:
- Disable phantoms without requiring players to use a bed.
- Adjust mob AI: zombies that do not break doors, creepers that do not destroy blocks.
- Make mobs rideable for players.
- Adjust raid behaviour and spawn limits per biome.
- Make blocks and items stackable that are not stackable in vanilla.
All these options are off by default. Purpur with default settings behaves exactly like Paper.
Performance
The TPS difference between Paper and Purpur is negligible in practice. Purpur inherits all Paper optimizations and adds no significant overhead of its own. The extra features only run when you enable them. Community benchmarks consistently show the same picture: with identical configuration and plugins, they perform equally.
Plugin compatibility
Every plugin that works on Paper works on Purpur. The reverse is also true: there are no plugins that exclusively require Purpur. Your plugin choices do not change.
When Paper is the better choice
- You want the fastest updates after a Minecraft release. Paper ships builds almost immediately; Purpur usually follows a day or two later.
- You use vanilla mechanics as they are and have no need for tweaks.
- You want the largest community for help and documentation.
- You run a server where stability matters above all, such as a public survival with a hundred players.
When Purpur is the better choice
- You want to adjust specific vanilla mechanics without installing plugins that do the same thing.
- You are building a community server where you want to fine-tune raids, mobs or spawns for a custom experience.
- You already run Paper and want to expand the configuration options without changing anything about your existing setup. Switching is a matter of replacing the server jar and restarting; the world, plugins and settings stay intact.
Both Paper and Purpur are available on all HostValues Minecraft plans. Switching between them takes under a minute in the game panel.
Will my plugins break if I switch from Paper to Purpur?
No. Purpur is fully compatible with Paper plugins. You replace the jar, restart, and everything keeps working. No configuration changes needed.
Does Purpur update as fast as Paper?
Usually one to two days after Paper. For most servers that delay is irrelevant. If you need same-day updates for a new Minecraft version, stick with Paper.
Is there a reason not to use Purpur?
Only the update delay. If you never touch the extra settings, Purpur adds nothing and you carry a minor delay on version updates. In that case, Paper is the simpler choice.
