Staff+

Staff+ is a Minecraft moderation plugin for operators running Paper-family servers, with a Velocity edition for network-wide enforcement. It is best for teams that want shared punishments, migration support, and staff oversight in one free, self-hosted setup. Choose it for the split server-and-proxy toolkit; look elsewhere if your needs are outside Minecraft moderation.

Overview

Separate Paper and Velocity JARs can share a database, configuration format, and migration system. Both editions cover bans, IP bans, mutes, warnings, punishment history, and staff rollback, making the plugin useful across a network rather than only on an individual server. Operators can store punishment data in SQLite or MySQL-compatible MySQL and MariaDB.

Configurable staff weights stop lower-ranked moderators from overriding or removing punishments set by senior staff or console. That is a meaningful safeguard for teams with delegated authority. Both editions collect anonymous bStats usage metrics, which administrators can disable in bStats configuration.

Key features

Proxy-wide enforcement

Velocity checks bans and IP bans before login reaches a backend and filters chat from muted players across connected servers. This is the strongest reason to deploy both editions: moderation follows players across the network. A Paper-only installation still gets core punishment tools, but not this proxy-level enforcement.

Paper staff utilities

The Paper edition adds vanish, live inventory inspection, spectator follow, flight toggles, and gamemode shortcuts. These tools suit staff who need in-game oversight alongside punishment controls. Folia support includes regional-safe scheduling and asynchronous teleports, which makes the Paper edition a fit for operators using that server platform.

Migration and integrations

The importer accepts data from Vanilla Minecraft, Essentials and EssentialsX, LiteBans, AdvancedBan, MaxBans, BanManager, and BungeeAdminTools. That breadth can reduce friction when replacing an existing moderation setup. Discord webhook moderation logs and a Modrinth update notifier add useful operational connections without changing the plugin's core role.

Pricing

Staff+ costs free under the MIT License. The free plan covers Paper, Purpur, and Folia 1.20–1.21+, plus Velocity 3.3.0+; it includes the moderation and staff tools described above. There is no paid tier in this plan structure, so the tradeoff is platform scope: it is a Minecraft server plugin, not a general-purpose moderation system.

Building the project requires Java 21 or higher and Gradle or its included wrapper. The MIT License permits use under its terms, while the opt-out bStats setting gives operators control over anonymous usage metrics.

Platforms

Staff+ is self-hosted and runs as separate Paper-family and Velocity JARs. Its published plan covers Paper, Purpur, and Folia versions 1.20–1.21+ and Velocity 3.3.0+. The shared database design is useful for network operators, but the separate editions require choosing and deploying the components appropriate to the server setup.

Who it's for

Staff+ is suited to Minecraft networks that need a common punishment record, proxy-level enforcement, staff hierarchy controls, or a path to import from one of its supported moderation plugins. Paper operators also get direct staff utilities. A small server that needs only a narrow report workflow may prefer a more specialized plugin.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Shared punishment data across Paper and Velocity helps keep network moderation consistent.
• Pros: The importer supports seven established sources, easing migration for operators moving from those systems.
• Pros: Staff weights protect senior and console punishments from lower-ranked staff overrides.
• Cons: Network-wide login and muted-chat enforcement depends on deploying the Velocity edition.
• Cons: The project build requires Java 21 or higher, a consideration for developers maintaining or compiling it.
• Cons: Anonymous bStats collection is enabled unless operators disable it in configuration.

Alternatives

For a narrower moderation tool, ModGUI is another free, self-hosted MIT-licensed option for Paper 1.21.11 or newer. LibertyBans is a free alternative for readers seeking supported Minecraft server platforms, with Java 17 as its stated requirement.

Nimbus AntiCheat is the better match when the priority is anti-cheat: its free plan includes 43 checks, per-check punishments, player reports, staff inspection tools, and Discord webhook notifications. For a reports-focused workflow, ReportsGUI offers a free plugin with up to 54 unhandled reports on major Minecraft version 1.17.

Player Report is another free server plugin centered on player reports, with native/tested major version 1.21. ExtraBan is a free Paper-or-fork option for version 26.2+ and Java 25+. BanManager is a free, open-source alternative available across API, Linux, self-hosted, and web platforms. PunishBAN is another free self-hosted option.

Browse Minecraft Moderation Plugins for more options in this category, or HR Software for workplace staff-management tools rather than Minecraft moderation.

Verdict

Choose Staff+ if you operate a modern Minecraft network and want one self-hosted moderation setup spanning Paper tools and Velocity enforcement, with migration support and staff hierarchy controls at no software cost. Its clearest limitation is that proxy-wide enforcement requires the Velocity edition; teams seeking a focused report or anti-cheat tool should compare the specialized alternatives instead.