Pros of Sodium

• Significantly improves client-side performance and FPS
• Lightweight and compatible with many other mods
• Focuses on optimizing rendering and chunk loading

Cons of Sodium

• Limited to client-side improvements only
• Not a complete server solution like Paper
• May require additional mods for full feature parity

Code Comparison

Sodium (rendering optimization):

public class ChunkRenderRebuildTask implements Runnable {
    @Override
    public void run() {
        this.render.rebuildMesh();
    }
}

Paper (server-side optimization):

public class ChunkTaskManager {
    public CompletableFuture<Chunk> scheduleChunkLoad(int x, int z) {
        return CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(() -> loadChunk(x, z), executor);
    }
}

Sodium focuses on client-side rendering optimizations, while Paper provides comprehensive server-side improvements. Sodium is ideal for players seeking better performance on their own machines, whereas Paper is essential for server owners looking to enhance overall gameplay experience and server efficiency. While both projects aim to improve Minecraft performance, they target different aspects of the game and can be used complementarily for optimal results.

Pros of Velocity

• Designed specifically for proxy servers, offering optimized performance for player routing
• Supports modern Minecraft protocol features and versions more efficiently
• Lighter weight and consumes fewer resources than a full server implementation

Cons of Velocity

• Limited to proxy functionality, cannot run as a standalone Minecraft server
• Requires additional setup and configuration alongside backend servers
• May have fewer plugins available compared to Paper's extensive ecosystem

Code Comparison

Paper (server implementation):

@Override
public void onEnable() {
    getServer().getPluginManager().registerEvents(this, this);
    getCommand("example").setExecutor(this);
}

Velocity (proxy implementation):

@Subscribe
public void onProxyInitialization(ProxyInitializeEvent event) {
    server.getCommandManager().register("example", new ExampleCommand());
}

The code snippets highlight the different approaches to plugin initialization and command registration between Paper (a full server implementation) and Velocity (a proxy server). Paper uses Bukkit-style plugin methods, while Velocity employs an event-driven system with annotations.

Pros of Fabric

• Lightweight and modular architecture
• Easier to create and maintain mods
• Better performance for modded servers

Cons of Fabric

• Smaller ecosystem compared to Paper
• Less out-of-the-box optimizations
• Limited plugin support

Code Comparison

Fabric mod initialization:

public class ExampleMod implements ModInitializer {
    @Override
    public void onInitialize() {
        // Mod initialization code
    }
}

Paper plugin initialization:

public class ExamplePlugin extends JavaPlugin {
    @Override
    public void onEnable() {
        // Plugin initialization code
    }
}

Fabric focuses on a modular approach, allowing developers to create mods that can be easily added or removed. This results in a more flexible and customizable server environment. However, Paper provides a more robust set of optimizations and features out of the box, making it easier for server administrators to set up and manage high-performance servers without extensive modding knowledge.

Fabric's smaller ecosystem means fewer available mods and resources compared to Paper's extensive plugin library. However, this can lead to better overall performance for heavily modded servers, as Fabric's architecture is designed to handle multiple mods efficiently.