We list them all under Java mods. This page defines the term and sets mods apart from packs, plugins and modpacks.
Facts here come from the NeoForged documentation and from the Modrinth pages of the projects named below, all read on 9 October 2026. We did not play, benchmark or test any of them.
What a Java Edition mod is
A mod is a .jar file that you place in the mods folder inside the game directory (.minecraft/mods by default). Anything it needs, such as a library mod, goes in the same folder. Mods exist for Java Edition only. Bedrock Edition cannot load them, and its own format is covered under Bedrock add-ons.
Mods can add whole systems. Sophisticated Backpacks, for example, adds backpacks with six tiers from Leather to Netherite, according to its Modrinth page.
Sophisticated Backpacks
@P3pp3rF1y · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
The trade-off is dependencies and sides. Its newest build requires Sophisticated Core, and the project is marked as required on both client and server. A mod that works alone on your machine is a different case, which client-side and server-side mods explains.
What a mod loader does
Each mod is built for one loader and must match the Minecraft version the loader is installed for. NeoForged describes itself as the Minecraft modding API, and its documentation has a user guide for installing it on a client or a server.
Loaders are not interchangeable. Inventory Profiles Next lists separate builds for Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt, while its Modrinth text says Quilt works through Fabric compatibility and Quilt-only problems get very low priority. Just Enough Resources has Fabric and NeoForge builds into 26.3, but its Forge builds stopped at 1.21.1 (last build 7 May 2025). Fabric vs Forge vs NeoForge compares the main three.
Inventory Profiles Next
@blackd · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Just Enough Resources (JER)
@way2muchnoise · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
How mods differ from resource packs and data packs
Resource packs and data packs are .zip files rather than .jar files, and each goes in its own folder, as the two examples below show.
Clarity
@SCtester · Resource Pack
Checked Source and install notes
Clarity is a 32x resource pack. Its .zip goes in the resourcepacks folder, and a pack made for another version can still load with an incompatibility warning.
BlazeandCave's Advancements Pack
@Cavinator1 · Data Pack
Checked Source and install notes
BlazeandCave's Advancements Pack is a data pack. Its zip goes in a world's datapacks folder, and its page marks the client as optional and the server as required.
How mods differ from plugins and modpacks
A plugin is a .jar for a server running Paper or Spigot. Players do not install it and join with a normal client. A modpack is a bundle of mods plus the right loader, imported through a launcher. Plugins vs mods vs data packs goes deeper on the first three, and what a modpack is covers the last.
| Type | Needs a loader | Where the file goes | Who installs it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mod | Yes (Fabric, Forge, NeoForge or Quilt) | mods folder in the game directory | Each player, and the server if the mod is required there |
| Resource pack | No | resourcepacks folder | The player |
| Data pack | No | datapacks folder of a world | The world or server owner |
| Plugin | No, needs Paper or Spigot on the server | plugins folder of the server | The server owner |
| Modpack | Installs the right loader for you | Imported through a launcher | The player, via a launcher that reads Modrinth packs |
Cobblemon Modpack [Fabric]
@Reisen · Modpack
Checked Source and install notes
Where mods are hosted
Sophisticated Backpacks shows 19,629,615 downloads on Modrinth, read 9 October 2026. We never compare download counts across platforms.
Where to go next
- Ready to try one: How to Install Minecraft Mods on Java Edition has the steps.
- Need a loader first: How to Install Fabric on Minecraft Java or the Forge and NeoForge guide.
- Curious about building one: How to Make a Minecraft Mod.