5 best tips for optimizing Minecraft server performance in 2022

Optimizing Minecraft servers can be tricky (Image via Mojang)
Optimizing Minecraft servers can be tricky (Image via Mojang)

Minecraft servers can be set up in a variety of ways, with some players making their own and others seeking help from experienced veterans or third-party hosting services to do the same. Once a server is set up, hosts need to take some time to check if everything is working as intended. This means making sure their servers are well-optimized, as lag-free as possible, and playable for everyone.

Optimizing Minecraft servers can be tricky, though, and hosts can encounter tons of errors while in the process. In addition to this, they need to keep in mind the variety of players that play the game using different types of hardware. This is because, ultimately, better optimization is mostly associated with getting a high framerate in the title.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinion of the writer.


Minecraft 1.19: 5 ways to boost performance in an online server

5) Increase server RAM

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This option is pretty simple but can be situational. The RAM value in each Minecraft server determines how many gamers can play on it without experiencing lag.

If players make their own server, they must dedicate a specific amount of RAM from their system to it. However, if they use an external or third-party server hosting service, they’ll have to choose a payment plan — some free options are available as well — which is often set according to the amount of RAM offered.


4) Choose right server software

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Choosing the right software is one of the biggest factors in determining how well a Minecraft server will run. There are decent options out there in this regard. However, there are three that have always been on every player’s radar: Bukkit, Spigot, and Paper.

Bukkit: This is the oldest software out of the three popular options mentioned above. Bukkit, or CraftBukkit, its proper name, used to be all the rage when the concept of plugins was first introduced in the game. While the software is active to this day, the team behind it has since retired and stopped offering updates for their creation. This has resulted in the emergence of better server software like Spigot.

Spigot: This server software is a fork of Bukkit, which means that it comes from the same source code as the original. Spigot is quite an improvement over the previous entry, as it offers more features. Over 150 optimizations, bug fixes, and configuration options can be found in this software.

Paper: Finally, the Paper server software is the latest one of the three modifications. Interestingly, it is a fork of Spigot. Just like the last entry improves upon the features of Bukkit, Paper does the same in relation to Spigot. This one also fixes many bugs and other issues and also includes individual settings for tick and view distance. The best thing about Paper, however, is that it supports every single plugin and feature that comes with both Bukkit and Spigot.


3) Remove ClearLagg plugins

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CleaLagg plugins, as the name suggests, are specialized plugins that are added to a server to increase optimization. However, these can often result in a host of errors or performance loss for players on the server. Instead, gamers should rely on Paper to handle this for them, as it has its very own optimization settings and is essentially designed for this very purpose.


2) Remove antixray pluggins

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Just like ClearLagg plugins, many Minecraft antixray plugins may actually increase lag and present other optimization issues. This is why players are advised to let Paper take care of this as well. It has two antixray settings, the first of which focuses on conserving performance, while the other is basically a “no-compromise” mode. However, the latter may cause crashes if the server experiences lag spikes or errors.


1) Follow server optimization guide

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Setting up an online Minecraft server is tedious work, and what doesn’t help is that each server has its own requirements and limitations. There are loads of things that can go wrong, and this can impact performance and player experience.

When trying to optimize a server, gamers are advised to follow an optimization guide. These often go over which software to use, do’s and don’ts, some effective in-game commands, networking, chunk settings, and other miscellaneous settings.

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Many prominent Minecraft server-hosting websites and software offer their own optimization guides, aside from YouTubers and other content creators. They are detailed and help players tweak their servers to make them virtually perfect.

A great example of a Minecraft server optimization guide was given by programmer YouHaveTrouble on GitHub. Players can head over to their profile and check it out.