How to install Minecraft mods on Java
Published on 5 October 2026
To install Minecraft mods on Java, you need a mod loader: install Fabric or NeoForge, drop the mods’ .jar files into the mods folder and launch the game with the loader’s profile. If you play together on a server, the server runs the same loader and every mod that changes the game, while mods that only make things look nicer stay on your own PC.
Below you’ll find the steps, where to get mods safely and how to play a modpack with friends. This is the state of play in early October 2026, with Minecraft Java 26.3. Mods are a Java thing: on Bedrock (consoles, phones and the Windows app) you use add-ons instead. The differences between the two are in Minecraft Java vs Bedrock.
Fabric or NeoForge: which should you pick?
A mod only runs on one loader. Its download page tells you which loader it needs and which Minecraft version it’s for. So choose your mods or modpack first, then install the loader that goes with them.
| Loader | Good to know | For 26.3 |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric | Lightweight and usually quick to support new versions. Most mods also need Fabric API. | Stable |
| NeoForge | Split off from Forge in 2023. Many big modpacks run on it. | Still in beta, stable for 26.2 |
| Forge | Still around, mostly for older modpacks. | Builds available, no recommended version yet |
Not sure which to use for a handful of mods? Start with Fabric. A big modpack picks the loader for you. We compare them in more depth in choosing Minecraft server software.
How to download mods safely
A mod is software running on your computer, so where it comes from matters. According to the Fabric team, most authors publish on Modrinth and CurseForge, and both sites check that a mod is what it claims to be.
- Check the version. A mod built for 1.21.1 won’t simply work on 26.3, and a Fabric mod won’t run on NeoForge.
- Check what else it needs. The mod page lists its dependencies, such as Fabric API.
- Avoid random download sites. Plenty of sites claim to offer mods and actually spread malware. A virus scanner helps, but Fabric warns you not to rely on it completely.
- Back up first. NeoForge recommends copying your world before you update mods or the loader. Your worlds live in the
savesfolder.
How to install a mod, step by step
These steps use Fabric and the official Minecraft Launcher on Windows. NeoForge is almost the same: download its installer from the NeoForged website and choose Install client.
- Close Minecraft and the launcher.
- Install Fabric. Grab the Windows installer from fabricmc.net; it uses the Java that comes with the launcher. Pick your Minecraft version, leave Create Profile ticked and click Install.
- Download your mods. For each one, choose the file for your Minecraft version and for Fabric, and don’t forget Fabric API.
- Put them in the mods folder. Paste
%appdata%\.minecraft\modsinto the address bar of File Explorer. No folder yet? Launch the Fabric profile once first. - Play. Select the Fabric profile in the launcher and start the game.
The CurseForge app and the Modrinth App save you the folder hunt. In the CurseForge app you create a profile with a Minecraft version and a loader, then click Install on any mod. A separate profile per set of mods is a good habit anyway; NeoForge recommends it so your regular Minecraft stays clean.
Playing a modpack with friends
A modpack is a fixed set of mods with settings tuned to work together. The official launcher can’t install one by itself, which is what launchers such as the CurseForge app, the Modrinth App, Prism Launcher, ATLauncher and the FTB App are for.
The golden rule: everyone plays exactly the same version of the pack. Put together your own set? The CurseForge app can export your profile, so your friends get identical mods. Running the pack on a server is covered in a modpack server with friends.
Mods on your own server
On a server, the question for each mod is: does it belong with the players, the server or both? Modrinth shows this on every mod page under Supported environments.
| Kind of mod | Your PC | Server |
|---|---|---|
| New blocks, mobs or dimensions | Yes | Yes |
| Visuals and frame rate, like Sodium and Iris | Yes | No |
| Server optimisation, like Lithium | Optional | Yes |
On a CakeHosting Minecraft server you handle most of it in the game panel:
- Versions: choose Fabric, NeoForge or Forge and your Minecraft version. The server picks the right Java version by itself.
- Mods: search Modrinth and install a mod into the
modsfolder with one click. - Modpacks: install a pack from Modrinth, CurseForge or Feed The Beast, among others, with the right loader included.
- File managers or SFTP: for a mod you downloaded somewhere else.
Plugins and mods don’t mix: Paper runs plugins, Fabric and NeoForge run mods. The full walkthrough is in install mods and modpacks on your server, and how much RAM a Minecraft server needs helps you size a big pack. Only after prettier graphics? That’s shaders, and they belong on your own PC: how to install Minecraft shaders.
Modding with friends? On your own Minecraft server the modpack keeps running when you log off, and you switch loader or version yourself in the game panel. Plans start at €4.95 per month. See the Minecraft plans.
