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For most new Minecraft networks, choose Waterfall. PaperMC documents it as a BungeeCord fork built around stability, additional features, and scalability, and describes it as a drop-in replacement for BungeeCord. Choose FlameCord instead when built-in antibot and exploit controls are your primary requirement. Keep BungeeCord when legacy compatibility and the original baseline matter more than newer protections.
The proxy is only one part of the decision. All three belong to the BungeeCord family, so backend authentication, firewall isolation, forwarding configuration, Java runtime, plugin placement, and operational testing determine whether a network is actually secure and reliable.
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For the backend servers behind a Java proxy, Godlike.Host offers Minecraft Java hosting with a Pterodactyl-based game panel, SFTP access, and a personal firewall; see Minecraft Java server hosting.
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A BungeeCord-family proxy sits in front of multiple Minecraft servers. Players connect to the proxy, and it routes them between lobby, survival, minigame, or other backend servers without requiring a separate public connection for each backend. The proxy therefore becomes the network’s public entry point and a security boundary.
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That architecture has an important consequence: backend servers must run with online-mode=false for BungeeCord to work, according to the BungeeCord repository. Without isolation, an attacker could bypass the proxy and connect directly to a backend while it is not performing its own authentication. Backend ports should therefore be private or firewall-restricted, and forwarding secrets and related settings must be configured consistently.
BungeeCord is the original implementation. Waterfall and FlameCord are forks intended to preserve BungeeCord-family compatibility while adding different priorities. The practical question is not which name sounds fastest; it is which project’s goals match your network and which deployment you can harden and maintain correctly.
Quick comparison
| Axis | BungeeCord | Waterfall | FlameCord |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lineage | Original proxy implementation | BungeeCord fork | Waterfall/BungeeCord fork |
| Best fit | Legacy compatibility and a simple baseline | General-purpose networks needing stability, features, and scale | Public networks prioritizing antibot and exploit mitigation |
| Migration | Existing baseline | Documented drop-in BungeeCord replacement | BungeeCord-family deployment with FlameCord configuration |
| Security posture | Requires hardening; the repository notes the risk created by online-mode=false |
Retains BungeeCord-family deployment concerns | Adds documented antibot and exploit-mitigation features |
| Evidence for performance | No neutral head-to-head result established | No neutral head-to-head result established | Project claims reduced processing, memory use, and faster networking; no independent head-to-head benchmark established |
Waterfall: the strongest default for a new network
Why it is the default
PaperMC describes Waterfall as a BungeeCord fork focused on three areas: stability, features, and scalability. It is also documented as a drop-in BungeeCord replacement, so a network already using BungeeCord can generally carry its existing configuration across without redesigning the whole topology.
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Java requirements
Waterfall requires Java 8 or newer, while PaperMC recommends Java 11 or higher. In practice, use a supported Java 11-or-newer runtime unless another component in your network imposes a documented compatibility constraint. Confirm the Java version used by the service, not just the version installed on the machine; panels and service managers can point to a different executable.
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What “drop-in replacement” does and does not mean
Drop-in compatibility means the proxy protocol and normal BungeeCord configuration model are intended to remain compatible. It does not eliminate the need to check startup arguments, plugin versions, permissions, forwarding settings, firewall rules, or operational scripts. A proxy swap can start successfully while a plugin, listener, or backend connection remains misconfigured.
FlameCord: when antibot controls are the deciding factor
Built-in protections
FlameCord’s README presents it as a Waterfall/BungeeCord fork that adds exploit fixes, antibot features, and performance improvements. Its official site lists controls including rate limiting, account and country filtering, nickname blocking, password-attempt controls, reconnect controls, proxy and VPN detection, and iptables integration.
Those controls target a public network’s abuse surface rather than merely moving players between servers. They can be valuable when repeated joins, automated account activity, reconnect floods, or known exploit patterns are already creating operational work. The benefit is having policy controls close to the public connection point instead of assembling every defense from separate plugins and firewall rules.
