Best server.properties settings for Minecraft server performance

The biggest server.properties performance wins are lowering view-distance and simulation-distance. Change one setting at a time and measure the result so you know what helped.

Key settings

• view-distance: how far chunks are sent to players. Lower values reduce load and bandwidth.
• simulation-distance: how far from players the world is actively ticked. Lowering it reduces entity and block updates.
• max-players: set it to what your hardware can handle.
• network-compression-threshold: controls packet compression. Defaults are usually fine, so change only if you understand the tradeoff.
• entity-broadcast-range-percentage: exists in some versions and affects entity visibility. Check your version's wiki.

Steps

1. Stop the server.
2. Open server.properties.
3. Lower view-distance, for example from 10 toward 6 to 8, depending on your server.
4. Lower simulation-distance similarly.
5. Start and monitor TPS and player feedback.

Beyond server.properties

• Use Paper and its config files.
• Pregenerate the world.
• Limit mob farms.
• Use a profiler like spark.

Our server.properties explained and Paper config guides cover other options.

Common mistakes

• Setting view-distance too low for gameplay.
• Changing many settings at once.
• Ignoring plugin lag.
• Editing while the server runs.