How to Switch a Minecraft Server from Paper to Fabric

Q: Will claims and homes carry over?

No. Plugin data stays in the plugins folder and is not read by Fabric mods, so set claims up again.

To switch a Minecraft server from Paper to Fabric, back up, install the Fabric server for the same Minecraft version, put Fabric API and your mods in mods/, and keep world/, server.properties, ops.json and whitelist.json. Plugins in plugins/ stop working, so replace each one with a Fabric mod. On a world older than 26.1, move world_nether/DIM-1 and world_the_end/DIM1 back into world/ first, or Fabric generates a fresh Nether and End.

What you can change on an existing world vs what needs a new world

Thing	Carries over to Fabric?
The world: terrain, builds, chests	Yes
Player inventories, ender chests, advancements	Yes, from `world/playerdata` and `world/advancements`
Ops, whitelist, bans, `server.properties`	Yes, same files
Data packs	Yes, Fabric runs data packs like vanilla
Plugins (`.jar` files in `plugins/`)	No. Fabric does not load Bukkit or Paper plugins
Plugin data: claims, homes, economy balances, logs	No. Fabric mods use their own storage, so this data does not convert
Paper settings in `paper-global.yml` and `spigot.yml`	No. Fabric is vanilla behaviour plus whatever your mods change
A world opened in a newer version	No. Keep the Minecraft version identical

The honest no is plugin data. A claims plugin's claims, an economy plugin's balances and a block logger's history stay behind in plugins/. Tell your players before the switch, especially about claims.

What goes where

File or folder	On Paper	On Fabric
Overworld	`world/`	`world/` (unchanged)
Nether before 26.1	`world_nether/DIM-1/`	`world/DIM-1/`
End before 26.1	`world_the_end/DIM1/`	`world/DIM1/`
Every dimension on 26.1 and newer	`world/dimensions/minecraft/`	Same place, nothing to move
Add-ons	`plugins/*.jar`	`mods/*.jar`
Add-on configs	`plugins/<Plugin>/`	`config/`
Server jar	Paper jar	Fabric server launcher jar

Minecraft 26.1 moved every dimension into world/dimensions/minecraft/, and Paper 26.1 adopted the same layout (PaperMC, 26.1), so a world already on 26.1 or newer needs no folder moves.

A Minecraft world moving from a plugin server to a modded Fabric server

Step 1: Back up first

Stop the server with stop and copy the whole folder, including plugins/. Even if you never go back to Paper, plugin configs are a useful reference when you set up the Fabric replacements.

Step 2: Note the version and list your plugins

Write down the exact Minecraft version, for example 26.2. Then list every plugin in plugins/ and what it does for your players. That list becomes your shopping list for Fabric mods.

Step 3: Move the Nether and End back (worlds before 26.1)

Paper stores the Nether and End outside world/ on older versions. Fabric, like vanilla, only reads them from inside world/. With the server stopped:

Move world_nether/DIM-1 to world/DIM-1.
Move world_the_end/DIM1 to world/DIM1.
Leave the now empty world_nether and world_the_end folders, or delete them once you have checked everything.

Skip this step on 26.1 and newer.

Step 4: Install Fabric

Run the Fabric installer for your Minecraft version and loader, or download the Fabric server launcher jar from fabricmc.net. Use the same Java as before: Java 25 for 26.x.

Step 5: Add Fabric API and your mods

Put Fabric API in mods/, then the Fabric version of each mod for your exact Minecraft version. Most server side Fabric mods do not need to be installed on players' clients. Check each mod page: if any mod says it is required on both sides, every player needs Fabric with that mod too. Our Fabric mods guide covers this in detail.

Step 6: Start and check

Start the server, read the console for mods that fail to load, then join and visit the Nether and End to confirm they are your old ones.

Fabric replacements for common plugins

Plugin on Paper	Fabric mod to look at
LuckPerms	LuckPerms (Fabric version)
WorldEdit	WorldEdit (Fabric version)
Chunky	Chunky (Fabric version)
CoreProtect	Ledger
GriefPrevention or Lands	Open Parties and Claims
EssentialsX	Essential Commands
BlueMap or Dynmap	BlueMap (Fabric version)
Geyser and Floodgate	Geyser and Floodgate for Fabric
Simple Voice Chat	Simple Voice Chat (Fabric version)
Paper's performance	Lithium, plus spark to find lag

Several big plugins have official Fabric builds, so a lot of the switch is downloading the other version. Settings files do not carry over, so redo permissions and ranks by hand.

The gotcha: a Nether that resets itself

The most common report after switching from Paper on an older world is "our Nether base is gone". Nothing is deleted: Fabric did not find a Nether inside world/, so it generated a new one, and the old one is still sitting in world_nether/DIM-1. If players have already built in the new Nether, decide which one to keep before you move folders, because moving the old one back replaces the new one.

The second trap is the reverse of what people expect from Paper. Fabric behaves like vanilla, so TNT dupers and bedrock breakers that Paper blocked start working again, and Spigot's entity activation range is gone, so farms tick at full speed and CPU use can rise.

Common problems

Nether or End is brand new: the DIM-1 and DIM1 folders were not moved back into world/ on a world older than 26.1.
Players kicked with "missing mods" or "incompatible": a mod that must be on both sides is on the server only. Remove it or have players install it.
Server crashes on start: a mod is for another Minecraft version or needs Fabric API. Read the crash report in crash-reports/.
Claims gone, everyone can break everything: plugin claims do not carry over. Set up the new claims mod before you open the server.
Lag that Paper never had: add Lithium and check with spark. Paper's built in optimisations are not part of Fabric.

Switching on GamezServers

On a Minecraft server from GamezServers, go to Settings, then Server type, and pick Fabric. We back up your world first, then reinstall the server as Fabric for your Minecraft version. Files stay on disk, so your world and plugins/ folder are still there to copy configs from. Move the dimension folders in the file manager if your world is older than 26.1, then add mods to mods/.

FAQ

Will my world work on Fabric after Paper?

Yes. Fabric loads the same world. On versions before 26.1, move the Nether and End folders back into world/ first.

Do Paper plugins work on Fabric?

No. Fabric loads mods, not plugins. Many popular plugins have a Fabric version or a Fabric mod that does the same job.

Do players need Fabric to join?

Only if a mod on the server must also be on the client. A server with only server side mods accepts normal vanilla clients.

Will claims and homes carry over?

No. Plugin data stays in the plugins folder and is not read by Fabric mods, so set claims up again.