Pick Lithium if you want faster game logic, mob AI and tick times, in single-player or on a multiplayer host. Pick Sodium if you want better frame rates from the rendering side. They do different jobs, not rival ones, and each project's own page points to the other. Facts below were read on 6 October 2026 from Modrinth, GitHub and two wikis. We did not run either mod or measure anything.
Lithium and Sodium side by side
| Fact | Lithium | Sodium |
|---|---|---|
| What it optimizes | Game physics, mob AI, block ticking and other internal systems | The rendering engine |
| Where it runs | Client and server, each optional | Client required, server unsupported |
| Fabric | 1.16.2 to 26.3, newest release 28 September 2026 | 1.16.3 to 26.3, newest file an alpha dated 20 September 2026 |
| NeoForge | 1.21 to 26.3, newest release 28 September 2026 | 1.21.1 to 26.3, newest file an alpha dated 20 September 2026 |
| Quilt | 1.20.1 to 26.3, using the Fabric file | Stopped, 1.18.2 to 1.20.6, last file 3 March 2025 |
| Required dependencies | None listed | None listed |
| Licence | LGPL-3.0 (LICENSE.md in caffeinemc/lithium-fabric) | PolyForm Shield 1.0.0 (LICENSE.md in CaffeineMC/sodium) |
| Maker | CaffeineMC | CaffeineMC |
Neither project lists a Forge build in the data we read. The Minecraft Wiki names unofficial Forge forks of both and marks them unmaintained, covered in Sodium vs Embeddium.
What Lithium changes
Lithium
@jellysquid3 · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Lithium targets systems such as game physics, mob AI and block ticking, with the stated goal of not changing any vanilla mechanics. The Minecraft Wiki describes it as bringing performance increases to the game's internal server, with some client-side optimizations too. That internal server also exists in single-player, so Lithium's page says it can help there as well, by freeing processor time.
For hosts, the page expects a sizeable improvement to tick times, so the same hardware can support more loaded entities, chunks and players. We give no figure because no sourced measurement is available. The page also says clients do not need Lithium when a host has it, and the reverse. How that split works is covered in client-side vs server-side mods.
What Sodium changes
Sodium
@CaffeineMC · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Sodium replaces the rendering engine. Its Modrinth page says it improves frame rates and micro-stutter and fixes graphical issues, without changing how the game looks. It optimizes only rendering code by design. It runs on the client only, so putting it on a multiplayer host does nothing for the host.
Its page news item dated 16 June 2026 says Sodium 0.9.x supports Minecraft 26.2 with early Vulkan support. The page lists official support for desktop graphics cards with OpenGL 4.5 drivers. Android devices and Windows-on-ARM devices that rely on OpenGL translation layers are not supported, and the page warns of severe performance problems there.
Loaders and versions each lists
Both reach 26.3 on Fabric and NeoForge. Lithium's newest files are marked release. Sodium's newest files on both loaders are marked alpha, so anyone who wants a stable channel should check older entries on its Modrinth page. Lithium also starts a little earlier on NeoForge (1.21 against 1.21.1).
Quilt is the one split. Lithium lists Quilt up to 26.3 through its Fabric file, while Sodium's own Quilt files stopped at 1.20.6, with the last one dated 3 March 2025. Sodium's README says both Fabric and NeoForge are supported and calls Fabric the more lightweight and stable choice for now. The loader setup itself is in how to install Fabric and how to install Forge and NeoForge.
Why most players install both
The two do not overlap. Sodium's page says that by design it only optimizes rendering and points to Lithium for more performance. Lithium's page points to Sodium for rendering. Neither lists a required dependency, and Lithium's page says it is compatible with most other mods. So adding both costs two files in the mods folder, covered in how to install Minecraft mods on Java Edition.
The Minecraft Wiki's frame-rate tutorial lists Sodium as the largest rendering gain among Fabric mods and Lithium as the internal-server gain, which matches that split. The Fabric Wiki's OptiFine alternatives page lists both under performance, each described by its own job.
When the choice is already made
- Running a multiplayer host with no graphics to draw: only Lithium applies, since Sodium is unsupported there.
- Playing single-player or joining someone else's world: both apply on your own machine.
- Using shaders through Iris: the Fabric Wiki and Minecraft Wiki both say Iris requires Sodium.
- Missing OptiFine's decorative options: Sodium Extra requires Sodium and aims to bring most of those options to it.
Trade-offs and what neither covers
Lithium's trade-off is its narrow remit. It leaves rendering alone, so a low frame rate caused by drawing the world is not its job. Its page describes a configuration system for disabling individual patches if one conflicts with another mod. Sodium's trade-offs are its client-only role, the alpha channel for its newest files, a stopped Quilt line, and a licence (PolyForm Shield 1.0.0) that differs from Lithium's LGPL-3.0.
Neither one covers memory use. The Fabric Wiki lists FerriteCore for memory usage optimizations. For a wider troubleshooting path, see how to fix lag and boost FPS.
