The most downloaded Forge mods on Modrinth are mostly rendering fixes, libraries and map tools. Entity Culling leads at about 175.8 million downloads and still gets Forge builds, while Cloth Config API and FerriteCore rank next but have stopped Forge builds. Our Forge mods listing holds every page we list with a Forge build, and this page covers only the top of it.
How we picked these Forge mods
We started from the 319 Java mods we list with a Forge build. Modrinth download counts, read on 6 October 2026, exist for 296 of them, and we took the 12 highest. The other 23 pages come from another source and carry no count, so they are not ranked here. We did not benchmark or play-test any of these mods. Downloads favour older projects, and a count is not a quality score. Everything below comes from Modrinth project data and each project's own repository and description.
| Project | Forge status | Newest Forge build | Licence | Modrinth downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entity Culling | Current | 2026-09-21 | tr7zw Protective License | 175,808,589 |
| Cloth Config API | Stopped | 2024-12-13 | LGPL-3.0 | 174,869,884 |
| FerriteCore | Stopped | 2023-10-22 | MIT | 156,502,175 |
| ImmediatelyFast | Current | 2026-09-13 | LGPL-3.0 | 128,583,009 |
| YetAnotherConfigLib (YACL) | Stopped | 2025-03-23 | LGPL-3.0 | 127,577,777 |
| Xaero's Minimap | Current | 2026-10-05 | All rights reserved, no source repository | 114,620,990 |
| Entity Texture Features (ETF) | Current | 2026-10-04 | LGPL-3.0 | 104,690,279 |
| Architectury API | Stopped | 2024-03-19 | LGPL-3.0 | 102,872,302 |
| Xaero's World Map | Current | 2026-10-05 | All rights reserved, no source repository | 100,223,938 |
| [[EMF] Entity Model Features](/mods/entity-model-features) | Current | 2026-10-05 | LGPL-3.0 | 99,379,245 |
| Not Enough Animations | Current | 2026-09-19 | tr7zw Protective License | 89,744,050 |
| Just Enough Items (JEI) | Current, newest build is a beta | 2026-10-05 | MIT | 80,749,600 |
The 12 most downloaded Forge mods
Entity Culling
Entity Culling
@tr7zw · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Pick this if entity and block-entity rendering is costing you frames. Its creator describes asynchronous path-tracing that uses spare CPU threads to skip things you cannot see, and says it does not touch server-side mob behaviour or farms. It is client-only: the server is unsupported. The trade-off is setup. The creator says block entities that render far beyond their bounds, such as the vanilla beacon, Create pulleys and some Botania blocks, need whitelisting in the config. The licence is a custom protective one, not a standard open licence.
Cloth Config API
Cloth Config API
@shedaniel · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Cloth Config API is a config screen library, so you install it because another mod asks for it, not for its own features. Older Forge builds of Entity Texture Features are one example. The limit is plain: Forge builds of Cloth Config stopped while the Fabric and NeoForge lines carried on. On current Forge setups, check that the mod you want does not need a newer Cloth Config than Forge can get. The library is LGPL-3.0 and its source is public.
FerriteCore
FerriteCore
@malte0811 · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
FerriteCore targets memory use. Its creator reports that in one modpack it cut heap use from 1,792 MB to 984 MB, measured after generating a world and waiting two minutes, and says the saving depends on the pack. The creator also advises installing it on both client and server, since some optimisations matter on the server. Its Forge builds have stopped, so it suits older Forge setups only. Newer ones need the NeoForge or Fabric line. It is MIT licensed.
ImmediatelyFast
ImmediatelyFast
@RaphiMC · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
ImmediatelyFast batches immediate mode rendering for entities, particles, text and the HUD. Its own page says gains appear only where the CPU is the bottleneck, and that slower CPUs benefit more. It is client-required and the server is unsupported. The trade-off is compatibility: the creator lists OptiFine and OptiFabric as known incompatibilities, along with closed-source clients such as LunarClient and LabyMod. Forge builds are still being published, though the Forge range trails the Fabric and NeoForge ones.
