Minecraft server with mods: Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and modpacks

Mods change the game completely: new dimensions, machines, magic, mobs or just more FPS.

The hard part isn't installing a mod. It's making sure the server and every player have the exact same ones, on the same versions. Here's how it works and how Picoserver handles it for you.

Fabric, Forge or NeoForge: pick your loader

Minecraft has no official mod support. You need a mod loader installed on top of the game.

The golden rule: every mod is built for one loader and one game version. A Fabric mod won't load on Forge, and one made for 1.20.1 won't load on 1.21.1. That's why in Picoserver every world has its own version and loader, chosen when you create it:

Going for a specific modpack or mod? Pick what it asks for. Every entry in our modpacks and mods directories tells you which loaders and versions it works with.

Just want "a few mods"? First check that they all exist for the same loader and the same version.

Later you can upgrade the world to a newer version (the panel saves a backup first). Downgrading isn't possible: Minecraft can't open worlds saved in a newer version.

Install mods in one click from Modrinth

Modrinth is an open platform for mods, modpacks and resource packs. The panel has its catalog built in, already filtered for your world.

Search by name or category (adventure, tech, magic, storage, performance…), pick the mod and the panel takes care of the rest:

• It picks the latest version of the mod for your loader and Minecraft version (stable or, if there isn't one, beta).
• It installs the required dependencies. Lots of mods need other mods or libraries to work; you don't have to hunt them down.
• It downloads the files to the server and checks they're identical to the ones published on Modrinth.

Looking for ideas? Browse the most popular server mods: we tell you whether each one goes on the server, on the players or both, and which versions it supports.

Which mods go on the server and which go on your PC

Not every mod goes in the same place. Modrinth marks each one as client, server or both:

When you add a mod, the panel suggests the right place: "Server and players", "Server only" or "Players only".

"Players only" mods don't run on the server, but they do go in the modpack. That way everyone gets the same experience.

Your friends install everything with one file

From the panel's Modpack section, any player with access can download the world's modpack as a .mrpack (Modrinth's open modpack format).

It includes the exact mod list (with a hash to verify each file), the Minecraft version and the world's loader. No guesswork.

With the Modrinth App or Prism Launcher (easiest)

1. Install the Modrinth App or Prism Launcher.
2. Download the .mrpack from the panel.
3. In the launcher, use the Import option and pick the file. The launcher installs the right Minecraft version, the loader (Fabric, Forge or NeoForge) and every mod.
4. Open that profile and join the server with its address.

With the official launcher

It works too, it's just more manual. The panel gives you the installer for the world's loader (on Forge and NeoForge, choose "Install client") and a .zip with the mods.

You copy the .jar files into Minecraft's mods folder and open the profile the installer created. That's why we recommend launchers that import .mrpack files.

Play famous modpacks or build your own

In the panel, your modpack builds itself from the mods you pick for each world.

Want to recreate a famous modpack? Create the world with its loader and version, check its mod list and add them from the catalog.

In our modpacks for your server directory you'll see, for the most downloaded modpacks on Modrinth, which loader and version to create the world with, how many mods they include and which server size fits best.

A server can have multiple worlds, each with its own version, loader and mods. For example: a vanilla world on the latest version for everyday play and another with a Forge 1.20.1 modpack for the weekend. You switch between them from the panel.

How much RAM your modded server needs

It mostly depends on how many mods there are and how much of the world has been explored. As a starting point:

• Small (4 GB): vanilla or up to about 40 light mods, 2 to 4 players.
• Medium (8 GB): 40 to 150 mods, or groups of up to about 8 people.
• Large (16 GB): more than 150 mods, heavy tech modpacks or lots of players.

Lagging while exploring or seeing chunks load slowly? Bump up the size from the panel; your world stays the same. Check what each size costs on the pricing page.

Bonus tip: lowering the view distance in the server settings (server.properties) helps a lot with big modpacks.