How to Fix Minecraft Server Lag: Complete 2026 Guide

Is your Minecraft server running slow? Players complaining about lag spikes? You're not alone. Server lag is one of the most common issues server admins face, but the good news is that most lag problems can be fixed with the right optimizations.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through exactly how to diagnose and fix Minecraft server lag, covering everything from simple tweaks to advanced optimization techniques.

Understanding Minecraft Server Lag

Before we dive into fixes, it's important to understand what's actually causing the lag. There are three main types of lag in Minecraft:

1. Server Lag (TPS Issues)

Symptoms: Mobs freeze, crops don't grow, furnaces stop smelting, delayed block placement Cause: Server can't keep up with game tick calculations (target is 20 TPS) Fix: Server-side optimization (this guide)

2. Network Lag (Latency)

Symptoms: Other players teleporting, delayed chat messages, rubber-banding Cause: Poor internet connection or distance from server Fix: Better hosting location, improved network infrastructure

3. Client Lag (FPS Issues)

Symptoms: Low frame rate, stuttering, choppy graphics Cause: Player's computer performance Fix: Client-side optimization (reduce render distance, install Optifine)

This guide focuses on fixing server lag (TPS issues) - the most common type of lag that affects all players simultaneously.

Check Your Current Server Performance

Before making any changes, you need to establish a baseline. Here's how to check if your server is actually lagging:

Monitor TPS (Ticks Per Second)

Minecraft servers should maintain 20 TPS (ticks per second) for optimal performance. Anything below 19 TPS is noticeable lag.

How to check TPS:

1. Spark Plugin (recommended)

   /spark tps
   

   Shows real-time TPS and memory usage

2. Paper/Spigot Built-in

   /tps
   

   Displays current TPS average

3. Timings Report (Paper servers)

   /timings on
   # Wait 5-10 minutes during peak usage
   /timings paste
   

   Generates detailed performance report with URL

What the numbers mean:

• 20 TPS: Perfect - no lag
• 19-20 TPS: Acceptable - minor lag
• 15-19 TPS: Noticeable lag - optimization needed
• Below 15 TPS: Severe lag - immediate action required

Identify What's Causing Lag

Run a Timings report (Paper) or Spark profiler to see exactly what's consuming server resources:

# For Paper/Spigot servers
/timings on
# Wait during peak hours
/timings paste

# For Spark (works on Paper, Spigot, Fabric, Forge)
/spark profiler start
# Wait 3-5 minutes
/spark profiler stop

Common culprits shown in reports:

• Entities: Too many mobs, items, or minecarts
• Tile Entities: Hoppers, furnaces, redstone contraptions
• Chunk Loading: Players exploring new areas
• Plugins: Poorly optimized or conflicting plugins
• World Generation: Generating new chunks on the fly

Quick Fixes (Apply These First)

These are the fastest, highest-impact optimizations you can make right now.

1. Pre-generate Your World

Impact: Massive TPS improvement Time: 30 minutes setup Difficulty: Easy

When players explore new areas, the server has to generate chunks on the fly - this is extremely resource-intensive and causes massive lag spikes.

Solution: Pre-generate chunks using Chunky plugin

# Install Chunky
# Download from https://hangar.papermc.io/pop4959/Chunky

# Set world border
/worldborder set 10000

# Start pre-generation
/chunky world world
/chunky radius 5000
/chunky start

# Monitor progress
/chunky progress

Recommended pre-gen radius:

• Small server (5-10 players): 3,000 blocks
• Medium server (10-30 players): 5,000 blocks
• Large server (30+ players): 10,000 blocks

Note: Pre-generation can take several hours for large areas. Run it during off-peak times.

2. Optimize server.properties

Edit your server.properties file with these lag-reducing settings:

# Reduce view distance (biggest impact on performance)
view-distance=6
simulation-distance=6

# Network optimization
network-compression-threshold=256

# Disable unnecessary features
spawn-animals=true
spawn-monsters=true
spawn-npcs=true

# Entity settings
entity-broadcast-range-percentage=100

View distance explained:

• Default: 10 chunks (extremely laggy)
• Recommended: 6-8 chunks (balanced)
• Low-end: 4-6 chunks (best performance)

Reducing view distance from 10 to 6 can improve TPS by 30-40%.

3. Install Paper/Purpur (If Using Vanilla/Spigot)

If you're running Vanilla or Spigot, switching to Paper or Purpur provides immediate performance improvements with zero gameplay changes.

Performance gains:

• 20-40% better TPS
• Built-in optimizations for entities, chunks, and redstone
• Extensive configuration options
• Full plugin compatibility (Paper) or Spigot/Paper compatibility (Purpur)

How to switch:

1. Download Paper from papermc.io
2. Stop your server
3. Replace server.jar with paper.jar
4. Start server
5. Configure paper-world-defaults.yml (see below)

No data loss - worlds, plugins, and configs are preserved.

Not sure which server type to use? Check our Paper vs Spigot vs Fabric vs Forge comparison.

