Help! My server is lagging

Is your server lagging? Don’t panic. Most lag issues can be fixed with a few simple checks. Here’s a clear guide to the most common causes and what you can do about them.

Common Reasons for Lag

• Too many entities (mobs, items, armor stands, etc.) or too many players for the amount of RAM you have
• High latency because you (or your players) are far from the server location
• Too many worlds loaded at the same time without enough RAM
• Errors constantly spamming the console
• Too many plugins running on limited resources

RAM vs. Storage—Important Difference

Storage is where your server files live (plugins, worlds, configs, etc.). It rarely causes lag by itself.
RAM is the temporary working memory your server uses while it is running. When players join, mobs spawn, chunks load, or plugins do heavy work, they all consume RAM. If you run out, the server starts lagging or even crashing.

Modern Minecraft versions are much heavier than older ones. Running a 1.20+ server (especially with Paper, Purpur, plugins, or even light modpacks) on only 2 GB of RAM is almost always a bad idea. You will very likely experience lag, long startup times, or frequent crashes. We strongly recommend at least 4–6 GB for a small public server on recent versions, and more if you have many players or heavy plugins.

What to Check First

1. Entity & Performance Management (Avoid ClearLagg-style plugins)
Old “clear lag” plugins that periodically delete items and kill mobs are no longer recommended. They often cause more problems than they solve (flickering entities, broken farms, extra lag spikes, etc.).

Instead, use the built-in tools that come with Paper and Purpur:

• Lower view-distance and simulation-distance in server.properties or paper-global.yml
• Tune entity activation ranges and despawn settings in the Paper/Purpur config files
• Use the vanilla /kill @e[type=item] or similar commands when needed, or set up automatic item despawn timers

These built-in options are far more efficient and safer than third-party clear-lag plugins.

2. Check Your Ping (Latency Lag)
Sometimes the lag isn’t the server, it’s the connection between the player and the server.

To check your ping in Minecraft: add the server to your multiplayer list and hover over the signal bars on the right. You’ll see the current ping.

• Fast: under 100 ms
• Acceptable: 100–250 ms
• Noticeable lag: 250–500 ms
• Very laggy: over 500 ms

We currently offer these locations:

• New York (US)
• Dallas, Texas (US)
• Frankfurt, Germany (EU)
• Tuulsa, Finland (EU)

If your ping is high, contact us and we can move your server to a closer location.

3. Remove Unnecessary Plugins
Every plugin uses some RAM and CPU. Many servers accumulate plugins that are barely used. Go through your plugin list and remove anything you don’t actually need, this often gives an immediate improvement.

If you’ve tried the steps above and your server is still lagging, please open a support ticket. We’re happy to take a look at your server and help you find the remaining issues.