My server is lagging (low TPS) — how do I improve performance? — Minecraft

Low TPS (ticks per second) is the classic sign of server-side lag, where everyone feels blocks break slowly and mobs stutter. It almost always means your server is being asked to process more chunks, entities, or heavy plugins and mods than your plan can comfortably handle. The good news is that most of it is fixable, often without upgrading.

Why servers lag

Minecraft is CPU-bound, so lag usually traces back to too much work per tick: sprawling loaded chunks, crowds of entities, or a demanding plugin or mod. Constant world generation from players exploring new terrain is another common cause.

How to improve performance

Work through these in order — the earlier fixes solve most cases:

Lower view-distance and simulation-distance in server.properties to reduce how many chunks the server ticks.
Pre-generate your world with the Chunky plugin so exploring doesn't cause generation stutter.
Remove or replace heavy plugins and mods.
Switch to Paper from the Versions tab — it's far better optimized than Vanilla.
If you're sitting near your RAM limit, consider upgrading. Supreme and Ultimate tiers run on Ryzen 7700 hardware for stronger single-thread speed.

Tip: Generate a spark or timings report and share it in a ticket — our team will help you pinpoint exactly what's eating your TPS.

Frequently asked questions

Will more RAM fix low TPS? Not usually. Low TPS is typically CPU-bound, so faster per-core hardware (a Ryzen tier) helps more than extra RAM unless you're actually running out of memory.

How do I know what's causing it? Run a spark report to see the biggest CPU consumers — a specific plugin, entity type, or chunk activity. Paste the link in a ticket and we'll read it with you.