Minecraft launchers compared
Alloy, Prism Launcher, the Modrinth App, the CurseForge app, GDLauncher and Mojang's official launcher, side by side. Facts only, with sources, including where Alloy falls short.
Checked on , against each launcher's own site and documentation.
Short answer: pick Alloy for a carefully designed, open-source launcher with no ads that checks modpacks before they crash, on Windows or Linux. Pick Prism Launcher for a mature open-source launcher on every system, including macOS. Pick the CurseForge app, Modrinth App or GDLauncher if you want a launcher tied closely to those platforms. The official launcher is fine for unmodded play.
| Feature | Alloy | Prism Launcher | Modrinth App | CurseForge app | GDLauncher | Official launcher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free with the game |
| Ads | None | None | Yes; removed with Modrinth+ | Yes; removed with Premium | Yes; removed with a subscription | None |
| Source code | Open (GPL-3.0) | Open (GPL-3.0) | Open (GPL-3.0) | Closed | Source-available (BSL 1.1) | Closed |
| Windows / macOS / Linux | Yes / no / yes | Yes / yes / yes | Yes / yes / yes | Yes / yes / yes | Yes / yes / yes | Yes / yes / yes |
| Mod loaders | Fabric, Quilt, Forge, NeoForge | Fabric, Quilt, Forge, NeoForge, LiteLoader | Fabric, Quilt, Forge, NeoForge | Fabric, Quilt, Forge, NeoForge | Fabric, Quilt, Forge, NeoForge | Installed by hand |
| Mods and modpacks from | Modrinth; CurseForge files and packs (search arriving with the AlloyMC server) | CurseForge, Modrinth, Technic, FTB | Modrinth | CurseForge | CurseForge, Modrinth | None |
| Checks dependencies before launch | Yes, with one-click fixes | Not a feature these launchers list; mods report missing dependencies when the game starts | ||||
| Update all, checked as a set | Yes; breaking updates held back | Updates mods | Updates mods | Updates mods | Updates mods | No |
| Import from other launchers | Not yet | From MultiMC | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Stage | Alpha | Stable | Beta | Stable | Stable | Stable |
When to choose each one
Alloy
For playing big modpacks without the crash-and-guess loop. Alloy reads every mod's own metadata (including jars bundled in other jars) and tells you, before Minecraft starts, what's missing, what's the wrong version and what's made for another loader, with a fix for each. “Update all” checks the updated pack as a whole and holds back anything that would break another mod. It is open source under the GPL-3.0, in alpha, and doesn't run on macOS yet.
Prism Launcher
The established open-source choice, maintained by volunteers and funded by donations. It runs on Windows (including ARM), macOS and Linux, installs packs from more platforms than any other launcher here (CurseForge, Modrinth, Technic and FTB), and keeps every instance fully separate.
Modrinth App
Made by Modrinth for Modrinth's own library, with one-click installs and updates and a clean design. It is open source, shows ads unless you subscribe to Modrinth+, and only installs content from Modrinth.
CurseForge app
The home of CurseForge's large modpack library, available as a standalone app or through Overwolf. It is ad-supported, and CurseForge shares ad revenue with mod authors; Premium removes the ads. It only installs content from CurseForge.
GDLauncher
A polished launcher for CurseForge and Modrinth packs, built on Electron, with Java management, imports from other launchers and instance sharing. Its code is source-available under the Business Source License rather than open source, and it is funded by ads, with a subscription that removes them.
Official Minecraft Launcher
Mojang's launcher handles Java, versions, snapshots and separate installations, and is the simplest choice without mods. Mods mean running a loader's installer yourself and managing the mods folder by hand.
Sources
- Prism Launcher: about and its repository
- Modrinth App source (modrinth/code) and a report of ads in the app
- CurseForge support: mod loaders for Minecraft
- GDLauncher: CurseForge partnership, ads and licensing
- Folly: the best Minecraft launchers in 2026, for platforms and pricing across launchers
- Alloy: changelog and FAQ
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