Installing plugins on Paper follows the same core process as any Bukkit-based server, drop a jar in the plugins folder and restart, but a few Paper-specific details are worth knowing.
Paper runs Spigot plugins, plus more
Paper maintains full compatibility with plugins built for the Bukkit and Spigot APIs, so the enormous existing plugin ecosystem works without changes. On top of that, a growing number of plugins now target Paper-specific APIs directly for features Spigot has no equivalent for, these are usually labeled "Paper plugin" or specify a Paper-only API version on their page.
Step 1: Get the plugin from Hangar or Modrinth
Hangar is PaperMC's own official plugin repository and the most direct source for Paper and Paper-ecosystem (Folia, Velocity) plugins specifically. Modrinth and SpigotMC also host the vast majority of the same plugins.
Step 2: Check whether it needs paper-plugin.yml or plugin.yml
Most plugins still use the traditional plugin.yml format and work identically to how they always have. A newer generation of Paper-only plugins uses paper-plugin.yml instead, which unlocks some Paper-specific loading behavior, this is handled automatically by the plugin itself, you do not need to configure anything differently as the server owner either way.
Step 3: Drop the jar in and restart
Same as any Bukkit-based server: place the .jar in the plugins folder and restart. Paper's faster startup and async chunk loading do not change how plugins load, just how the rest of the server performs around them.
Step 4: Check Paper's own config for related settings
Some functionality plugins used to provide (basic anti-xray, for example) is now a native Paper setting in paper-global.yml or paper-world-defaults.yml, worth checking before installing a plugin for something Paper might already handle natively.
Common first-install issues
Plugin not appearing in /plugins: check the console for a loading error, usually a version mismatch or missing dependency named directly in the log. "Unsupported API version": the plugin was built for an older or newer Bukkit API than your Paper build supports, check the plugin's listed compatible versions.
A quick way to confirm your server's version
If you are troubleshooting a version-related plugin issue, a version checker confirms exactly what your running server reports, useful when a plugin's requirements are ambiguous.
Managing plugins easily
Tick Hosting's Paper installs come with a file manager for uploading and swapping plugin jars directly from the dashboard, on every plan including the free tier. Get started on Tick Hosting's plans page.