Pufferfish Minecraft Server Software (1.21.8, 1.20.1) – High-Performance Fork of PaperMC

Pufferfish Minecraft Server Software (1.21.8, 1.20.1) is a powerful and optimized server fork built on top of PaperMC, which itself is a fork of Spigot and CraftBukkit. Designed for large-scale or plugin-heavy Minecraft servers, Pufferfish is tailored for stability and raw performance. It includes a wide array of asynchronous and low-level optimizations that allow server administrators to handle dozens or even hundreds of players smoothly without sacrificing plugin support or gameplay fidelity.

With full compatibility for existing Paper plugins and additional enhancements under the hood, Pufferfish stands out as an ideal solution for enterprise-level Minecraft hosting or ambitious survival/minigame communities looking to push performance boundaries.

Features:

Async Entity Tracking:
Tracks entities like players, mobs, and items on a separate thread to reduce main thread load and improve server tick rates.
Async Pathfinding:
Accelerates mob pathfinding using multithreaded logic, drastically reducing lag caused by AI processing.
Entity Performance Optimization:
Minimizes unnecessary tasks and logic run by entities, freeing up system resources.
Faster Map Rendering:
Up to 8x faster rendering for plugins like ImageOnMap, reducing visual lag or spike issues when using maps.
Sentry Integration:
Built-in support for Sentry allows for detailed crash/error reporting, helping developers and admins debug faster.
Full PaperMC Compatibility:
Seamless support for all Paper plugins—no need to reconfigure or replace your plugin stack.

Requires:

Minecraft 1.5 to Minecraft 1.11: Java 8+

Minecraft 1.12 to Minecraft 1.16: Java 11+

Minecraft 1.16.5: Java 16+

Minecraft 1.17.1 to Latest: Java 21+

.NET Framework

What Is Pufferfish+?

Pufferfish+ is a premium extension of the base Pufferfish software, offering advanced optimizations like even more efficient async entity tracking and smarter pathfinding logic. On well-tuned hardware, Pufferfish+ can offer up to 30–40% better performance than standard Pufferfish, making it ideal for:

Massive multiplayer servers
High TPS-demanding minigame networks
Heavily modded environments
Competitive PvP or faction setups

Why Use Pufferfish?

If you’re running a Minecraft server with many players, demanding plugins, or complex mechanics, Pufferfish provides the performance lift needed without sacrificing compatibility. It’s fully plug-and-play with PaperMC setups, has a low learning curve, and helps eliminate TPS drops during peak usage. With optional Pufferfish+ upgrades, it’s also suited for commercial-grade hosting environments where uptime and efficiency matter most.