Build lightweight Minecraft servers with Minestom, a server implementation hosted on GitHub.
The Best Pufferfish Alternatives in 2026
Looking for something like Pufferfish? Here are 16 alternatives, ranked by how closely they match it on purpose, features and platforms. Of these, 12 are open source.
For large servers, Pufferfish offers a high-performance fork of Paper.
Top picks at a glance
Quick comparison
| # | Alternative | Pricing | Open source | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minestom | — | Yes | — |
| 2 | Paper | — | Not stated | Web |
| 3 | Paper | — | Not stated | — |
| 4 | Connect Java | — | Yes | — |
| 5 | MC-Server-Banner-API | — | Yes | — |
| 6 | Auto Mcs | — | Yes | Linux |
| 7 | Mcsmanager | — | Yes | — |
| 8 | Grim | — | Yes | — |
| 9 | Panel | — | Yes | — |
| 10 | DiIiS | — | Yes | — |
All Pufferfish alternatives
Paper
papermc.io/software/paperRun Paper, a Minecraft server built on Spigot with performance and server API changes.
Paper
github.com/PaperMC/PaperRun Paper, a Minecraft server designed to address gameplay and mechanics inconsistencies.
Route player connections from Connect Network through a Minecraft plugin for Spigot, Paper, and proxy servers.
Read usage documentation for an API that generates Minecraft server status banners.
Manage Minecraft servers across platforms with auto-mcs, a server management application.
Deploy and manage Minecraft or Steam game servers from a distributed multi-user control panel.
Detect and block Minecraft cheats with Grim Anticheat, a multithreaded predictive server plugin.
Manage game servers with Pelican, an open-source panel built with Laravel and Docker.
Run a community-built server implementation for Diablo III through the open-source DiIiS project.
Run dedicated multiplayer servers for Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare and Battle for Neighborville with Cypress.
Connect Minecraft Java Edition clients to Bedrock Edition servers through the Geyser proxy.
Server Pack Creator builds server packs from Minecraft modpacks for Forge, NeoForge, Fabric, LegacyFabric, or Quilt.
Browse packaged releases for the Northstar community project for Titanfall 2.
paper-optimization
paper-chan.moe/paper-optimizationRead Paper Chan’s guide to optimizing Minecraft server settings and performance.
minecraft-optimization
github.com/YouHaveTrouble/minecraft-optimizationRead this repository’s Minecraft server optimization guide for performance tuning recommendations.
Alternatives to similar tools
What is the best alternative to Pufferfish?
Are there open-source alternatives to Pufferfish?
Alternatives are suggested from the purpose and features described in our listings. Different pages for the same product appear once. Read each description to check whether it fits your task. How we choose alternatives · Suggest an alternative
















