How Do You Install Minecraft Mods?
If you’ve ever dipped into the world of Minecraft mods, you’ve probably come across the terms Forge and Fabric. Both are mod loaders that let you expand Minecraft with extra content, features or optimizations. But how do they differ, and which one should you use? Let’s take a look.
Forge – The Classic for Modding
Forge has been around for many years, and it's the oldest and most widely used mod loader for Minecraft. Many big mods you may know, such as *Thaumcraft* or *Biomes O' Plenty*, are built on Forge. Forge is very stable, supports extensive modding APIs and offers lots of tools for mod developers. The downside: Forge can sometimes feel heavier, and updates take longer because the developers have to account for a lot of compatibility.
Fabric – Lightweight, Fast Modding
Fabric is the newer alternative and was designed to be especially lightweight and fast. It's ideal if you want to install a large number of mods or care about performance. Fabric has a modular design, which means mods are often smaller and can be updated more quickly. The downside: there are still fewer big mods for Fabric, and some complex mods are only available for Forge.
The Differences at a Glance
- Compatibility: Forge has a larger modding community and more “big” mods, while Fabric gets updated faster.
- Performance: Fabric is often lighter on resources and faster.
- Installation: Forge can be more complex; Fabric is leaner and easier to set up.
- Development: Forge is more extensive for developers; Fabric allows faster updates and experimental mods.
| Feature | Fabric | Forge |
|---|---|---|
| Mod compatibility | Lightweight, lots of small mods | Broad mod ecosystem, including big mods |
| Performance | Fast, short loading times | Somewhat slower with many mods |
| API & developer-friendliness | Modern, easy to use | Extensive, sometimes more complex |
| Community & support | Growing, active community | Large, established community |
| Updates & versions | Quick updates after Minecraft releases | Updates usually take longer |
| Modding goal | Small tweaks, optimizations | Large modpacks, in-depth changes |
CurseForge and Modrinth Mods
CurseForge and Modrinth are apps where you can install a huge number of mods, plugins, shaders and more. They serve as central platforms where developers upload their mods and players can easily download them. Both apps offer a user-friendly interface, so you can add mods straight to your Minecraft profile without having to go through complicated manual installations.
CurseForge is especially well known for its huge selection of mods and its integration with the popular Minecraft Launcher. Many big, well-known mods are available here, and the community is very active. Modrinth, on the other hand, is a newer platform that focuses heavily on modern features, fast updates and a lean, clear user interface. It’s especially well suited to Fabric mods, but it’s also interesting for Forge mods.
The most popular mods on Modrinth
The list below shows which mods are being downloaded the most right now. At the top you’ll usually find building blocks rather than content mods: the Fabric API (285.2M downloads) is a library that a huge number of Fabric mods require. Sodium (250.6M) gives you more frames per second, and Iris (194.3M) loads shaders. The “Works with” column tells you whether a mod is available for Fabric, Forge or NeoForge.
| Rank | Project | Downloads | Δ 30 days | Followers | Latest Minecraft version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fabric API Fabric | 285.2M | +6.74M +2.4% | 37K #2 by followers | 26.3 |
| 2 | Sodium Fabric, NeoForge, Quilt | 250.6M | +5.42M +2.2% | 42K #1 by followers | 26.3 |
| 3 | Iris Shaders Fabric, NeoForge, Quilt | 194.3M | +3.90M +2.0% | 30K #3 by followers | 26.3 |
| 4 | Entity Culling babric, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, Quilt | 187.2M | +4.84M +2.7% | 18K #8 by followers | 26.3 |
| 5 | Cloth Config API Fabric, Forge, NeoForge | 183.4M | +3.67M +2.0% | 17K #9 by followers | 26.3 |
| 6 | FerriteCore Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, Quilt | 164.9M | +3.55M +2.2% | 17K #11 by followers | 26.3 |
| 7 | Mod Menu Fabric, Quilt | 159.3M | +3.59M +2.3% | 28K #4 by followers | 26.3 |
| 8 | Lithium Fabric, NeoForge, Quilt | 140.6M | +3.22M +2.3% | 24K #5 by followers | 26.3 |
| 9 | ImmediatelyFast Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, Quilt | 136.2M | +3.26M +2.5% | 12K #15 by followers | 26.3 |
| 10 | YetAnotherConfigLib (YACL) Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, Quilt | 134.2M | +2.84M +2.2% | 9,795 #20 by followers | 26.3 |
As of: October 21, 2026 · Sorted by total downloads, updated automatically every day.
Only ever download mods from Modrinth, CurseForge or the project’s original page. That goes double for viral trends like Minecraft in GTA and other AI mashups, which quickly attract fake download sites.
Conclusion
If you want stability and a large selection of mods, Forge is the right choice. But if you care about performance, fast updates and easy installation, Fabric might suit you better. Many players even use both loaders, depending on which mods they want to install.
In the end, it comes down to your priorities: do you want the full mod experience or a fast, lightweight setup? With this knowledge, you can now make an informed decision about which platform is best for your Minecraft adventure.