Nimbus AntiCheat vs Polar Anticheat

Nimbus AntiCheat is a free plugin for detecting cheats on Minecraft servers. Its movement prediction and packet inspection power 43 individually configurable checks across movement, combat, world, packet, and inventory categories. The checks account for conditions such as latency, server lag, movement buffs, teleports, knockback, flight toggles, and join grace. Detection and staff alerts are enabled by default; operators configure punishments before they are used. Available actions include configurable commands, kicks, temporary or permanent bans, freezes, setbacks, and cancellation of illegal actions. Staff tools include player reports, an inspection GUI, in-game check controls, violation logs, and commands for testing alerts and punishments. PacketEvents is required; PlaceholderAPI, Discord webhooks, Citizens, LiteBans, and a permissions plugin are optional integrations. Nimbus requires Java 21 and targets Paper 1.21.x; it was built and tested against Paper 1.21.8, while other 1.21.x builds are untested. It supports Java-edition players, not Bedrock or Geyser players.

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.