How to Get Started with Modded Minecraft (Version 1.20, 1.21)?
Modded Minecraft opens up a world of endless possibilities, from advanced machinery to new mobs and structures, and sometimes completely different experiences like turning Minecraft into a full RPG. If you're new to modding Minecraft, which may be why you are here, the sheer number of options might seem overwhelming.
In this guide, we'll break down the essential modding platforms and introduce you to some of the best launchers that make managing mods and modpacks a breeze.
Introduction to Mods and Modpacks
Before diving into the various modding platforms and launchers, it's important to understand the basic concepts of mods and modpacks.
What Are Minecraft Mods?
Mods, short for modifications, are user-created content that alters or enhances the gameplay of Minecraft. They can add new features, mechanics, items, blocks, and even entirely new dimensions. Mods allow players to customize their Minecraft experience, making the game more enjoyable and tailored to their preferences. Some popular types of mods include:
- Utility Mods, or QoL (Quality of Life) mods, improve the game's interface and provide helpful tools (e.g., minimaps, inventory management).
- Content Mods: Add new items, blocks, mobs, and dimensions (e.g., new weapons, biomes, and creatures).
- Performance Mods: Enhance the game's performance and optimize it for better playability (e.g., FPS boosters, rendering improvements).
- Gameplay Mods: Change the game's mechanics and add new gameplay elements (e.g., magic systems, technology trees).
What Are Modpacks?
Modpacks are collections of mods bundled together to provide a cohesive and often themed gameplay experience. Instead of downloading and installing individual mods one by one, players can use modpacks to enjoy a curated set of mods that work well together. Modpacks are typically created by the community and can range from small packs with just a few mods to massive packs with hundreds of mods.
Some benefits of using modpacks include:
- Compatibility: Modpacks are curated to ensure that all included mods are compatible with each other, reducing the risk of conflicts and crashes.
- Ease of Use: Modpacks simplify the installation process by bundling multiple mods together, often with a pre-configured setup.
- Themed Experiences: Many modpacks are designed around specific themes or goals, such as survival challenges, technological advancements, or magical adventures.
How to Get Started with Mods and Modpacks
Getting started with mods and modpacks involves selecting a modding platform and a launcher. Modding platforms like Forge and Fabric provide the framework for mods to work, while launchers like CurseForge and ATLauncher make it easy to download, install, and manage mods and modpacks. In the sections below, we'll guide you through the best modding platforms and launchers to enhance your Minecraft experience.
TL;DR
If you've never done anything with Minecraft mods, I'd suggest you start with a major, well-designed, modpack (like Valhelsia 6, Prominence II, Better MC, or ATM9), and install it with a tool like Curseforge.
Modding Platforms Overview
Modding platforms are the backbone of any modded Minecraft setup. They provide the necessary tools to install and manage mods. Here are the primary platforms:
Forge
Forge is one of the oldest and most widely used modding platforms for Minecraft. It provides a robust framework that allows mods to work together seamlessly. It has a huge mod library, excellent compatibility, and a large community. As you hunt around for mods, you're likely to find that most mods are made on Forge.
Forge does have some downsides. It's been under development for a long time and has grown to a very large code base. Therefore, it can be resource-heavy, and sometimes mods might conflict, requiring additional troubleshooting.
Without a doubt, Forge will give you access to the widest range of mods available.
You can download and install Forge directly. First, go to the download page. Here's a link to the version for Minecraft 1.20.6. Once you manage to get through the advertising hurdles, you'll end up with a Java Jar installation file. Opening that file will present you with a simple interface to install a client or server with options of where to install it. The defaults will install Forge as an instance in your Minecraft Launcher. You can access it from the Instances menu or by clicking the down arrow next to the play button.
Fabric
Fabric is a lightweight, experimental modding toolchain. It’s known for its speed and simplicity. Because it is relatively new, it benefits from all kinds of lessons from the Forge platform. It is smaller, more efficient, modular, and is updated frequently.
This streamlined modding platform results in faster load times, better performance, and shorter times for mods to port to new versions.
This newer platform means that many modders haven't yet, or won't, adopt it. Therefore it has fewer mods available. This is changing, however, and many developers are providing Fabric ports of their mods or are writing mods exclusively for Fabric. There are certain types of mods that have for whatever reason gravitated toward Fabric. For example, many RPG-type mods have flocked to the Fabric platform and therefore many RPG-style modpacks are built on Fabric.
Download the Fabric installer from the Fabric Official Website.
Quilt
Quilt is a newer modding platform designed to be highly modular and customizable, with a focus on improving performance and compatibility.
Quilt offers improved performance, better mod compatibility, and a growing library. However, it's still relatively new, so the mod library is not as extensive as Forge.
If you’re looking for a platform that promises better performance and modularity, Quilt might be the right choice for you.
Download Quilt from the Quilt Official Website.
NeoForge
NeoForge is a newer mod loader designed to provide improved performance and stability while maintaining compatibility with existing Forge mods.
NeoForge offers enhanced performance, compatibility with Forge mods, and active development. It has a smaller mod library compared to Forge, as it's still gaining traction.
The good news is that NeoForge mods can be used on the Forge mod loader and vice versa, ensuring a seamless transition and broad compatibility.
Download NeoForge from the NeoForge Official Website.
