How do Paper, Velocity, and Folia differ on PaperMC Docs?

Paper, Velocity, and Folia are three separate projects documented on docs.papermc.io, and they serve different roles in a Minecraft server setup. Paper is the server itself, Velocity is a proxy that sits in front of servers, and Folia is a Paper fork that changes how the server handles threading. If you are deciding which documentation to read, start with the role you need: running a server (Paper), routing players across multiple servers (Velocity), or running a Paper-based server with regionized multithreading (Folia).

The three projects at a glance

The PaperMC Docs homepage describes each project in its own section, and each links to its own documentation area on the site.

The key distinction is between a server and a proxy. Paper and Folia are both server implementations; Velocity is not a server and does not replace one. A typical network uses Velocity as the entry point and Paper (or another server) behind it.

Paper: the server implementation

Paper is described as a high-performance Minecraft server focused on fixing gameplay and mechanics inconsistencies. In practice, this is the project you look at when you want to run a single server that players join directly, or when you need the server-side documentation for configuration, plugin behavior, and server administration.

Choose the Paper docs when your task is about the server itself: setting up a server, tuning it, or understanding how the server handles gameplay mechanics.

Velocity: the proxy, not a server

Velocity is a proxy. It accepts player connections and forwards them to backend servers, which is what makes it useful for networks with more than one server. Because it is a proxy, reading the Velocity docs is the right move when your question is about routing players, running multiple backend servers behind one address, or proxy-side configuration.

A common point of confusion is treating Velocity as a Paper alternative. It is not: you still need a server such as Paper behind it. If your goal is a single standalone server, the Velocity docs are not the section you need.

Folia: a Paper fork with regionized multithreading

Folia is a fork of Paper that adds regionized multithreading to the dedicated server. That means it is still a Paper-based server, but its threading model differs from Paper's. The Folia docs are the place to look when you specifically want that regionized multithreading behavior and need to understand how it affects the server.

Because Folia is a fork rather than the mainline project, treat Paper and Folia documentation as separate: a question about standard Paper server behavior belongs in the Paper docs, while questions about Folia's threading model belong in the Folia section.

Other sections on the same site

The docs site also covers projects beyond these three, and knowing they exist helps you avoid reading the wrong section:

• Adventure — a Java library for server-controllable user interface elements in Minecraft: Java Edition.
• Waterfall — a discontinued BungeeCord proxy fork that aimed to improve performance and stability. Since it is discontinued, it is not the proxy to pick for a new setup.
• Miscellaneous — various other documentation and tools.

How to pick the right section

Use the role you are working on as the deciding factor:

1. Running or configuring the server players join → Paper docs.
2. Routing players across multiple servers → Velocity docs (and remember you still need backend servers).
3. Running a Paper-based server with regionized multithreading → Folia docs.
4. Building UI elements into a Minecraft: Java Edition plugin or server → Adventure docs.
5. Looking at an older BungeeCord-based proxy → Waterfall docs, keeping in mind it is discontinued.

If you are unsure, check the project description on the docs homepage first; each entry states the project's role in one sentence, which is usually enough to confirm whether you are in the right section before you start reading detailed pages.