Quick Answer
- Choose Paper if you want maximum performance and stability with minimal tweaking.
- Choose Purpur if you want more gameplay customization and extra config options.
Paper Overview
Paper is the most popular Minecraft server software. It focuses on performance, stability, and bug fixes while keeping full Spigot plugin compatibility.
Purpur Overview
Purpur is a fork of Paper that adds tons of extra features and configuration options. It is great for servers that want highly customized gameplay.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Paper | Purpur |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | Excellent | Excellent |
| Plugin compatibility | Full Spigot support | Full Spigot support |
| Configuration options | Moderate | Extensive |
| Gameplay tweaks | Conservative | Many extras |
| Best for | Most servers | Custom gameplay |
Performance
Both Paper and Purpur are fast. Purpur inherits Paper's optimizations, so the difference is usually small. If you want a safe, battle-tested setup, Paper is the default choice.
Customization
Purpur adds a purpur.yml file with extra toggles for mob AI, gameplay tweaks, and quality-of-life features. This is perfect for creative or mini-game servers.
Recommendation
- Start with Paper if you want a stable, high-performance base.
- Switch to Purpur if you want more flexibility without sacrificing performance.