Tool
Like vanilla, but better Minecraft shaders for a modest PC
Every shader pack carries a performance tier its own author set, and a style. Pick what your card can handle and what you want it to look like. We are not judging which is prettiest; we are reporting what the authors said.
An entry-level or older dedicated card. Real lighting without giving up playable frame rates. Keeps Minecraft looking like Minecraft. Softer light, real water, nothing you would not recognise.
Complementary Shaders - Reimagined10.7k followers · up to 26.2Preserving the elements of Minecraft with exceptional quality, detail, and performance.PowerfulMid-rangeModestAnythingIrisOptiFinereflections · shadows · bloom · volumetric light
Super Duper Vanilla2.4k followers · up to 1.21.8A shader pack created to convey the style of the cancelled Super Duper Graphics Pack and other popular Minecraft titles.ModestOptiFineIrisreflections · shadows · bloom · PBR textures
Miniature Shader1.8k followers · up to 26.2Extremely lightweight with shadows and reflectionsModestAnythingIrisOptiFinereflections · shadows · volumetric light
Shrimple1.1k followers · up to 1.21.4A simple Minecraft Java shader that attempts to maintain the vanilla aesthetic while adding optional shadows, colored lighting, and ray-tracing.PowerfulMid-rangeModestOptiFineIrisreflections · shadows · bloom · volumetric light
Visual Vibrance564 followers · up to 26.1.2An attempt at recreating the new 'Vibrant Visuals' for Iris.ModestIrisreflections · shadows · bloom
I Like Vanilla486 followers · up to 26.2A shader that improves minecraft's style instead of replacing itMid-rangeModestOptiFineIrisreflections · shadows · volumetric light
Vanilla Plus Shader484 followers · up to 1.21.4A shaderpack that gives Minecraft a modern visual overhaul while staying faithful to its original look.ModestIrisOptiFinereflections · shadows · bloom · waving foliage
Bloop Shaders476 followers · up to 26.1.2A shader aimed at maximum speed while maintaining good visuals.
Scalable from low to high end computers.PowerfulMid-rangeModestAnythingIrisOptiFinereflections · shadows · bloom · volumetric light
RenderPearl436 followers · up to 26.2Clean, high performance shaders for modern hardwarePowerfulMid-rangeModestAnythingIrisreflections · shadows · volumetric light · PBR textures
BSL Shaders - Classic352 followers · up to 1.21.9[DISCONTINUED] Shaderpack for Minecraft: Java Edition. It's oriented towards vanilla aesthetics.ModestOptiFineIrisreflections · shadows · bloom · volumetric light
Epoch345 followers · up to 1.20.2A vintage and Lo-Fi emulating shader.ModestAnythingIrisOptiFineshadows · PBR textures
CTR VCR332 followers · up to 26.2Retro stylized shader that brings artifacts from CRT and VCR / VHSModestAnythingOptiFineIrisbloom
E-LITE shaders (MakeUp edit)314 followers · up to 26.2A MakeUp - Ultra Fast shaders edit that is highly customizable, beautiful, and fast!ModestAnythingOptiFineIrisreflections · shadows · bloom · volumetric light
Pegasus Shaders259 followers · up to 1.21.11A shader that blends high performance range with new features, and lots of stylistic range!PowerfulMid-rangeModestAnythingIrisreflections · shadows · bloom · volumetric light
OPAL Shaders254 followers · up to 1.21.10OPAL Shaders is a shaderpack for Minecraft Java Edition based on BSL Shaders created by Capt Tatsu.
It aims to blend a fantasy atmosphere with natural colors and contrast while staying true to Minecraft's original style.PowerfulMid-rangeModestIrisOptiFinereflections · shadows · bloom · volumetric light
BVS - Best Vanilla Shader214 followers · up to 26.2Very Simple and Best shader for You!PowerfulMid-rangeModestAnythingIrisOptiFineshadows · PBR textures · coloured lighting · waving foliage
LIGHT Shaders169 followers · up to 26.2As light as light, as beautiful as painting.
Make you have both high FPS and good image quality.PowerfulMid-rangeModestAnythingOptiFineIrisreflections · shadows · volumetric light · waving foliage
Snowimagined146 followers · up to 1.21.6This shader transforms your game into a beautiful winter wonderland.PowerfulMid-rangeModestOptiFineIrisreflections · shadows · bloom · volumetric light
Simply Upscaled129 followers · up to 1.21.11A very Vanilla high performance shader with live Texture Upscaling/Filtering and optional shadows. Configurable subtly enhanced vanilla feel.ModestAnythingIrisOptiFineshadows · PBR textures
TAA Project129 followers · up to 26.1.2Lightweight TAA shaderpack.ModestAnythingOptiFineIris
Mello112 followers · up to 26.2Mello is a shader with high performance and great visuals.Mid-rangeModestAnythingIrisreflections · shadows · bloom · waving foliage
Cinematic Color Correction97 followers · up to 1.21.1This shader gives the game a more cinematic look by changing the color and adding a Bloom effect.Mid-rangeModestAnythingOptiFineIrisbloom
Somber89 followers · up to 1.21.10Horror minecraft shader that aims to recreate the nostalgic atmosphere of early beta / alpha versions with an eerie twist, inspired by ARGsModestAnythingIrisvolumetric light
Blocky Shader89 followers · up to 26.1.2A performant vanilla-inspired shader for Minecraft JavaModestIrisshadows · bloom · volumetric light · PBR textures
Frequently asked
Which Minecraft shader runs best on a weak PC?
232 of the shader packs we track are tagged by their own authors as running on very weak hardware, including integrated graphics. That tag is the author's own claim about their pack, not a benchmark we ran, which is why it is worth more than a top ten list somebody wrote once.
Do I need Iris or OptiFine?
One of the two, and Iris is the usual answer now: it is faster, it works alongside Sodium, and it loads packs written in the OptiFine format. OptiFine still has features nothing else replicates, so a pack built specifically for it may behave differently under Iris.
Will shaders lower my frame rate?
Yes, considerably. Shaders rewrite how the game draws light and shadow, which is expensive whatever your hardware. Running Sodium alongside Iris buys some of that cost back, which is why the two are usually installed together.
How is this list ordered?
By followers, not downloads. A shader bundled inside a popular modpack inherits that pack's download count, so downloads say more about the modpack than the shader. Nobody follows a shader pack by accident.
Installing them is a separate question: setting up Sodium and Iris covers what to install and in what order. Or browse every shader pack by Minecraft version.
Is this information wrong or missing something? .