Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (from users)
This is the simplified version! For technical answers, see the "expert mode" supplement of the FAQ.
General
What Minecraft versions does Fabric support?
For most cases, the answer is “snapshot 18w43b and above, releases 1.14 and above”.
There exist ways to run Fabric with older versions - modded or vanilla, but they're currently non-trivial or unofficial - see the expert FAQ for more details.
Where can I download published Fabric mods?
They are most often on CurseForge or Modrinth. Some mod authors may upload their mods to other sites such as GitHub, GitLab or their own site. See Adding mods for more information.
Are there any premade Fabric modpacks?
Yes. Published Fabric modpacks can be found on websites such as the following:
Sometimes modpacks may be distributed as exports in the CurseForge format, Modrinth format, MultiMC format, or another format.
How can I install a premade Fabric modpack?
You can use launchers to browse for or install modpacks:
Some modpacks also allow you to download a “server” pack to install it in Minecraft Launcher.
If someone has shared their modpack export, you can import it into some of these launchers.
What launchers can I use to play with Fabric mods (on a custom/home-assembled modpack)?
As of August 2023, the following launchers are available for this:
- Official Launcher - an installer is available on Fabric's download page. A guide is available
- Prism Launcher
- CurseForge App - supports Fabric, just choose “Fabric” then select a version when creating a modpack.
- ATLauncher - supports Fabric download and installation.
- Modrinth App
- HMCL - supports Fabric download and installation, including sources from mirror websites.
Please keep in mind that Fabric API is a separate component and must be downloaded separately - you can find it on CurseForge or Modrinth.
What launchers can I use to share a Fabric modpack?
As of August 2023, the following launchers are available for this:
Why should I use an alternative launcher?
The default, vanilla Minecraft Launcher is oftentimes not enough to manage a lot of modded instances. For that reason, alternative Minecraft launchers were created.
Advantages of using an alternative launcher:
- Easily install Fabric
- Built-in mod downloading and updating
- Automatically download mod dependencies
- Built-in modpack downloading and updating
- Allow you to export and import modpacks
- Designed specifically for modded Minecraft
- Automatically create separate folders for instances which helps you separate your saves
- May launch faster
Interoperability
Can Fabric run together with Bukkit/Spigot/Paper?
Not at the moment. This may change by the end of the year, but is unlikely to be officially supported.
Can Fabric run together with Forge?
No. Forge mods must run on Forge, and Fabric mods must run on Fabric. You cannot mix mods.
- Fabric does not work on top of Forge.
- It is theoretically possible to create a way to do so - that is to say, there are no known major technical obstacles in accomplishing such.
- There were some experiments and discussions done in this regard (as of 30th June), but nothing usable by end users or mod developers.
The development team does not consider Forge interoperability a high-priority goal, as our focus in our limited time dedicated to the project is on supporting the Fabric community and its developers and users.
Can Fabric run together with OptiFine?
Consider using an OptiFine alternative, as unofficial mods such as OptiFabric may not be compatible with your mods.
Oh no! I've tried enabling shaders on OptiFine and my world looks all weird!
Fabric's rendering patches, while as minimally invasive as possible, make some assumptions about the data format used internally by the vanilla rendering system. Shaders break this assumption, so things go awry. Workarounds do exist and are implemented by the most recent versions of said unofficial mods.
DO NOT downgrade Fabric API as a workaround for this. It's a bad idea.
Can Fabric run together with Sponge?
Not at the moment. Sponge does not yet have a ready API or a working implementation for 1.14, the Minecraft version that Fabric runs on.