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Waterfall is the best default for a new BungeeCord-family network. PaperMC positions it as a BungeeCord fork built around stability, added features and scalability, and documents it as a drop-in replacement. Choose FlameCord instead when built-in antibot and exploit controls are the deciding requirement. Use BungeeCord when preserving a legacy deployment and its compatibility baseline matters more than newer protections.
The proxy choice is only one part of a reliable network. Java version, backend isolation, forwarding settings, plugin placement and firewall rules determine whether the network is secure and maintainable.
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What a Minecraft proxy does
A BungeeCord-family proxy sits in front of multiple Minecraft servers. Players connect to the proxy, which then moves them between backend servers without requiring a new public connection for every game mode. The proxy therefore becomes the network’s public entry point, connection router and security boundary.
That architecture creates two practical consequences. First, a proxy must remain compatible with the backend software and plugins that handle gameplay. Second, backend servers must not be treated like ordinary public Minecraft servers: they run in a special authentication arrangement and need network-level protection.
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BungeeCord is the original project in this comparison. Waterfall and FlameCord are forks in the same family, so administrators can evaluate them using familiar configuration and migration concepts rather than treating them as unrelated proxy technologies.
Comparison at a glance
| Proxy | Lineage | Best fit | Security and operations profile | Evidence strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BungeeCord | Original proxy implementation | Legacy compatibility and a simple baseline | Requires deliberate hardening because backend servers operate with authentication disabled behind the proxy | Official project repository |
| Waterfall | BungeeCord fork | General-purpose networks that want stability, features and scalability | Drop-in BungeeCord replacement; retains the family’s backend-isolation requirements | Official PaperMC documentation |
| FlameCord | Waterfall/BungeeCord fork | Public networks where antibot and exploit mitigation are priorities | Adds documented rate limiting, filtering and other antibot controls; requires its own configuration file | Project and vendor materials |
No independent, reproducible head-to-head benchmark establishes one of these proxies as universally fastest. Hardware, Minecraft version, player load, plugins, connection patterns and configuration can change the result.
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What it offers
BungeeCord is the original implementation against which the other two projects are commonly compared. Its main advantage is predictability for an existing installation: documentation, configuration conventions and plugins built specifically for the BungeeCord ecosystem are most likely to have been written with it in mind.
That does not automatically make it the best new deployment. The repository warning about backend authentication is central to the decision. For BungeeCord to work, backend servers run with online-mode=false. In that state, the backend does not independently authenticate a player with Mojang or Microsoft services. The proxy must therefore be trusted to perform the correct forwarding, and the backend must be unreachable by players who can bypass the proxy.
When retaining it makes sense
- You have a stable legacy network whose proxy plugins and configuration are already validated on BungeeCord.
- A migration would introduce compatibility risk without solving a current operational problem.
- Your team wants the original baseline for troubleshooting or for reproducing an older deployment.
Retaining BungeeCord is a defensible choice only when the surrounding controls are strong. Publicly exposing backend ports, accepting untrusted forwarding data or copying a proxy configuration without checking its authentication and firewall assumptions can let an attacker impersonate players or reach game servers directly.
Waterfall: the general-purpose choice
How PaperMC positions it
PaperMC describes Waterfall as a BungeeCord fork whose goals are stability, additional features and scalability. It is documented as a drop-in replacement, which means an existing BungeeCord-family deployment can generally move to the Waterfall JAR without redesigning its network topology or rewriting every setting.
“Drop-in” does not mean that testing is unnecessary. A proxy upgrade can expose assumptions in plugins, forwarding, reconnect behavior or server names. Treat the migration as a controlled replacement: preserve the current configuration, test on a copy or maintenance window, and keep the previous proxy available for rollback.
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Java requirements
Waterfall requires Java 8 or newer. PaperMC recommends Java 11 or higher, so Java 11+ is the sensible target for a new installation unless another part of the environment imposes a tested constraint. Check the Java runtime actually used by the service rather than relying on the version installed for an administrator’s shell.
A runtime mismatch can look like a proxy defect when it is really a launch problem. Verify the service’s Java executable, confirm that the selected version starts the proxy, and test connection, server switching and shutdown behavior before opening the network to players.