Like I said before, unless you want full control and just want to install a a few mods, or are doing development, you likely don't need to deal with installing the mod loader platforms at all. There are many software utilities that do all of this for you, plus provide lots of tools for searching, updating, installing, Minecraft mods and modpacks. And of course there are many to choose from. Let's break them all down.
Best Minecraft Mod Launcher Apps
Manually installing and managing mods can be tedious and confusing. Specialized launchers simplify the process of downloading, installing, and managing mods, often with just a few clicks. Here’s a look at some of the best ones:
CurseForge
CurseForge is one of the most popular modding platforms, offering a vast library of mods and modpacks. It has a user-friendly interface and is integrated with Overwolf for enhanced functionality, though Overwolf can be resource-heavy. CurseForge gets a lot of hate in the modded Minecraft community because the software is heavier than others, but it remains the defacto standard.
Like the mod loaders themselves, CurseForge takes the approach of adding an instance to the Minecraft launcher, and uses the Minecrafter launcher itself to authenticate with Minecraft and actually launch Minecraft. This can feel a bit clunky and disjointed, and most of the other tools will launch Minecraft directly.
Many other mod launchers attempt to support getting mods from Curseforge
Supported Operating Systems: Windows, macOS
Download: CurseForge Website
ATLauncher
ATLauncher is a community-driven launcher known for its simplicity and large selection of modpacks. It’s easy to use and has frequent updates, though the interface can be less intuitive for beginners.
Supported Operating Systems: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: ATLauncher Website
MultiMC
MultiMC is a free, open-source launcher that allows you to manage multiple instances of Minecraft with ease. It’s highly customizable and lightweight but requires a bit more technical know-how.
Supported Operating Systems: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: MultiMC Website
Prism Launcher
Prism Launcher is a flexible, multi-platform launcher that supports both Forge and Fabric. It’s lightweight and customizable but has a smaller community and less polished interface.
Supported Operating Systems: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: Prism Launcher Website
Technic
Technic is known for its large selection of modpacks and ease of use. It offers quick access to popular modpacks and has an active community, though the interface can feel outdated.
Supported Operating Systems: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: Technic Website
GDLauncher
GDLauncher is a simple, yet powerful launcher with a sleek interface and robust features. It supports multiple instances and is under active development but has a smaller mod library compared to CurseForge.
Supported Operating Systems: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: GDLauncher Website
Modrinth App
Modrinth App is focused on providing an easy way to install and manage mods from the Modrinth platform, which is quckly growing as a mod and modpack repository to compete with Curseforge. It has a clean interface and focuses on performance but is limited to mods available on Modrinth.
Supported Operating Systems: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: Modrinth Website
Feed The Beast (FTB)
Feed The Beast (FTB) is a platform that offers a wide variety of modpacks and has its own dedicated launcher. FTB provides easy access to curated modpacks and has a user-friendly interface but can be resource-intensive.
Supported Operating Systems: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: FTB Website
BakaXL
BakaXL is a feature-rich launcher that supports a variety of Minecraft versions and modding platforms. It offers wide version support and comprehensive features but has a complex interface and is primarily in Chinese, though it is working on localization.
Supported Operating Systems: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: BakaXL Website
Which launcher app to choose?
The answer to this question depends a lot on your level of technical experience, and what you're trying to get out of it. If you just want to find a modpack to play, choose a launcher from one of the major modding repositories and communities. That's Curseforge, Modrinth, and Feed the Beast. While Modrinth is making great strides, and Feed the Beast has its own smaller and unique community, Curseforge remains the biggest platform supported by most creators.
All of the other launchers work primarily on top of those and offer a variety of additional features like managing several instances, customization, managing Minecraft logins, and more. Once you know what you're doing and understand the landscape, you may find that one of the other launcher apps fits your needs better.
Ready to Start Your Modded Minecraft Adventure?
You're now equipped with everything you need to dive into the incredible world of modded Minecraft! Here's your action plan to get started right now:
🚀 Quick Start (Recommended for Beginners)
- Download CurseForge App - Get it here
- Install one of these beginner-friendly modpacks:
- Better MC - Enhanced vanilla experience with improved graphics and QoL mods
- Valhelsia 6 - Perfect blend of tech, magic, and adventure
- All The Mods 9 (ATM9) - Kitchen sink pack with tons of content
- Prominence II - RPG-style adventure with custom progression
- Allocate 6-8GB of RAM to your modpack in the launcher settings
- Launch and explore! Don't worry about understanding everything at first
📺 Watch Me Get Started
Want to see exactly how it's done? I have step-by-step video guides for many popular modpacks on my YouTube channel. You'll see the installation process, first steps, and tips to avoid common beginner mistakes.
💡 Pro Tips for New Modded Players
- Start with one modpack and learn it well before trying others
- Use JEI (Just Enough Items) - press 'R' on any item to see recipes
- Don't be overwhelmed - focus on one mod at a time
- Join the community - most modpacks have Discord servers for help
The hardest part is taking that first step. Once you experience the magic of modded Minecraft - whether it's your first quarry automatically mining resources, casting your first spell, or seeing the game with beautiful shaders - you'll understand why millions of players can never go back to vanilla.
What are you waiting for? Your modded Minecraft adventure starts now! 🎮