4. Clear Unnecessary Entities

Excessive entities are a leading cause of lag. Here's how to clean them up:

# Kill all item drops
/kill @e[type=item]

# Kill all loose XP orbs
/kill @e[type=experience_orb]

# Kill all minecarts
/kill @e[type=minecart]

# Remove all boats
/kill @e[type=boat]

Automated cleanup: Install ClearLagg plugin for scheduled entity removal:

# ClearLagg config.yml
settings:
  auto-removal:
    enabled: true
    interval: 300 # Remove entities every 5 minutes

  broadcast-removal: true

  remove:
    items: true
    experience: true
    boats: false
    minecarts: true

Advanced Optimizations (Paper/Purpur Servers)

If you're running Paper or Purpur, these advanced configurations can further improve performance.

Configure paper-world-defaults.yml

Edit config/paper-world-defaults.yml:

entities:
  spawning:
    # Reduce entity spawn rates
    all-chunks-are-slime-chunks: false
    alt-item-despawn-rate:
      enabled: true
      items:
        cobblestone: 300 # Despawn in 15 seconds instead of 5 minutes
        netherrack: 300
        sand: 300
        dirt: 300
        gravel: 300

  behavior:
    # Optimize mob AI
    zombie-villager-infection-chance: 50.0
    disable-chest-cat-detection: true
    spawner-nerfed-mobs-should-jump: false

  mob-effects:
    # Reduce entity tracking range
    track-all-entities: false

chunks:
  # Optimize chunk loading
  auto-save-interval: 6000 # Save every 5 minutes (default: 6000)
  prevent-moving-into-unloaded-chunks: true

  # Reduce chunk load/unload frequency
  entity-per-chunk-save-limit:
    experience_orb: 16
    snowball: 16
    arrow: 16

# Hopper optimization (HUGE performance impact)
hopper:
  disable-move-event: false
  ignore-occluding-blocks: true

# Redstone optimization
tick-rates:
  sensor:
    villager:
      secondarypoisensor: 80 # Default: 40
  behavior:
    villager:
      validatenearbypoi: 120 # Default: 60

Optimize spigot.yml

Edit spigot.yml:

world-settings:
  default:
    # Mob spawn limits (reduce for better performance)
    mob-spawn-range: 6 # Default: 8

    # Entity activation ranges (reduce mob AI calculations when far from players)
    entity-activation-range:
      animals: 16 # Default: 32
      monsters: 24 # Default: 32
      raiders: 48
      misc: 8 # Default: 16
      water: 8 # Default: 16
      villagers: 16 # Default: 32
      flying-monsters: 32

    # Tick inactive entities less frequently
    entity-tracking-range:
      players: 48
      animals: 48
      monsters: 48
      misc: 32
      other: 64

    # Merge nearby entities
    merge-radius:
      item: 3.5
      exp: 4.0

    # Nerf spawner mobs (reduce AI calculations)
    nerf-spawner-mobs: true

Limit Redstone and Hoppers

Redstone contraptions and hoppers are extremely resource-intensive.

Install a limiter plugin:

• Insights: Limits tile entities (hoppers, furnaces) per chunk
• LimitPillagers: Prevents hopper lag exploits

# Insights config - limit hoppers per chunk
chunk-limits:
  tile-entities:
    hopper: 16 # Max 16 hoppers per chunk
    furnace: 10
    chest: 30

Optimize hoppers in paper-world-defaults.yml:

hopper:
  cooldown-when-full: true
  disable-move-event: false

Plugin Optimization

Plugins can be a major source of lag if not managed properly. If you're new to plugins, check our guide on the 10 best Minecraft server plugins.

Audit Your Plugins

Remove unnecessary plugins first. Each plugin adds overhead.

1. Test plugin impact:

   /spark profiler start
   # Wait 3-5 minutes during peak usage
   /spark profiler stop
   

2. Check Timings report for plugin performance

3. Remove or replace laggy plugins:

   • Heavy world management plugins
   • Excessive particle effect plugins
   • Poorly coded custom plugins

Replace Laggy Plugins

Keep Plugins Updated

Outdated plugins often have memory leaks or inefficient code. Always use the latest stable versions.

Hardware & Hosting Optimization

Sometimes, the issue isn't your configuration - it's your server resources.

Check Resource Usage

# Check RAM usage (Linux)
free -h

# Check CPU usage
top

# Check disk I/O
iostat -x 1

Signs you need better hardware:

• RAM usage consistently above 90%
• CPU usage consistently above 80%
• Disk I/O wait time above 10%

Allocate Proper RAM

Minimum RAM requirements:

• Vanilla (10 players): 2 GB
• Paper/Spigot (20 players): 4 GB
• Modded (10 players): 6-8 GB (see our best Minecraft mods guide)
• Heavy modpacks (10 players): 12-16 GB

Optimal JVM flags for Minecraft:

java -Xms4G -Xmx4G \
  -XX:+UseG1GC \
  -XX:+ParallelRefProcEnabled \
  -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=200 \
  -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions \
  -XX:+DisableExplicitGC \
  -XX:+AlwaysPreTouch \
  -XX:G1NewSizePercent=30 \
  -XX:G1MaxNewSizePercent=40 \
  -XX:G1HeapRegionSize=8M \
  -XX:G1ReservePercent=20 \
  -XX:G1HeapWastePercent=5 \
  -XX:G1MixedGCCountTarget=4 \
  -XX:InitiatingHeapOccupancyPercent=15 \
  -XX:G1MixedGCLiveThresholdPercent=90 \
  -XX:G1RSetUpdatingPauseTimePercent=5 \
  -XX:SurvivorRatio=32 \
  -XX:+PerfDisableSharedMem \
  -XX:MaxTenuringThreshold=1 \
  -Dusing.aikars.flags=https://mcflags.emc.gs \
  -Daikars.new.flags=true \
  -jar server.jar nogui

Set Xms and Xmx to the same value to prevent garbage collection lag spikes.

