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Best Minecraft mods (January 2025)New mobs, minimaps, performance upgrades, and more await you with our list of the best Minecraft mods for 1.21

New mobs, minimaps, performance upgrades, and more await you with our list of the best Minecraft mods for 1.21

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

One of the Nether biomes in Minecraft added by the Incendium mod.

Looking for the best Minecraft mods for 1.21?If you’re looking for the most powerful way to change your experience of Minecraft from one game to the next, mods are the answer. Minecraft’s modding community has been absolutely churning out mods for over a decade now, and we’ve got some incredible tools and game-changing overhauls to share with you today.

In the guide below, we’ll highlight40 of the best Minecraft modswe’ve ever come across - all of them compatible with the latest version of Minecraft,version 1.21. So whether you’re looking performance improvements, world generation changes, UI options, overhauled combat, new mobs, or entirely new systems like electricity, physics, and entire dimensions to explore - just keep reading, because this Minecraft mods list has something for everyone.

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Best Minecraft mods

Below is a list of40of the verybest Minecraft mods. Because everyone’s looking for something different, we’ve ordered the mods below into loose categories, from simple quality of life mods to huge world generation mods, amazing building mods, and more. In instances where these mods aren’t compatible with Minecraft 1.21, we’ve listed the required version of the game that you’ll need.

Optifine

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

The sun rises over a hilly Minecraft forest with Vanilla Plus Shaders installed.

Download:OptifineCompatible with:Forge or Fabric

Optifine is the most popular Minecraft mod in existence. It drastically increases the number of customisation options for Minecraft’s graphics and rendering, making Mojang’s notoriously un-optimised behemoth of a game surprisingly performant. It also lets you run your variousMinecraft shaders- though don’t expect that to increase your FPS. Quite the reverse.

Sodium

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

One of the Minecraft settings screens overhauled by the Sodium performance mod.

Download:SodiumCompatible with:Fabric

Sodium is a direct competitor to Optifine, and the performance-enhancing mod that I actually prefer to use. Sodium is built for use with Fabric, and offers a great many extra options for customising the look of your Minecraft world and toning down or disabling the more performance-expensive aspects of vanilla Minecraft’s graphics rendering.

Iris Shaders

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft screenshot of a landscape with BSL Shaders enabled.

Download:Iris ShadersCompatible with:Fabric

Iris Shaders is an easy way to test a wide variety of Minecraft shaders without any fuss. You’ll be able to quickly switch between shader packs on the fly via a lovely user interface that lets you control each shader pack’s settings and run them as efficiently as possible. Considering how manyincredible Minecraft shadersare out there, a mod like this is an absolute necessity.

Distant Horizons

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A sunset in Minecraft, captured using the Distant Horizons mod to extend the render distance far futher than usual.

Download:Distant HorizonsCompatible with:Forge or FabricRequires:Minecraft 1.20.2

While not yet compatible with shaders, the incredible Distant Horizons mod gives you another reason to make your jaw drop while looking out at the world that your choice ofMinecraft seedhas generated for you. Distant Horizons adds LODs (Levels Of Detail) to Minecraft, allowing the game to render even incredibly far off bits of terrain at a lower level of detail. This means you can extend your view distance to unimaginably great amounts without sacrificing performance.

Clumps

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A clump of XP orbs in Minecraft.

Download:ClumpsCompatible with:Forge or FabricRequires:Minecraft 1.20.3

Jade

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

The Jade mod for Minecraft shows the player exactly what type of block they are currently looking at.

Download:JadeCompatible with:Forge or Fabric

AppleSkin

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft player in Creative Mode hovers over a cooked porkchop in their inventory, and sees detailed hunger stats thanks to the Appleskin mod.

Download:AppleSkinCompatible with:Forge or Fabric

ItemSwapper

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

The ItemSwapper menu in the centre of the screen in Minecraft, added with the ItemSwapper mod.