YetAnotherConfigLib (YACL)
YetAnotherConfigLib (YACL)
@isxander · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
YACL is a builder-based config library, and its own page presents it as a replacement for Cloth Config, which it calls stale. Choose it only when a mod you want depends on it. Forge builds have stopped, and some Forge builds list Fabric API as a requirement, which is unusual and worth checking in the file's dependency list. Fabric and NeoForge builds still reach the newest game version. The licence is LGPL-3.0.
Xaero's Minimap
Xaero's Minimap
@thexaero · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
This is the Forge pick for a vanilla-looking minimap with waypoints and cave mode. It is client-required, and the server side is optional, adding features such as world identification. Its Forge builds are current. The trade-off is licensing: Modrinth lists all rights reserved and the project links no source code. The creator also warns against pairing it with XaeroPlus, calling it unaffiliated and a source of crashes. Our Xaero's Minimap guide covers using it.
Entity Texture Features (ETF)
Entity Texture Features (ETF)
@Traben · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
ETF reads OptiFine-format resource packs for random, custom and emissive entity textures, plus blinking mobs and player skin features. Pick it if you want pack features OptiFine once provided while staying on Forge. It is client-required with the server unsupported. The newest Forge build needs no other mod, but older Forge builds depend on Cloth Config API. Its creator says modded entities work only when they use vanilla rendering code.
Architectury API
Architectury API
@MaxNeedsSnacks · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Architectury API is an intermediary library that lets developers write one mod for several loaders, so players meet it as a dependency. It is required on both client and server. The limit is that Forge builds stopped, while Fabric and NeoForge builds continue. A mod that still asks for it on Forge is therefore likely tied to an older game version. It is LGPL-3.0 licensed and open source.
Xaero's World Map
Xaero's World Map
@thexaero · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
World Map adds a self-writing fullscreen map that works in singleplayer, multiplayer and Realms. It is separate from the minimap, its creator says, to keep that mod light, and the two share map textures and waypoints. It is client-required with an optional server side. Its creator asks players to optimise singleplayer worlds first, because unoptimised saves take much longer to map. Licence terms and the XaeroPlus warning match the minimap.
[EMF] Entity Model Features
[EMF] Entity Model Features
@Traben · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
EMF adds support for OptiFine's Custom Entity Models, so animation-heavy packs such as Fresh Animations work, according to its creator. The catch is a dependency: the newest Forge build requires Entity Texture Features, which is listed earlier in this roundup. It is not compatible with OptiFine or OptiFabric, and the creator names Entity Culling as a useful pairing with heavy packs. It is client-required, server unsupported.
Not Enough Animations
Not Enough Animations
@tr7zw · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
This mod brings first-person animations to the third-person view: eating, shield placement, boat rowing, climbing, crawling and more. Its creator says every feature toggles in the config screen, and that because the changes are purely visual it works on vanilla and third-party servers. It is client-required. Forge builds are current and need no other mod. The licence is the same custom protective one as Entity Culling, from the same creator.
Just Enough Items (JEI)
Just Enough Items (JEI)
@mezz · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
JEI shows items and recipes in-game, with search by mod name, tooltip and creative tab. Its description says it is built for stability and performance, and it is client and server optional. The trade-off is that the newest Forge build is marked beta and requires MezzConfig, which we have no page for. Compare it with alternatives in JEI vs REI vs EMI. The licence is MIT.
How to choose between them
The deciding fact is whether the Forge line is still alive. Four of these twelve (Cloth Config API, FerriteCore, YACL and Architectury API) have stopped Forge builds, so they fit older Forge setups or serve as dependencies. If you are choosing a loader first, read Fabric vs Forge vs NeoForge, and compare popular Fabric mods. To set one up, follow how to install Forge and NeoForge. Everything we left out is in the Forge mods listing.