The most downloaded multiplayer mods on Modrinth are Simple Voice Chat for proximity voice, No Chat Reports for chat signing and Essential Mod for hosting a world for friends. They split by what they ask of the server, and the table below shows each one's side. Every pick is a Java Edition mod, and our Java mod listing holds everything we left out.
How we picked these multiplayer mods
We chose from 21 Social-category Java mods in our catalogue, ordered by Modrinth downloads read on 6 October 2026, and list ten of them. Modern UI and Smooth Scrolling, which rank seventh and tenth by downloads, are not among the picks. We did not benchmark or play-test any of them. Downloads favour older projects, and a count is not a score.
| Mod | Current loaders | Side on Modrinth | Downloads on Modrinth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Voice Chat | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, Quilt, plus Bukkit, Spigot and Paper plugins | Client optional, server optional | 72,039,487 |
| No Chat Reports | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge (Quilt stopped at 1.19.4) | Client optional, server optional | 59,128,765 |
| Chat Heads | Fabric, NeoForge, Forge (to 1.21.4) | Client required, server unsupported | 50,245,340 |
| Essential Mod | Fabric (to 26.3), Forge and NeoForge (to 1.21.8) | Client required, server unsupported | 45,900,915 |
| e4mc | Fabric, NeoForge, Quilt, Forge (to 1.20.6) | Client required, server required | 24,757,645 |
| Chat Animation | Fabric, NeoForge, Quilt, Forge (to 1.21.10) | Client required, server unsupported | 23,058,160 |
| First-person Model | Fabric, NeoForge, Forge (to 1.21.10) | Client required, server unsupported | 14,396,791 |
| Ping Wheel | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge | Client required, server required | 13,854,702 |
| Emotecraft | Fabric, NeoForge, Paper and Folia plugins (Forge and Quilt stopped) | Client required, server optional | 7,636,751 |
| Chat Patches | Fabric (Quilt stopped at 1.21.7) | Client required, server unsupported | 7,136,292 |
Voice chat mods
Simple Voice Chat
Simple Voice Chat
@henkelmax · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Pick this for proximity voice with push to talk, whispering and password-protected group chats, according to its own page. It ships for Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt, plus plugins for Bukkit, Spigot, Paper, Velocity and BungeeCord, so it fits modded and plugin servers alike. The trade-off is setup. Its page says the server needs special configuration and an open UDP port, 24454 by default, or voice will not work. It also says the encryption is not a security guarantee. If voice shows as not connected, see our Simple Voice Chat fix guide.
Chat tools and chat reports
No Chat Reports
No Chat Reports
@Aizistral · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
This is for players who dislike the signed chat introduced in 1.19. It strips message signatures and disables player chat reporting, and it can sit on the client, the server or both. Alone on the client, it cannot override a server that enforces signing: on 1.19.3 and later you can still join but lose chat commands. The newest Fabric release needs Fabric API. Quilt builds stopped at 1.19.4 in June 2023, so Quilt players are on old releases.
Chat Heads
Chat Heads
@dzwdz · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Chat Heads draws a player's head beside each chat message, which helps when several friends talk at once. It is client-only, so no server change is needed and it works on servers you do not run. The limit is detection: its page warns that default settings may fail on some servers, and the fallback "Heuristic only" mode can put the wrong head on a message. Settings need Cloth Config, with Mod Menu on Fabric, though the mod runs without them on defaults.
Chat Animation
Chat Animation [Smooth Chat]
@Ezzenix · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Choose this if you only want chat to look smoother. It animates new messages and can remove the indicator line beside them. Its page lists nothing beyond visuals, so it does not help communication, and the server never sees it. It covers Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt up to 26.3, and has no dependencies in the newest release. Forge players are held at 1.21.10, so check your loader before you commit to it.
Chat Patches
Chat Patches
@OBro1961 · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Chat Patches suits long sessions on busy servers. Its page lists a chat history raised from 100 to 16,384 messages, timestamps, a duplicate-message counter and a search bar, all client-side. The cost is a narrow loader range. The newest release is Fabric only and requires Fabric API and YetAnotherConfigLib. Its author says Forge and NeoForge versions will take time, and the Quilt releases stopped at 1.21.7 in July 2025.
Hosting and joining with friends
Essential Mod
Essential Mod
@SparkUniverse · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Essential bundles world hosting, friend chat, group chats, invites, cosmetics and emotes in one client mod. Its page says hosting is peer-to-peer and runs on the host's own PC, with friends needing the same mods for modded worlds. Two limits matter. Forge and NeoForge releases stop at 1.21.8, while Fabric reaches 26.3. And the licence is source-available, not open source: Modrinth labels it all rights reserved, and the repository carries its own license text.
e4mc
e4mc
@vgskye · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
e4mc is narrower than Essential. After you use Open to LAN, it gives your world a public domain that friends can join, and its page says guests do not need the mod. Modrinth still lists it as required on both sides, so treat that as the host's setup. It relies on a relay and a tunnel, so the world exists only while the host is online. Fabric releases need Fabric API, and the e4mc repository carries an MIT licence file.
Emotes, player models and pings
Emotecraft
Emotecraft
@KosmX · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Emotecraft adds an emote wheel on B, built-in emotes such as waving, and custom emotes made in Blender or Blockbench. Install it on both sides to sync emotes between players. On a vanilla server you can still connect, but the mod stays inactive. The newest Fabric and NeoForge releases are alpha and need Player Animation Library. Forge releases stopped at 1.20.1 in 2023, Quilt at 1.21.8, and its page warns to download only from its named sources.
First-person Model
First-person Model
@tr7zw · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
This one swaps the vanilla first-person arms for the full player model, so you see your body when you look down. Its page says it is purely visual, client-only and not needed on the server. Every current release requires Not Enough Animations, and Fabric also wants Fabric API. Mods that change the player model in non-vanilla ways may clash, since it hides the head, and Forge stops at 1.21.10.
Ping Wheel
Ping Wheel
@Luken · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Ping Wheel lets players mark locations and entities for teammates, a co-op habit borrowed from other games. The default key is Mouse5, and holding Tab shows names on pings. Modrinth lists it as required on both sides, so everyone and the server need it, and its page mentions a Bukkit plugin for those servers. The Forge and NeoForge releases of 1.12.2 are marked beta, and Fabric needs Fabric API.
How to choose between them
Start with the server. Modrinth lists Ping Wheel as required on both sides and Simple Voice Chat as optional on both, though Simple Voice Chat's own page says the server needs special setup and an open port. If you do not control the server, Chat Heads, Chat Animation, Chat Patches and First-person Model work alone on your own machine. Hosting from your own PC points to Essential or e4mc. Check your loader against the table, because Forge and Quilt are the ones that fall behind.
For the full play-with-friends routine, read our guide to playing modded Minecraft with friends, and see how client-side and server-side mods differ before you pick. Anything we left out is in the Java mod listing.