Installation and configuration
- Stop the proxy service and make a complete backup of the current proxy files and configuration.
- Place the FlameCord JAR in the proxy’s server folder, following the project’s distribution instructions.
- Start it once so the required files are created, then stop it before editing.
- Configure
flamecord.yml, enabling only the filters and limits that match your traffic and account policies. - Start the proxy and test normal joins, reconnects, server switching, staff access, and your monitoring or restart process.
FlameCord’s compatibility guidance places ViaVersion on backend Spigot, Paper, or Purpur servers rather than on the proxy. Treat that placement as part of the compatibility plan: install version-translation components where the guidance specifies, then test every supported client version through the complete network.
What FlameCord does not prove
Its feature list does not establish that every network will see lower latency or higher capacity. The published performance language is a project claim. The available evidence does not include a reproducible, independent comparison using declared hardware, Minecraft version, player load, and methodology. Select FlameCord for its documented controls first; measure performance in your own environment rather than assuming the fork is universally faster.
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BungeeCord: the compatibility baseline
When it still makes sense
BungeeCord remains the reference implementation for this family. It is the sensible choice when an older network, panel, plugin set, or internal procedure is tested specifically against the original project and changing the proxy would introduce more uncertainty than value.
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The trade-off
Choosing BungeeCord means accepting fewer built-in antibot controls than FlameCord advertises and fewer stated stability, feature, and scalability goals than Waterfall emphasizes. If you do not need those additions and compatibility is your overriding requirement, that trade-off can be reasonable. If you are starting from zero, the migration advantage of Waterfall usually outweighs the reason to begin with the older baseline.
Which proxy should you choose?
Choose Waterfall when
- You are building a new general-purpose network.
- You want a BungeeCord-compatible architecture with an explicit focus on stability, features, and scalability.
- You want the least disruptive path away from an existing BungeeCord deployment.
- You do not have a specific requirement for FlameCord’s antibot and exploit filters.
Choose FlameCord when
- Your proxy is exposed to the public internet and automated abuse is a central concern.
- You need built-in rate limiting, account or country filtering, nickname blocking, reconnect controls, password-attempt controls, proxy/VPN detection, or iptables integration.
- You are willing to review and maintain an additional configuration file,
flamecord.yml, and validate each protection against legitimate players.
Choose BungeeCord when
- An existing legacy network depends on the original implementation.
- Your plugins, control panel, or operating procedures have been validated against BungeeCord specifically.
- You want the original baseline and will provide the isolation and abuse controls it does not supply as a package.
How to migrate a BungeeCord network to Waterfall
- Inventory the current deployment. Record the proxy JAR, Java executable, startup command, listeners, backend addresses, forwarding settings, installed plugins, permissions, firewall rules, and service-manager behavior.
- Back up before changing binaries. Preserve the proxy JAR, all configuration files, plugin data, logs, and the service definition. A rollback is only useful if the previous runtime and files are available.
- Prepare the runtime. Use Java 11 or newer where possible, even though Waterfall supports Java 8 or newer. Verify the actual runtime used by the service.
- Swap the proxy binary. Stop the service, place the Waterfall JAR in the proxy folder, and update the startup command to launch it. Keep the existing BungeeCord-family configuration available rather than rebuilding it from memory.
- Start in a controlled window. Read the startup log for plugin-loading errors, bind failures, backend connection errors, and forwarding warnings. A clean process start is not sufficient if the backends cannot be reached.
- Test the player path. Verify login, lobby entry, server switching, disconnect and reconnect behavior, permissions, chat or tab features supplied by plugins, and any staff-only routes.
- Test failure handling. Stop one backend deliberately and confirm the proxy reports the failure as expected. Check that monitoring, automatic restarts, and alerts still operate.
- Roll back if necessary. Stop Waterfall, restore the previous JAR and backed-up files, and restart using the original service command. Investigate one incompatibility at a time before attempting another cutover.
Because Waterfall is documented as a drop-in replacement, most migrations should not require a new network design. The qualification is operational: compatibility of the proxy core does not guarantee compatibility of every third-party plugin or deployment script.
