Minecraft is downright massive, standing the test of time as the best-selling game ever a good decade after its initial 2011 release. Mojang has seen its sandbox gem grow from blocky, grassy roots to a huge experience featuring various biomes, building, mining, exploring, role-playing, and more. With multiple launches on all sorts of platforms, from console to mobile, Minecraft is set to only get bigger and better as the years come. Many of us playing today grew up with the top seller, mining for diamonds alongside friends late into school nights with no signs of stopping as children.
Now that the game has been around for years and has seen us through all sorts of real-life moments, there are various different Minecraft versions to choose from that correspond to Mojang's releases over time. You can take a trip through time and space, booting up the old yet game-changing 1.7 versions. Alternatively, you can stick with the latest 1.20 releases to stay up to date with all of Mojang's most recent content. No matter which version you choose to play, you'll find that there are ways to spice your experience up with mods and mod packs.
With so many versions to choose from, however, it can feel almost daunting to decide on just one for the best modding experience. If you're wondering what the best Minecraft version for mods is yourself, look no further. We've got everything you need to know about the top Java version picks across the game's community and why they're so popular with players looking to mod their game. Whether you're searching for the Minecraft version with the most mods available for it or the one with the most stability, you can read on below to find the one most suited for you.
Best Minecraft Version for Mods
If you search within the Minecraft community itself to learn which of the game versions most players prefer to mod, you'll likely find that 1.12.2 is the top pick among fans for the sheer amount of content it allows you to add to the sandbox game. It's the go-to Minecraft version for mod lovers thanks to its impressive library of mods and mod packs alike. The 1.12.2 release of Mojang's game is also iconic due to the way that it stays true to Minecraft's core gameplay mechanics and base identity players grew to adore. It's a solid version to play with or without mods, making it an even better version to experience with mods.
Ranking | Minecraft Version | Reason to Play |
|---|---|---|
1. | 1.12.2 | Top choice with tons of mods; stays true to game's core identity |
2. | 1.7.10 | Classic Minecraft feel with various mods to choose from |
3. | 1.16.5 | Many mods available to download and solid stability |
There are other great Minecraft versions to engage with if you're looking to play with mods and mod packs, though. If you want even more of that "classic" Minecraft feel while also having an expansive library of mods to choose from, 1.7.10 is a good version to go with. On the other hand, 1.16.5 is also a worthy Minecraft version to note here both for the modding experience it offers as well as its stability. While the 1.20 versions are the most recent, you may not find as many mods or mod packs that you'd like to download and content could be far less stable than with older, more established versions.
Best Minecraft Edition for Mods
Now that you know which Minecraft version to play for the best mod support, you may be curious about which edition of the game you should be playing. Mojang offers either the Bedrock edition or the Java edition of Minecraft, and both function quite differently. Fans using the Bedrock edition of Minecraft are usually playing on consoles, mobile devices, or the Windows store PC version of the game. On the other hand, Java edition players will generally be using Linux, Mac, or Windows OS-based devices.
All of the game versions we referenced earlier as the best ones for modding were for the Java edition of the game, as it offers optimal mod support. This does unfortunately mean that you'll need to have access to the Java edition which requires the use of a Linux, Mac, or Windows OS-based PC. You can find mods for the Java edition (regardless of your game version) by using online libraries like CurseForge. While there are some Bedrock downloads available there as well, they'll vary from their Java counterparts and you'll not find as many as Bedrock players generally make use of Mojang's own Minecraft Marketplace.
