Here’s the Best Minecraft Version for Mods in 2024

We’ve covered various lists of mods in the past. Starting with the best magic mods and even the best mods for Minecraft bedrock edition. But what we haven’t discussed so far, is the Minecraft modding itself. The game has been updated more times than I can count, introducing some highly-anticipated features as well as smaller changes, and due to that, it’s a known fact that not all mods are compatible with all Minecraft versions. If you depend heavily on mods while you play Minecraft, today’s post is perfect for you. Let’s see what is the best Minecraft version for mods.

What version of Java do you need for modded Minecraft?

You can mod any Java version of Minecraft. When we talk about what is the best version for modding, we’re not talking about something specific to that version that allowed for better modding options. We’re simply talking about the total number of mods available for that version.

Version 1.20 was the latest big update to Minecraft in terms of content, by any criteria it should be the best and most stable version for Minecraft modding, and yet it isn’t. If you analyze big modding sites such as CurseForge, you’re going to notice that not that many mods have made the jump from the previous version to the latest version. At least when compared to some previous versions of Minecraft.

Not all creators have time to update their mods as soon as the latest version is released. This results in the best Minecraft version for mods not being the latest Minecraft version at the same time.

Does Minecraft 1.20 have mods?

Looking at CurseForge, Minecraft version 1.20 has 8.241 mods in total available. So yes, the answer is Minecraft 1.20 has mods, but to a lesser extent when compared to other versions like 1.19. While 1.20 has many great mods, not all large mods have made the jump to the newest version of Minecraft, and might even never do so at all.

Which Minecraft version is the best for modding?

Minecraft version 1.19 is currently still the best for modding due to having the largest amount of mods available. It currently stands at 10K+ mods at CurseForge alone, and players are starting to worry that other versions of Minecraft might never catch up.

The 1.19 update, known as The Wild Update, was a significant release for Java Edition of Minecraft, launched on June 7, 2022. Announced during Minecraft Live 2021 on October 16, 2021, it introduces fresh materials, blocks, and locations like the Deep Dark and mangrove swamp biomes, along with ancient cities. Additionally, new mobs such as the warden, frog, tadpole, and allay are introduced, along with exclusive items found only in these new biomes.

1.12 was also a major update released in June 2017 that introduced a more vibrant color palette, a new crafting system, and some new animals and new building blocks. It’s important to understand that these somewhat drastic changes allowed for new mods to thrive by implementing these new features. By far the most beneficial feature added was a new system for working with collections of commands, called functions. This is one of the most notable Minecraft versions for modding.

Even though the vanilla has changed since 2017 drastically as well, the mods never managed to keep up which resulted in many people simply never updating their “modded” version of Minecraft. Version 1.12.2 currently supports 10.320 mods at CurseForge.

This keeps the community from going forward, but understandably not all modders have the time nor will to update their creations for every single version of the game.

Do mods need to be the same version as Minecraft?

As long as the mod is made for an older version than your current version of Minecraft you will be able to play it without any significant problems. The biggest problem arises when you’re trying to install a mod made for a newer version on an older version of Minecraft. This results in crashes and various other bugs and glitches.

The reason why it’s quite simple Mods made for newer versions of Minecraft rely on the newer vanilla content that is not present in your “older” version of the game. It’s hard to fine-tune content that doesn’t even exist.
However, it’s important to note that if the creator specified that the x version of the mod works only with the x version of Minecraft, it’s important to follow the creator’s instructions.

To sum everything up, the best Minecraft version for modding is currently 1.19 due to having the most mods at CurseForge. After years of version 1.12.2 reigning, in recent times and 1.16.5, 1.19 swiftly caught up and now has the most mods available for it. Versions 1.20 and 1.17.1 trail closely behind.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!