Minecraft Server Jar: Official Downloads for Vanilla, Paper, Fabric, Forge and NeoForge

A Minecraft server jar is the single Java file that is your server: run it with java -jar and it generates the world, reads server.properties and lets players in. Mojang publishes the vanilla one, and each alternative server (Paper, Purpur, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge) publishes its own through its own download service. This page lists the official download endpoint for each, shows how to check you got the real file, and explains what a GameServerKings server does with the jar so you usually don't have to download one at all.

Everything below was checked against the live endpoints on 27 September 2026, when the newest release was Minecraft 26.3 (released 15 September 2026).

Where Each Official Server Jar Comes From

Only download a server jar from the project that builds it. A server jar runs with full access to your machine, so a re-upload on a file-sharing site or a Discord attachment is a real risk, not a shortcut.

Which of these you should run is a separate question, covered in Minecraft Server Software Compared.

Vanilla: the jar straight from Mojang

The launcher and every hosting tool find the vanilla jar the same way: through Mojang's version manifest. The manifest lists every version, each version has its own JSON file, and that file holds the server download URL, its size and its SHA-1 hash:

curl -s https://piston-meta.mojang.com/mc/game/version_manifest_v2.json \
  | jq -r '.versions[] | select(.id=="26.3") | .url' \
  | xargs curl -s | jq '.downloads.server, .javaVersion'

For 26.3 that returns a URL on piston-data.mojang.com ending in /server.jar, a size of 62,294,556 bytes, a SHA-1 of 33680f5f2ac32864d6d7cf5e56a705fdb3e05f4c, and "majorVersion": 25. That last value is the Java version the jar needs.

Mojang's download page gives the start command as java -Xmx4G -Xms4G -jar minecraft_server.<version>.jar nogui, while the file behind the manifest URL is named server.jar. The name doesn't matter, as long as the command uses the name your file actually has.

Check the hash before you trust the file

shasum server.jar on macOS or Linux, or Get-FileHash server.jar -Algorithm SHA1 in PowerShell, should print exactly the sha1 from the version JSON. If it doesn't, the file is truncated or isn't Mojang's.

Snapshots and pre-releases sit in the same manifest with "type": "snapshot". The newest on 27 September was 26.4-snapshot-1. Running one safely is covered in How to Run a Minecraft Snapshot Server.

Paper and Purpur

Paper's Fill API lists builds per version. Each build carries a channel and a server:default download with a SHA-256 checksum:

curl -s -H "User-Agent: my-server-setup ([email protected])" \
  https://fill.papermc.io/v3/projects/paper/versions/26.2/builds \
  | jq -r '.[0:3][] | "\(.id)  \(.channel)  \(.downloads."server:default".url)"'

The channel is worth checking. On 27 September, all 48 Paper builds for 26.3 were marked ALPHA, while 26.2 had 43 STABLE builds. A brand-new Minecraft version usually spends a while in alpha on Paper, so if stability matters more than being first, run the previous version until a stable build appears. PaperMC's documentation says every request must send a User-Agent that identifies you and isn't generic, as in the example.

Purpur's API is simpler: https://api.purpurmc.org/v2/purpur/26.3/latest/download returns the newest build for 26.3 (build 2642 on the day we checked).

Fabric

Fabric Meta builds a server launcher to order from three numbers: the Minecraft version, the Fabric Loader version and the installer version:

https://meta.fabricmc.net/v2/versions/loader/26.3/0.19.5/1.1.2/server/jar

That downloads fabric-server-mc.26.3-loader.0.19.5-launcher.1.1.2.jar. It's tiny because it isn't the game. On first start it downloads Mojang's own server jar into a .fabric folder and loads it with Fabric. The first boot takes longer, and .fabric/ isn't clutter. Fabric Mods on a Server covers the rest.

Forge and NeoForge: there is no single server jar

This is why people searching for a "Forge server jar" come up empty. Modern Forge and NeoForge ship an installer. You run java -jar <installer>.jar --installServer and it builds a libraries/ folder plus a launch script. The server then starts from an arguments file (unix_args.txt on Linux) rather than from one jar.

• Forge: promotions_slim.json on files.minecraftforge.net names the recommended and latest build for each Minecraft version. For 26.3 there was a latest (66.0.6) but no recommended build yet.
• NeoForge: the Maven's maven-metadata.xml lists every build. NeoForge version numbers drop the leading 1. of older Minecraft versions: Minecraft 1.21.1 is NeoForge 21.1.x, and Minecraft 26.3 is 26.3.0.x. Every 26.3 build was still tagged -beta on the day we checked.

