Forge and Paper are the most popular versions of Minecraft, excluding Vanilla of course. For Cybrancee, 44% of all Minecraft orders are for Forge, 26% are for Vanilla, 12% are for Paper, and 10% are Fabric. The remaining 8% are split out amongst Bedrock, NeoForge, Bungeecord and other different versions of Minecraft.
When it comes to setting up a server for your friends, community or family, it is important to know what the key differences are between these two versions, and also why you should consider each option.
What is the main difference between them?
Whilst Forge and Paper both offer the same “enhanced Minecraft” experience, they are very different in how they actually work – and some of the differences here make a big impact on your players.
Forge works by implementing an API layer on top of Minecraft, allowing developers to build and run mods. Forge uses this API to ensure that multiple mods remain compatible with each other, which is how modpacks work. When the mods run on a Minecraft server, they interact with the Forge API, instead of altering the Minecraft code directly. For this to work, both the client (that’s the player) and the server must have Forge installed, and all of the same mods loaded – this is what keeps the client and the server in sync.
On the other hand, Paper doesn’t require players to install anything on their own devices—all the modifications are handled server-side. Built on top of Bukkit and Spigot, Paper enhances server stability and performance by modifying how Minecraft’s core code handles tasks, overall reducing lag and boosting speed. Instead of using “mods”, Paper relies on “plugins”, which are required only on the server-side. This allows players to join a Paper server without needing to do any custom setups on their end.
What are the benefits and limitations of Minecraft Forge?
Due to the nature of Forge, you can do some seriously crazy things to your Minecraft world. Forge introduces a huge range of modding capabilities which can span from adding new mods, bosses and items, to creating whole new gameplay scenarios and dimensions. Personally, after playing Forge modded Minecraft worlds, I find it really hard to go back to Vanilla, as it can feel a bit too tame. Here is a picture of how I would create an automated storage system using Forge:
Something about building a giant data centre within Minecraft just seems way more fun than a bunch of boring old chests.
As a technology advocate, nothing beats turning basic Minecraft ideas into over complicated and over-engineered solutions…such as automating the production of nuclear reactor fuel to power endless amounts of electric machinery.
Despite all of this fancy tech and exciting mods, there are some issues with using Forge, and some reasons why it might not be the right choice for your next server.
Forge is known for its complexity. Forge is not a simple modding system, and at times, can throw many errors, and unless you know what you’re doing, it might spoil a highly anticipated Minecraft session. As mods/modpacks update frequently, it’s not uncommon for you to encounter errors like this one:
Forge also doesn’t run well on smaller servers/PCs. To give you some context, the server running the Nuclear Fuel Manufacturing is on a Forge server running the 1.12.2 pack – this server uses about 17 GB RAM to simply turn on and run. Despite running this server on some of our most powerful hardware, Minecraft itself struggles to render some of its entities, which gives you a result that looks a bit like this:
| Benefits | Limitations |
| Allows huge opportunities for modding | Forge and its mods need to be installed on the server and all of the players devices’, making it harder for players to join |
| Forge enables mods to be compatible with each other, creating modpacks | Forge is prone to errors, bugs, glitches and visual issues, especially when particular mods crash |
| The entire Minecraft experience can be enhanced | Forge requires much more power than Vanilla and Paper |
What are the benefits and limitations of Minecraft Paper?
When it comes to performance, compatibility and ease of use, Paper truly is the winner, at the cost of being unable to run the same mods as Forge. Paper is all about providing a high performance and stable experience, no matter what you throw at it.
Paper is super easy for you to set up, as well as being even easier for players to join your server. There is no difference between joining a Vanilla server and joining a Paper server – as everything is handled server-side, players benefit from all of the great features of Paper, without doing a thing.
Alongside all of the performance and stability improvements made by Paper, they also have a growing, expansive list of plugins. Plugins are addons which can be installed on the server, these addons introduce new mechanics into the game, such as achievements, economies, operator functions and new basic items. These plugins are not going to change Minecraft in the same way that Forge does, but instead these plugins compliment existing Minecraft features.
Whilst you can add plugins to your server, they will never be at the same scale or complexity as Forge mods – so if you’re out there wanting to fight huge new bosses and explore entire new dimensions, Paper might not be the right choice.
| Benefits | Limitations |
| High performance and very stable, even with thousands of players | Paper plugins are not as powerful as Forge mods |
| Extremely easy to manage plugins | There are not as many plugins for Paper as there are mods for Forge |
| Players can join a Paper server without needing to configure their client |
Final Verdict
Both Forge and Paper offer their own benefits and limitations, and their usage should be tailored to the audience you are looking to cater for.
If you’re looking to start a server with some friends and are looking for an expansive Minecraft world, Forge is the best option. I would strongly suggest making use of pre-built modpacks so that you run into less issues.
If you are looking more towards starting a Minecraft community server which is open to the public, Paper is going to be your best bet. Paper’s simplicity for users to join the server removes many boundaries that would slow your community from growing. Additionally, Paper’s performance enhancements are extremely valuable when you start playing with higher numbers of users.
