Installing Forge or NeoForge on Minecraft Java means running one small installer from the loader's own project site, picking the Minecraft version you want to mod, and choosing Install Client. That part takes a couple of minutes on either one. What actually decides which loader you need is the mod you're trying to run: check its page for the loader it targets before installing anything, because a Forge file will not load on NeoForge, and the reverse is also true.
Forge and NeoForge are not the same project anymore
NeoForge started in 2023 as a fork of Forge, made after a dispute over how the original project was run and who controlled its assets. It isn't a fork in name only. NeoForge has its own governance, its own installer, and its own release schedule, and most new mods and modpacks target it first. Forge kept going too. Its downloads page still ships current builds alongside its long back catalog, so calling it dead overstates things, but new mod support has clearly shifted toward NeoForge with each recent version.
Neither loader reads the other's mod files, and neither is simply the newer or better choice. What decides which one you need is the specific mod or modpack you want to run: open its page, see which loader it lists, and install that one. A large modpack built a few years ago is more likely to still sit on Forge. A mod released this year is more likely to ship for NeoForge first, sometimes only for NeoForge.
How to install Forge
Forge publishes its installer from its own downloads page, files.minecraftforge.net. It's a small Java program that patches your launcher with a new profile, the same way the Fabric installer does, and it leaves your vanilla install untouched.
- 1.Go to files.minecraftforge.net and pick the Minecraft version you want to mod. Match it to whatever version the mods you actually want support, not the newest one on the list.
- 2.Download the installer for that version and run it.
- 3.Leave the option set to Install Client, confirm the target directory looks right, and click OK.
- 4.Open the Minecraft Launcher. A new Forge profile appears in the Installations tab, one per Minecraft version you install for.
- 5.Select the Forge profile and press Play once to confirm it boots to a plain, mod-free title screen.
How to install NeoForge
NeoForge's installer works the same way and comes from its own site, neoforged.net. Download it, run it, and it writes a separate NeoForge profile without touching Forge or your vanilla install.
- 1.Go to neoforged.net, pick the Minecraft version you want, and download the matching installer.
- 2.Close the Minecraft Launcher if it's open, then run the installer.
- 3.Select Install Client and confirm the install location. The installer detects your Minecraft directory automatically in most cases.
- 4.Open the Minecraft Launcher and check the Installations tab. A new NeoForge profile appears there.
- 5.Launch the NeoForge profile once to confirm it starts cleanly before adding any mods.
Where the mods folder lives on Windows, macOS and Linux
Forge and NeoForge both use the same mods folder Fabric does, inside your Minecraft installation. If you've never found this folder before, drop your mod jars in:
- Windows: %appdata%\.minecraft\mods
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/mods
- Linux: ~/.minecraft/mods
On macOS, Gatekeeper sometimes blocks the Forge or NeoForge installer jar the first time you open it because it isn't a signed, notarized app. Right-click the installer, choose Open, then confirm you want to run it anyway; double-clicking alone can get silently refused. Once the loader profile exists, dropping mod jars into the mods folder above works exactly the same as on Windows or Linux.
A launcher instance created through Prism, MultiMC, the Modrinth App or the CurseForge app usually keeps its own separate mods folder inside that instance's own directory instead of the shared one above, since each instance is isolated.
Installing through a third-party launcher
Prism Launcher, MultiMC, the Modrinth App and the CurseForge app all skip the separate installer entirely. Creating a new instance, picking Forge or NeoForge as the loader, and choosing a Minecraft version is enough. The launcher downloads and installs the loader for you.
- Prism Launcher and MultiMC: choose Add Instance, pick your Minecraft version, set Loader to Forge or NeoForge, and confirm. Each instance gets its own isolated mods folder.
- Modrinth App: start a new instance or a modpack, select Forge or NeoForge as the loader, and the app installs it plus any mods you add straight from Modrinth.
- CurseForge app: create a new profile, pick your Minecraft version and Forge or NeoForge as the modloader, and the app manages the install and the mods folder for that profile.