Security: treat the proxy as a boundary
Why backend isolation is mandatory
The BungeeCord repository states that backend servers must run with authentication disabled through online-mode=false. That setting is an architectural requirement for this proxy model, not a recommendation to expose unauthenticated servers. If a backend is reachable directly from the internet, a client may bypass the proxy’s authentication and forwarding path.
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Hardening checklist
- Allow backend ports only from the proxy host or the specific private network that carries proxy traffic.
- Block direct public access to backend services with host or network firewalls.
- Use forwarding secrets and matching forwarding configuration so backends do not trust arbitrary connections.
- Keep management interfaces, panel ports, and administrative services off the public listener.
- Test from outside the network to confirm that a backend cannot be joined directly.
- Review logs for unexpected source addresses, repeated joins, reconnect bursts, and forwarding failures.
These controls apply whether the proxy is BungeeCord, Waterfall, or FlameCord. FlameCord’s additional antibot features can reduce abusive traffic at the proxy, but they do not replace private backend networking or correct forwarding.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Performance: do not choose by an unverified “fastest” claim
FlameCord’s published materials claim reduced processing, lower memory use, and faster networking, and its README says it removes unused features and disables exception logs. Those are claims made by the project. No independent, reproducible head-to-head benchmark was established for this comparison with declared hardware, Minecraft version, player count, connection pattern, and measurement method.
That means there is no evidence-based universal ranking that makes one proxy the fastest for every network. Proxy overhead is only one part of the player experience; backend tick performance, network distance, connection quality, plugin work, Java runtime, and abuse traffic can dominate the result.
A useful way to measure your own network
- Record the proxy version, Java version, hardware, Minecraft version, backend software, and plugin list.
- Measure under the same number of concurrent players and the same join, switch, and reconnect pattern.
- Run the comparison with equivalent firewall and forwarding settings.
- Separate normal traffic from bot or reconnect floods; otherwise an antibot feature is being measured as a capacity test.
- Compare connection success, switch time, CPU, memory, error rate, and recovery behavior rather than a single headline number.
Common deployment mistakes and fixes
Players can connect to a backend directly
Cause: the backend listener is publicly reachable even though it runs with online-mode=false.
Fix: restrict backend ports to the proxy’s address, remove public DNS or exposed panel routes, and test from an external connection.
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The proxy starts but cannot connect to a server
Cause: an incorrect backend address, closed firewall port, service binding problem, or mismatched forwarding settings.
Fix: check the startup and proxy logs, verify reachability from the proxy host, and compare the backend and proxy forwarding configuration character by character.
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Players are kicked after switching servers
Cause: a backend is stopping, a plugin is incompatible, or the proxy and backend disagree about forwarding or supported protocol behavior.
Fix: test each backend individually, inspect both proxy and backend logs for the same timestamp, and confirm version-translation components are installed on the backend where the compatibility guidance places them.
Legitimate players trigger antibot controls
Cause: rate, reconnect, country, account, nickname, or proxy/VPN rules are stricter than the network’s real traffic pattern.
Fix: change one policy at a time, document the reason, test normal players from affected regions and networks, and keep a recovery path for staff accounts.
A Java upgrade breaks the service
Cause: the panel or service manager still points to an older or different Java executable, or a plugin has its own runtime assumption.
Fix: print or inspect the Java version from the same startup path used in production, then validate the proxy and plugins in a staging instance before changing the live service.
Decision checklist
- New network, no special threat requirement: start with Waterfall and Java 11 or newer.
- Public network facing automated abuse: evaluate FlameCord’s documented filters, then tune them against legitimate traffic.
- Legacy network with strict compatibility requirements: keep BungeeCord unless a controlled Waterfall migration passes plugin and operational tests.
- Any choice: isolate backends, secure forwarding, verify the actual Java runtime, and test direct-backend access before inviting players.
No proxy label substitutes for those controls. The best deployment is the one that matches the network’s threat model and that the operator can monitor, update, and recover safely.
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