{"id":22951,"date":"2026-07-07T20:59:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T20:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xgamingserver.com\/blog\/bungeecord-vs-velocity\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T20:59:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T20:59:30","slug":"bungeecord-vs-velocity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xgamingserver.com\/blog\/bungeecord-vs-velocity\/","title":{"rendered":"BungeeCord vs Velocity: Minecraft Proxy Servers Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Once a Minecraft community grows past a single world, you eventually want a “network” \u2014 a shared lobby, a survival server, a minigames server, and the ability to walk between them without disconnecting. That is what a proxy<\/strong> does. A proxy sits in front of multiple backend Minecraft servers and acts as a single entry point: players connect to one IP, and the proxy routes them to the correct backend server and lets them switch servers while keeping their session alive. The two proxies almost everyone chooses between today are BungeeCord<\/strong> and Velocity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both do the same core job, but they come from different projects, use different (non-interchangeable) plugin ecosystems, and \u2014 most importantly \u2014 handle backend security differently. This guide explains what each one is, the real trade-offs, and how to decide. If you have already read our Paper vs Spigot vs Bukkit<\/a> guide, think of proxies as the layer that sits above<\/em> those game servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quick answer:<\/strong> For a new network on Minecraft 1.13+, PaperMC recommends Velocity<\/strong> with its secure “modern” forwarding. BungeeCord<\/strong> remains a solid, mature choice \u2014 pick it when a required plugin only exists for BungeeCord, or when you must support pre-1.13 clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BungeeCord vs Velocity vs Waterfall at a glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Software<\/th>Type<\/th>Plugins<\/th>Performance & status<\/th>Best for<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
BungeeCord<\/strong><\/td>Original SpigotMC proxy (Layer 7)<\/td>BungeeCord API \u2014 largest, oldest proxy-plugin ecosystem<\/td>Mature, widely deployed, actively maintained by SpigotMC<\/td>Networks needing a BungeeCord-only plugin or pre-1.13 support<\/td><\/tr>
Velocity<\/strong><\/td>PaperMC’s modern proxy<\/td>Own ecosystem on Hangar \u2014 newer, not BungeeCord-compatible<\/td>Marketed as faster\/more stable; secure “modern” forwarding; actively developed<\/td>New 1.13+ networks wanting security & performance<\/td><\/tr>
Waterfall<\/strong><\/td>PaperMC’s BungeeCord fork<\/td>BungeeCord-compatible (was)<\/td>End of life<\/strong> \u2014 no longer maintained or supported<\/td>Nothing new \u2014 migrate to Velocity<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is a Minecraft proxy, exactly?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A proxy gives your whole network a single IP and a shared hub, and moves players between backend servers seamlessly. To make this work, the backend servers run in online-mode=false<\/code> (offline mode) so the proxy \u2014 not each server \u2014 handles Mojang authentication. That is the entire reason “player-information forwarding” matters: the proxy has to prove to each backend who the player really is. It also means backends must be firewalled so players cannot connect to them directly and bypass the proxy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two ecosystems live side by side here. Proxy plugins<\/strong> (BungeeCord plugins or Velocity plugins) handle cross-server logic like the network lobby and server switching. Backend plugins<\/strong> (Bukkit\/Spigot\/Paper) run on each individual game server and are unaffected by your proxy choice. Just as Forge and Fabric mods are not cross-compatible<\/a>, BungeeCord and Velocity proxy plugins are two distinct, non-interchangeable formats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BungeeCord: the original, and still everywhere<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

BungeeCord is SpigotMC’s proxy, described in its own repository as a Layer 7 proxy “designed to link Minecraft servers” that “efficiently proxies and maintains connections and transport between multiple Minecraft servers.” It is the original, long-standing Minecraft proxy and works with Spigot, Paper, Purpur<\/a> and other Bukkit-family backends. It is actively maintained by SpigotMC (repository copyright reads “(c) 2012-2026 SpigotMC Pty. Ltd.”) and tracks current Minecraft releases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n