On this page
- Choose between paid contracts and PvP points
- 1. NotBounties
- What it does well
- Who it suits
- Check before choosing
- 2. BetterBounty
- What it does well
- Who it suits
- Check before choosing
- 3. LexBounty
- What it does well
- Who it suits
- Check before choosing
- 4. Simple Bounty
- What it does well
- Who it suits
- Check before choosing
- Add a dialog menu when it solves a navigation problem
- Test the rules players will encounter
Key takeaways
5- NotBounties defaults to diamonds and includes hunts, posters, trackers and immunity.
- BetterBounty offers searchable, sortable bounty menus and uses SQLite storage.
- LexBounty supports local storage or MySQL and Redis synchronisation across servers.
- Simple Bounty tracks PvP points instead of player-funded money contracts.
- Bounty Master, made by our team, is an optional CommandPanels menu configuration, not a bounty plugin.
For an SMP or PvP server, choosing a bounty plugin starts with deciding what players are competing for: money, items or points. This comparison helps you choose between four approaches, understand their menus and storage, and decide whether a separate dialog menu would help your players.
Choose between paid contracts and PvP points
NotBounties, BetterBounty and LexBounty let players place bounties on targets. Simple Bounty takes a different approach: players accumulate bounty points through PvP rather than spending money to put a contract on someone.
| Plugin | Currency or reward model | Useful distinction | Game versions listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| NotBounties | Diamonds by default, with economy integration and custom currency options | Hunts, posters, trackers and immunity | 1.20.6, 1.21, 26.1, 26.2 and 26.3 tested |
| BetterBounty | An existing compatible server economy | Searchable, sortable and paginated bounty GUI | 1.19.x to 1.21.x |
| LexBounty | An existing compatible server economy | Local storage or shared network storage | 1.21.x, 26.1.x and 26.2 |
| Simple Bounty | PvP bounty points | Points change through kills, activity and deaths | 1.21 to 26.2 |
For the economy-backed options, decide which existing balance players should spend before choosing a plugin. Our comparison of Minecraft economy providers helps with that separate decision.
1. NotBounties
NotBounties is a free GUI-based bounty system with optional MySQL support and several ways to turn a bounty into an activity.
What it does well
Its documented features include bounty posters, boards, trackers, challenges and hunts. Players can also buy off their own bounty or buy immunity. That gives an owner more gameplay choices than a list of targets and rewards alone.
The default currency is diamonds, and a custom currency can be selected in game. Its commands include /bounty for the GUI, /bounty set for the placement menu, and /bounty check <player> to inspect a target.
Who it suits
Shortlist it when you want item-funded bounties or want players to interact with posters, hunts and trackers. Its GPL-3.0 licence and public source repository also make it an option for owners who care about access to the project's source.
Check before choosing
Decide whether buying off a bounty and buying immunity fit your server rules. Test those paths alongside normal placement and claiming, rather than judging the system only by its main menu. For a network, read its proxy and database documentation before planning shared bounty data.
The ServerMiner tutorial demonstrates installing and using NotBounties.
2. BetterBounty
BetterBounty centres bounty placement and browsing on a GUI, with rewards claimed when the target is killed.
What it does well
The interface includes search, sorting and pagination. These are useful features to evaluate if you expect players to browse a long list of targets rather than enter a name they already know.
Players can open the interface with /bounty or /bounties. The placement command is /bounty add <player> <amount>. Administrative removal and reload functions have separate permissions.
Who it suits
Shortlist it for an economy-funded bounty system where browsing and placing contracts should happen through a menu. BetterBounty stores its data in SQLite and uses the MIT licence. Its listed game support covers 1.19.x to 1.21.x.
Check before choosing
It needs an economy bridge and a compatible economy provider. Test a complete transaction using the balance your players actually spend: placing the bounty, checking the deduction, killing the target and checking the reward. Include the browsing controls in that trial so you can assess the interface with several active targets.
3. LexBounty
LexBounty combines economy-funded bounties with a Top Bounties GUI and storage choices for a single server or a network.
What it does well
It can use local storage or synchronise across servers through MySQL and Redis. Players place or increase a bounty with /bounty add <player> <amount>, while /bounty opens the Top Bounties GUI.
