The most popular Minecraft plugins, and what they're for

Thousands of plugins exist, but some thirty run the vast majority of servers. Here are those that come up most often, sorted by need, with what they do and the guide explaining how to install and tune them. For the bare minimum of a first server, start with The essential plugins.

All these plugins run on Paper (see which software to choose), and are installed by dropping the .jar into plugins/: the details are in Install and configure your plugins. Unless stated otherwise, they're free.

The basics

• EssentialsX: the basic commands (/home, /tpa, /spawn, /msg), kits, the wallet. Its modules add chat and spawn. → The essential plugins
• LuckPerms: ranks and permissions, with a web editor. Essential as soon as anyone other than you has rights. → Set up LuckPerms
• Vault: the bridge between economy, permission and chat plugins. It does nothing alone, but many others need it. → Build a server economy
• PlaceholderAPI: variables (%player_name%, votes, money) usable by other display plugins.
• ProtocolLib: a library many plugins depend on (ItemsAdder, Oraxen, anti-cheats). Install it when a plugin asks for it.

Protect the server

• WorldGuard and WorldEdit: WorldEdit changes terrain in bulk, WorldGuard protects areas (spawn, towns) against breaking and PvP. → Build the spawn
• GriefPrevention: each player protects their own land with a golden shovel. Ideal for survival. → The essential plugins
• CoreProtect: the history of every block placed or broken, and rollback after griefing. → Protect your server
• Grim: a free anti-cheat that simulates player movements, for few false positives. → Choose an anti-cheat
• LiteBans (paid) or AdvancedBan: the sanction history, viewable by the whole team. → Recruit a moderation team

Open the server to more players

• Geyser and Floodgate: Bedrock players (mobile, console) join your Java server, without a Java account. → Welcome Bedrock players
• ViaVersion: players with a newer game version than the server can connect (ViaBackwards for older versions). → Update your server
• Velocity (a proxy, not a plugin): connects several servers into a network. → Build a network with Velocity

Attract and retain players

• NuVotifier and VotingPlugin: receive votes from directories and hand out in-game rewards. → Reward votes
• DiscordSRV: links the game chat to a Discord channel, and players' accounts to their Discord account. → Set up your server's Discord
• TAB: the player list (Tab key) and names above heads, with ranks and colours.
• DecentHolograms: floating text for the spawn, leaderboards, rules. → Build the spawn
• Citizens: NPCs that talk, give quests or teleport to a game mode. → Build the spawn

Gameplay

• Jobs Reborn: jobs that earn money while playing (miner, lumberjack, farmer). → Build an economy
• mcMMO: skills that improve with practice, and abilities to unlock.
• Multiverse-Core: several worlds on one server (resources, creative, events), with their own rules.
• Minigame plugins (BedWars1058, for example) and OldCombatMechanics for 1.8 combat. → Create a minigames server
• Skript: create your own commands and mechanics with a simple language, without Java. → Skript for beginners

Custom content

• ItemsAdder (paid): items, blocks, furniture, emojis and interfaces with their own textures. → The ItemsAdder guide
• Oraxen (paid): the same family, with short files and automatic resource pack hosting. → The Oraxen guide

Performance and world

• Spark: the profiler that shows what makes the server lag. Built into Paper. → Find the cause of lag with Spark
• Chunky: pre-generates the world to stop exploration lag. → Pre-generate your world with Chunky
• BlueMap, Dynmap, squaremap: a map of your world viewable in a browser. → A web map of your world

Choose well, and don't overdo it

Every plugin added is a possible source of lag, conflict and vulnerability. Three rules:

1. One need, one plugin: two plugins doing the same thing contradict each other.
2. Maintained plugins: an update in recent months, compatible with your version.
3. Official sources: Hangar, Modrinth, SpigotMC or the author's GitHub page (see where to download your plugins). A paid plugin offered for free elsewhere often contains a backdoor.

To tune configuration files without mistakes, the YAML validator checks a config.yml in a second, and the anti-lag configuration tunes Paper so it holds the load.