ServerRoles review
A free, open-source role manager for Paper servers that need inheritance and temporary roles.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
ServerRoles is a self-hosted Minecraft permissions plugin for Paper and Purpur 1.21.11 servers running Java 21 or newer. It is aimed at administrators who need to create, edit, and delete roles, assign permission nodes, control prefixes and priorities, and manage player access in-game through the /role command. Its open-source, GPL-3.0 licensing and free plan suit server owners who want role management without a commercial subscription.
The permission model covers parent-role inheritance, per-role permission negation, temporary roles, and automatic expiry. Administrators can also configure automatic operator-status assignment, hex colors, prefixes, priorities, and chat formatting. Storage can be handled through YAML, SQLite, or MySQL, giving smaller servers and more database-oriented deployments different configuration paths. Temporary roles are particularly useful for time-limited access, while inherited permissions can reduce repeated role configuration.
ServerRoles also connects with PlaceholderAPI and TAB, and its developer API supports role and permission management for custom extensions. That makes it a focused choice for Paper-based servers that already use those tools or need programmatic control. The main boundary is platform scope: the published support is for Paper and Purpur 1.21.11, rather than a broad range of Minecraft server platforms. Choose ServerRoles if you want an open-source, self-hosted permissions system with inheritance, storage flexibility, formatting, and temporary roles. Consider another option if your server runs outside the supported platforms or uses an older Java environment.
ServerRoles pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Inherited and temporary roles with automatic expiry
- YAML, SQLite, and MySQL storage options
- PlaceholderAPI, TAB, and developer API integrations
- Where it doesn't
- Support is limited to Paper and Purpur 1.21.11
- Requires Java 21 or newer
- Self-hosted deployment requires server administration
ServerRoles fact sheet, pricing and score →
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