GuardAC vs Shard
GuardAC
guardac.netShard
shard.acSide by side
| Figure | GuardAC | Shard |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | 1,490 RUB/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 7 |
| Spec score · Minecraft Anti-Cheat Plugins | 8.4 (#2) | 7.7 (#12) |
| Spec score · Minecraft anti-cheat plugins | 8.8 (#2) | 8.1 (#7) |
| Punishments | The plugin supports configurable punishment ladders, animations, and automated actions such as kicks and bans. | The quick start says the plugin defaults to a kick on the first detection, followed by temporary bans up to 30 days. |
| Purpose | GuardAC is a cloud anti-cheat for Minecraft that detects KillAura and aim assist from how players move the crosshair in combat. | Shard provides cloud protection against combat cheats on Minecraft servers. |
| Support | Support is offered through Telegram, Discord, GitHub issues, and the community site. | Shard lists email for support, billing, and refund requests, plus Telegram and a Discord community. |
Plans
Shard
- FreeFree
- Plus1,490 RUB a month
- Pro2,490 RUB a month
- Business3,490 RUB a month
- Scale4,990 RUB a month
- Max7,990 RUB a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
GuardAC
GuardAC is a cloud anti-cheat for Minecraft servers that looks for KillAura, aim assist, and unusual combat crosshair movement. It runs server-side, so players install nothing. During fights, the plugin sends a short set of crosshair-movement numbers to the cloud rather than video. The system learns a player's usual mouse movement and can flag changes in that style during a session. Staff receive alerts with a player name and score, and can handle punishment manually or automate it. Configurable thresholds range from alert-only operation to automatic bans. Listed enforcement actions include logs, kicks, bans, broadcasts, console commands, and optional combat suppression; replay analysis is also listed. The plugin supports Paper, Spigot, Purpur, and Folia servers running Minecraft 1.16 or newer. Supported servers require Java 17 or newer; Minecraft 26.1 and 26.2 require Java 25. The service combines a server plugin with a cloud API accessed using an API key. The free plan is listed at free, and a trial key is issued after sign-up without a card.
Shard
Shard is a Minecraft server anti-cheat service combining a plugin for self-hosted servers with a cloud dashboard. Its behavior analysis is trained on real gameplay, and Shard says it detects cheaters without manual review. Listed detection coverage includes killaura, aim assist and triggerbot. The dashboard brings statistics for connected servers together. To set it up, users install the plugin, create a server in the dashboard and connect it with the /shard connect command. The plugin requires Java 17 or newer and a Paper or Folia server; supported storage options include SQLite and MySQL, with MariaDB also described in the documentation. Shard describes its software as open source, and the plugin is licensed under GPLv3. Shard 1 Flash is available on any plan; the more accurate Shard 1 Pro is available on paid plans after account verification. A credit covers 400,000 checks with Flash or 100,000 with Pro. The Free plan is free and includes five monthly credits, one server and up to 10 online players.