PocketMC PocketMC
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Server Engines

PocketMC supports 7 server engines across Minecraft Java Edition and Bedrock Edition. It resolves official version manifests, checks checksums before launch, and provisions server JARs and native binaries automatically.

Vanilla (Official Mojang)

Vanilla runs unmodded Minecraft server JARs downloaded directly from Mojang CDN.

PocketMC queries Mojang's version manifest at launchermeta.mojang.com/mc/game/version_manifest_v2.json to index releases and snapshots from Minecraft 1.8.8 through the latest snapshot. When you select a version, PocketMC reads the version JSON, resolves the server download URL, and validates the downloaded file against Mojang's official SHA-1 hash.

  • Direct downloads from Mojang's CDN with SHA-1 validation.
  • Supports both stable releases and snapshot builds.
  • Selects the required Adoptium JRE version automatically based on game release requirements.

Paper

Paper is a Spigot-compatible server engine with asynchronous chunk loading and entity optimizations.

PocketMC queries PaperMC's API at api.papermc.io to retrieve available builds from Minecraft 1.8.8 to the latest release. It downloads the newest stable build (or your chosen build number) and validates it against PaperMC's SHA-256 checksum.

  • Compatible with Bukkit, Spigot, and Paper plugins.
  • In-app marketplace installation for Modrinth plugins.
  • One-click Geyser and Floodgate crossplay provisioning for Bedrock players.

Fabric

Fabric is a modular mod loader with low memory overhead and fast boot times.

PocketMC queries Fabric's metadata service at meta.fabricmc.net. It resolves the target game version (1.14 and higher), the latest stable Fabric Loader, and the official Fabric Installer to request a server JAR from v2/versions/loader/{game_version}/{loader_version}/{installer_version}/server/jar.

  • Low baseline RAM consumption and quick startup.
  • Searches Modrinth and CurseForge with Fabric loader filters.
  • Dependency detection for Fabric API and core runtime libraries.

Forge

Forge is the traditional mod loader for older and heavy community modpacks from Minecraft 1.8.8 through 1.20.1.

PocketMC reads Forge promotional metadata to find recommended and latest builds. It downloads the installer JAR from maven.minecraftforge.net and executes the headless installer (java -jar forge-installer.jar --installServer) inside the instance folder to generate the server JAR and unpack required libraries into libraries/.

  • Compatible with classic 1.12.2 and 1.16.5 modpacks.
  • Automated headless installer execution during instance creation.
  • Validates that the selected Java version matches Forge's loader constraints.

NeoForge

NeoForge is the community fork of Forge built for modern Minecraft versions (1.20.2 and newer).

PocketMC queries maven.neoforged.net to index builds for each supported release. It downloads the installer JAR and executes installation in the server folder to stage runtime dependencies.

  • Modding platform for modern Minecraft versions (1.20.2+).
  • Headless installation and dependency extraction.
  • Modrinth and CurseForge marketplace browsing filtered for NeoForge.

Bedrock Dedicated Server (BDS)

Mojang's official Windows Bedrock Dedicated Server allows native connections from Bedrock Edition clients on Windows, Android, iOS, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.

PocketMC indexes stable and preview release archives directly from Mojang CDN. It extracts the package into an isolated instance workspace without requiring a Java runtime.

  • Direct downloads of official Windows x64 BDS binaries.
  • Executes CheckNetIsolation.exe loopback exemption so Windows Bedrock clients on the host machine can connect to local servers.
  • Maintains a persistent pocketmc-bans.json sidecar file to track and enforce player bans across BDS restarts.

PocketMine-MP (PHP)

PocketMine-MP is a Bedrock server engine written in PHP.

PocketMC queries GitHub releases from pmmp/PocketMine-MP to download PocketMine-MP.phar. It provisions an app-local PHP 8.2 runtime from pmmp/PHP-Binaries into runtime/php8.2/, keeping your system PHP and environment variables untouched.

  • App-local PHP 8.2 runtime managed by PocketMC.
  • Plugin support via the Poggit repository.
  • Low resource usage suitable for lightweight Bedrock worlds.
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