How to make a Minecraft modpack (CurseForge, Modrinth or Prism)
A plain-English, step-by-step guide to making your own Minecraft 1.21.1 modpack: picking a loader, choosing mods that work together, testing and sharing it.
· 5 min readThe short answer
To make a Minecraft modpack, pick one Minecraft version (1.21.1 is where most big mods are) and one mod loader (NeoForge for big content mods, Fabric for lighter packs), create a profile in a launcher such as the CurseForge app, Modrinth App or Prism Launcher, add a few core mods plus their dependencies, then test-launch, play-test, and export it to share.
Making your own modpack sounds like a job for someone who reads crash logs for fun. It isn't. If you know what kind of game you want to play, you can make a pack. This guide covers the whole thing, start to finish, for Minecraft 1.21.1.
1. Decide what the pack is for
Before you open a launcher, write one sentence: "a pack where we ___". For example, "a pack where we build a factory together", "a pack where I explore and fight bosses", or "a cosy pack with farming and cooking".
That sentence is your filter. Every mod you add should help it. The most common reason home-made packs fall apart is that they turn into a pile of everything that looked cool, and nothing has room to shine.
2. Pick a version and a loader
Mods are built for one Minecraft version and one mod loader (the bit of software that lets mods run). You can't mix them, so choose first.
- Minecraft 1.21.1 is where most of the big mods are right now, so it's the safe choice for a new pack.
- NeoForge is the loader most large content mods use on 1.21.1: big tech, magic and adventure mods.
- Fabric is lighter and popular for performance mods and smaller, vanilla-style additions.
If you want big mods, go with NeoForge. Our NeoForge vs Fabric guide covers the choice in more detail.
3. Pick a launcher
You need a launcher that can create a modded "instance" (a separate Minecraft install for your pack). The common ones are the CurseForge app, the Modrinth App, Prism Launcher and ATLauncher. All of them let you create a new profile, pick 1.21.1 and NeoForge, and then add mods.
- On CurseForge: in the CurseForge app, open Minecraft, click Create Custom Profile, pick 1.21.1 and NeoForge, then browse and add mods to the profile.
- On Modrinth: in the Modrinth App, create a new instance with 1.21.1 and NeoForge, then search for mods inside it and install them.
- In Prism Launcher: add an instance with 1.21.1 and NeoForge, then use Edit, Mods, Download mods to search Modrinth or CurseForge.
It's easiest to pick mods from one site, either CurseForge or Modrinth, because sharing the pack later works best when everything comes from the same place.
4. Add your big mods first
Start with the two to five mods that are your pack: the tech mod, the magic mod, the boss mod. Those decide the game you'll be playing. Then add smaller mods that support them.
As you go, check three things on every mod page:
- It has a file for 1.21.1 and NeoForge (a file marked only "1.21" may work, but 1.21.1 is safest; Forge files won't).
- Its required dependencies, the other mods it needs. Most launchers add these for you, but not always.
- Whether it's client-only, like a minimap or a shader loader. Those are fine in your game but can crash a server.
5. Add the mods that make it pleasant
A few kinds of mod make nearly every pack better:
- A recipe viewer (JEI or EMI), so you can look up how anything is made.
- Performance mods, such as Sodium, FerriteCore and ModernFix, which help a lot on modest computers.
- A map, if your group likes one.
- A quest book, so new players know what to do next.
6. Test it, then test it again
Launch the pack. If it reaches the title screen, make a new world and play for ten minutes: go somewhere new, open your recipe viewer, craft something from each big mod.
If it crashes, don't panic. Our guide to finding the mod that crashes your pack walks through it. The short version: read the crash report's "Caused by" line, and if that doesn't name a mod, remove half the mods and try again.
7. Check the recipes
This is the step almost everyone skips. When you combine mods, you often get:
- Several versions of the same metal: three coppers, two tins, four kinds of steel.
- Shortcuts, where one mod's cheap recipe skips another mod's whole progression.
- Recipe loops that turn a little of something into a lot of it.
None of these crash the game, so you won't notice them until you're a week in and the progression has fallen apart. We wrote about the duplicate metals problem separately.
8. Share it
To play with friends, export the pack from your launcher. The CurseForge app and Modrinth App both export a file your friends can import. For a server, you'll also need a server pack: the same mods minus the client-only ones. Every player needs exactly the same mod versions as the server, or they'll be turned away. If that happens, see mismatched mod channel list. For friends installing your pack, point them to how to install a modpack.
9. Keep it working
Mods update. Most updates are fine; some break other mods or remove items your world depends on. Turn off automatic updates for your pack, update on purpose, and back up your world first. Our guide to rolling back a bad update covers what to do when one slips through.
Or skip to the part where you play
Everything above, from checking versions and dependencies to booting a test server, fixing crashes, untangling duplicate metals and testing updates, is exactly what Packspire does for you. Tell it the kind of game you want, or list the mods you already love, and it gives you a pack that has already been started and played on a real server, ready for your launcher: a CurseForge pack for the CurseForge app, Prism or ATLauncher, or a Modrinth pack for the Modrinth App, Prism or ATLauncher.
Build your pack and see what it makes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a Minecraft modpack without coding?
Yes. Making a modpack means choosing mods and installing them together in a launcher profile; no programming is needed. The hard parts are compatibility and testing, not code.
What is the best launcher for making a modpack?
The CurseForge app and Modrinth App are the simplest, because they search and install mods directly. Prism Launcher gives more control over instances. All of them can export a pack your friends can import.
How many mods can a modpack have?
There's no hard limit; some public packs run past 400 mods. More mods means more memory, longer loading and more chances of conflicts, so most home-made packs are better at under 150.
Can I mix CurseForge and Modrinth mods in one pack?
A launcher can install both, but sharing is simpler when every mod comes from one platform, because each site's pack format links to its own files.