Download:ItemSwapperCompatible with:FabricRequires:Fabric API, Minecraft 1.20.2

ItemSwapper is an excellent and elegant quality of life mod that’s great for builders in particular. Pressing a hotkey while holding an item or block brings up a new panel which allows you to quickly switch between different variants of that item or block. Oak Planks can suddenly became Oak Stairs or Fences or Signs. White Dye can become any other colour of Dye.Minecraft Potionscan be exchanged for one another. It’s a wonderful little mod.

Mouse Wheelie

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft player in Creative Mode uses the Mouse Wheelie mod to easily fill their hotbar with Spruce Planks.

Download:Mouse WheelieCompatible with:Fabric

Mouse Wheelie cuts down on the amount of clicking you need to do while sorting out your storage and inventory. Hover over an item in your inventory and scroll to send them up or down a slot. If you have a chest open, scrolling will move items in a stack from one inventory to the other, one item at a time. It’s a great way to introduce intuitive fine control to moving around objects in your Minecraft inventory.

InvMove

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft player runs along while the inventory is open, using the InvMove mod.

Download:InvMoveCompatible with:Forge or FabricRequires:Cloth Config,Fabric API(for Fabric), Minecraft 1.20.1

A very simple but welcome quality of life Minecraft mod, this one. InvMove allows you to continue moving around in the world even while your inventory is open. Of course you won’t be able to use your mouse to look around, but you can at least walk, run, and strafe to ensure that you’re not wasting time standing still while sorting out your inventory.

Explorer’s Compass

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

The Explorer’s Compass mod in Minecraft

Download:Explorer’s CompassCompatible with:Forge or Fabric

Nature’s Compass

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

The Nature’s Compass mod in Minecraft

Download:Nature’s CompassCompatible with:Forge or Fabric

Finding structures might be fine and dandy, but what if you want to find exactly how far you are from a biome, either to gauge where precious resources are located or simply to measure walking distance? Nature’s Compass helps you do just that. Similar to Explorer’s Compass, right-clicking opens a biome selection menu. Choose the one you’re looking for and the coordinates and distance will pop up on your screen. Nature’s Compass is compatible with all vanilla Minecraft biomes as well as modded ones, and with this handy set of handheld directions on your side, you’ll be sure to find 1.20.4’s pretty Cherry Groves in no time.

Biomes O' Plenty

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft screenshot of multiple biomes added by the Biomes O' Plenty mod.

Download:Biomes O' PlentyCompatible with:ForgeRequires:TerraBlender

There’s a reason for Biomes O' Plenty finding its way onto all the best Minecraft mods lists online: it’s damn good at what it does. This expansive mod adds a great many new biome types to Minecraft’s world generation, along with dozens of new block types, new foliage, and much more. This is an essential mod for injecting renewed life and interest into your Minecraft worlds, and giving you a reason to explore the Overworld again.

Terralith

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A bird’s eye view of a volcano biome in Minecraft, added with the Terralith mod.

Download:TerralithCompatible with:Forge or Fabric

Terralith is another incredible mod that fundamentally changes and enhances Minecraft’s vanilla world generation. Terralith adds over 100 new biomes to Minecraft worlds, from Highlands to Volcanoes and the Moonlight Grove - but the most impressive part is that, unlike Biomes O' Plenty, Terralith adds all these new biomes using just vanilla blocks! If you’re struggling to figure out which mod you’d prefer, you’re in luck - they’re both compatible with each other, so no need to choose!

Regions Unexplored

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

The Mycotoxic Undergrowth biome in Minecraft, added with the Regions Unexplored mod.

Download:Regions UnexploredCompatible with:Forge or FabricRequires:TerraBlender,Forge Config API Port(for Fabric),Fabric API(for Fabric), Minecraft 1.20.2

Regions Unexplored is a new and impressive rival to the other two world generation mods on this list. At the time of writing it has just 30,000-odd downloads, but it offers over 70 new biome types, from real-life examples like Maple Forests and Redwoods to the more mystical Prismachasm and Mycotoxic Undergrowth. If you’re getting a bit familiar with the Biomes Of Plenty or Terralith biomes, Regions Unexplored is one to check out.

