For over a decade, the “Holy Grail” of Minecraft server hosting has been the same: hosting hundreds of players in a single, unified survival world without the server turning into a slideshow. Until recently, the “Main Thread” was an unbreakable ceiling. No matter how many CPU cores you had, Minecraft could only use one for its main game logic.
Enter Folia.
Developed by the team behind PaperMC, Folia is not just another fork; it is a total rewrite of how Minecraft processes the world. By implementing regionized multithreading, Folia allows Minecraft servers to break free from the single-thread bottleneck. If you want to start a Minecraft server that supports 500 players in one Overworld, you are no longer dreaming—you are looking at Folia.
What is Folia? Understanding Regionized Multithreading
Traditional server software like Paper or Spigot ticks the entire world on one thread. If one player builds a massive lag machine at coordinates (100, 100), the player 20,000 blocks away at (-10,000, -10,000) feels that lag too.
Folia changes the rules. It groups nearby loaded chunks into “independent regions.” Each region has its own tick loop running on its own thread.
- Localized Lag: If a lag machine exists in Region A, it has zero impact on the TPS (Ticks Per Second) of Region B.
- Parallel Processing: Instead of one core doing all the work, Folia spreads the load across your entire CPU.
- Infinite Scalability: Theoretically, as long as your players stay spread out, you can keep adding players as long as you can add CPU cores.
Hardware Requirements for a 500-Player Folia Server
Because Folia is designed to use every bit of your hardware, you cannot run a high-capacity server on a budget VPS. To host a low lag Minecraft server of this scale, you need a high-thread-count dedicated machine.
The 500-Player Spec Sheet
| Component | Minimum for Folia | Recommended for 500 Players |
| CPU | 16 Cores (Physical) | 32+ Cores (e.g., AMD EPYC or Threadripper) |
| RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB – 128 GB (DDR5) |
| Storage | NVMe SSD | Enterprise Gen4 NVMe (RAID 1) |
| Network | 500 Mbps | 1 Gbps+ Dedicated Uplink |
Critical Note: Folia requires many cores. While a standard Paper server benefits from high single-core speed (like an i9-14900K), a 500-player Folia server thrives on high core counts found in server-grade hardware.
Step-by-Step: How to Start a Minecraft Server with Folia
Setting up Folia is slightly different than setting up a standard Paper server. Because it breaks many conventional plugins, you must be surgical with your configuration.
1. Environment Preparation
Ensure you are running Java 21 or higher. Folia leverages modern JVM features that older versions simply don’t support. We recommend a Linux environment—see [The Best Linux Distros for Hosting a Minecraft Server in 2026] for the top choices.
2. Downloading and Initial Boot
Download the latest Folia build from the PaperMC Downloads page.
Bash
java -Xms32G -Xmx32G -jar folia-paper-1.21.jar nogui
Note: We recommend allocating at least 32GB of RAM for a 500-player target.
3. Configuring the Regionizer
In your folia.yml (or paper-global.yml in newer builds), you will find settings for how regions are managed.
- thread-pool-size: This should match your physical core count.
- merge-radius: This determines how close players need to be before their regions “merge” into one thread. For a public Minecraft server, a value of
3or4is standard.
The Plugin Problem: Why Your Favorites Might Not Work
The biggest hurdle for Folia adoption is plugin compatibility. Because Folia has no “Main Thread,” any plugin that uses the standard BukkitScheduler will crash the server.
Folia-Compatible Essentials
To run a successful survival server, you need these updated versions:
- LuckPerms: Fully supports Folia for permissions.
- WorldEdit-Folia: A specialized fork of WorldEdit designed for multithreading.
- Chunky: Essential for pre-generating your world to prevent chunk-loading lag.
- LibertyBans: A modern punishment system that works with Folia’s architecture.
For a full list of what works, check out [The Best Minecraft Plugins for High-Performance Servers].
Pros and Cons of the Folia Architecture
| Feature | Folia (Multithreaded) | Paper (Single-threaded) |
| Max Player Count | 500+ (Hardware dependent) | ~100-150 (Hard ceiling) |
| Plugin Support | Limited (Specific Folia builds) | Universal |
| Technical Skill | High | Low to Medium |
| Redstone Parity | High (mostly identical) | High |
| Stability | Experimental/Production-Ready | Gold Standard |
Expert Tips for Managing 500 Players
- Pre-Generate Everything: Use Chunky to pre-generate at least a 20,000-block radius. Chunk generation is one of the few things that can still spike a Folia server.
- Spread the Spawn: Use a “Random Teleport” (RTP) plugin on first join. If 500 players are all at (0,0), they will all be in the same “region bubble,” forcing them onto a single thread and defeating the purpose of Folia.
- Monitor Your Thread Pool: Use tools like
toporhtopin Linux to ensure your load is actually spreading across all cores. - Avoid Mob Clumping: Limit mob spawns per region. Even with multithreading, 10,000 chickens in one region will still cause that specific region to lag.
FAQ: People Also Ask
Is Folia a drop-in replacement for Paper?
No. You cannot simply swap your paper.jar for folia.jar. You will need to replace almost all of your plugins with Folia-supported versions, and some older plugins may never be compatible.
Does Folia support BungeeCord or Velocity?
Yes. Folia works perfectly with proxies like Velocity. In fact, using Velocity is recommended to handle the initial player authentication before sending them to the Folia world.
Can I use Folia for a Minigame server?
It depends. If the minigame happens in one small area (like a BedWars map), you won’t see much benefit from Folia because everyone will be in one region. Folia is best for Survival, Skyblock, and Anarchy servers where players are spread out.
How do I fix “Illegal Thread Access” errors?
This happens when a plugin tries to access data from the wrong thread. You cannot fix this via config; the plugin developer must update the code to use Folia’s RegionScheduler.
Conclusion: The New Frontier of Minecraft Hosting
Folia represents the most significant leap in Minecraft server hosting technology in a decade. While it requires more specialized knowledge and hardware, the reward is a public Minecraft server that feels truly infinite. By moving away from the single-thread bottleneck, you can finally provide a massive, 500-player survival experience that remains a low lag Minecraft server even at peak hours.
Ready to push your server to the limit?
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