While playing on your Minecraft server, there can be the occasional performance issue. You start to lag, blocks aren’t placed down right away, there’s invisible blocks, or you’re literally unable to play the game. Is this the server or your computer having issues?
Answering this question means you need to know the difference between Frames Per Second (FPS) and Ticks Per Second (TPS). Frames are what enables you to smoothly play Minecraft, with 60-144 FPS being common among PCs. Ticks are what makes the server feel responsive and fast. There’s a little more to it though, so we’ve created this Apex Hosting blog to showcase FPS vs TPS for Minecraft servers 👏
What is FPS?
FPS means Frames Per Second and measures how fast a player’s machine renders visuals to their monitor. It’s an entirely client-sided metric determined by individual hardware, including graphics card, processor speed, allocated memory, and event in-game settings. Higher FPS results in a smooth fluid motion, while low FPS causes choppy animations and screen stuttering.
For instance, players running at 60 FPS will have an adequate gameplay experience. On the other hand, players running at 120+ FPS will have an amazing game experience. The difference itself is extremely noticeable when you see it. Unfortunately, most console players are capped at 60 FPS.
In other words, your computer or device hardware configuration is the sole reason for FPS.
What is TPS?
TPS means Ticks Per Second and measures the processing speed of the Minecraft server’s simulation loop. It’s effectively the engine of your server that controls game events in fixed cycles. These calculations include mob artificial intelligence, redstone signals, player movements, crop growth, weather, and world updates.
A healthy server targets a maximum speed of 20 TPS, resulting in seamless gameplay with one full game update every 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds). This processing duration is tracked as Milliseconds Per Tick (MSPT). Here is a breakdown of TPS health:
- 20 TPS (≤50ms MSPT): Optimal performance. The server processes all game logic on time.
- 15–19 TPS (50–66ms MSPT): Minor performance degradation. Gameplay feels slightly sluggish.
- Below 15 TPS (>66ms MSPT): Severe server lag. In-game time slows down, causing global delays across the entire server.
In other words, your Minecraft server performance is determined and calculated by TPS.
FPS vs TPS – Minecraft
| Feature / Metric | Frames Per Second (FPS) | Ticks Per Second (TPS) |
|---|---|---|
| System Processing | Client-side (Individual Player’s PC) | Server-side (Host Machine / Server Hardware) |
| Maximum Cap | Uncapped (Limited by hardware & display refresh rate) | Hardcapped at 20 Ticks Per Second |
| Scope of Impact | Affects only the individual player | Affects all connected players on the server |
| Primary Drivers | GPU, single-core CPU speed, allocated RAM, shader packs | Single-thread CPU speed, loaded chunks, total entities, plugins |
| Lag Symptoms | Stuttery visuals, low motion smoothness, screen tearing | Block breaking delay, frozen/teleporting mobs, rubber-banding |
If the lag is only happening to you, it’s likely an FPS issue on your end. If it happens to all players, it’s likely a TPS issue on the Minecraft server. Even with good hardware, you can still experience FPS drops if lets say – you spawn 1000 cows in a single chunk.
Performance Issues
There are all kinds of reasons for having performance issues on your Minecraft server. Whether it’s truly related to TPS or FPS, you have to determine which one it is to then take the right action. We strongly recommend checking out our Minecraft Server Optimization Guide to increase the performance. You can also increase client-sided performance with optimization mods. Mixing the both might be the best for your computer and server 👍
