Minecraft: PaperMC Plugins for Paper & Spigot

PaperMC plugins are server-side .jar files that extend a Paper server with commands, permissions, land protection, economy, minigames and admin tools. They load from the server's plugins folder and run only on the server, so players join with the normal, unmodified Java client — no mods, no launcher, no downloads.

Yes. Paper is a hard fork of Spigot and keeps the Bukkit and Spigot API, so the vast majority of Bukkit and Spigot plugins run unchanged. Only plugins that hook deep into server internals may need an update from their developer. It doesn't work the other way round: plugins built on the Paper API won't load on Spigot.

Download the plugin's .jar for your Minecraft version, upload it to the server's plugins folder, restart the server and run /plugins to confirm it loaded. Install required dependencies such as Vault the same way. In the ZAPX panel you can skip the manual steps: the built-in plugin browser installs Modrinth and Hangar plugins in one click, and you upload your own .jar files through the file manager. Guide: ZAP-Hosting Plugin Uploader

A solid starter set covers each job once: LuckPerms for permissions, EssentialsX for core commands like /home and /spawn, WorldEdit and WorldGuard for building and region protection, CoreProtect for block logging and rollbacks, Vault as the economy bridge, ViaVersion so newer clients can join, Geyser for Bedrock crossplay, Chunky to pre-generate the world and spark to find lag. Add plugins one at a time and test after each, so you always know what changed.

Paper builds on Spigot and goes much further on performance: async chunk loading, better tick handling, built-in Anti-Xray and fixes for dupe and crash exploits. It ships as a ready-to-run jar instead of being compiled with BuildTools, adds paper-global.yml and per-world config files, and offers its own extended API on top of the Bukkit and Spigot API. For most plugin servers, Paper is the default choice. Spigot plugins

No. Paper runs plugins, not mods. Mods change the game itself, need a mod loader such as Fabric, Forge or NeoForge and usually have to be installed on the client too. Plugins and mods are not interchangeable — if you want mods, choose a mod loader as the server type instead of Paper.

Yes, with Geyser as a bridge. Geyser translates between Bedrock and Java, so players on mobile, console or Windows can join your Java server. Floodgate handles the login, so Bedrock players don't need a Java account. Both run as plugins on Paper.

On Purpur, yes: Purpur is built on Paper and runs Paper, Spigot and Bukkit plugins. Folia works differently — it splits the world into regions that tick on separate threads, so only plugins that explicitly support Folia will load. Check the plugin page for Folia support before you switch.

Stick to the established sources: Hangar (the official PaperMC repository), Modrinth and SpigotMC. Check that the plugin supports your Minecraft version, read its listed dependencies and skip re-uploads on unknown sites — a plugin .jar runs with full access to your server. Paper itself is free and open source, and so are most popular plugins.

Yes. Paper version, Minecraft version and plugin version have to fit together. Minecraft now uses year-based version numbers such as 26.1, and Paper usually follows a new release shortly after. Before you update, make a backup and check each important plugin's version list on Modrinth, Hangar or SpigotMC — plugins that touch server internals are often the last to update.