Choosing an Implementation¶
Something that runs Sponge plugins is called an implementation. As long as a plugin is correctly made using the SpongeAPI, it should run correctly on any sufficiently-complete implementation.
Minecraft can’t run Sponge plugins out of the box, but you can modify it to do so.
SpongeAPI itself is an open standard.
Available Implementations¶
There are currently two implementations:
| Name | Based on |
|---|---|
| SpongeForge | Mojang’s “vanilla” Minecraft: Java Edition and Minecraft Forge |
| SpongeVanilla | Mojang’s “vanilla” Minecraft: Java Edition |
Which do I choose?¶
If you want to run MinecraftForge mods or you prefer to use Sponge in singleplayer, then choose SpongeForge.
If you only want to run a Minecraft server with plugins on it (but no mods), then you can choose SpongeForge or SpongeVanilla. SpongeForge supports vanilla clients, as long as you don’t install Forge mods which require client-side mods. If you prefer to run a server without Forge, then SpongeVanilla is your preferred option.
SpongeVanilla and SpongeForge (without mods) behave the same, so the decision between the two is a matter of preference, not a choice of functionality or features.
