The ServerRoles homepage
Score6.2
Rank#6 of 11
Free planNo
Runs onAPI, Self-hosted

Summary

ServerRoles is a free role and permission management plugin for Paper or Purpur servers. Administrators use `/role` commands to configure roles with display names, prefixes, hex colors, priorities, permissions, inheritance, and operator status. Temporary roles accept day, hour, and minute durations, then return players to the default role when they expire. Expiry checks run when a player joins and every five minutes, so a role can remain active for up to five minutes past its duration. Permissions can be inherited or negated with a leading hyphen, and role prefixes and colors can be added to chat through a configurable feature. YAML is the default storage option, with SQLite and MySQL also supported. Optional PlaceholderAPI integration provides nine placeholders, and other plugins can use the developer API to query or change roles. The documented requirements are Paper or Purpur 1.21.11 and Java 21 or later. ServerRoles is designed to be the sole permission provider; its documentation warns that another permission plugin may conflict.

Who it is for

It suits administrators of Paper or Purpur servers who need configurable roles, timed assignments, and permission inheritance. It may also fit developers connecting role data to other plugins through its API.

What is good

  • Supports YAML, SQLite, and MySQL storage
  • Temporary roles revert to the default role
  • Includes a developer API for role changes
  • Player-facing messages can be translated

What to know first

  • Requires Paper or Purpur 1.21.11
  • Requires Java 21 or later
  • Another permission plugin may conflict
  • Expired roles can persist for up to five minutes

Verdict

ServerRoles offers role configuration, timed assignments, multiple storage backends, and plugin integration for supported servers. Its sole-permission-provider design is an important consideration for servers already using another permissions plugin.

Compared on Minecraft permissions plugins

Free plan
Yesgithub.com
Group inheritance
Yesgithub.com
Storage backends
YAML, SQLite, MySQLgithub.com
Supported platforms
Paper, Purpur 1.21.11github.com
Temporary permissions
Yesgithub.com

Facts

Purpose
ServerRoles is a role-based permissions and prefix management plugin for Paper or Purpur servers.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Role management
Roles can have display names, prefixes, hex colors, priorities, permissions, inheritance, and operator status, managed with the `/role` command.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Temporary roles
Roles can be assigned for a set duration and revert to the default role when they expire.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Storage
The plugin supports YAML, SQLite, and MySQL storage; YAML is the default.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Integrations
Optional PlaceholderAPI integration provides nine placeholders, with examples for TAB, chat, hologram, and scoreboard plugins.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Developer API
Other plugins can query and change roles through its developer API, and a cancellable role-change event is documented for online players.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Requirements
The documented requirements are Paper or Purpur 1.21.11 and Java 21 or later.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Installation
Installation instructions say to download a JAR from the releases page and place it in the server's `plugins/` folder.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Permission provider limitation
The documentation says ServerRoles is designed to be the sole permission provider and warns that another permission plugin such as LuckPerms may conflict.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Expiry timing
Expired roles are checked every five minutes and when a player joins, so expiry can be delayed by up to five minutes.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Permission rules
Roles support permission nodes, inherited permissions, and permission negation using a leading hyphen.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Temporary assignments
Temporary roles accept combined day, hour, and minute durations, then revert players to the default role when they expire.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Chat formatting
The plugin can automatically add a player's role prefix and color to chat, and this feature can be toggled in configuration.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Localization
Player-facing messages are translatable, and the repository lists English (en_US) and Portuguese (pt_PT) as bundled options.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Access control
All /role administration commands require the serverroles.admin permission, which defaults to operators.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Notable limitation
The project says ServerRoles is designed to be the sole permission provider, and warns that another permission plugin such as LuckPerms may conflict.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
License
The repository identifies the project as GPL-3.0 licensed.github.com · 3 Oct 2026

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