How to Reduce Lag on Your Minecraft Server

Understanding Server Lag

Server lag in Minecraft is typically measured by TPS (Ticks Per Second). A healthy server runs at 20 TPS. When TPS drops below 20, players experience lag, block lag, and other performance issues.

Warning: Severe lag can cause data corruption and player rollbacks. Always monitor your server's TPS and take action when it drops below 15.

Quick Wins (Immediate Impact)

1. Use Paper or Purpur Server Software

Switch from vanilla or Spigot to Paper or Purpur. These optimized server software versions can improve TPS by 20-50%.

2. Optimize JVM Arguments

Use optimized JVM arguments for better garbage collection and memory management:

-Xmx4G -Xms4G -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

3. Install Performance Plugins

Essential performance plugins include:

Chunky - Pre-generates chunks to reduce world generation lag
ClearLag - Automatically removes dropped items and entities
LagAssist - Monitors and optimizes server performance
Spark - Profiling tool to identify performance bottlenecks

Server Configuration Optimization

1. Optimize server.properties

Key settings to optimize in your server.properties file:

view-distance=6

simulation-distance=6

max-entities-per-chunk=16

max-world-size=29999984

spawn-protection=0

2. Configure Paper Settings

If using Paper, optimize the paper.yml configuration file for better performance.

3. Set Appropriate Memory Allocation

Allocate 1GB of RAM for every 10-15 players. Don't allocate more than 75% of your server's total RAM to Minecraft.

World and Entity Management

1. Limit Entity Spawning

Use plugins like MobFarmManager or MobArena to control entity spawning and prevent mob farms from causing lag.

2. Optimize Redstone Contraptions

Large redstone contraptions can cause significant lag. Use plugins like RedstoneOptimizer or limit redstone activity.

3. Manage World Size

Limit world border size and use world pre-generation to avoid chunk generation lag during gameplay.

Monitoring and Maintenance

1. Regular Server Restarts

Schedule regular restarts (every 6-12 hours) to clear memory leaks and reset entity counts.

2. Monitor TPS

Use commands like /tps or plugins like LagAssist to monitor your server's TPS in real-time.

3. Clean Up Regularly

Remove unused chunks, clear dropped items, and clean up abandoned builds that may be causing lag.

Advanced Optimization

1. Use Async Operations

Ensure plugins use async operations for database queries and file operations to prevent main thread blocking.

2. Optimize Database Queries

If using plugins with databases, ensure proper indexing and query optimization to prevent database lag.

3. Consider Server Upgrades

If optimization isn't enough, consider upgrading your server plan with more RAM and CPU resources.