The trade-off is isolation. Mods you add through one of these instances live inside that instance's own folder, not the shared .minecraft/mods folder above, so a mod dropped in the wrong folder is one of the most common reasons it never shows up in-game.
Choosing between Fabric, Forge and NeoForge
All three read different mod file formats, so the real question is never which loader to prefer, it's which one the mods you want actually target. Fabric moves fastest and carries most performance and utility mods, though a growing number now ship Forge and NeoForge builds too. Forge still holds the deepest back catalog of large, established modpacks built over the past decade. NeoForge is where most new content and technical mods land first now, including libraries like Architectury API, which several multiplatform mods rely on to run the same code across all three loaders.
Pick based on the mods you actually want to run, not loyalty to a project. The cost is real either way: choosing a loader locks you out of every mod built only for one of the other two, and there is no single mod file that runs on all three. If Fabric turns out to be the better fit, our Fabric installation guide walks through that loader on its own.
Verify it worked and fix the common failures
A clean Forge or NeoForge profile boots to a plain, vanilla-looking title screen, same as an unmodded install; the loader itself changes nothing you can see until you add mods. Both loaders also add a Mods button to the main menu automatically, listing everything currently loaded and flagging a missing or mismatched dependency, so you don't need a separate mod just to check what's installed.
- Wrong Java version: current Forge and NeoForge builds need a newer Java runtime than older Minecraft versions did. If the game refuses to launch right after installing the loader, check the Java version the loader's own site recommends for the Minecraft version you picked.
- Loader version doesn't match the mod: a mod built for one NeoForge release won't necessarily load on a newer or older NeoForge profile, and a Forge-only mod will never load on NeoForge no matter which version you pick. Match the loader, the loader version, and the Minecraft version the mod's own page lists.
- Mods in the wrong folder: an instance created in Prism, MultiMC, the Modrinth App or the CurseForge app keeps mods inside that instance's own folder, not the shared mods folder covered above. Dropping a jar into the wrong one is the single most common reason a mod silently does nothing.
If you want a fast visual check that everything actually loaded, install Just Enough Items or Jade. Both build for Forge and NeoForge and immediately show recipes or block data pulled from every mod you've added, which confirms the mods are running, not just sitting in the folder.
Our mods section covers Forge and NeoForge releases across every category if you're not sure where to start. Config-screen libraries like Cloth Config and animation libraries like GeckoLib show up as dependencies across a lot of Forge and NeoForge mods, so installing one you actually want sometimes means installing a library too. Check the dependency list on the mod's own page before assuming something's missing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Forge and NeoForge?
NeoForge is a community-run fork of Forge that split off in 2023 over how the original project was governed. It ships its own installer and its own releases, and most new mods and modpacks target it first. Forge continues on its own, still publishing current builds, but new mod support leans more toward NeoForge with each drop.
Do I need Forge or NeoForge for a specific mod?
Check the mod's own download page. It always lists the loader it targets, and Forge and NeoForge cannot read each other's mod files even though NeoForge started as a Forge fork. If a mod only lists one of the two, install that one; there is no way to force compatibility.
How do I install NeoForge?
Download the installer for your Minecraft version from NeoForge's own site, close the Minecraft Launcher first, then run the installer with Install Client selected. Open the launcher afterward and a new NeoForge profile appears in the Installations tab, ready to launch and add mods to.
How do I install Minecraft mods on Mac?
The steps match Windows and Linux: install Forge or NeoForge, then drop mod jars into ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/mods. The one Mac-specific snag is Gatekeeper blocking the installer jar on first run; right-click it and choose Open instead of double-clicking to get past that.
Should I use Fabric, Forge or NeoForge?
Let the mods decide. Fabric leads on performance and utility mods and updates fastest, Forge still holds the largest back catalog of established modpacks, and NeoForge is where most new content mods land first. Check what the specific mod or pack you want actually supports before installing a loader for it.
