Forge or Fabric: the loader decides everything
Mods change the game itself, so the server and every player have to run the same set. That set is built on a mod loader, and a mod made for one loader won't load on another. Why plugins and mods don't mix.
| Loader | Best for | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Forge | The big classic modpacks, tech and magic mods | Heavier on RAM; slower to update to new Minecraft versions |
| Fabric | Light mods, performance mods, quick updates | Many big content mods only exist for Forge |
| NeoForge | Many recent packs (a fork of Forge since 2023) | Not in the order list: ask us on Discord before ordering |
With a modpack you don't choose: the pack's page tells you its loader and Minecraft version. Pick that loader when you order, or switch later from the panel's Versions tab. Every server software, compared.
Installing a modpack, the right way
Write down the exact build
«All The Mods 9» isn't enough: packs update, and two builds are two different mod lists. Your server and your players must be on the same one.
Download the server pack
Most packs publish a separate server download: the same mods without the client-only ones, plus a start script. The client pack usually fails on a server because of its rendering mods.
Upload it with SFTP
Big packs often weigh more than 1 GB, the limit of the panel's web file manager. An SFTP client such as FileZilla or WinSCP has no such limit. Uploading big files.
Start it and watch the console
The first start of a big pack can take several minutes. As long as new lines keep appearing, it's working. It's ready when the console says
Done.Players install the same build
From CurseForge, Prism Launcher or the pack's own launcher: same pack, same build number as the server. Installing a modpack.
How much RAM a modpack needs
More than vanilla, and more with every mod: each one loads its blocks, items and recipes into memory before a single player joins. The pack's own recommendation is usually the right number. If it doesn't give one, these are the estimates from our calculator:
| Your server | RAM to start with | Plan that fits | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Fabric pack, 5 players, 50 mods | 4 GB |  Ares | $6.00/month |
| Fabric, 10 players, 150 mods | 7.5 GB |  Hades | $12.00/month |
| Forge pack, 5 players, 150 mods | 9 GB |  Poseidon | $15.00/month |
| Forge pack, 10 players, 250 mods | 14 GB |  Odín | $24.00/month |
| Big Forge pack, 20 players, 350 mods | 19 GB |  Zeus | $30.00/month |
Keeping a modded server smooth
- Pregenerate the world. Modded chunks are slow to generate. Generating the area people will explore ahead of time takes that work off the live server.
- Add server-side performance mods, one at a time, and read what each one changes.
- Profile with spark. It exists for Forge and Fabric too, and a laggy modded server almost always has one machine, chunk loader or mod at the top of its report. Why modded servers are heavier.
- Check FPS before TPS. In modded packs, a low frame rate on a player's PC is far more common than server lag. If
/spark tpssays 20, the fix is in their graphics settings.
Updating and removing mods without losing the world
Mods add blocks to the world. Remove a mod and its blocks disappear; depending on the mod, some chunks may refuse to load. Updating the whole pack to a new build carries the same risk.
Take a backup first
From the panel's Backups tab, before every update. Restoring a backup is quick; rebuilding a base takes weeks.
Test on a copy
Load the new build with a copy of the world and walk around the busiest bases before switching everyone over.
Update the players at the same time
Server and players move to the new build together, or nobody can join.
If you remember one thing
Pick the modpack, match its loader and build exactly, give it the RAM it asks for, upload it by SFTP and pregenerate the world. Back up before every update, and profile with spark before blaming the server.
Questions people ask
No. Paper runs plugins. Mods need a mod loader such as Forge or Fabric, and players install the same mods.
Whatever the pack recommends. In our calculator, a light Fabric pack starts around 4 GB, and a Forge pack with 250 mods and 10 players is closer to 14 GB.
Yes, except for server-only mods. Everyone runs the same modpack build as the server, usually from CurseForge or Prism Launcher.
Big packs take minutes to start the first time. If the console keeps printing lines, it's working. If it stops with an error, it's usually too little memory or a client-only mod on the server.
No. Geyser translates vanilla Minecraft, not mods, so modded content can't reach Bedrock players.
About this article: It comes from what I have learned running EnduranceNodes, and it is published here first. We sell Minecraft hosting, so everything I say about us can be checked on this site, and I point out where we are not the best fit.