MCTool

Minecraft Server Optimization Guide

Comprehensive guide to optimize your Minecraft server for better performance

Server Type
Select your server software

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Pre-Optimization Checklist
Essential steps before tuning your server
  • Use legitimate software; avoid pirated jars or cracked plugins.
  • Run the latest stable Minecraft and Java 17+ releases.
  • Prefer server-optimized plugins over datapacks.
  • Automate backups for worlds and configuration files.
  • Choose reliable hosting with fast I/O and sufficient RAM/CPU.
  • Use maintained forks (Paper, Purpur, Pufferfish).
Startup Flags Optimization
Java Virtual Machine (JVM) flags to improve server performance

Recommended Flags

java -Xms4G -Xmx4G -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:+ParallelRefProcEnabled -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=200 -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions -XX:+DisableExplicitGC -XX:+AlwaysPreTouch -XX:G1NewSizePercent=30 -XX:G1MaxNewSizePercent=40 -XX:G1HeapRegionSize=8M -XX:G1ReservePercent=20 -XX:G1HeapWastePercent=5 -XX:G1MixedGCCountTarget=4 -XX:InitiatingHeapOccupancyPercent=15 -XX:G1MixedGCLiveThresholdPercent=90 -XX:G1RSetUpdatingPauseTimePercent=5 -XX:SurvivorRatio=32 -XX:+PerfDisableSharedMem -XX:MaxTenuringThreshold=1 -jar server.jar nogui

Server Properties Optimization
Recommended settings for server.properties

World Settings Optimization
Recommended settings for paper.yml or bukkit.yml

Plugin Recommendations
Plugins that can help improve server performance
Spark

Performance profiler for Minecraft servers. Helps identify lag sources and performance bottlenecks.

Chunky

Pre-generates chunks to prevent lag when players explore new areas.

Lithium

General-purpose optimization mod that improves a variety of systems without changing vanilla mechanics.

FeatherBoard

Lightweight scoreboard plugin that's more efficient than many alternatives.

EntityTrackerFixer

Prevents entity tracking issues that can cause severe lag in certain situations.

Clearlag

Removes excessive entities and items to prevent lag from entity buildup.

Hardware Considerations
Hardware recommendations for optimal server performance

CPU

Minecraft servers primarily rely on single-thread performance. A CPU with high clock speeds (3.5GHz+) is more important than having many cores. However, having at least 4 cores is recommended for modern servers.

Recommended: Recent Intel Core i7/i9 or AMD Ryzen 7/9 processors with high single-thread performance.

RAM

For small servers (1-5 players), 4GB is usually sufficient. Medium servers (5-20 players) should have 8-16GB. Large servers with many plugins or mods may need 16GB or more.

Storage

SSD storage is strongly recommended for Minecraft servers. The faster disk I/O significantly improves chunk loading/saving and overall server performance.

For world storage, plan for at least 5-10GB per world, more if you have many players exploring far distances.

Network

Upload speed is the most important factor for hosting a server. You'll need approximately 0.5-1 Mbps upload bandwidth per player for a smooth experience.

A wired connection is strongly recommended over WiFi for stability.