What is Cliff
Everything you need to know about running Minecraft servers with Cliff.
Welcome to the Cliff documentation. Cliff is a self-hosted, blazing-fast web dashboard for managing Minecraft Java servers. No cloud, no subscription, no external dependencies — just a single 13 MB binary you run on your own hardware.
Why Cliff?
Most Minecraft server management tools either require a cloud subscription, a heavy Java panel like Pterodactyl, or clunky desktop apps. Cliff is different:
- Self-hosted — Runs entirely on your machine. Your server data never leaves your network.
- Single binary — No Docker, no Node.js runtime, no external database. Download and run.
- Blazing fast — ~13 MB RAM at idle, < 1% CPU. Written in Go with a lightweight web frontend.
- Open source — GPL-3.0 licensed. Inspect, modify, and contribute on GitHub.
What it does
Cliff gives you a full web dashboard for your Minecraft servers:
Live Console
Real-time log streaming with command input and presets.
Mods & Plugins
Search and install from Modrinth directly.
Worlds
Switch active worlds, import, download, and delete.
Players
Manage ops, whitelist, and bans.
Backups
Manual and scheduled snapshots.
File Browser
Edit configs and manage files in place.
Public Access
Tunnels for remote players without port forwarding.
How it works
Cliff ships as a single self-contained binary that includes both the backend daemon and the web frontend. When you run it:
- The daemon starts an HTTP server on port 8080
- You open the dashboard in your browser
- You create or import servers, and Cliff manages the Java processes
The daemon handles server lifecycle (start, stop, restart), file management, mod installation, backups, and more — all exposed through a clean web UI.
Supported server types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Vanilla | Unmodified Minecraft server from Mojang |
| Paper | High-performance fork of Spigot |
| Purpur | Performance-focused fork of Paper |
| Folia | Multithreaded fork of Paper |
| Fabric | Lightweight modding toolchain |
| Forge | Classic modding API |
| NeoForge | Modern fork of Forge |
Ready to get started? Head to Quick Start to get Cliff running in under a minute.