How to Install Paper Plugins on Your Free Minecraft Server

Installing plugins is the main reason most people choose Paper over Vanilla. Here's how to do it on your free FreeMCServers.org Paper server.

Step 1: Find a plugin

The two main sources of Paper plugins are:

• Hangar — official Paper plugin marketplace
• SpigotMC Resources — the largest plugin library
• Modrinth — modern plugin marketplace with auto-updates

Download the plugin's .jar file. Make sure it supports the Minecraft version your server is running.

Step 2: Upload to your server

1. Open your FreeMCServers.org dashboard and click your server
2. Go to the Files tab
3. Navigate into the plugins folder
4. Drag the .jar file into the file manager (or click "Upload")

Step 3: Restart the server

Plugins are loaded at server startup, so you need to restart for changes to take effect. From the dashboard, click Restart.

Step 4: Verify the plugin loaded

In the server console, you should see lines like:

[INFO] [EssentialsX] Loading EssentialsX v2.20.0
[INFO] [EssentialsX] Enabled EssentialsX v2.20.0

Or run /plugins in the console to see a list of all loaded plugins.

Step 5: Configure

Most plugins generate a config.yml on first load inside plugins/PluginName/. Edit it via the dashboard file manager and restart the server to apply changes.

Common gotchas

• Wrong Minecraft version — a 1.20 plugin won't work on a 1.16 server. Always check the supported versions.
• Missing dependencies — some plugins require Vault, ProtocolLib, or other base plugins. Read the description.
• Conflicting plugins — two plugins handling the same feature (e.g. two economy plugins) will conflict. Pick one.
• Old plugin not maintained — plugins that haven't updated in 3+ years may not work on modern Paper.

Next: pick the right plugins

Now that you know how to install them, see our list of best Paper plugins for free Minecraft servers to get started.