When Dungeons Arise

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

When Dungeons Arise Minecraft mod

Download:When Dungeons AriseCompatible with:Forge

When Dungeons Arise is a neat mod that scatters intricate dungeon structures all across your world, challenging you to plunder the dark depths and defeat any mobs lying within. If you like combat alongside a bit of randomly generated dungeon crawling in your Minecraft world, then this is the mod for you, and it’s quite a thrill to wander the vistas of your map only to discover a breathtaking temple or palace right around the corner.

Wilder Wild

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft biome of tall birch trees added with the Wilder Wild mod.

Download:Wilder WildCompatible with:FabricRequires:Cloth Config,Fabric API

BetterCombat

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Warden attacking a player in the Deep Dark biome in Minecraft.

Download:BetterCombatCompatible with:Forge or FabricRequires:Cloth Config,Player Animator, Minecraft 1.20.2

BetterCombat does what its name suggests: enhances Minecraft’s combat system in almost every way. Rather than adding lots of new weapons like other combat mods, BetterCombat focuses on changing animations, allowing dual wielding of different weapons, and using accurate collision detection on each blade to make the feel of every blow much more natural and intuitive.

Alex’s Mobs

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A bald eagle catches a fish on the coast in a Minecraft world with the Alex’s Mobs mod enabled.

Download:Alex’s MobsCompatible with:ForgeRequires:Citadel, Minecraft 1.20.1

If you want to populate Minecraft’s vast worlds with some more interesting wildlife, the go-to choice is Alex’s Mobs. This mod adds nearly 90 new mobs to the game, most of them real life creatures such as elephants, tigers, skunks, and more - but some of which are fantastical creatures like the Skelewag, Tusklin, and Enderiophage. Alex’s Mobs breathes new life into Minecraft in a way that few other mods achieve.

Aquaculture 2

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A player in Minecraft fishes in a lake. Between the bobber and the player, a v-shaped set of particles indicates the presence of a fish.

Download:Aquaculture 2Compatible with:Forge

A great many players enjoyfishing in Minecraft. It might not be your favourite activity, but one thing we can all agree on is how it’s a little disappointing that each body of water contains all the same fish as every other. Aquaculture 2 is a lovely fishing mod which adds over 30 new biome-specific fish to Minecraft, encouraging exploration if you want to become a true fisherman.

Brutal Bosses

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

Corvin The Rotten, a Minecraft zombie boss added with the Brutal Bosses mod.

Download:Brutal BossesCompatible with:ForgeRequires:Minecraft 1.20.1

Brutal Bosses gives you a variety of more challenging enemies in the form of named bosses which inhabit dungeons and other structures in Minecraft worlds. These bosses are modelled after ordinary mobs, but they’re far more powerful and have access to unique abilities, like Arag The Lurker - a Cave Spider who spits cobwewbs and spawns more spiders to help it fight.

Nyf’s Spiders

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

Several spiders clinging to the side of a Minecraft birch tree using the Nyf’s Spiders mod.

Download:Nyf’s SpidersCompatible with:FabricRequires:Minecraft 1.20.1

Speaking of spiders - if you’re an arachnophobe you might want to steer clear of Nyf’s Spiders, a horrifying but ingenious mod which allows Minecraft’s spiders to attach to any surface, even walls and ceilings. When you see an army of spiders crawling towards you upside down along the ceiling, you might question why you installed this mod, but there’s no denying Nyf’s Spiders is one of the best mob-focused mods out there at the moment.

WorldEdit

Image credit:JINTUBE on YouTube

A modern house in Minecraft, built by YouTuber JINTUBE.

Download:WorldEditCompatible with:Forge or Fabric

WorldEdit is the ultimate building and construction tool for Minecraft, full stop. With a tremendously powerful series of different commands and tools available to you inCreative Mode, WorldEdit is all but necessary for the timely creation of vastMinecraft builds, from adventure maps to colossal structures and landscapes. Using customMinecraft commandsyou can create, copy, and paste different blueprints, fill areas, and much more.

