Pick Distant Horizons if you want a loader choice, optional server-sent terrain, or a shader pack that already names it. Pick Voxy if you run Fabric with Sodium, have OpenGL 4.6 and want a client-only Level of Detail renderer. Voxy's newest build is a beta; Distant Horizons' is a release.
Facts here come from Voxy's Modrinth page, an independent Distant Horizons overview, and the Modrinth project data for both mods. We did not run either mod, so every speed or quality claim below is attributed to whoever made it.
The decision table
| Fact | Distant Horizons | Voxy |
|---|---|---|
| Newest Minecraft release with a build | 26.3 (3.3.4-26.3, 29 September 2026, release) | 26.2 (0.2.19-beta, 29 August 2026, beta) |
| Loaders | Fabric, NeoForge, Forge | Fabric only |
| Oldest release with a build | Fabric 1.16.3, NeoForge 1.20.6, Forge 1.12.2 | Fabric 1.20.4 |
| Newest Forge build | 3.3.3-1.20.4 (29 September 2026) | None |
| Side it runs on | Client optional, server optional | Client required, server unsupported |
| Newest build requires | Nothing | Sodium and Fabric API (Mod Menu optional) |
| Licence | Modrinth label LGPL-3.0-only, no licence file found in its repository | All rights reserved, LICENSE.md says do not redistribute |
| Source code | GitLab | GitHub |
| Modrinth downloads | About 35.9 million | About 6.8 million |
How each mod draws far terrain
Both mods replace distant chunks with simplified Level of Detail terrain. Voxy says it converts terrain to LoDs as you explore and targets extreme render distances on systems with OpenGL 4.6. Distant Horizons records terrain as you explore and renders it as simplified LOD chunks. Its page says it draws with OpenGL or Vulkan.
An independent Distant Horizons overview describes the split as a traditional LOD system with configurable quality levels against a voxel-based representation in Voxy. It adds that loader, shader and release support can change for both, so check the exact build you plan to install.
Distant Horizons
Distant Horizons
@jeseibel · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Voxy
Voxy
@cortex · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Loaders and releases
Distant Horizons covers more ground. Fabric builds span 1.16.3 to 26.3 and NeoForge builds 1.20.6 to 26.3. Forge builds stop at 1.20.4, and its newest Forge build is dated the same day as the newest Fabric one. Its page says the Fabric and NeoForge files are one jar from 1.20.6 up, and Fabric and Forge share a jar on 1.20.4 and older.
Voxy is Fabric only. Its Modrinth page lists 1.20.4, 1.21.6 to 1.21.11, 26.1.x and 26.2, with nothing listed between 1.20.4 and 1.21.6. Voxy has no 26.3 build. If you play 26.3 today, only Distant Horizons has a build. Install steps live in our guides for Fabric and Forge and NeoForge.
Shader and mod compatibility
Voxy's page says shader support arrived in 0.2.4, but a shader must add explicit support for Voxy to work correctly. Distant Horizons says it works only with certain shaders: with Iris it needs Distant Horizons 2.1.0 or newer, Iris 1.7 or newer, and a shader built with it in mind. The 2.0 line and older do not work with Iris.
The independent overview names BSL Shaders, Complementary Reimagined, Complementary Unbound and Bliss Shaders as compatible with Distant Horizons, and SEUS Renewed as partial. We found no equivalent list for Voxy, so check the shader's own page for a Voxy mention before you commit.
On other mods, Voxy needs Sodium and Fabric API on its newest build, and older 1.20.4 builds also list Cloth Config API in some cases. Distant Horizons lists no required dependencies. We hold no sourced facts on running the two mods together.
Performance and setup
Neither page gives a benchmark, and we give no number because none is sourced. Voxy's page calls it light-weight with low overhead. Distant Horizons' page promises 256+ chunk distances at a low performance cost, and its example photo pairs a render distance of 8 with a mod distance of 512. Its FAQ also lists fixes for stuttering: a concurrent garbage collector, more RAM, a lower CPU load, distant generation off or a lower graphics preset. For the RAM step see allocating more RAM.
Setup differs mainly in worlds you already have. Voxy has a command, `/voxy import world "<world name>"`, to import an existing world. Distant Horizons saves LODs between sessions but you have to explore to load them.
When the choice is already made
- You use Forge, or a release older than 1.20.4 on any loader other than Fabric: only Distant Horizons has builds.
- You play 26.3: only Distant Horizons has a build as of 3 October 2026.
- You play on a multiplayer server and want LODs sent to you: Distant Horizons supports that when both sides have it. Our guide on client or server side covers the details.
- Your modpack is on Fabric with Sodium and Fabric API for 1.21.6 to 26.2: those are the requirements of Voxy's newest build.
Trade-offs and who should pick which
Distant Horizons gives the wider release and loader range, no required dependencies and server-assisted terrain. In exchange, shader use is limited to packs built for it, and no repository licence file turned up for us to read. Pick it if you want the safest route to a working far view across many setups.
Voxy gives a client-only mod with an import command and a public source repository. In exchange, it is Fabric only, tied to Sodium, in beta, and under an all-rights-reserved licence. Pick it if you already run Fabric on a supported release and your shader pack names Voxy. Our client side versus server side explainer helps if you play on shared servers.