Best Minecraft plugins for a Paper server

A new Paper server does very little on its own: no ranks, no land protection, no way to undo a griefer. A handful of well-kept plugins fill those gaps, and most servers end up with some version of the same list. This guide names the ones worth starting with, what each is for, and how to judge any plugin you find yourself.

Checked on Modrinth in October 2026 against Paper 26.3: LuckPerms 5.5.71 (luckperms.net lists a newer Bukkit build, 5.5.88, while the Plugins tab installs 5.5.71 from Modrinth), EssentialsX 2.22.0, WorldEdit 7.4.6, WorldGuard 7.0.20, GriefPrevention 16.18.7, CoreProtect 24.1, Chunky 1.5.3 and BlueMap 5.29. On their newest releases EssentialsX lists Minecraft up to 26.1.2 and CoreProtect up to 26.2, so check the store's version filter for those two.

How to install any of them

1. Open Plugins under Content in the left rail. The tab only appears on Paper and Purpur, and on Folia where that is switched on. See Minecraft plugins vs mods if yours shows Mods or nothing.
2. Search for the plugin by name. The source chips at the top of the tab are Modrinth, CurseForge and Hangar, and the version filter starts on your server's Minecraft version.
3. Click Install. If the plugin needs others, a box titled Needs N more add-ons offers Install all.
4. Restart from the Console tab, because plugins load only at startup. Type plugins in the console afterwards. Green names are running.

A plugin the store does not list can be uploaded as a .jar into the plugins folder with the File Manager. The full walkthrough is in Install Minecraft plugins on Paper or Purpur.

The starter set

LuckPerms: permissions and ranks. It controls who can run which command, grouped into ranks such as member and moderator. EssentialsX, for one, is designed to use a permissions plugin and recommends this one. Guide: Install and set up LuckPerms on Minecraft.

EssentialsX: everyday commands. Its own description is "the essential plugin suite for Paper and Spigot servers", with more than 130 commands, including /sethome, /warp, /kit and /tpa. The 2.22.0 release lists Minecraft 26.1.2 as supported, and the Modrinth listing stops there too. The development README also lists 26.2 and 26.3, but that is not the build the store installs, so check the version filter before relying on it for a 26.3 server. Guide: Set up EssentialsX on your Minecraft server.

WorldEdit and WorldGuard: build tools and protected regions. WorldEdit is an in-game map editor with selections, copy and paste. WorldGuard guards areas of land and lets you change game rules per area, and it needs WorldEdit installed beside it. Guides: Set up WorldEdit on your Minecraft server and Set up WorldGuard on your Minecraft server.

GriefPrevention: land claims players make themselves. It is described as a self-service anti-griefing plugin, so players protect their own builds without an admin drawing every region. Use it for a survival server with many players. Use WorldGuard for spawn, arenas and other areas you control.

CoreProtect: logging and rollback. It records what players do and can roll back or restore damage, which is the tool you reach for after a grief. Its newest release lists Minecraft up to 26.2, so check the store's version filter before relying on it for a 26.3 server. Guide: Set up CoreProtect on your Minecraft server.

Chunky: pre-generated terrain. It builds the world ahead of players, so the server has less terrain to generate while they explore. Guide: Pre-generate a Minecraft world with Chunky.

A web map: BlueMap or Dynmap. Both put your world on a web page. BlueMap builds 3D models and its Modrinth page lists Paper up to 26.3. Dynmap's newest release lists Minecraft only up to 1.21.11, as Set up Dynmap on your Minecraft server explains. A web map needs its own port, so add one first in Settings. See Add an extra port to your server.

Geyser and Floodgate: Bedrock players. The Crossplay tab installs both and sets them up for you, so you do not search for them in Plugins. See Let Bedrock players join a Java server.

How to judge a plugin you find yourself

• Check the version. The store filters by your server's Minecraft version. If a plugin lists no build for it, wait for an update or pick another plugin.
• Look at the dates. A plugin that has not been updated for years is a risk on current Minecraft.
• Read the dependencies. The page names what it needs, such as WorldEdit or Vault. The store lists the ones Modrinth and CurseForge declare. Hangar and GitHub do not publish a list, so read the page.
• Prefer the project's own page. Paper's documentation warns that plugins get unrestricted access to your server and the machine it runs on.
• Add them one at a time. Restart, look at the first error in the Console, and profile with spark if the Ticks per second card drops. Reduce Minecraft lag with spark and plugins shows how.