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Plugins or mods for Minecraft?
Both extend the game, but in completely different places. The difference determines whether your players have to install anything or not.
The difference in one sentence
Plugins run exclusively on the server. Mods that add new blocks or items must be present on every computer that plays, including the server.
| Plugins | Mods | |
|---|---|---|
| Server software | Paper, Spigot, Bukkit | Forge, Fabric, NeoForge |
| Players have to install something | no | usually yes |
| File format | .jar in the plugins folder | .jar in the mods folder |
| New blocks and items | only to a limited extent | yes |
| Administration, protected regions, permissions | yes | rarely |
| Runs on our servers | yes, from Flex M | no |
What runs on our servers
Our Minecraft servers run Paper as the server software. Paper runs plugins in Spigot and Bukkit format. This covers most of what servers are usually extended for: protected regions, permission management, warps, economy systems and protection against abuse. Your players do not need to install anything for this and connect with an unmodified Minecraft.
Forge and Fabric mods do not run on Paper. A modpack that all players install identically requires different server software. This is possible with your own vServer, on which you choose the software freely.
Telling a plugin from a mod
- The description mentions Spigot, Paper or Bukkit → plugin, runs on our servers.
- The description mentions Forge, Fabric or NeoForge → mod, does not run on our servers.
- The text refers to a "modpack" → always mods.
- The instructions say all players must install the same file → mod.
Game version
Plugins are tied to the game version. After a version change, a plugin may stop working until the developer releases an updated version. Before a version change, check whether the plugins you use have already been updated.
See also: View Minecraft server How much RAM? vServer for your own modpacks