Paper is the baseline. But if you want even more performance, Purpur and Pufferfish take Paper's foundation and add additional optimizations. Which one is actually faster?
What Are These Forks?
The Minecraft server software family tree:
Vanilla -> CraftBukkit -> Spigot -> Paper -> Purpur
-> Pufferfish
Paper adds async chunk loading, entity optimizations, and dozens of configuration options over Spigot.
Purpur adds quality-of-life features (rideable mobs, customizable gameplay mechanics) plus performance tweaks on top of Paper.
Pufferfish strips unnecessary features and focuses solely on performance optimization. It's Paper with extra speed and nothing else.
Test Setup
Both were tested on Space-Node Ryzen 9 7950X3D with 12GB allocated RAM, identical plugins (EssentialsX, CoreProtect, WorldGuard, LuckPerms), and a pre-generated 5000-block radius vanilla world.
Tested with 30 simulated players performing typical activities (building, mining, farming, combat).
Results
| Metric | Paper 1.21 | Purpur 1.21 | Pufferfish 1.21 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average TPS | 19.3 | 19.5 | 19.6 |
| TPS at 50 players | 17.8 | 18.2 | 18.5 |
| Memory Usage (idle) | 3.2GB | 3.1GB | 2.9GB |
| Memory Usage (30 players) | 5.8GB | 5.6GB | 5.4GB |
| Chunk Gen Speed | Baseline | +3% | +5% |
| Entity Processing | Baseline | -8% CPU | -12% CPU |
Pufferfish consistently edged out both Paper and Purpur on raw performance. The differences are small in absolute terms but compound under heavy load.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Paper | Purpur | Pufferfish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Async chunk loading | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Entity activation optimization | Yes | Enhanced | Enhanced |
| Mob AI optimizations | Basic | Advanced | Advanced |
| Rideable mobs | No | Yes | No |
| Custom block mechanics | No | Yes | No |
| DAB (Dynamic Activation of Brain) | No | No | Yes |
| Configurable mob limits | Basic | Extended | Extended |
| Plugin compatibility | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
When to Choose Each
Paper: The safe default. Maximum plugin compatibility, active development, large community. Good for servers that want stability and don't chase every last TPS point.
Purpur: Best for servers that want both performance and extra features. The gameplay customization options (rideable mobs, custom enchant limits, crop growth tweaks) are unique to Purpur. Pick this if you want features AND performance.
Pufferfish: Best for high-player-count servers (50+) or servers that run heavy plugins. The DAB system is the standout - it dynamically reduces entity AI processing based on how far entities are from players, saving significant CPU. Pick this if raw performance is your only priority.
Our Recommendation
For most servers under 30 players, the difference between these three is negligible. Use Paper for simplicity or Purpur for extra features.
For servers with 50+ players or heavy modded content, Pufferfish gives measurable improvements. The 0.3-0.7 TPS difference at high load can mean the difference between stable gameplay and noticeable lag.
All three forks work on every Space-Node Minecraft hosting plan. You can switch between them through the control panel without losing any data.
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