NPC Plugins for Minecraft: FancyNpcs vs Citizens vs ZNPCsPlus

Choosing an NPC plugin for a lobby, hub or quest server means checking more than how an NPC looks. This comparison covers software support, dependencies and basic creation steps so you can pick an option that fits your server.

1. FancyNpcs#

FancyNpcs is a packet-based NPC plugin for Paper and Folia. Its Modrinth page lists it as free and MIT licensed, and says it does not support Spigot. It offers several NPC types, along with skins, glowing colours, poses, equipment and interactions that can run commands or send messages.

FancyNpcs Free A packet-based NPC plugin for Paper and Folia, configured with in-game commands and offering several entity and interaction options. On Modrinth

What it suits#

Consider FancyNpcs if your server runs Paper or Folia and you want to create and adjust NPCs with in-game commands rather than editing configuration files. Its documentation describes command tab completion and setup without config editing. It may also suit a hub that needs more than player-shaped NPCs, since the listing includes other entity types.

Requirements and cautions#

The Modrinth listing says Paper 1.21.4 or newer and Java 25 or higher. The Hangar listing gives older figures: Java 21 and Paper 1.19.4 to 26.3. Check the current release information before installing. The documentation says Paper and Folia are supported, while Spigot, Bukkit, Sponge and Fabric are not. It says forks such as Purpur or Pufferfish should work, but check the release notes for your exact server version.

The documentation advises against using Beta or Alpha builds in production. Choose a build the project marks as a release if this is a live server.

Create a first NPC#

After installing, create an NPC, set its display name and skin, then move it to your location. The documented commands are:

/npc create myNpc
/npc displayname myNpc <green>My first npc</green>
/npc skin myNpc Notch
/npc move_here myNpc

The name-formatting example uses MiniMessage. Check the current documentation if a command behaves differently on your installed version.

2. Citizens#

Citizens is a long-running open-source NPC plugin for Bukkit API servers, with a developer API. Its website describes uses such as guards, statues and pets, and links to its wiki and SpigotMC download. The project also has companion plugins, including Sentinel and Denizen.

Citizens An open-source NPC plugin with a developer API and documented commands for creating and managing NPCs. On SpigotMC

What it suits#

Consider Citizens if you need a plugin with a developer API or want to use its command-driven NPC management. The wiki documents commands for creating NPCs, changing skins, equipping items, moving NPCs and adding commands that run when an NPC is interacted with. That range can suit a hub with interactive characters or a server where custom integrations matter.

Requirements and cautions#

Check the Citizens SpigotMC listing for the Minecraft versions supported by its current release. The project’s version guidance says it supports only the latest patch of each Minecraft version and strongly recommends using current Minecraft and Citizens versions. Do not assume Folia support from the information available here.

Citizens is licensed under OSL-3.0 on GitHub. The project publishes development builds at ci.citizensnpcs.coSource site and links to a donation option from its website. Test a development build on a copy before considering it for a live server.

Create a first NPC#

Citizens documents /npc create [name] for creating an NPC. You can use /npc skin [name] to set a skin, /npc equip to open the equipment editor and /npc command add [command] to add a command interaction. The wiki lists permissions for individual commands under citizens.npc.[command], and citizens.admin for admin tasks.

Citizens Plugin Tutorial: Setup NPCs on Your Minecraft Server (2026) Elec

3. ZNPCsPlus#

ZNPCsPlus creates packet-based fake entities that players can interact with, for example to run commands or switch servers on a network. Its project describes it as an updated version of the discontinued ZNPCs. The Modrinth listing marks it free and GPL-3.0 licensed.

ZNPCsPlus Free A packet-based NPC plugin and updated successor to ZNPCs, with Spigot and Paper support listed in its project information. On Modrinth

What it suits#

Consider ZNPCsPlus if you need NPCs on Spigot as well as Paper, or want an NPC interaction that runs a command or switches a player to another server. Its GitHub README lists support for Spigot, Paper, Folia and ArcLight. The Modrinth page also describes storage backend options and says operations are offloaded from the main thread.

Requirements and cautions#

The GitHub README lists Java 8 or higher and PacketEvents 2.0 as requirements. PlaceholderAPI is optional. Check the latest GitHub or Spigot release notes for your exact Minecraft version before installing: the Modrinth version list appears older than the support range described in the README.

Create a first NPC#

The project pages provide no command examples for creating a first NPC. Review the current README and release notes for installation and usage details, and install PacketEvents 2.0 as a dependency.

Check fit before installing#

NPCs are often part of a larger hub setup. Our guide to lobby design covers navigation and what a new player should find at spawn. If your plan includes a schematic, see how to load and paste a build before placing NPCs around it.

Install and test on your server#

Download the plugin from its project page and confirm the selected file matches your Minecraft version and server software. For FancyNpcs, the documentation says to put the jar in the plugins folder, restart and check with /fancynpcs version. For the other plugins, follow their current project instructions and include any required dependencies.

Test interactions with a non-operator account and check what happens when players click each NPC. If the server is part of a network, test any server-switch action from the lobby. Keep changes on a test copy until you have confirmed that the plugin loads and its NPCs behave as intended.

Choose by software and workflow#

For Paper or Folia, FancyNpcs has documented in-game creation commands and a wide selection of NPC options. For a project with a developer API and extensive command documentation, evaluate Citizens against its current version listing. For Spigot support and cross-server interaction use cases, ZNPCsPlus is worth checking, provided its current release supports your exact Minecraft version and you install PacketEvents.

Whichever you choose, verify the current release, software support and dependencies before updating a production server. Then create one test NPC, try its interactions with ordinary player permissions and confirm the result on every server software you plan to run.