Modpacks normally bring their own server files, so for a pack, follow How to Make a Modded Minecraft Server rather than fetching Forge yourself.

Spigot

Spigot has no official server jar download. SpigotMC publishes BuildTools (from hub.spigotmc.org/jenkins/job/BuildTools/), and you compile the server yourself with java -jar BuildTools.jar --rev 26.3. A ready-made spigot-26.3.jar on a download site didn't come from SpigotMC.

How a GameServerKings Server Gets Its Jar

You don't need to download anything to run one of the frameworks above on GSK. The Minecraft (Java) server's installer fetches the jar from the same official endpoints listed in the table. You pick what you want on the Startup tab:

After changing any of these, run Reinstall Server from the Settings tab. The installer then works like this:

1. It removes the previous framework's files: the jar named in Server Jar File, unix_args.txt, Forge/NeoForge libraries and .fabric/. Your worlds, server.properties, plugins/ and mods/ are kept.
2. It downloads the matching jar: the vanilla jar from Mojang's manifest, the newest stable Paper build (falling back to the newest build of any channel if a version has no stable build yet), the newest Purpur build, a Fabric launcher using the newest stable loader, or it runs the Forge/NeoForge installer. Spigot is compiled with BuildTools, which takes 5 to 10 minutes.
3. For Forge and NeoForge it copies unix_args.txt into the server root. The start command checks for that file first and launches from it instead of -jar server.jar.
4. It prints the Java version Mojang lists for your Minecraft version, for example Minecraft 26.3 expects Java 25. Match the Docker Image on the Startup tab to it. Java 8, 11, 16, 17, 21, 22 and 25 are available.

"latest" is today's latest, at install time

latest is resolved when the installer runs, not every time the server starts. The server stays on that version until you reinstall. With Framework PAPER and Minecraft Version latest, an install on 27 September resolves to 26.3, where every Paper build is still alpha, so you get an alpha build. Put 26.2 in Minecraft Version if you want a stable Paper build today.

NeoForge 1.21.1 on the current installer

NeoForge builds for Minecraft 1.21.1 are numbered 21.1.x, and builds for 1.21.10 and 1.21.11 are 21.10.x and 21.11.x. If you set Minecraft Version to 1.21.1 with NEOFORGE, check the install log for the NeoForge version it picked. If it starts with 21.11, you got a 1.21.11 build. Open a ticket and we'll install the correct 1.21.1 build. Modpack server files, which bring their own NeoForge version, aren't affected.

Running a jar the installer doesn't offer

If you want a jar that isn't in the Framework list (a Paper fork, a specific old build, something you compiled), upload it to the server root and set Server Jar File to its exact filename. A reinstall deletes the file that variable names, so keep a copy. The full procedure, and what will and won't run that way, is in How to Run a Custom Server JAR.

When the Jar Won't Start

Anything after the first few lines is a crash rather than a jar problem. Reading Minecraft Server Logs and Crash Reports covers those.

FAQ

Is the Minecraft server jar free?
Yes. Mojang's server download is free. Mojang's download page says that downloading it means you agree to the Minecraft End User License Agreement, which is what eula.txt records.

Can I use a server jar for Bedrock?
No. Bedrock Dedicated Server isn't a Java jar and Bedrock players can't join a Java server directly. See Setting up your Bedrock Minecraft server, or cross-play with Geyser.

Where do old versions come from?
The same places. Mojang's manifest still lists every release back to 1.0 (2011), and Paper's API goes back to 1.7.10. On GSK, put the version in Minecraft Version and reinstall. Moving a world down a version is not supported, so take a backup first. Updating Your Minecraft Server covers the details.

How much RAM does the jar need?
Mojang's example command uses 4 GB. On GSK the heap is sized from your plan automatically; Minecraft Server RAM and JVM Flags explains how.

What to Read Next

• Minecraft Server Software Compared: which framework to choose
• How to Run a Custom Server JAR: jars the installer doesn't offer
• Updating Your Minecraft Server: versions, Java 25 and safe upgrades
• Fabric Mods on a Server: the Fabric launcher in detail
• How to Make a Modded Minecraft Server: Forge, NeoForge and modpack server files

Made with 💜 by GameServerKings