Who should select it
Waterfall suits networks that need a modern BungeeCord-family baseline but do not have a specific requirement for FlameCord’s additional antibot controls. It is the balanced option when stability, feature coverage and scaling expectations matter more than specialized filtering.
FlameCord: when antibot controls drive the decision
What it adds
FlameCord’s README presents it as a Waterfall/BungeeCord fork that adds exploit fixes, antibot features and performance improvements. Its official site lists controls for rate limiting, account and country filtering, nickname blocking, password-attempt limits, reconnect controls, proxy and VPN detection and iptables integration.
These features address a different problem from ordinary proxy compatibility. A public network may be technically stable yet still be overwhelmed by automated joins, repeated reconnects or credential-guessing attempts. Having filtering and throttling functions in the proxy can reduce the number of unwanted connections that reach backend servers.
Installation and configuration
FlameCord is installed by placing its JAR in the server folder and configuring flamecord.yml. The exact policy values should reflect the network’s player behavior and support process: an aggressive reconnect limit can also block legitimate players with unstable connections, while broad country or nickname filters can create false positives.
Enable one control at a time where possible, observe connection logs and player reports, then adjust thresholds. Keep a documented rollback path so an over-restrictive rule can be disabled without taking the whole network offline.
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What its claims do and do not prove
FlameCord materials claim reduced processing, lower memory use and faster networking, and the README says it removes unused features and disables exception logs. Those are project claims, not results from a neutral benchmark. They should be treated as reasons to test FlameCord in your own workload, not as proof that it will outperform Waterfall or BungeeCord for every network.
Choosing by network situation
Starting a new general-purpose network
Use Waterfall as the starting point when you need a conventional proxy connecting several backend servers and have no specialized antibot requirement. Its documented fork relationship and drop-in compatibility reduce migration friction later, while the PaperMC recommendation of Java 11+ gives the deployment a clear runtime target.
Operating a heavily exposed public network
Choose FlameCord when automated traffic, exploit attempts or repeated reconnects are already a serious operational concern. Its documented controls give administrators more filtering options at the proxy layer. You still need firewall isolation and sensible forwarding; antibot features do not make an openly reachable backend safe.
Maintaining an older production stack
Keep BungeeCord when compatibility with an established plugin set is the overriding requirement and the network is already hardened. Before changing proxies, inventory every proxy plugin, listener, server definition and forwarding setting. A migration that fixes no current problem may create avoidable downtime.
Trying to optimize raw throughput
Do not choose solely from marketing claims about speed. Run a controlled comparison using the same Java runtime, proxy settings, backend software, plugins, hardware and connection workload. Record connection latency, switching time, CPU, memory, rejected connections and error rates. Without those controls, “fastest” is not a meaningful universal label.
Migration from BungeeCord to Waterfall
Waterfall is documented as a drop-in replacement, but a careful migration still follows a sequence that protects players and gives you a rollback option.
- Inventory the current network. Record the proxy version, Java runtime, listener address, backend names, plugin list, forwarding settings and firewall rules. Note any custom behavior supplied by proxy plugins.
- Back up the working deployment. Copy the proxy JAR, configuration files, plugin files and startup service definition. Keep the backup outside the directory that will be replaced.
- Prepare the recommended runtime. Confirm that Java 11 or newer is available for Waterfall and that the service, not just an interactive shell, will use it.
- Replace the proxy JAR in a maintenance window. Use the Waterfall release appropriate to the network’s Minecraft and plugin compatibility requirements. Preserve configuration rather than rebuilding it from memory.
- Start with the existing settings and inspect logs. Resolve startup warnings, plugin load failures and forwarding errors before allowing public connections.
- Test every player path. Join through the public listener, switch between each backend, reconnect after a server restart and verify that permissions, chat and proxy commands still behave as expected.
- Monitor before declaring success. Watch CPU, memory, connection failures and player reports. If the replacement fails, stop it and restore the backed-up JAR and configuration.
FlameCord migration follows the same family-level planning but adds a separate configuration task: install its JAR and review flamecord.yml before enabling antibot policies.
