How do I install mods on my Minecraft server?
How to install mods on your Minecraft server: switch your server to Fabric in the client portal, add Fabric API and upload your mods.
By Hermie Updated
Mods run on a server with a mod loader. The easiest way with us is Fabric: you switch your server to Fabric on the Reinstall tab in the client portal and put your mods in the mods folder. Mods only work if players have the same mods in their own Minecraft.
Plugins or mods?
Plugins (for Paper, Purpur and Spigot) only run on the server; players do not need to install anything. Mods change the game itself and usually have to be installed by players too. If you only want extra features such as commands or a whitelist, look at plugins first.
What you need
- A plan that includes mods. You can see which plans do on the Minecraft plans.
- Mods made for the same Minecraft version and the same mod loader (Fabric, Forge or NeoForge). A Forge mod does not work on Fabric and vice versa.
Install Fabric
Make a backup first
Switching server type can change your world. Make a backup first; you can also do that in the wizard.
- Log in to my.planetnode.net, open your Minecraft service and go to the Reinstall tab.
- At 1. Type, choose Fabric, and at 2. Version your Minecraft version.
- At 3. Backup, make a backup and tick the warning box.
- At 4. Confirm, click Reinstall. Your server then starts on Fabric by itself.
Read more about the wizard in How do I change the version of my Minecraft server?
Add mods
- Stop your server.
- Download your mods, for example from Modrinth or CurseForge. Filter on your Minecraft version and on Fabric.
- Also download Fabric API; most Fabric mods need it.
- Upload the
.jarfiles to themodsfolder. If the folder does not exist yet, start your server once or create it with Create Directory. Uploading many mods at once is fastest with SFTP. - Start your server.
Client-only mods
Mods that only change what you see, such as shaders, minimaps or performance mods for your own PC, do not belong on the server. The mod page usually says whether a mod goes on the server, the client or both.
Check
During startup the console shows a line like Loading 12 mods, followed by the names of your mods. If the server crashes, the console shows which mod causes the problem.
Forge or NeoForge
Forge and NeoForge aren't a separate server type you can choose. You put a modpack on Forge or NeoForge on your server with the modpack installer; see How do I install a modpack on my Minecraft server? If you want individual Forge or NeoForge mods without a modpack, open a ticket and we'll look at it with you.
Let players join
Players install the same mod loader and the same mods in their own Minecraft, for example with the Modrinth App or the CurseForge app. Then they join as usual.
Did this article help you?
Related articles
How do I install a modpack on my Minecraft server?
How to put a modpack on your Minecraft server with the modpack installer in the game panel: CurseForge, Modrinth, Feed The Beast and more.
How do I change the version of my Minecraft server?
How to switch Minecraft version or server type through the Reinstall tab in the client portal. Your world and plugins stay in place.
Why can't I connect to my Minecraft server?
Cannot connect to your Minecraft server? Go through the most common causes: server off, wrong address, different version, whitelist or mods.
How do I set up a play. address for my Minecraft server?
How to give your Minecraft server an easy address: a subdomain in the game panel, or play.yourdomain.com with an SRV record on your own domain.