Catalogue
Mod loaders
Mod loaders sit between Minecraft and the mods you install. Support below is what each project declares in its own metadata, which is also the fastest way to see who has caught up with a new Minecraft release.
Which one has the mods?
The choice is usually argued about and rarely counted. Every mod declares the loaders and versions it supports, so this is simply how many of them reach each one. On Minecraft 26.2 that is Fabric, with 6.2k mods. The order has moved: Fabric was behind Forge on 1.20.1 and is ahead of it on 26.2, which is why an older comparison can be confidently wrong.
| Loader | 26.2 | 1.21.11 | 1.21.1 | 1.20.1 | Any version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric | 6.2k | 8.9k | 12.1k | 10.8k | 15.9k |
| NeoForge | 4.1k | 5.3k | 12.0k | 10.5k | 13.5k |
| Forge | 3.2k | 4.3k | 9.7k | 12.4k | 13.7k |
| Quilt | 1.7k | 2.2k | 3.0k | 3.2k | 3.8k |
Counted from each mod’s own published metadata, not from a survey. A mod that ships for two loaders is counted under both. What the loaders actually differ on.
Legacy FabricMod loaderFabric loader and API backported to older Minecraft versions.
- Minecraft versions
- 72 versions
- Builds
- 5.2k builds
The original Minecraft modding framework. Still maintained for the 1.x line and the calendar versions, alongside its NeoForge fork.
- Minecraft versions
- 75 versions
- Builds
- 827 builds
NeoForgeMod loader26.2Mod loader and modding API forked from Minecraft Forge in 2023, now the main Forge lineage for modern Minecraft versions.
- Minecraft versions
- 21 versions
- Builds
- 230 builds
Community driven fork of Fabric with its own loader and toolchain, largely compatible with Fabric mods.
- Minecraft versions
- 436 versions
- Builds
- 48 builds
Fabric LoaderMod loader26.2Lightweight mod loader for Minecraft Java Edition. Updates to new Minecraft versions quickly and is the usual choice for performance mods.
- Minecraft versions
- 499 versions
- Builds
- 42 builds
What a mod loader does
A mod loader sits between Minecraft and the mods you install. Vanilla Minecraft cannot load a mod on its own; the loader patches the game so mods can hook into it, and it provides the shared APIs that mods are built against.
Fabric is lightweight and updates to a new Minecraft version within days. NeoForge is the larger, batteries-included lineage that most big modpacks target, forked from the original Forge in 2023. Quilt is a Fabric-compatible fork. A mod built for one loader does not run on another, so the loader you pick decides which mods you can use.
Common questions about mod loaders
Which mod loader should I use?
Use the loader your mods are built for. Fabric is fast and light and updates quickly; NeoForge is what most large modpacks target. They are not interchangeable, so check the mod before you pick.
What is the difference between Forge and NeoForge?
NeoForge is a 2023 fork of Minecraft Forge and is now the active lineage for modern versions. Forge still exists and covers the whole 1.x history. A mod usually names which one it needs.
Can I mix mods from different loaders?
No. A Fabric mod will not load on NeoForge and the other way round. Everything in one instance has to target the same loader and the same Minecraft version.
Do loaders work on a server?
Yes. You install the matching server build of the loader, then drop the same mods on the server. Client-only mods stay on the client.
Is this information wrong or missing something? .