Forge vs Fabric vs NeoForge vs Quilt: Which to Choose

A mod loader is the layer between Minecraft and your mods: it's what loads the jar files from the mods folder and lets them change the game. There are four main loaders, and mods for one usually don't work on another. So choosing a loader is really choosing which mods you'll be able to install.

Each one in brief

Forge

The oldest and best known. Mods were released for Forge back on very old game versions, so classic modpacks on 1.7.10, 1.12.2 or 1.16.5 are mostly Forge. Many big mods — tech, magic, new dimensions — have historically lived here.

Choose it if you play on an older version or the mod or modpack you want is only released for Forge.

NeoForge

A fork of Forge that appeared in 2023. On 1.20.1 it's still almost identical to Forge, but from newer versions on it develops separately. Quite a few big mods on recent game versions are now released for NeoForge.

Choose it for modern versions, if your mods have a NeoForge build.

Fabric

A lightweight loader that updates quickly for new game versions — often within the first few days after a release. It has lots of performance mods and “vanilla-plus” improvements. Most Fabric mods need the Fabric API library.

Choose it if you want the latest game version, a lightweight instance or FPS mods.

Quilt

A fork of Fabric. Its main advantage is that Quilt runs most Fabric mods, so the choice of mods is almost the same. In TCLauncher, the catalogue for a Quilt instance shows both Quilt and Fabric mods.

Choose it if the mod you want specifically requires Quilt, or you simply like the project.

How to choose: three questions

1. Which mods do you want? Open the mod's page in the catalogue — it lists the loaders it's released for. If your mods come from different “camps”, you'll have to choose.
2. Which game version? For old versions the only option is often Forge; on new ones all four are available.
3. Do you need shaders? In TCLauncher, MCL Shader shaders based on Iris install into instances with Fabric, Quilt or NeoForge — they aren't available for Forge.

Not sure? Start with a modpack: it brings the right game version and loader with it.

How TCLauncher installs loaders

You don't need to download anything separately: “Instances” → “New instance”, pick the game version, the loader and its version — the “recommended” label points to a stable one. If the loader doesn't support the chosen game version, the launcher will tell you.

• Fabric and Quilt install instantly — from the projects' official meta servers.
• Forge up to 1.12.2 — the launcher takes the files it needs straight from the official installer.
• Forge from 1.13 and NeoForge — the launcher runs the official installer, which prepares the client itself.

The launcher also downloads the right Java version itself. All four loaders support mods from the catalogue, rooms for playing with friends, and offline-name skins via MCL Skin (from 1.14). How to install mods next: how to install mods in Minecraft.

Can I change the loader later?

Mods for one loader won't run on another, so it's easier to create a new instance alongside with a different loader and install mods there. Each instance has its own mods folder and its own worlds, so experiments won't touch your main game. If a mod doesn't fit an instance, it gets the “not for this version” label in the “Mods” tab, and the catalogue only shows what will run on the selected instance's version and loader in the first place.

What about Paper and Purpur?

These aren't mod loaders but server cores. They speed up the server and accept plugins, and players join with a regular vanilla client. In TCLauncher you can pick them in the “Server” tab, but not for a client instance. Likewise, Arclight and Cardboard are server platforms, so they don't run as a client.

Download TCLauncher — it's free, and the first launch takes just a few minutes.