The best Minecraft server plugins to install first
A fresh Paper server plays almost like vanilla. Plugins are what turn it into the server you picture: homes and warps, ranks, land claims, a map. Here are the ones most servers install first, and what each is for. Install only what you need, because every plugin is something to keep updated.
Permissions: LuckPerms
LuckPerms decides who can do what. You make groups such as "member" and "moderator", give each group the commands it should have, and put players into groups. Almost every other plugin on this page asks LuckPerms (or a similar plugin) before it lets someone do something. If you install one plugin, make it this one. See how to set up LuckPerms.
The everyday commands: EssentialsX
EssentialsX adds what players expect from a server: /sethome and /home, /tpa teleport requests, warps, a spawn, kits, private messages, nicknames and a simple economy. It is large, and you can turn off the parts you do not want in its configuration.
Protecting builds: GriefPrevention
GriefPrevention lets players claim land with a golden shovel, so nobody else can build or break there. It suits survival servers where players build next to each other. If you want admin-drawn regions for spawn or arenas instead, WorldGuard is the usual choice.
Undoing damage: CoreProtect
CoreProtect records every block change, container use and kill. When someone griefs, you inspect the spot with /co inspect and roll the damage back with /co rollback. It is the best insurance a public server can have.
Building: WorldEdit
WorldEdit lets staff copy, paste, fill and replace large areas with a few commands. It saves hours when you build spawn or fix a mess, and it is the base for many other building tools.
Joining from other versions: ViaVersion
ViaVersion lets players on a newer client join an older server. Pair it with ViaBackwards for older clients on a newer server. See how to run a 1.8 server for a case where this matters.
A shared base: Vault and PlaceholderAPI
Vault (today usually its maintained fork, VaultUnlocked) is a bridge that lets shop, economy and permission plugins talk to each other. PlaceholderAPI lets plugins show each other's information in chat, scoreboards and menus. Many plugins ask for one or both, so install them when a plugin tells you to.
Looking after performance: Chunky and spark
Chunky pre-generates the world around spawn so exploring does not lag, see how to pre-generate a world. spark is a profiler that shows what is slowing the server down, and it is the first thing to install when players complain about lag. See how to fix lag.
Showing it off: BlueMap
BlueMap draws a live 3D map of your world in the browser, see how to add a 3D map.
Community: DiscordSRV and a vote plugin
DiscordSRV mirrors chat between Minecraft and a Discord channel, see how to connect your server to Discord. A vote receiver such as NuVotifier, with a reward plugin, lets you thank players who vote for your server on lists.
How to choose
- Start small. Permissions, Essentials, a protection plugin and a rollback plugin cover most servers.
- Check the version. Each plugin lists which Minecraft versions it supports. A plugin that is too old or too new for your server will not load.
- Check the source. Download from the author's page, Modrinth, Hangar or SpigotMC, not from a link in a chat message.
- Watch the lag. Add plugins one at a time and check the tick rate.
On Saryno
LuckPerms, EssentialsX, WorldEdit, GriefPrevention, CoreProtect, ViaVersion, Vault, PlaceholderAPI, DiscordSRV, Chunky, BlueMap and the vote receiver are one-click add-ons on Paper servers. Any other plugin can be installed from Modrinth or Hangar in the Plugins tab, or uploaded as a jar file.