RAM is necessary but not sufficient — simulation distance, entities, and GC matter too.
Practical sizing
| Workload | Ballpark RAM |
|---|---|
| Vanilla / light Paper (few players) | 2–4 GB |
| Plugin SMP (claims, economy) | 4–6 GB |
| Medium modpacks | 6–8 GB |
| Heavy packs (ATM-class) | 8–12 GB+ |
Other knobs before upgrading
- Lower
view-distance/simulation-distance. - Cap entities; fix mob farms.
- Remove unused plugins/mods.
- Schedule restarts for long uptimes.
Chapter22
Pick Dirt→Diamond on Minecraft hosting to match the table. Upgrade later from the client area when the pack outgrows the tier.
Related guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 2 GB enough?
For tiny vanilla/Paper SMPs, yes. Modpacks usually want 6–12 GB+.
Does view-distance eat RAM?
It eats RAM and CPU. Lower view-distance and simulation-distance before upgrading blindly.
Chapter22 tiers?
Dirt→Diamond map to increasing RAM — confirm exact GB on the product page.
Need help?
If you are stuck after following this guide, open a ticket from the Chapter22 client area with the exact error, the port or DNS change you made, and whether the service listens locally (ss / Resource Monitor) but fails externally.
Build the server. Grow the community. Start your next chapter.