--- title: "DonutSMP-Style Spawners: Add Virtual Spawners to Your Server" description: "Add DonutSMP-style spawners to your server: stackable virtual spawners with a storage GUI, selling, boosts and no mob lag, using EliteSpawner." url: "https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/donutsmp-style-spawners-plugin-setup" updated: "2026-10-29T08:05:55.316312+00:00" source: "ZCraft Studios" --- > Site index for AI agents: https://www.zcraftstudios.com/llms.txt (full reference: https://www.zcraftstudios.com/llms-full.txt). Every page is available as Markdown by adding `.md` to its URL or sending `Accept: text/markdown`. 1. [Home](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/) 2. [Blog](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog) 3. DonutSMP-Style Spawners: Add Virtual Spawners to Your Server [ All posts](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog) # DonutSMP-Style Spawners: Add Virtual Spawners to Your Server ZCraft StudiosOct 29, 2026 Add DonutSMP-style spawners to your server: stackable virtual spawners with a storage GUI, selling, boosts and no mob lag, using EliteSpawner. ## In this guide - [What "DonutSMP-style" means](#what-donutsmp-style-means) - [How EliteSpawner covers each feature](#how-elitespawner-covers-each-feature) - [Step-by-step: build the system](#step-by-step-build-the-system) - [Pick the economy around it](#pick-the-economy-around-it) - [Where this style works best](#where-this-style-works-best) - [What not to copy blindly](#what-not-to-copy-blindly) - [Add the rest of the experience](#add-the-rest-of-the-experience) - [Get EliteSpawner](#get-elitespawner) - [Frequently asked questions](#frequently-asked-questions) - [Related reading](#related-reading) ## DonutSMP-Style Spawners: Add Virtual Spawners to Your Server **Quick answer:** "DonutSMP-style" spawners are **stackable, virtual spawners**. Players place and stack spawners, nothing real spawns, and loot and experience pile up in a menu where they collect or sell it. You can get that gameplay on your own Paper server with a virtual spawner plugin such as **EliteSpawner**, which adds stacking, a storage GUI, selling, boosts, levels and prestige. _Disclosure: the buy link in this post is a referral link, so ZCraft Studios may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We are not affiliated with DonutSMP. The term describes a gameplay style that many servers copy. Plugin details come from the developer's documentation, last checked October 2026._ **[Get EliteSpawner on BuiltByBit](https://builtbybit.com/resources/elitespawner-ui-based-virtual-spawners.125131/?ref=662024)** ## What "DonutSMP-style" means When server owners search for a "DonutSMP spawner plugin", they usually want these features: | Feature | What players expect | | ------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | | Virtual spawners | No mobs or item drops in the world, so no lag | | Stacking | Combine many spawners into one block | | Storage menu | A GUI to take, take all or sell everything | | Selling and economy | A fast way to turn loot into money | | Boosts | Loot and experience multipliers during events | | Progression | Upgrades, levels and prestige to chase | | Safety | Ownership, trust and protection from theft | The point is to keep the feeling of a big spawner farm while removing the entities that make real farms lag. For the performance reasoning, read [Spawner Lag Fix: Virtual Spawners](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/virtual-spawners-minecraft-lag-free-spawner-farms). ## How EliteSpawner covers each feature | Gameplay feature | EliteSpawner | | ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | No lag | Fully virtual. Vanilla spawning is cancelled and no mobs or item entities are created | | Stacking | Right-click with a matching spawner, or sneak-click to add a whole stack | | Storage and selling | A paged storage menu with take, take all, sell all and optional auto-sell | | Economy | Selling through Vault, with optional ShopGUI+ or EconomyShopGUI prices, or its own prices.yml | | Boosts | /esp boost for loot, experience and rare loot, for everyone or one player | | Progression | Levels, prestige, traits and enrichment | | Experience | Goes straight to the player's XP bar | | Safety | Ownership, trust list, action log and duplication protection | | Custom content | Custom mob and item spawner types in YAML | See the [EliteSpawner Setup Guide](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/elitespawner-plugin-setup-guide) for every command and file. ## Step-by-step: build the system 1. **Start a Paper server.** See [How to Start a Minecraft Server](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/start-minecraft-server). 2. **Install EliteSpawner** and restart. See [How to Add Plugins](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/how-to-add-plugins-to-minecraft-server). 3. **Install Vault and an economy plugin** if you want selling through your server economy. See [Vault Setup](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/vault-economy-plugin-setup). 4. **Add a shop plugin** for live prices if you use one. See [ShopGUIPlus Setup](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/shopguiplus-gui-shop-setup) and [EliteSpawner Integrations](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/elitespawner-integrations-vault-shopgui-mysql). 