Payouts happen when another player kills the target. Administrative commands cover removing an amount from a bounty and reloading the plugin.
Who it suits
Shortlist it when shared bounty data is part of your network plan, or when you want a single-server system with that storage option available. Its listing includes 1.21.x, 26.1.x and 26.2. Its licence is All Rights Reserved.
Check before choosing
It requires an economy bridge. Plan how balances will behave alongside shared bounties, then test placement and collection on each participating server. The lexbounty.protected permission prevents players from receiving bounties and defaults to operators, so include protected and ordinary accounts in your trial.
4. Simple Bounty
Simple Bounty is a PvP points system in which player activity changes the value attached to each player.
What it does well
Players begin with 50 points. A killer receives 20% of the defeated player's bounty, while a natural death costs 2%. Players with at least 5,000 points gain passive points while online, and holding the Dragon Egg provides bonus points.
Inactive players lose points, giving activity a role alongside combat. The plugin bundles an H2 database, and its listing names no dependencies.
Who it suits
Shortlist it for a server where bounty value should reflect PvP progression rather than money contributed by other players. Its listed requirements are game versions 1.21 to 26.2 and Java 21 or later.
Check before choosing
Assess whether passive gains, inactivity losses and the Dragon Egg bonus fit your intended competition. The documented admin tools let staff add, remove or set points through /bountyadmin, while periodic top-5 leaderboard broadcasts show leading players and the points available for defeating them. Include those adjustments and broadcasts in your trial before introducing the system to players.
Add a dialog menu when it solves a navigation problem
CommandPanels is a free menu plugin with inventory interfaces, dialogs and forms. It provides a separate way to present actions to players.
Bounty Master | CommandPanels Dialog GUI, made by our team, is a paid menu configuration for placing, checking and tracking bounties from one dialog menu. It is ready for NotBounties, with command connections that can be adapted for another bounty plugin.
Treat this as an optional interface layer. Choose the bounty plugin for its currency, claiming rules and storage first. Then decide whether the plugin's own interface already gives your players what they need, whether you want to build a menu yourself, or whether this ready-made configuration fits.
Test the rules players will encounter
Before opening bounties to everyone, write down the outcomes you expect and test them with separate player accounts.
- Funding: For player-funded contracts, check which balance or item pays for placement.
- Collection: Check who receives the reward and what the target sees after a qualifying kill.
- Restrictions: Where supported, test protected players, immunity and bounty removal.
- Network behaviour: If using shared storage, test the same target from each participating server.
- Navigation: Check that players can understand placement, browsing and tracking without staff explaining every button.
Decide where bounty hunting belongs before publishing the rules. If spawn or shopping areas should remain outside combat, use our guide to protecting spawn, shops and arenas alongside your gameplay planning.
Choose NotBounties for its broader bounty activities, BetterBounty for its browsing interface, LexBounty when shared storage matters, or Simple Bounty for PvP points. Start with the model your players should understand, then evaluate the menu around it.
Frequently asked questions
Which Minecraft bounty plugin works without a money economy?
NotBounties uses diamonds by default and also supports a custom currency. Simple Bounty is another route if you want PvP points rather than player-funded contracts.
Which bounty plugins have a GUI?
NotBounties has a main GUI and a bounty-placement menu. BetterBounty includes search, sorting and pagination, while LexBounty provides a Top Bounties GUI.
Can Minecraft bounties work across multiple servers?
LexBounty supports synchronisation through MySQL and Redis, alongside a local storage option. NotBounties also documents proxy and database setup and supports MySQL. Test shared bounty data and reward delivery across your participating servers before opening the system.
How do players place a bounty with commands?
NotBounties uses /bounty , and /bounty set opens its placement GUI. BetterBounty and LexBounty use /bounty add . Simple Bounty points change through PvP, passive gains, inactivity loss and the Dragon Egg bonus; staff can adjust them with /bountyadmin.
Do I need CommandPanels to use NotBounties?
NotBounties already provides its own GUI and commands. CommandPanels is an optional menu layer. Bounty Master, made by our team, is a ready-made dialog menu configuration for placing, checking and tracking bounties with NotBounties.
