Spigot Minecraft server hosting needs about 8 GB of RAM for ten players with a few plugins, and all three hosts we compare offer Spigot as server software. Spigot is the classic plugin server that Paper grew out of. Here is when it still makes sense and how to run it.
Prices checked on 7 October 2026 on the hosts' own order pages. All prices include VAT.
The short answer
A Spigot server needs about 7 GB of RAM for ten players with a few plugins, so an 8 GB plan. Spigot runs every Bukkit plugin, but Paper runs the same plugins faster, so most servers choose Paper.
Compare Spigot server hosting plans
A Spigot server for ten players with a few plugins needs about 7 GB, so the table shows the best 8 GB plan at each host, and because Spigot leans harder on the processor than Paper, the CPU column matters as much as the price. The best Minecraft server plan at each host for 6 to 10 players with a few plugins on Java in Poland (Warsaw), starting with the lowest price.
The best Minecraft server plan at each host for 6 to 10 players on Java in Poland (Warsaw)
On the Performance lines the large price is what a new customer pays a month at the start: for the first 3 months at Astroworld Hosting and the first payment at Lodehost. The regular monthly price comes after it, and the last price in each row is the monthly price on the host's longest term.
Compare the same billing term and location before you order.
Every price is taken from the host's own order page. How we compare
What does a Spigot server need?
A Spigot server needs 3 things: plugins built for Spigot or Bukkit, about 8 GB of RAM for ten players and a fast processor core.
Bukkit and Spigot plugins
Spigot runs the plugins on SpigotMC. Plugins written only for Paper need Paper.
8 GB for ten players
The same rule as Paper: 2 GB plus 1 GB for every two players.
A fast core
Spigot does less than Paper to make ticks cheaper, so the processor matters more.
Paper runs almost every Spigot plugin faster, so choose Spigot only when a plugin or a rule of your server demands it.
What is a Spigot Minecraft server?
A Spigot Minecraft server runs Spigot, a version of the Minecraft Java server with the Bukkit plugin system and its own performance settings in spigot.yml. For years it was the standard for plugin servers, and SpigotMC is still one of the biggest places to find plugins. Paper started as a fork of Spigot, and Purpur as a fork of Paper, so all three run the same Bukkit plugins.
Spigot vs Paper
Paper is the better choice for almost every server, and Spigot makes sense only when a plugin or an exact game mechanic needs it. Paper runs nearly every Spigot plugin, makes chunks, entities and redstone cheaper and fixes bugs that Spigot keeps. Some technical players stay on Spigot because Paper changes a few mechanics, such as TNT duplication, although Paper can switch most of them back on. Our page on Paper Minecraft server hosting compares Paper, Purpur and Spigot side by side.
Spigot BuildTools and hosted servers
Spigot BuildTools is how you build Spigot yourself: SpigotMC does not offer the server jar as a download, so you run BuildTools, which compiles the server for the Minecraft version you pick, for example with java -jar BuildTools.jar --rev 1.21.1. On a hosted plan you skip that step, because Astroworld Hosting, Lodehost and Cheapest Minecraft Hosting offer Spigot as server software in the panel. You choose Spigot and the version, and the host installs the jar.
How to make a Spigot server
To make a Spigot server on a hosted plan, take these four steps:
Order a plan with enough RAM: about 8 GB for ten players with a few plugins.
Choose Spigot as the server software and pick the Minecraft version your plugins support.
Add plugins from SpigotMC to the plugins folder, or install them from the panel, and restart.
Set permissions and the whitelist before you share the address.
How much RAM does a Spigot server need?
A Spigot server needs about 5 GB for five players, 7 GB for ten and 12 GB for twenty with a few plugins, by the same rule we use for Paper. Spigot does less to make ticks cheaper, so a busy Spigot server runs into the limits of its processor sooner than into those of its RAM.
Best Spigot server hosting plans
The best Spigot server hosting for ten players with a few plugins is an 8 GB plan:
€15.95 (€13.95 on 24 mo) New customers: €6.38 a month for the first 3 months, 60% off
Before you buy a Spigot server
Before you buy a Spigot server, make sure of 3 things: every plugin you need loads on Spigot, each one has a build for your Minecraft version and the panel installs Spigot, so you skip BuildTools.
1
Check your plugins
A plugin made for Paper may not load on Spigot, while one made for Spigot almost always loads on Paper.
2
Let the panel build it
On a hosted plan you pick Spigot in the panel instead of compiling it with BuildTools.
3
Match the version
Download each plugin in the build for your Minecraft version.
Questions about Spigot server hosting
Is Spigot or Paper better?
For most servers Paper, because it runs the same plugins faster. Spigot is worth it when one plugin only works there, or when you want game mechanics exactly as Spigot leaves them.
Where do I download Spigot?
SpigotMC offers BuildTools rather than a ready jar: you run it and it builds Spigot for the version you choose. On a hosted plan you pick Spigot in the panel and the host installs it.
Do Spigot plugins work on Paper?
Almost all of them. Paper is built on Spigot and keeps its plugin system, so you can move a Spigot server to Paper and keep your plugins.
How much does a Spigot server cost?
An 8 GB Spigot server for ten players costs €6.40 a month at Cheapest Minecraft Hosting and €12.95 on the standard line at Lodehost.
Is Spigot free?
Yes, Spigot is free. You pay for the server it runs on, and all three hosts we compare offer Spigot in their panel.
Which plugins work on a Spigot server?
Plugins written for the Bukkit or Spigot API, which covers most of what SpigotMC lists under Resources. Plugins made only for Paper do not load on Spigot, so check which server software the plugin page lists before you install one.
Does Spigot support Minecraft 26.3?
Yes. BuildTools builds Spigot for 26.1, 26.1.1, 26.1.2, 26.2 and 26.3, and those builds need Java 25 or newer. Spigot for 1.21.11 still runs on Java 21. On a hosted plan you pick the version in the panel instead of running BuildTools.
How do I update a Spigot server?
Back up the world, check that every plugin has a build for the new Minecraft version, then pick the new version for Spigot in the panel and restart. On your own computer you run BuildTools again with --rev and the new version, for example --rev 26.3, and replace the old jar with the new one.
What are the system requirements for a Spigot server?
Java 25 for Minecraft 26.1 and newer, or Java 21 for 1.20.5 to 1.21.11, plus about 2 GB of RAM and 1 GB more for every two players with a few plugins. Give it a fast processor core as well, because Spigot does less than Paper to keep each tick cheap.
How do players join a Spigot server?
With the normal Minecraft Java Edition: Multiplayer, Add Server and the server address. Players need no mods, but their game version has to match the server's unless you add a plugin such as ViaVersion. Bedrock players can join once Geyser runs on the server.
How do I make a start.bat for a Spigot server?
Make a text file next to the jar with java -Xms7G -Xmx7G -jar spigot.jar nogui on the first line and pause on the second, then save it as start.bat. Change spigot.jar to the name of your jar and 7G to the memory you want; 7 GB fits ten players with a few plugins. On a hosted plan the panel starts the server, so you do not need one.
