AntiGuard vs Polar Anticheat

AntiGuard is a free anti-cheat plugin for Minecraft Paper and Purpur servers. Its checks cover Fly, Speed, Reach, NoSwing, KillAura, AutoClick, NoFall, and FastBreak, with flag, kick, and ban actions. An embedded web dashboard displays flags, bans, and kicks and lets administrators adjust detection settings live. The REST API exposes statistics, flags, bans, kicks, and configuration endpoints; write operations require an API token if one has been set. AntiGuard can use storage configured for LuckPerms and records data in tables prefixed with `antiguard_`. Documented database options are SQLite, H2, MySQL, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL, with bundled SQLite used if LuckPerms storage cannot safely be reused. Installation is a single JAR copied into the server’s `plugins/` folder, followed by a restart. The guide specifies Paper or Purpur 1.20.x and Java 17. The project calls itself an MVP, and its maker recommends adjusting thresholds or check tolerances if legitimate players are flagged.

Polar Anticheat is cheat-prevention software for Minecraft servers, with checks largely processed in Polar Cloud. It monitors player activity and can mitigate movement, reach, and damage before applying punishments. Listed detection coverage includes auto clicker, heuristics, invalid protocol, movement, tick speed, inventory, world interaction, and latency abuse; enforcement can include hit cancellation, setbacks, kicks, and bans. Its plans include all checks, with limits on players, server instances, and HWIDs. Small server is €15 a month (billed €45/quarter or €150/year); Medium server is €29 a month (billed €29/month or €290/year); Large server is €59 a month (billed €59/month or €590/year). Installation uses a PolarLoader.jar file in the server’s plugins folder. Requirements include Java 8 or higher, Spigot or Paper, and an uninterrupted internet connection. Domain verification is required for onboarding, and proxy plugins are unsupported. The documentation describes an API for server and user lookup, events, and custom subcommands. The service supports Bedrock exemption when Floodgate and player-data forwarding are configured.