Skip to main content
Paper is a high-performance Minecraft server that aims to fix gameplay and mechanics inconsistencies while providing significant performance improvements over vanilla Minecraft servers.

​
Performance Philosophy

Paper’s performance improvements focus on three key areas:
  1. Chunk loading and generation - Optimized multi-threaded chunk system
  2. Entity management - Intelligent entity activation and ticking
  3. Network optimization - Efficient packet handling and chunk sending

​
Core Performance Features

​
Multi-threaded Chunk System

Paper uses the Moonrise chunk system, which provides parallel chunk loading and generation through worker and I/O thread pools.
The Moonrise system automatically scales worker threads based on your CPU core count. Manual configuration is available in config/paper-global.yml.
Configuration (config/paper-global.yml): 
chunk-system:
  io-threads: -1      # Auto-configured (default)
  worker-threads: -1  # Auto-configured (default)
Thread calculation logic:
  • Default worker threads: (CPU cores / 2) / 2 for systems with more than 4 cores
  • Minimum: 1 worker thread on low-core systems
  • I/O threads: At least 1 thread for disk operations
For servers with 8+ CPU cores, Paper automatically configures multiple worker threads to parallelize chunk operations. The default auto-configuration is optimal for most setups.

​
Entity Activation Range

Paper inherits Spigot’s Entity Activation Range (EAR) system, which reduces entity ticking for entities far from players. Configuration (config/spigot.yml): 
world-settings:
  default:
    entity-activation-range:
      animals: 32
      monsters: 32
      raiders: 64
      misc: 16
      water: 16
      villagers: 32
      flying-monsters: 32
Entities beyond these ranges are “activated” less frequently, significantly reducing CPU usage in areas with many entities.
Reducing activation ranges too much may cause gameplay issues, such as mobs not reacting to players or automatic farms breaking.

​
Per-Player Mob Spawning

Paper implements per-player mob spawning, which distributes mob spawning more evenly across players. Configuration (config/paper-world-defaults.yml): 
entities:
  spawning:
    per-player-mob-spawns: true
This prevents mob cap saturation in populated areas and improves spawn rates for players in remote locations.

​
Performance Monitoring

​
Using Spark

Paper includes Spark, a performance profiler, enabled by default. Configuration (config/paper-global.yml): 
spark:
  enabled: true
  enable-immediately: false
Use /spark profiler start to begin profiling server performance. After 30-60 seconds, use /spark profiler stop to generate a detailed performance report.

​
View Distance vs Simulation Distance

Paper distinguishes between view distance (what chunks players can see) and simulation distance (what chunks are actively ticked). Configuration (config/spigot.yml): 
world-settings:
  default:
    view-distance: 10
    simulation-distance: 10
  • View distance: Controls chunk rendering (range: 3-32)
  • Simulation distance: Controls chunk ticking for entities, redstone, crops
Reducing simulation distance while maintaining view distance provides visual quality while improving performance.

​
Optimization Best Practices

​
1. Configure Autosave Intervals

Reduce autosave frequency to minimize I/O spikes: 
chunks:
  auto-save-interval: 6000  # 5 minutes (default)
  max-auto-save-chunks-per-tick: 24

​
2. Optimize Hoppers

Configuration (config/spigot.yml): 
world-settings:
  default:
    ticks-per:
      hopper-transfer: 8
      hopper-check: 1
    hopper-amount: 1
Increasing hopper-transfer reduces hopper checks per second.

​
3. Entity Tracking Range

Reduce entity tracking ranges to decrease network usage: 
entity-tracking-range:
  players: 128
  animals: 96
  monsters: 96
  misc: 96
  display: 128
  other: 64

​
4. Disable Unused Features

Disable features you don’t need: 
entities:
  armor-stands:
    tick: true  # Set to false if armor stands are purely decorative
  markers:
    tick: true  # Set to false if not using marker entities

​
Configuration Files Reference

Paper uses multiple configuration files:
FileScopePurpose
config/paper-global.ymlGlobalServer-wide settings (chunk system, network)
config/paper-world-defaults.ymlPer-worldWorld-specific defaults (entities, chunks)
config/spigot.ymlPer-worldLegacy Spigot settings (activation range, tracking)
Start with default configurations and adjust based on /spark profiler results. Measure the impact of each change.

​
Hardware Recommendations

For optimal Paper performance:
  • CPU: Modern CPU with high single-thread performance
  • RAM: 6-10GB for 10-20 players, 10-16GB for 50+ players
  • Storage: NVMe SSD strongly recommended for chunk I/O
  • Network: Low-latency connection (< 50ms to players)

​
See Also

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us