Effortless Building

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A radial build menu in Minecraft added with the Effortless Building mod.

Download:Effortless BuildingCompatible with:ForgeRequires:Minecraft 1.20.1

Chisels and Bits

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A fountain creation in Minecraft made using the Chisels And Bits mod.

Download:Chisels and Bits (Forge),Chisels and Bits (Fabric)Compatible with:Forge or FabricRequires:Fabric API(for Fabric), Minecraft 1.20.1

Macaw’s Bridges

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A bridge over a ravine in Minecraft, made using the Macaw’s Bridges mod.

Download:Macaw’s BridgesCompatible with:Forge or Fabric

JourneyMap

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A top-down map view of a Minecraft world, rendered using the JourneyMap mod.

Download:JourneyMapCompatible with:Forge or Fabric

Available only for Forge, JourneyMap is a frankly astoundingMinecraft mapmod which lets you map your world in real-time and then view your map either in full-screen or as a minimap in-game; or, best of all, in a web browser window while you play! Nothing quite beats playing Minecraft on one screen and then on another screen seeing a map of your world update in real-time beside you.

Immersive Portals

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft player looks through a portal in the Overworld and sees the Nether through it, thanks to the Immersive Portals mod.

Download:Immersive Portals (Forge),Immersive Portals (Fabric)Compatible with:Forge or FabricRequires:Fabric API(for Fabric), Minecraft 1.19.3 (for Forge)

Immersive Portals is a simple idea, brilliantly and impressively executed. Instead of having to go through a loading screen when travelling from the Overworld to the Nether and vice versa, the moment you light aNether portalyou can see through to the other side, and step through seamlessly. It’s an incredible accomplishment when you think about it, and certainly adds to the immersion while exploring new dimensions in Minecraft.

Incendium

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

One of the Nether biomes in Minecraft added by the Incendium mod.

Download:IncendiumCompatible with:Forge or Fabric

Incendium completely revamps the Nether in Minecraft, adding 8 new Nether-specific biomes and 9 new Nether structures - and it also populates them with a vast array of new mob types and items to encourage exploration in one of the most dangerous environments in the game. It does all this with a fairly light touch; all the new biomes are made using just vanilla blocks, just like in Terralith.

BetterEnd

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

One of the End biomes in Minecraft added by the BetterEnd mod.

Download:BetterEndCompatible with:FabricRequires:BCLib,Fabric API

Considering it’s meant to be one of the final frontiers for late-game Minecraft players, the vanillaEnd dimensionisn’t particularly interesting. It’s just a home for the Dragon. But with BetterEnd, it most definitely becomes a place worth exploring, with over 20 new biomes, various new mobs and blocks, and whole new systems like Infusion Rituals, which can summon powerful and unique enchanted books into the world.

The Twilight Forest

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A rainbow tree forest at night from the Twilight Forest mod in Minecraft.

Download:The Twilight ForestCompatible with:ForgeRequires:Minecraft 1.20.2

The Twilight Forest is a very popular and impressive mod which adds an entirely new dimension: the titular Twilight Forest. Once you craft the required portal out of flowers and diamond, you can jump through into a brand new fantastical world filled with dozens of new biomes, structures, mobs both passive and hostile, and much more. It’s truly breathtaking - though it doesn’t play nice with Optifine, so you’ll have to pick one or the other.

Physics Mod

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft pig in a desert, upside down with the ragdoll effects from the Physics Mod enabled.

Download:Physics ModCompatible with:Forge or FabricRequires:Fabric API(for Fabric)

Sometimes Minecraft mods just look like April Fools' jokes. I mean, how can you have proper physics in Minecraft? How can you have blocks which break into pieces, Minecraft mobs with accurate rogdolls, and caves which collapse naturally? But that’s exactly what the Physics Mod does, and the effects are quite spectacular.

