How to Install Minecraft Mods | Forge, Fabric, Quilt, NeoForge

Adding mods to Minecraft is the fastest way to push the game past its vanilla limits. New biomes, machines, mobs, and quality-of-life tweaks all start the same way, with a mod loader and a JAR file dropped into the right folder. This guide walks through the four mainstream loaders so you can pick one and be playing modded Minecraft shortly after.

Jump to the loader you need:

• Install mods with Forge
• Install mods with Fabric
• Install mods with Quilt
• Install mods with NeoForge

How to Install Minecraft Mods With Forge

1. Pick the mod. Browse our Forge mods tag for a curated list, then download the JAR that matches your loader.

2. Install Forge. Run the Forge loader installer, choose your Minecraft version, and accept the new profile it adds to the launcher.

3. Open your Minecraft directory. In the launcher go to Installations, then click the folder icon next to the Forge profile. The game folder opens right away.

4. Find or create the mods folder. Forge usually creates it automatically. If you do not see one, make a new folder named mods inside the directory.

5. Drop the JAR in. Copy the mod file into that mods folder, launch the Forge profile, and you are done.

How to Install Minecraft Mods With Fabric

1. Pick the mod. Browse our Fabric mods tag and download the matching JAR.

2. Install Fabric Loader and Fabric API. Grab the Fabric loader and the Fabric API. Most Fabric mods depend on that API, so install both before you launch.

3. Open your Minecraft directory. From the launcher's Installations tab, click the folder icon on the Fabric profile.

4. Find or create the mods folder. If Fabric set up cleanly the folder already exists. If not, create a new one named mods.

5. Drop the JAR in. Place the mod file in the mods folder, launch the Fabric profile, and Fabric handles the rest.

How to Install Minecraft Mods With Quilt

1. Pick the mod. Browse our Quilt mods tag and download the JAR.

2. Install Quilt Loader and QFAPI/QSL. Install the Quilt loader along with Quilted Fabric API and the Quilt Standard Libraries. Most Quilt mods need QFAPI and QSL to run.

3. Open your Minecraft directory. Same move as the other loaders, open the launcher, head to Installations, and click the folder icon on the Quilt profile.

4. Find or create the mods folder. Look for it in the directory, or make a new one named mods.

5. Drop the JAR in. Place the mod file in the mods folder and start Minecraft. That is the whole process.

How to Install Minecraft Mods With NeoForge

1. Pick the mod. Browse our NeoForge mods tag. Many Forge mods also run on NeoForge, but check each mod's page before you assume compatibility.

2. Install NeoForge. The install flow mirrors Forge. Our NeoForge install guide walks through it step by step.

3. Open your Minecraft directory. Open the launcher, go to Installations, and click the folder icon on the NeoForge profile. The profile may still show a Forge label for compatibility reasons.

4. Find or create the mods folder. It should be in the directory by default. If not, create a new one named mods.

5. Drop the JAR in. Place the mod file in the mods folder and launch the profile.

Minecraft Mod Install FAQ

Which loader should I choose?

That depends on the mod. Each mod is built for a specific loader, and the mod's page tells you which one. Forge has the deepest back catalog, Fabric leans toward newer and lighter mods, Quilt runs most Fabric mods plus its own, and NeoForge is the modern successor to Forge. When in doubt, match the loader the mod asks for.

Where is the mods folder?

On Windows it lives at C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\.minecraft\mods. On macOS, open Finder, hold Option, click Go, then Library, then Application Support, minecraft, and mods. On Linux the path is ~/.minecraft/mods. The launcher's Installations tab has a folder icon that jumps you straight there.

Can I put Forge and Fabric mods in the same profile?

No. Each profile runs one loader, and mods built for that loader only. Mixing them is the most common cause of crash-on-launch. Keep a separate profile per loader and you avoid the headache.

The game crashes right after I add a mod, what now?

It is almost always a loader or dependency mismatch. Confirm the JAR matches the loader in that profile, that you installed the matching API (Fabric API for Fabric mods, QFAPI and QSL for Quilt), and that every mod in the folder is built for the same Minecraft version. Remove the newest mod and relaunch to isolate the culprit.

Do shaders use the same process?

Shaders need a shader loader such as OptiFine or Iris rather than a mod loader. The JAR still drops into the mods folder, but you pick a shader pack from inside the game's video settings.