Install Spigot or Paper (2026)

Q: Can I go back from Paper to vanilla?

Yes, but you have to merge the world folders by hand: worldnether back into world as DIM-1, and worldtheend as DIM1. For testing, working on a copy of the server directory is simpler.

After the first start with Paper, the Nether and the End are gone from your world folder. Not deleted — moved. Where vanilla keeps both dimensions as DIM-1 and DIM1 inside world/, Spigot splits them into separate folders called world_nether and world_the_end. Not knowing that is how people conclude their world is broken and restore a backup they never needed.

Beyond that, the switch is undramatic — and it is the prerequisite for anything involving plugins.

What Spigot and Paper actually are

Mojang's server — "vanilla" — has no interface for extensions. To run plugins you swap it for server software that provides one. Everything in common use today descends from a shared ancestor:

Software	Relationship	What it is for
Vanilla	Mojang's original	reference behaviour, no plugins
Spigot	descendant of Bukkit	plugins, plenty of settings
Paper	descendant of Spigot	plugins, considerably more performance
Purpur	descendant of Paper	extra gameplay options
Folia	a separate path from Paper	very large servers, adapted plugins only

Two sentences settle the choice. Paper runs Spigot plugins and performs better while doing it — for almost any server it is the right answer, even if you never install a single plugin. Spigot is only worth it when a plugin explicitly demands it.

Folia is not a better Paper but a different thing: it spreads the world across several threads, and plugins have to be adapted for that. Most of the plugin ecosystem does not run on it.

Downloading Paper

Paper is offered as a ready-built jar on papermc.io, as a build for one specific Minecraft version. Take the build for exactly the version you intend to play, and only from there — not from mirrors.

The file is then called something like paper-1.21.4-123.jar. That last number is the build number; it keeps climbing within the same Minecraft version because Paper ships fixes continuously.

Building Spigot instead of downloading it

For legal reasons Spigot is not distributed as a finished jar. Instead you download the BuildTools utility from the Spigot site and have it build the jar on your own machine:

java -jar BuildTools.jar --rev 1.21.4

It fetches the sources, compiles them and leaves the finished spigot-1.21.4.jar in the same directory. Depending on the machine that takes a few minutes, and it needs Git plus a matching JDK — not just a runtime.

Info

This is not a detour you can skip. Pre-built Spigot jars from forums or file hosters do not come from an official source. If you would rather not go through the build, Paper is the better answer anyway.

Converting an existing server

The switch itself only concerns the jar. World, settings and player data stay where they are.

Stop the server cleanly — /stop in chat, stop in the console.
Back up the whole server directory, not just the world.
Put the new jar into the server directory.
Point your start command or systemd unit at the new filename.
Start the server.

The groundwork for start commands and running permanently is in how to create a Minecraft server. You can leave the old vanilla jar in place; it does no harm as long as nothing starts it.

Caution

The backup is not boilerplate here. On first start Spigot restructures the world folders, and world data migrates upwards but never back. Without a backup this step is one-way.

What happens on the first start

Two things change visibly.

The world folders are split. A single world/ containing DIM-1 and DIM1 becomes three folders side by side:

world/            → overworld
world_nether/     → the Nether
world_the_end/    → the End

The server does this by itself. It looks like data loss but it is just a different layout — and the reason why going back to vanilla is manual work.

New configuration files appear. Alongside server.properties, which stays exactly as it is, the server creates, depending on the software:

File	Origin
`bukkit.yml`	Bukkit base settings
`spigot.yml`	Spigot settings
`config/paper-global.yml`	server-wide Paper settings
`config/paper-world-defaults.yml`	Paper defaults for all worlds
`plugins/`	folder for plugins, empty at first

What lives in the Paper files, and which file wins when values conflict, is covered in Paper configuration explained. None of it needs touching at first — the defaults are usable.

The plugins folder exists from now on too. Filling it is covered in installing Minecraft plugins.

Checking that it worked

/version in chat, version in the console. The answer names the server software, the Minecraft version and, on Paper, the build number. If it still says "CraftBukkit" or reports vanilla, the old jar is still running — usually because the start command was never updated.

Updating

A new Paper build simply replaces the jar: stop the server, swap old for new, start. Within the same Minecraft version that is uncritical.

Changing the Minecraft version itself — 1.21 to 1.22, say — adds two things: a backup beforehand, and plugins that need builds for the new version. Otherwise the server starts, but without half of its extensions.

Going back to vanilla

Possible, but awkward. The split world folders have to be merged again: the contents of world_nether belong back inside world as DIM-1, those of world_the_end as DIM1. The Bukkit, Spigot and Paper configuration files become meaningless, and anything plugins left in the world stays there.

If you only want to find out whether Paper helps, working on a copy of the server directory is easier than reversing the change.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Cause and fix
Nether and End appear to be missing	They are in `world_nether` and `world_the_end` now. No data was lost.
`/version` still reports vanilla	The start command still points at the old jar. Check the script or the systemd unit.
Server will not start after the switch	The jar version does not match the world version, or the Java version is wrong. The log says which.
No `plugins` folder	The server never finished starting. Check the log for startup errors.
BuildTools aborts	Git or a JDK is missing. A plain runtime is not enough.
Plugins stop loading after a version change	Bring the plugins to builds for the new Minecraft version.
World incomplete after returning to vanilla	The dimension folders were not restored as `DIM-1` and `DIM1`.

Frequently asked questions about Spigot and Paper

What is the difference between Spigot and Paper?

Paper is a descendant of Spigot. It runs the same plugins, performs noticeably better and offers more settings. For almost any server Paper is the better choice; Spigot is only needed when a plugin demands it.

Do I need Paper if I do not use plugins at all?

It is still worth it. The performance gain over vanilla is the main reason Paper runs on most servers, plugins or no plugins.

Does my world survive the switch?

Yes. The server only redistributes the dimensions into their own folders on first start. Back up beforehand anyway, because the way back is manual.

Why can I not simply download Spigot?

For legal reasons Spigot is not distributed as a finished jar. You download BuildTools and let it build the jar locally instead. Pre-built Spigot jars from forums do not come from an official source.

Which Java version do I need?

The same one the vanilla server of that Minecraft version needs. BuildTools additionally requires a JDK, not just the runtime. Which version belongs to the current Minecraft release is covered in how to create a Minecraft server.

Can I go back from Paper to vanilla?

Yes, but you have to merge the world folders by hand: world_nether back into world as DIM-1, and world_the_end as DIM1. For testing, working on a copy of the server directory is simpler.