The best Minecraft server settings for performance
Most lag comes from a handful of things. Change these before you reach for exotic flags.
1. View distance and simulation distance
In server.properties:
view-distance=8
simulation-distance=6View distance is how far chunks are sent to players; simulation distance is how far things actually tick. Lowering them is the largest single saving. On a small server 8 and 6 feel almost the same as the default of 10 and 10.
2. Pre-generate the world
Generating new terrain is expensive. Pre-generate a radius around spawn once, and exploring stops causing spikes.
3. Limit entities
Mobs and items cost more than blocks. Large animal farms and item sorters are the usual cause. In Paper's config you can set per-chunk limits, and in-game /gamerule maxEntityCramming 24 stops pile-ups. See gamerules.
4. Use Paper, and keep it updated
Paper includes many fixes that Vanilla lacks. Update when new builds arrive: safely, without losing your world.
5. Find what is slow, do not guess
Run spark for two minutes while it lags. It shows which plugin or chunk is the cost. The lag guide goes through the common answers.
6. Give it the right memory
More is not always better: too little causes pauses, and far too much can make garbage collection slower. The RAM calculator gives a number, and the JVM flags generator gives start-up flags that suit it (see Aikar's flags).
What to leave alone
- Random "performance" plugins that promise 10x speed.
- Huge render distances "for looks".
- Changing many settings at once: change one, measure, then the next.
On Saryno the Performance tab shows advice for your own server and runs a profile for you.