Overview

ModGUI brings configurable punishments, player investigation, staff notes, and player reports into a server-side GUI. It does not replace a punishment plugin: actions are dispatched as console commands and can work with LiteBans, AdvancedBan, EssentialsX, or other compatible punishment tools. That makes it a useful staff-facing layer for servers that already have a command-based system, rather than a standalone moderation backend.

Installation means placing the JAR in the server's plugins folder, restarting, configuring the files, and running /modgui reload. Administrators can set punishment types and durations, GUI borders, messages, webhook URLs, GrimAC thresholds and ignored checks, and report cooldowns. The range of controls is valuable for adapting the plugin to a server's process, but calls for deliberate setup.

Key features

Punishments and investigations

The punishment GUI supports configurable types, icons, permissions, commands, and durations. This gives teams room to distinguish staff roles and actions, while leaving the actual punishment execution to console commands and the configured backend. The investigation GUI displays a player's anticheat flags for the current session through GrimAC integration. GrimAC is optional for ModGUI as a whole, but required for this tracking, so teams without it should not choose the plugin for anticheat investigation.

Notes, reports, and Discord

Staff can attach notes to players, and players can submit reports with /report and optional severity levels. Discord webhooks can send punishments, anticheat alerts, reports, and staff notes to a shared channel, with optional role pings. This gives staff a way to follow several moderation events outside the game; the report cooldown and webhook behavior are among the settings administrators can configure.

A recovery compass can open the investigation GUI on right-click, providing a direct staff shortcut. The documented permissions cover administration, punishment types, investigation, notes, spyglass use, reporting, and player exemptions, supporting role-specific access rather than one undifferentiated staff permission.

Pricing

ModGUI is free: its plan costs 0.00 USD per free and is released under the MIT License. The license permits use, copying, modification, distribution, sublicensing, and sale free of charge, with no warranty. There are no paid tiers to weigh against the free plan; the main cost is configuring and maintaining a Paper server that meets the requirement.

Platforms

ModGUI is self-hosted and requires Paper 1.21.11 or newer. Modrinth lists compatibility with Minecraft Java Edition 1.21.11 on Paper. The version floor makes it a poor fit for servers that need to stay on older Paper releases or a different server platform.

Who it's for

Choose ModGUI if your team runs a qualifying Paper server, wants GUI-based staff workflows, and already uses—or is willing to configure—a punishment plugin that accepts console commands. It is especially relevant to teams that want player reports, staff notes, and Discord moderation logs alongside investigations. Look elsewhere if your server cannot meet the Paper version requirement or if you need anticheat flags without GrimAC.

Pros and cons

Works alongside common punishment backends: console-command dispatch can connect the GUI to LiteBans, AdvancedBan, EssentialsX, and other punishment plugins.
Several moderation events can reach Discord: webhooks cover punishments, anticheat alerts, player reports, and staff notes, with optional role pings.
Configurable staff access: documented permissions span the main moderation workflows, letting administrators separate capabilities.
Strict platform floor: Paper 1.21.11 or newer rules out servers that need older versions or another platform.
GrimAC required for flag tracking: the investigation GUI's anticheat view depends on that integration.

Alternatives

Minecraft Moderation Plugins is the broader category to browse if ModGUI's Paper requirement or GrimAC-dependent investigation does not fit.

Staff+ is another free, self-hosted option if broader server compatibility matters: it supports Paper, Purpur, and Folia 1.20–1.21+, as well as Velocity 3.3.0+.

LibertyBans is a free alternative for readers looking for a punishment system with API and self-hosted platforms; it requires Java 17 and supports Minecraft server platforms.

BanManager is a free, open-source alternative for readers who want a project that welcomes contributions, with API, Linux, self-hosted, and web platforms.

Nimbus AntiCheat is a free self-hosted option to consider when anticheat is the priority; it requires Paper 1.21.8, Java 21, and PacketEvents, and is for Java-edition players.

PunishBAN, AdvancedSensitiveWords, ChatSentinel, and ReducedX-Anti Cheat are also alternatives to compare.

Verdict

ModGUI is a strong fit for staff teams on Paper 1.21.11 or newer that want a configurable GUI over an existing punishment backend, plus reports, notes, and Discord logging at no charge. Its main reason to choose it is the breadth of those linked moderation workflows; its main reason to look elsewhere is the narrow platform requirement, with GrimAC an additional prerequisite for anticheat flags.

	AdvancedSensitiveWords	ModGUI
Free plan	No	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	—	Free
Open source	No	No
Platforms	self-hosted	self-hosted
Chat filters	Yes	—
Proxy support	Yes	—
Free plan	—	Yes
Report workflow	—	Yes
Staff notes	—	Yes
Audit logs	—	Yes

AdvancedSensitiveWords vs ModGUI

AdvancedSensitiveWords

ModGUI