ChatSentinel vs PunishBAN
ChatSentinel
github.comPunishBAN
github.comSide by side
| Figure | ChatSentinel | PunishBAN |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 0 |
| Spec score · Minecraft Moderation Plugins | 7.2 (#8) | 6.9 (#10) |
| Integration | If PlaceholderAPI is installed, ChatSentinel registers placeholders for player moderation scores, mute status, remaining mute time, offense count, and time since last offense. | LuckPerms is recommended for permission management. |
| Purpose | ChatSentinel is a multi-layered chat moderation plugin for Minecraft Paper servers. | PunishBAN is a lightweight punishment plugin for Paper servers. |
| Requirements | The README lists Java 21 or later and a Paper server as requirements, and identifies Paper API 1.21.11 in its build dependencies. | It requires Paper 1.21.1 or newer and Java 21 or newer. |
| Storage | SQLite is the default database, with optional MySQL and PostgreSQL backends. | It requires no database and stores data in YAML files. |
| Support | The README directs users to report issues through the repository’s GitHub Issues page and asks them to include reproduction steps, version details, and relevant redacted logs. | The Modrinth listing links to a Discord server and the source repository. |
In their own words
ChatSentinel
ChatSentinel is a self-hosted moderation plugin for Minecraft Paper servers. Its local trie filter checks chat and can load word lists for 28 languages, with leet-speak normalization and abbreviation expansion. It can also moderate whispers, signs, books, and anvil renames. Flagged content can be blocked or masked, with configurable escalation to warnings, mutes, or staff alerts. Optional moderation API and LLM review layers can add checks; both are disabled by default, so the local filter can operate without API keys. The first layer uses an OpenAI-compatible moderation endpoint. The second accepts compatible chat-completions providers, including Ollama, LM Studio, vLLM, Azure OpenAI, Together, and Groq. SQLite is the default database, with MySQL and PostgreSQL also supported. An optional PlaceholderAPI integration exposes moderation-related player details as placeholders. The README lists Java 21 or later and a Paper server as requirements. It describes a fail-open pipeline: local filtering remains active if APIs are unreachable, with a configurable timeout before messages pass through. ChatSentinel is free and open source.
PunishBAN
PunishBAN is a lightweight punishment plugin for self-hosted Paper Minecraft servers. It handles bans and mutes for players who are online or offline, using presets or custom durations and reasons. Its chat filter checks configured terms without regard to capitalization and normalizes leetspeak. Staff can receive clickable ban and mute alerts, with a cooldown to limit repeated notifications. Three filter violations within 24 hours trigger an automatic 24-hour ban; a violation in the racism category results in a permanent ban on the first offense. The `/playerinfo` command shows a player's UUID, first and last login, punishment status and alternate accounts that share an IP. `/banlogs` displays ban and mute history, listing the last 10 entries. Presets, filter terms and durations can be configured in `config.yml`. The plugin stores data in YAML files and does not require a database. It supports English and German, which can be switched without restarting. Its requirements are Paper 1.21.1+ and Java 21+; LuckPerms is recommended for permission management.