CurseForge and Modrinth are the two big places to get Minecraft mods, modpacks, resource packs, and plugins. Both are free to use, both have launchers, and both host a huge amount of content - but they feel very different. Here is how they compare in 2026 and which one to use.
The short answer
- CurseForge - the biggest library by far, the home of most large modpacks, and the platform most older and content-heavy mods live on. If a mod exists anywhere, it is probably here.
- Modrinth - the modern, faster, developer-friendly platform. Cleaner site, open-source, great API, generous creator payouts, and increasingly the first home for performance and Fabric mods.
Mod and modpack selection
CurseForge has the largest catalogue and the deepest back-catalogue of big modpacks - many flagship kitchen-sink packs are CurseForge-first or CurseForge-only. If you are chasing a specific famous pack, it is usually here.
Modrinth's library is smaller but growing quickly, and it is often where modern performance mods (Sodium, Lithium, Iris and friends) and many Fabric mods publish first. Quality over sheer quantity.
The launchers
- CurseForge App - mature, handles huge packs well, one-click install for thousands of modpacks. Heavier and more commercial.
- Modrinth App - lightweight, fast, clean, open-source. Excellent for assembling your own mod list and for performance packs. Imports CurseForge packs too.
Both let you install packs in a couple of clicks; Modrinth's app is noticeably snappier, CurseForge's covers more packs.
Creators and openness
This is where Modrinth pulls ahead for many people:
- Open source platform and open API, which makes automation and server tooling easy.
- Higher, more transparent creator payouts - Modrinth shares ad revenue generously with authors.
- Cleaner download experience with no interstitial pages.
CurseForge monetises more aggressively but funds a massive ecosystem and the rewards program many authors rely on.
Comparison at a glance
| CurseForge | Modrinth | |
|---|---|---|
| Library size | Largest | Smaller but growing fast |
| Big modpacks | Most, often exclusive | Fewer, importable |
| Launcher | Mature, heavy | Light, fast, open source |
| API / automation | Usable | Excellent, open |
| Creator payouts | Rewards program | Generous, transparent |
| Best for | Famous packs, max selection | Performance mods, modern workflow |
Is Modrinth better than CurseForge?
For performance modding, a clean workflow, and supporting creators, many players now prefer Modrinth. For the widest selection and the biggest established modpacks, CurseForge still wins. Most people end up using both - Modrinth for performance mods and CurseForge for the big pack they want to play.
What it means for your server
Whichever platform you use, the mods download and run on the server the same way - you place them in the mods folder (or install the pack), match the loader (Forge, NeoForge, or Fabric), and size your RAM to the pack. A big CurseForge kitchen-sink pack needs far more memory than a handful of Modrinth performance mods.
Our Minecraft hosting supports packs from both CurseForge and Modrinth with one-click modpack installs, Forge/NeoForge/Fabric support, and a RAM calculator so your pack gets the memory it needs.
Bottom line
Use CurseForge for the biggest selection and famous modpacks, and Modrinth for performance mods, a faster workflow, and better creator support. They are not enemies - the smart move in 2026 is to use whichever one has the content you want, and host your world somewhere that runs both without fuss.
Running a modpack? → View Space-Node Minecraft hosting - one-click CurseForge and Modrinth installs on Ryzen 9 hardware with NVMe SSD.
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