How to Install Minecraft Mods (Java Edition)

Ten minutes, zero cost, no sketchy sites.

1. Pick your loader

• Fabric - the standard for performance mods (Sodium, Lithium, Iris) and vanilla-plus content. Light and fast to update on new versions.
• NeoForge - the modern successor of Forge. Home of most big content mods (Create, Mekanism, Botania). Use it when the mod you want requires it.
• Forge - the old classic. Still around, but most active development moved to NeoForge. Only pick it for old modpacks.
• Check the mod page: it always says which loader it needs. Fabric and NeoForge mods cannot be mixed.

2. The easy way: Modrinth App

1. Download the Modrinth App from modrinth.com (free, open source).
2. Create an instance: pick your Minecraft version and loader (Fabric or NeoForge).
3. Browse the built-in mod catalog and click Install - versions and dependencies resolve automatically.
4. Press Play. The app keeps your modded instance separate from vanilla.

3. The manual way

1. Download the loader installer from the official site (fabricmc.net or neoforged.net) and run it - it adds a profile to your launcher.
2. Launch that profile once, then close the game. This creates the mods folder.
3. Find the folder: in the Minecraft Launcher, Installations → hover your profile → folder icon. Or %appdata%\.minecraft\mods on Windows, ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/mods on Mac.
4. Drop the mod .jar files in. On Fabric you almost always also need Fabric API - it is a mod like any other.
5. Launch and open the Mods menu to confirm everything loaded.

4. If the game crashes on startup

• Version mismatch is the cause 90% of the time: check that every mod lists your exact game version.
• Missing dependency: read the crash screen - it names the missing mod (usually Fabric API or a library).
• Remove half the mods, test, repeat - you will find the conflicting one in a few rounds.