Docs

Documentation

Everything you need to know about setting up and running a Gale server.

Getting Started

What is Gale?

Gale is a <strong>drop-in replacement for Paper</strong> that makes your Minecraft server run faster without changing how anything works. Every plugin, every redstone machine, every farm that works on Paper will work identically on Gale — just with better performance.

Built on Paper, Spigot, and Bukkit. Licensed under GPL-3.0.

Installation

Switching from Paper to Gale takes about 30 seconds:

Download the latest Gale JAR

From the downloads page or GitHub Releases.

Swap the JAR in your start script

Replace paper-version.jar with gale-version.jar.

Start your server

java -Xms2G -Xmx4G -jar gale-version.jar nogui

That's it. No configuration changes. No plugin migration. Your server just runs faster.

Building from Source

git clone https://github.com/GaleMC/Gale.git
cd Gale
./gradlew applyAllPatches
./gradlew :gale-server:createPaperclipJar

Features

Zero Behavioral Changes

Gale's core philosophy. Unlike many other Paper forks, Gale deliberately avoids changing any gameplay behavior. Your redstone, farms, and plugins all work exactly as they do on Paper. If you want features that intentionally change vanilla behavior, the maintainers recommend <a href='https://www.leafmc.one/' class='text-blue-400 hover:text-blue-300'>Leaf</a> instead.

Performance Optimizations

Dozens of individual performance patches, each marked with a <code class='text-blue-300 bg-blue-500/10 px-1 rounded'>// Gale</code> comment in the source code.

SIMD-Accelerated Operations

CPU-level parallelism for collisions, lighting, and math hot paths.

Virtual Threads

Java virtual threads for parallel entity and chunk processing.

Extensive Caching

Thread-local caches for chunks, entities, block states, and recipes.

Event-Driven Despawn

Region-based despawning instead of tick-based scanning.

Optimized Collections

fastutil, packed arrays, and tuned capacities throughout.

Reduced Allocations

Reused RandomSource instances, fewer clones, less GC pressure.

Full list: Features.md

Up-to-Date with Paper

Regular upstream merges keep Gale synchronized with the latest Paper improvements, security fixes, and Minecraft version support. You don't have to choose between performance and being current.

FAQ

Is Gale compatible with my plugins?

Yes. Gale makes no API changes to Paper. Every Bukkit/Paper plugin works without modification. If a plugin relies on specific Paper internal implementation details, it might break, but those plugins typically break on every Paper update anyway.

Do I need to change my configuration?

No. All your existing Paper configuration files (paper-global.yml, bukkit.yml, spigot.yml, server.properties) work unchanged. Gale does generate its own config files, but the defaults are tuned for maximum performance — you don't need to touch them.

Will my world files and player data work?

Yes. Gale uses the same world format as Paper. Your worlds, player data, and everything else are 100% compatible.

Will my redstone contraptions and farms break?

No. The developers explicitly avoid fixing bugs that farms might depend on. Redstone and farm behavior is identical to Paper.

How much faster is Gale compared to Paper?

Gale is strictly faster than Paper on every server with no trade-offs. The largest gains are on servers with many entities, frequent chunk operations, and high player counts. Exact numbers depend on your server setup, but expect meaningful improvements with zero effort.

What if I need features that change vanilla behavior?

Gale's maintainers recommend Leaf if you want features or optimizations that intentionally change vanilla or Paper behavior. Gale is designed to be a pure performance upgrade with zero compromises.

How do I report a bug or security issue?

Bug reports and feature requests: open a GitHub Issue. Security vulnerabilities: report privately via Discord — do NOT use public GitHub issues.

Troubleshooting

Server won't start

Make sure you're using Java 21 or later. Gale requires modern Java for virtual thread support. Check your startup script for the correct Java version.

Plugin incompatibility

If a plugin breaks, first verify it works on the same version of Paper. If it does, report the issue. If it doesn't work on Paper either, the issue is with the plugin, not Gale.

Performance is worse than expected

Check that you're not running other server software alongside Gale. Make sure your startup flags include appropriate memory settings (-Xms/-Xmx). If the issue persists, reach out on Discord for help.

Still have questions? Join our Discord or open a GitHub Issue.