CheckHacks

Overview

CheckHacks is a free Minecraft server plugin for administrators who want to investigate client-side mods and hack clients without asking players to install a client mod. Its focused, server-side checks and browser-based management suit operators who can host and maintain a compatible server; its detection method can be blocked by client patches, so it is not a dependable sole layer of protection.

Key features

CheckHacks briefly places signs containing special translation keys and watches how a player’s client responds. That avoids a client-side install and targets client-side modifications, hack clients and abnormal or blocked responses. Coverage depends on the client response, however, and the maker warns that client patches can temporarily stop detection.

Administrators can select METEOR, TRANSLATE or KEYBIND detection modes for each mod, and add custom detections in checkhacks.yml. DoubleCheck repeats scans that return DETECTED or PROTECTED to help reduce false positives. These checks make results more useful to review, though they do not remove the underlying limitation of a response-based detection method.

CheckHacks can check players after Grim, Vulcan, Spartan or Matrix flags them, making it a possible follow-up check alongside those anticheats rather than a replacement for their flagging. It can issue custom commands and alerts for detections. Separate Discord webhooks for hack checks and language checks, plus a Components V2 option, give administrators ways to route notifications.

The web editor runs on the game server. Administrators can review scan history, look up players and start checks in a browser. Access uses one-time tokens generated with /cheditor, rather than a shared password. Scan history is stored in a built-in SQLite database, so it requires no separate database setup. Replay analysis is supported.

Pricing

CheckHacks costs nothing and is always free, with donations optional. There is no free trial because there is no paid plan to trial. The free plan includes the plugin’s checks and management features; no seat or scan quota is stated. The trade-off is not a usage cap but dependence on supported server software and a detection method that client patches can evade.

Platforms

CheckHacks is self-hosted, with a web editor served from the game server. It supports Paper, Spigot and Folia, and the Modrinth compatibility listing also names Bukkit and Purpur. The stated Minecraft version is 1.21+. Administrators need to operate a compatible server; this is not a hosted service that removes server upkeep.

Who it's for

CheckHacks is a good fit for administrators of compatible Minecraft servers who want no-client-install checks, a record of scans and browser-based access, especially if they already use Grim, Vulcan, Spartan or Matrix. Its MIT license and optional donations suit operators looking for a free plugin they can incorporate into their setup.

It is a poor fit as the only safeguard for a server that needs detection to remain effective against clients actively patched to block it. Administrators should also look elsewhere if they cannot run the supported self-hosted server environment.

Pros and cons

• Pros: No client mod is required, reducing friction for players.
• Pros: Per-mod detection modes, custom detections and repeat scans offer administrators control over checks and a way to revisit flagged results.
• Pros: Built-in SQLite scan history and token-based web-editor access provide useful management without separate database setup or a shared password.
• Cons: Client patches can temporarily block the detection method, limiting its reliability against clients that adapt.
• Cons: It requires a self-hosted server on supported software and Minecraft 1.21+.

Alternatives

For a wider comparison, browse Minecraft Anti-Cheat Plugins.

Choose GuardAC if you want a freemium option with a free trial and API as well as web platforms. Intave is another freemium, self-hosted and web option; its free plan covers movement and combat cheat detection but excludes combat automation, build automation and priority support.

SentinelAC is a free option for Linux, macOS and Windows. GK AntiCheat is a freemium self-hosted plugin whose maker is named as hackerG7 on SpigotMC. Nimbus AntiCheat is a free self-hosted choice for Paper 1.21.8, with Java 21 and PacketEvents required, for Java-edition players.

NoCheatPlus is a free Minecraft Bukkit/Spigot server plugin under GPL-3.0. ReducedX-Anti Cheat is another free self-hosted option. VoidAC is free and supports API and self-hosted platforms.

Verdict

Choose CheckHacks if you run a compatible Minecraft server and want free, server-side checks with scan history, custom detections and browser management without requiring a client install. Its central weakness is material: clients patched to block its response-based method can temporarily evade detection. Servers that need protection resilient to that limitation should not rely on CheckHacks alone.