SHSelfHostIndex

SteamCMD Server vs Paper Note - PaperMC server alt Spigot

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted game servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
ST SteamCMD Server Generic SteamCMD-based dedicated game server containers VS PA Paper Note - PaperMC server alt Spigot High-performance Minecraft server software
FeatureSteamCMD ServerPaper Note - PaperMC server alt Spigot
CategoryGame ServersGame Servers
LicenseGPL-3.0GPL-3.0
LanguageShellJava
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM2,048 MB1,024 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker, bare-metal, binary
GitHub stars★ 181★ 12,564
First released20202014
Replacescommercial game server hostingVanilla Minecraft server

Why pick each one

Choose SteamCMD Server if…

  • Released under the GPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in Shell
SteamCMD Server details

Choose Paper Note - PaperMC server alt Spigot if…

  • Excellent performance
  • Massive plugin ecosystem
Paper Note - PaperMC server alt Spigot details

Frequently asked questions

Is SteamCMD Server or Paper Note - PaperMC server alt Spigot better?

Neither is universally better. Paper Note - PaperMC server alt Spigot has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are SteamCMD Server and Paper Note - PaperMC server alt Spigot free and open-source?

Yes. SteamCMD Server is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Paper Note - PaperMC server alt Spigot under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run SteamCMD Server and Paper Note - PaperMC server alt Spigot with Docker?

SteamCMD Server: yes. Paper Note - PaperMC server alt Spigot: yes.

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