Best Minecraft Anticheat Plugin Comparison for 2025: Free & Premium Options

Picking the right Minecraft anticheat plugin is crucial for your server's health. As an admin, you're constantly walking a tightrope: you need to block cheaters without accidentally kicking legitimate players. This guide will help you navigate the top cheat-prevention tools, comparing them on performance, compatibility, and price so you can find the best fit for your community.

Which Minecraft Anticheat Plugin Offers the Best Performance?

Grim Anticheat stands out for its low server impact, thanks to a fully asynchronous, multithreaded design. It’s a free, open-source tool that supports Java versions 1.8–1.21 and can handle hundreds of players online at once with minimal lag.

For a lighter touch, MineGuard uses a modular, highly configurable system that’s perfect for versions 1.17.1–1.21.7. Its small resource footprint makes it a great choice for smaller communities or servers with limited hardware.

Themis is another option that's easy on your server, with the major bonus of supporting Bedrock/Geyser. It protects Java players (1.17–1.21) and cross-platform users without slowing things down.

Minecraft anticheat plugin performance comparison — Performance comparison showing resource usage across different anticheat solutions

What Are the Top Premium vs Free Anticheat Options?

Free Options

Grim Anticheat: An open-source choice with performance that rivals paid tools.
MineGuard: A light and modular option for modern servers.
Themis: Offers cross-platform protection with a low resource footprint.

Premium Options

Vulcan: Known for being great at stopping blatant cheating, it offers deep customization and Discord integration (for versions 1.8–1.21).
Spartan: Boasts wide compatibility (1.7–1.20) and is trusted by the community, with over 94,000 downloads and a 5-star rating on SpigotMC.
Polar Anticheat: Uses a unique cloud-based system with advanced physics simulation to catch impossible movements.

In user tests, Vulcan often gets high praise. One user noted, "Vulcan did for sure come out on top in my experience," especially for its ability to stop obvious hacks and its many configuration settings.

How Do I Choose Based on My Server's Minecraft Version?

For Legacy Servers (1.7–1.20): Spartan is your best bet, offering broad support for older game versions while still providing solid cheat detection.

For Modern Servers (1.17–1.21): Grim Anticheat or MineGuard are optimized to work smoothly with the latest features and game mechanics.

For Cross-Platform Servers: If you use Geyser, Themis is designed to support both Java and Bedrock players, preventing compatibility headaches.

Minecraft version compatibility chart for anticheat plugins — Version compatibility matrix showing supported Minecraft releases for each anticheat plugin

What's the Best Budget-Conscious Approach?

If you're on a tight budget, start with Grim Anticheat or MineGuard as your main line of defense. Both are free and offer strong cheat detection without any licensing fees.

For even better coverage, you could add a lightweight secondary plugin like BetterAnticheat. This layered strategy gives you more protection without breaking the bank.

As for paid options like Vulcan or Spartan, they earn their price tags with advanced features, dedicated support, and fine-tuned detection that leads to fewer false alarms.

Next Steps for Server Protection

Ultimately, the best anti-cheat for you hinges on your server's unique situation—your player count, game version, budget, and hardware. Free tools like Grim Anticheat can give you top-tier protection, while premium plugins provide specialized features and dedicated support.

For a deeper dive into detection methods, performance tests, and setup guides, check out our complete anticheat plugin comparison guide. It has all the details you need to build the right anti-cheat strategy for your server.