Upgrade to Better Hosting

If you've optimized everything and still have lag, it might be time to upgrade your hosting plan or switch providers.

What to look for in hosting:

• NVMe SSD storage (not HDD)
• Modern CPUs (AMD Ryzen 5000+ or Intel 12th gen+)
• DDoS protection
• Low-latency network
• Automatic backups

For managed hosting, check out ChunkPod.

Monitoring & Maintenance

Lag prevention is an ongoing process. Set up monitoring to catch issues early.

Essential Monitoring Tools

1. Spark - Real-time TPS and profiling

   /spark tps
   /spark profiler start
   

2. Plan - Player analytics and server health

   • Track TPS history
   • Monitor player count trends
   • Identify peak usage times

3. CoreProtect - Rollback lag-causing builds

   • Find who built lag machines
   • Rollback problematic contraptions

   /co inspect
   

Regular Maintenance Tasks

Daily:

• Check TPS during peak hours
• Monitor player count vs. performance

Weekly:

• Clear unused chunks with WorldBorder
• Remove old backups to free disk space
• Update plugins to latest versions

Monthly:

• Run full Timings/Spark report
• Audit and remove unused plugins
• Test server with increased player load

Common Lag Scenarios & Solutions

Scenario 1: "Server lags every 5 minutes"

Diagnosis: Auto-save lag spikes

Solution:

# paper-world-defaults.yml
chunks:
  auto-save-interval: 12000 # Save every 10 minutes instead of 5

Consider using incremental saves or scheduled restarts instead of frequent auto-saves.

Scenario 2: "TPS drops when players explore new areas"

Diagnosis: On-the-fly chunk generation

Solution:

• Pre-generate world with Chunky (see Quick Fixes above)
• Set world border
• Reduce view distance to 6

Scenario 3: "Lag started after installing a new plugin"

Diagnosis: Plugin conflict or inefficient plugin

Solution:

1. Remove the plugin
2. Run /spark profiler to confirm lag is gone
3. Find alternative plugin or contact developer

Scenario 4: "Only lags during entity/mob spawning events"

Diagnosis: Too many entities being spawned

Solution:

# spigot.yml
world-settings:
  default:
    mob-spawn-range: 4
    entity-activation-range:
      animals: 16
      monsters: 24

Install ClearLagg with aggressive entity removal.

Scenario 5: "Players report lag but TPS is 20"

Diagnosis: Network latency (not server lag)

Solution:

• Check server location vs. player locations
• Test internet speed/ping
• Consider hosting in better region
• Check for DDoS attacks

Troubleshooting Checklist

Still experiencing lag? Work through this checklist systematically:

• Confirmed TPS is below 20 (not client or network lag)
• Generated Timings/Spark report to identify cause
• Pre-generated world chunks with Chunky
• Reduced view distance to 6-8
• Switched to Paper or Purpur
• Cleared unnecessary entities (/kill @e[type=item])
• Optimized paper-world-defaults.yml and spigot.yml
• Removed or replaced laggy plugins
• Updated all plugins to latest versions
• Allocated sufficient RAM (4GB minimum for 20 players)
• Using optimized JVM flags (Aikar's flags)
• Set world border to prevent infinite exploration
• Limited hoppers and redstone contraptions per chunk
• Checked hardware resources (CPU, RAM, disk I/O)
• Tested with fewer players to isolate issue
• Considered upgrading hosting plan

Conclusion

Minecraft server lag is frustrating, but 95% of lag issues can be fixed with proper optimization. Start with the quick fixes:

1. Pre-generate your world with Chunky
2. Reduce view distance to 6-8
3. Switch to Paper or Purpur
4. Clear unnecessary entities

Then move on to advanced optimizations in paper-world-defaults.yml and spigot.yml for fine-tuning.

Remember: Lag prevention is ongoing maintenance. Monitor your server regularly, update plugins, and adjust settings as your player base grows.

Need Help?

If you've tried everything and still have lag issues:

• Share your Timings/Spark report on the PaperMC Discord
• Consider our managed hosting plans with pre-optimized configurations

Running a lag-free server matters. Players won't stay on a laggy server, no matter how great your community is. Invest the time to optimize now, and your players will thank you.

Related Guides:

• Paper vs Spigot vs Fabric vs Forge
• 10 Best Minecraft Server Plugins
• 10 Best Minecraft Mods