Every Minecraft version from 1.8 to 26.3

1.17 to 26.3: modern API

Compiled against the Paper API. Java 16 for 1.17, Java 17 for 1.18 to 1.20.4, Java 21 for 1.20.5 to 1.21.x and Java 25 for the 26.x versions.

1.13 to 1.16: flattened API

Modern material names such as OAK_LOG and GRASS_BLOCK, with api-version in plugin.yml. Java 8 is enough for compiling.

1.8 to 1.12: legacy API

Before the 1.13 "flattening". Items use the old names with data values, and plugin.yml has no api-version. Newer helpers such as action bar messages and some boss bar features do not exist, so the AI uses simpler alternatives.

How to choose a version

Pick the version your server runs, not the newest one. A plugin has to match the Bukkit API of your server, and the version you choose decides which API the code is written against, which Java level it is compiled for and which items and blocks it may use. If you are unsure, start the server, type /version in the console and read the Minecraft version it prints.

• You run a recent production server: 1.21.x is the safest choice, with the widest plugin support and Java 21.
• You want the newest release: the 26.x lines work, but they need Java 25 and many public plugins are still catching up.
• You keep an older world alive: 1.16.5, 1.12.2 or 1.8.8 are the classic long-lived targets, each with its own item names and limits.
• You run PvP or minigames: many communities stay on 1.8 for its combat, and the generator writes plugins for it with the simpler API that exists there.

Why one build covers a whole line

Minecraft publishes many small patch versions inside a line, such as 1.20.1, 1.20.2, 1.20.3 and 1.20.4. The Bukkit API that plugins use stays the same through those patches, so a plugin compiled for 1.20.4 loads on all of them. Between lines the API can change: items get new names, methods are removed and Java requirements rise. That is why the table has one row per line and each row names the versions it covers.

The rows are also grouped by era. Before 1.13 the game used numeric data values for colors and variants, so wool, stained glass and similar blocks are written differently. From 1.13 on every item has its own name. From 1.17 the server needs a newer Java, and from 1.20.5 items store their data as components. The generator knows these differences and writes the code for the era you pick.

Java by Minecraft version

If your server shows an error about a class file version, the plugin needs a newer Java than the server runs. Our Java guide explains how to read it.

Version questions