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Security: treat the proxy as a boundary
Why online-mode=false matters
The BungeeCord repository explicitly warns that backend servers must run with online-mode=false behind the proxy. This setting is required for the architecture but removes the backend’s independent authentication step. Anyone who can connect directly to a backend may attempt to impersonate a player or bypass proxy controls.
Minimum isolation measures
- Allow player traffic to reach the public proxy listener, not backend game ports.
- Restrict backend ports with host or network firewalls so only the proxy and required administration paths can connect.
- Use forwarding secrets and verify that every backend expects the same trusted forwarding arrangement as the proxy.
- Keep proxy and backend machines on a private network segment where practical.
- Review firewall rules after adding a new game mode, changing hosts or restoring a server from backup.
These measures apply to BungeeCord, Waterfall and FlameCord because they share the same family architecture. FlameCord’s antibot controls complement isolation; they do not replace it.
Plugin placement and protocol compatibility
Proxy plugins and backend plugins are not interchangeable. A plugin designed for the proxy must run in the proxy’s plugin directory, while gameplay plugins belong on the Spigot, Paper or Purpur backend that provides the relevant API.
FlameCord’s compatibility guidance specifically places ViaVersion on backend Spigot, Paper or Purpur servers rather than on the proxy. Follow that separation when allowing clients from different protocol versions. Installing a backend protocol plugin on the proxy can produce startup errors or simply fail to provide the translation players need.
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FlameCord’s published materials describe lower processing and memory use and faster networking, but no neutral test in the available evidence declares a winner. The absence of a benchmark is important: a result measured on one CPU, Java build, Minecraft version and player load cannot be generalized to every network.
A practical comparison plan
- Use identical hardware or equivalent virtual-machine allocations for each proxy.
- Run the same Java major version, backend versions, proxy plugins and configuration wherever the software permits.
- Generate the same connection pattern, including ordinary joins, server switches and reconnects.
- Measure CPU utilization, heap usage, connection acceptance and rejection, switch latency and error logs.
- Repeat the run at more than one player load and during the kind of reconnect burst that concerns your network.
- Record the exact versions and settings with every result so a future update can be compared fairly.
Use the results to identify a bottleneck in your deployment rather than to publish a universal ranking. If the limiting factor is backend tick time, database latency or network capacity, changing proxies may have little effect.
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Troubleshooting common decisions and failures
Waterfall will not start after replacement
Check the Java runtime used by the service first. Waterfall accepts Java 8+, while Java 11+ is the PaperMC recommendation. Then inspect the startup log for a plugin incompatibility or malformed inherited configuration. Restore the previous BungeeCord files if the maintenance window is ending, and investigate on a test instance.
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Verify the backend address and port, firewall rules, forwarding settings and the backend’s expected authentication mode. A proxy can be healthy while a private backend is blocked by an over-restrictive rule or rejects the forwarding data.
Players are kicked during reconnect bursts
On FlameCord, review reconnect and rate-limit policies before loosening every control. Determine whether legitimate clients are being classified as automated traffic, then adjust the narrow rule responsible. On any proxy, also check backend capacity and network saturation; a proxy setting cannot compensate for an overloaded game server.
Protocol-version players cannot connect
Confirm that ViaVersion is installed on the backend Spigot, Paper or Purpur server as FlameCord’s guidance specifies. Check that the backend plugin supports the Minecraft versions you intend to accept and review its log for an unsupported translation path.
A migration appears faster but feels less stable
Separate throughput from reliability. Compare error logs, failed joins, server-switch failures and memory behavior over a representative period. A short test with fewer errors can be more valuable than a lower instantaneous CPU reading.
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- Select Waterfall when you want the strongest all-around default for a new BungeeCord-family network and value documented stability, features, scalability and drop-in migration.
- Select FlameCord when antibot filtering, exploit mitigation and connection controls are central to protecting a publicly exposed network, and you are prepared to tune
flamecord.yml. - Stay with BungeeCord when a legacy plugin and configuration baseline is working and migration offers no clear operational benefit.
Whichever proxy you run, validate the Java runtime, separate proxy and backend responsibilities, keep backend ports private, use trusted forwarding and test changes before exposing them to players. Those operational decisions have more influence on security and uptime than a proxy label by itself.
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