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Minecraft Plugins: Best Plugins + Complete Guide

Paper, Spigot, Purpur - All Essential Plugins

Discover the best Minecraft plugins for your server: complete guide with installation, comparisons and recommendations for Paper, Spigot and Purpur.

Minecraft Plugins

What is a Minecraft Plugin?

Understanding plugins and their purpose

A Minecraft plugin is a software extension that adds new features to a Minecraft server. Unlike mods that modify the client-side game, plugins work only server-side and require no modification of players' clients.

What are plugins for?

🔧

Management & Administration

Permissions, moderation, anti-grief, automatic backup

🎮

Enhanced Gameplay

Economy, quests, minigames, rank systems

🛡️

Protection & Security

Anti-cheat, area protection, action logs

⚡

Performance

Optimization, lag reduction, chunk management

Plugin vs Mod: what's the difference?

Understanding the essential distinction

Many players confuse plugins and mods. Here are the key differences:
📦

Plugins

  • Work only server-side
  • Require no client installation
  • Compatible with Vanilla client
  • Require Paper, Spigot or Purpur
  • Ideal for multiplayer servers
🔨

Mods

  • Modify the client-side game
  • Must be installed by each player
  • Require Forge, Fabric or NeoForge
  • Can add new blocks/items
  • Perfect for solo or private servers
Important

For a public server, plugins are generally the best choice as they impose no constraints on players.

Where to find Minecraft plugins?

Best download platforms

Downloading plugins from reliable sources is essential for the security and stability of your server. Here are the 4 most recommended platforms by the Minecraft community.

Modrinth

Recommandé

Modern and fast platform with clear interface. Excellent moderation and frequent updates. Modrinth has gained popularity thanks to its ease of use and performance. Plugins are verified before publication and the search is very efficient.

✓ Modern interface, fast downloads, open-source

modrinth.com

💡 Ideal for quickly finding popular and verified plugins

SpigotMC

The historic platform and most comprehensive. Huge community and extensive documentation. SpigotMC has existed since 2013 and hosts tens of thousands of plugins. It's the reference for developers and experienced server administrators.

✓ Largest selection, active community, developer support

spigotmc.org

💡 The best choice for professional and premium plugins

Hangar (PaperMC)

Official Paper platform, prioritizes quality. Plugins optimized for Paper. Hangar enforces strict quality standards and all plugins are tested for Paper. It's the guarantee of having compatible and performant plugins.

✓ Guaranteed quality, perfect Paper compatibility

hangar.papermc.io

💡 Perfect for Paper servers looking for optimized plugins

GitHub

For open-source plugins and ongoing developments. Perfect for development versions. GitHub hosts the source code of thousands of plugins. You can follow development, report bugs and even contribute to the code.

✓ Access to source code, dev versions, free

github.com

💡 Developers and advanced users looking for beta versions

⚠️

Beware of unofficial sources

Avoid downloading plugins from unknown sites or dubious forums. Malicious plugins can steal your data, crash your server or compromise your players' security. Stick to the official platforms listed above.

Top Best Essential Minecraft Plugins

Essential plugins for any server

EssentialsX

Commands & Utilities

The essential base plugin. Adds 100+ essential commands: /home, /tpa, /warp, /spawn, kits, basic economy.

Cas d'usage : Mandatory for any server

LuckPerms

Permissions

Most powerful and modern permissions system. Web interface, group inheritance, temporary permissions.

Cas d'usage : Rank and permissions management

Vault

API

API enabling compatibility between economy, permissions and chat plugins. Essential as dependency.

Cas d'usage : Inter-plugin compatibility

WorldEdit

Building

Most powerful building and terraforming tool. Massive area editing, copies, rotations, selections.

Cas d'usage : Building and terraforming

WorldGuard

Protection

Area and region protection. Customizable flags, anti-grief, spawn protection, PvP zones management.

Cas d'usage : Server protection

CoreProtect

Logs & Rollback

Records all player actions. Rollback in case of grief, block inspection, complete restoration.

Cas d'usage : Anti-grief and moderation

PlaceholderAPI

API

Variable system for all plugins. Dynamic info display, chat/scoreboard plugin compatibility.

Cas d'usage : Advanced customization

ViaVersion + ViaBackwards

Compatibility

Allows players from different versions to connect. Essential for maintaining multi-version compatibility.

Cas d'usage : Multi-version support

Plugins by category

Find the perfect plugin for your needs

🏕️

Survival & Gameplay

GriefPreventionmcMMOJobs RebornShopkeepersQuickShopChestShop
💰

Economy

VaultEssentialsXCMI EconomyPlayerWarpsAuctionHouse
🛡️

Protection & Anti-grief

WorldGuardGriefPreventionLandsCoreProtectPrism
⚡

Performance & Optimization

SparkClearLagFarmControlMergedMobsChunkMaster
🎮

Minigames

BedWarsSkyWarsBuildBattleTNTRunMurder Mystery
🌐

Proxy (Velocity/BungeeCord)

LuckPermsViaVersionGeyserTABLiteBans
👮

Moderation

LiteBansAdvancedBanBanManagerChatControlStaffChat
💬

Chat & Social

ChatControlEssentialsXChatDiscordSRVVentureChatChatReaction

How to install a Minecraft plugin?

Quick installation guide

1

Check your server

Make sure you have Paper, Spigot or Purpur (not Vanilla or Forge)

2

Download the plugin

.jar file from Modrinth, SpigotMC or Hangar

3

Place in /plugins

Copy the .jar file into your server's plugins/ folder

4

Restart the server

Complete stop then restart (not /reload)

5

Configure

Edit generated configuration files in plugins/PluginName/

Warning

Never use /reload as it causes bugs. Always prefer a complete restart.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Minecraft plugins

A Minecraft plugin is a software extension that adds to a Paper/Spigot/Purpur server to add new features without players needing to install anything. Plugins work only server-side and are compatible with Minecraft's Vanilla client.

There's no single 'best' plugin, but EssentialsX is considered the most essential as it adds all basic commands. For permissions, LuckPerms is the standard. WorldEdit/WorldGuard are essential for building and protection. The choice depends on your specific needs.

In Minecraft, a plugin is a .jar file that installs in a Paper/Spigot/Purpur server's plugins/ folder. It modifies or adds server features (commands, protections, economy, minigames) without modifying players' game. It's different from a mod which requires client installation.

Yes, it is legal to sell custom Minecraft plugins as long as you comply with Mojang's terms of use (EULA). However, you cannot resell free plugins without the author's permission. Many developers sell their plugins on SpigotMC or offer premium versions.

For a public server, choose plugins as they require no client installation and work with Vanilla Minecraft. For a private server among friends where everyone can install mods, opt for mods which offer more game modification possibilities.

There's no technical limit, but too many plugins can slow down your server. For a performant server, stay between 15-30 well-chosen plugins. Prioritize quality over quantity and use Spark to analyze performance.