What server software should I use?

It is generally advised to go with Paper over Spigot, as it contains a lot of performance optimizations, exploit / bug fixes, is very easy to use (no BuildTools), and has a strong community maintaining it. Perhaps you’ve heard of a Paper fork such as Tuinity, or others. You should always have backups and keep in mind that you’re usually on your own for support unless the fork you’re using has its own support Discord.

Tuinity was a Paper fork with the main focus being server performance. While once a distinct project, the improvements within were merged into Paper as they were both stable and highly advantageous. All of the performance advantage that was once found in Tuinity is now available by default in Paper.

Using any other fork that claims to add performance or features is not recommended. While attractive because of certain patches, the patches marketed are usually questionable, possibly impacting server performance or stability and aren’t up to Paper’s code standards. Use these forks at your own risk - and always look for simple plugins that add the features you need rather than seeking server software with ‘everything’ integrated.

For a simple starter server, check out Syscraft’s starter-server project!