Minecraft receives regular updates, and at some point almost every server owner needs to either update to a new version for the latest features, or roll back to an older one because a mod or plugin has not caught up yet. Changing versions is straightforward, but doing it safely means understanding a few compatibility rules first.
Back up first, always
Before changing versions in either direction, take a full backup of your world folder and server configuration. Version changes are one of the few operations that can genuinely corrupt or break a world if something goes wrong partway through, so this step is not optional. Most hosting panels offer a one-click backup; if you are self-hosting, just copy the entire server folder somewhere safe.
Updating to a newer version
- Download the server jar for the version you want (or, on Bedrock, the dedicated server package). MCVersions.net is a useful archive if you need an older release that is no longer on the front page of Minecraft's own site.
- Replace the old jar file with the new one, keeping the same folder and world data.
- Start the server. Minecraft will automatically upgrade your world's chunk format to the new version on first load. A version checker can confirm exactly which version a running server reports, useful for double-checking the upgrade actually took effect.
Newer Minecraft versions can load older worlds, but the reverse is not true, a world touched by a newer version cannot be safely opened again with an older server. This is exactly why the backup step matters: if the new version causes issues with your plugins or mods, you want an untouched copy of the old world to restore from.
Downgrading to an older version
Downgrading is riskier because, as noted above, a world already upgraded to a newer format generally cannot be opened by an older server without data loss or outright failure to load. If you know you might need to downgrade later, take a backup before ever updating in the first place, and restore that pre-update backup rather than trying to force an already-updated world backward.
Mods and plugins are version-specific
Both mods and plugins are typically built against a specific Minecraft version or range of versions. Before changing your server's version, check that your mod loader and each individual mod or plugin has a build available for the version you are switching to, otherwise they may fail to load or crash the server on startup.
Changing versions through a hosting panel
Manually swapping jar files and managing mod loader versions is where a lot of self-hosted setups go wrong. A hosting panel typically offers a version selector where you pick the exact release you want from a list, and it handles downloading the correct server files for you, with backups available beforehand at the click of a button. Tick Hosting's panel includes exactly this kind of version switcher on every plan, including the free tier, so updating (or rolling back) never means hunting down jar files by hand. Explore the options on Tick Hosting's plans page.