5. **Create your spawner tiers** in `mob_spawners.yml`. See [Custom Spawner Types](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/elitespawner-custom-spawner-types-loot-tables). 6. **Set ranks and perks** with LuckPerms. See [EliteSpawner Permissions](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/elitespawner-permissions-storage-tiers-auto-sell). 7. **Decide when spawners run** (near a player, any player online, or always) in `config.yml`. 8. **Run boosts** for events with `/esp boost give`. 9. **Test as a normal player**, then open to players. ## Pick the economy around it A spawner economy lives or dies on balance: | Lever | What to tune | | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | | Loot and drop chance | How much each cycle produces | | Sell prices | Make spawner items worth less than the effort of hand-farming | | Storage capacity | Limits how long spawners earn offline | | Costs | What players pay for spawners and upgrades | Read [Planning an Economy That Lasts](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/planning-minecraft-server-economy-that-lasts) and [Designing Fair Reward Systems](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/minecraft-server-reward-systems-fair). Watch inflation for the first weeks and adjust. ## Where this style works best | Server type | Why | | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Survival SMP with an economy | Spawners become the main money loop | | Lifesteal SMP | Players farm for gear between fights. See [How to Make a Lifesteal SMP Server](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/how-to-make-a-lifesteal-smp-server) | | Skyblock | Small islands stay light. See [Planning a Skyblock Server](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/minecraft-skyblock-server-design-guide) | | Prison and economy servers | Steady loot tied to selling | ## What not to copy blindly - Do not give paying players raw earning power. Sell convenience and cosmetics. See [Cosmetics and Monetization](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/cosmetics-monetization-minecraft-server). - Test the economy on a staging copy before launch. See [Staging Environment Guide](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/minecraft-server-staging-environment-guide). - Check Mojang's commercial usage rules before selling anything. ## Add the rest of the experience A strong server around spawners also needs a good tablist, ranks and anti-abuse. See [TAB Plugin Config](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/tab-plugin-tablist-scoreboard-setup), [LuckPerms Setup](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/luckperms-ranks-setup-guide), [Best Anti-Cheat Plugins](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/minecraft-anticheat-plugins-compared) and [CoreProtect Rollback Guide](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/coreprotect-rollback-commands-guide). A ready PvP-economy base is the [ZCraft LifeSteal Server Setup](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/products/lifesteal-server-setup-teams-economy). ## Get EliteSpawner EliteSpawner is on [BuiltByBit](https://builtbybit.com/resources/elitespawner-ui-based-virtual-spawners.125131/?ref=662024) and requires Paper, Purpur or Folia. It is in early access, so back up before updating. Compare it with other options in [Best Spawner Plugins for Minecraft](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/best-spawner-plugins-minecraft-compared). ## Frequently asked questions **What plugin does DonutSMP use for spawners?** DonutSMP is a large server, and its exact setup is not public in detail. Many servers recreate the style with virtual spawner plugins. **What is a DonutSMP spawner plugin?** A search term for stackable virtual spawner plugins that copy the gameplay. **Can I make virtual spawners without lag?** Yes. Virtual spawners create no mobs or item entities. **Do I need an economy plugin?** No, but Vault lets you connect your server economy. **Is EliteSpawner free?** No, it is a paid plugin. Check the current price on the store page. ## Related reading - [EliteSpawner Plugin Setup Guide](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/elitespawner-plugin-setup-guide) - [How to Stack Spawners on a Minecraft Server](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/how-to-stack-spawners-minecraft-server) - [Best Minecraft Server Plugins by Category](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/best-minecraft-plugins-by-category) ## Continue reading - [Spawner Lag Fix: Virtual Spawners for Minecraft Servers](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/virtual-spawners-minecraft-lag-free-spawner-farms) - [EliteSpawner: Virtual Spawners Plugin Setup, Config, Commands](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/elitespawner-plugin-setup-guide) - [Protect Spawners From Theft, Dupes and Abuse](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/protect-spawners-theft-duplication-abuse) - [How to Stack Spawners on a Minecraft Server (Plugins)](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/how-to-stack-spawners-minecraft-server) [ Previous guide How to Add Plugins to a Minecraft Server: Step by Step](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/how-to-add-plugins-to-minecraft-server)[ Next guide How to Stack Spawners on a Minecraft Server (Plugins)](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/how-to-stack-spawners-minecraft-server)