Applied Energistics 2

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A meteorite from Minecraft’s Applied Energistics 2 mod, superimposed over a Minecraft jungle landscape.

Download:Applied Energistics 2Compatible with:Forge or Fabric

Applied Energistics 2 is a massive Minecraft overhaul mod which introduces a dizzying amount of new content, mechanics, blocks, items, and things to do. The focus is primarily on utilising a new resource - energy - and using it to power a great many new activities which can help automate things like crafting, as well as introducing new opportunities for exploration and combat.

Dragon Enchants

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft player uses one of the enchantments added with the Dragon Enchants mod to smite some spiders.

Download:Dragon EnchantsCompatible with:ForgeRequires:Minecraft 1.19.3

Dragon Enchants overhauls the vanilla enchantments of Minecraft, offering 17 new fantasy-themed enchantments for weapons, armour, and tools. Use Chain Lightning to deal damage to groups, or Detonate to make your arrows explode on contact. You can even save yourself from a would-be-fatal hit with the Eternal enchantment, as long as you have enough food in reserve to keep yourself alive. The vanilla enchantments really do feel uninspired in comparison.

Trainguy’s Animation Overhaul

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft player with their back to the camera waves their diamond sword over their head.

Download:Trainguy’s Animation OverhaulCompatible with:FabricRequires:Fabric API, Minecraft 1.19.3

Trainguy’s Animation Overhaul can’t be found on CurseForge, but don’t let that put you off. This clever mod competely replaces most of the animations in Minecraft, with a particular focus on the player’s first-person and third-person animations. Everything from running and jumping to swimming and swinging weapons has had its animations enhanced in subtle but meaningful ways.

Sound Physics Remastered

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

The interior of a hollow mountain in Minecraft, filled with stalactites and Lush Caves flora.

Download:Sound Physics RemasteredCompatible with:Forge or FabricRequires:Cloth Config,ModMenu(for Fabric)

Presence Footsteps

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A wolf stands next to a body of water and looks up at the player in Minecraft.

Download:Presence Footsteps (Forge),Presence Footsteps (Fabric)Compatible with:Forge or FabricRequires:Minecraft 1.20.1

Presence Footsteps is another audio mod which adds a great many new footstep sounds to Minecraft which play depending on the exact surface you’re walking or running across at the time. This again adds a degree of immersion that we’ve never experienced before in vanilla Minecraft. Tall grass rustles as you push through it; walking over sandstone clops, and trodding over dirt or sand makes a more subtle dusty splashing noise. It’s awesome.

ImmersiveMC

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft player crafts a diamond hoe on top of a crafting table using the ImmersiveMC mod.

Download:ImmersiveMCCompatible with:Forge or FabricRequires:Architectury API,Forge Config API Port(for Fabric),Fabric API(for Fabric), Minecraft 1.20.2

GraveStone Mod

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

Two gravestones in Minecraft side-by-side on some grassland, as part of the Gravestone Mod.

Download:GraveStone ModCompatible with:Forge

Waystones

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A teleporting waystone in Minecraft, made possible using the Waystones mod.

Download:Waystones (Forge),Waystones (Fabric)Compatible with:Forge or FabricRequires:Balm(for Forge),Balm(for Fabric)

Comforts

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

An orange hammock strung between two trees in Minecraft, made using the Comforts mod.

Download:ComfortsCompatible with:Forge or FabricRequires:Minecraft 1.20.2

And with that, I think we’ll wrap up this Minecraft mods discussion. That’s quite a hefty array of mods to be getting on with anyway - some of which quite significantly change the game, but most of which simply make Minecraft a little easier and more pleasant to get along with. If you want to change the look of your Minecraft game more than the way it plays, then take a look at our list ofthe best Minecraft texture packsor our guide to thebest Minecraft shaders. If you’re looking for building inspiration, we have a list of thebest things to build in Minecraft, the ultimatehouse ideasguide and lists for bothcastle ideasandtower ideas. We also have a guide to thebest seeds for JavaandBedrockif you’re looking for the perfect spot to build your new home.