Questions about Alloy

Alloy is built around how it feels to use. Every screen is designed and animated by hand, on a Rust core that answers instantly: a new instance of a version you already have is ready in 58 ms, and Play reaches the game's start command in 0.7 ms. It checks every mod before launch and offers one-click fixes, and “Update all” checks the updated pack as a whole, holding back anything that would break another mod. It's free, open source and has no ads.

Yes. Alloy is free and open source under the GPL-3.0, with no ads and no paid tier to remove them.

Yes. Alloy's full source code is on GitHub under the GNU General Public License v3.0. You can read it, build it yourself and change it; versions you share must stay open under the same license.

Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit), with an installer, and Linux, as an AppImage that runs on most distributions (Alloy is tested on Arch Linux). macOS is not supported yet.

All five ways to play Java Edition: vanilla (including snapshots), Fabric, Quilt, Forge and NeoForge. Forge works from 1.6 up to current versions, including 1.7.10 and 1.12.2, and is installed from Forge's official installer.

When you press Play, Alloy reads what every mod jar declares about itself (fabric.mod.json, mods.toml, neoforge.mods.toml, quilt.mod.json, mcmod.info, and jars bundled inside other jars) and checks the whole set in about a millisecond: missing or wrong-version dependencies, mods made for another loader or Minecraft version, the wrong Java version, duplicates and declared incompatibilities. Each problem comes with a one-click fix, such as installing the missing mod. It only reports what it can prove, so it doesn't cry wolf.

Yes. Install Modrinth modpacks from Discover, or import a .mrpack or CurseForge .zip from a file or a link, or drop it on the window. Some CurseForge authors don't allow launchers to download their files; Alloy lists those with their download page and picks each one up from your Downloads folder once you've downloaded it, checked against its hash.

Partly, today. Modrinth works fully. CurseForge search and installs need an API key that can't be shipped inside a public app, so public builds get them through the AlloyMC server, which is being set up now. Modrinth packs that list CurseForge-only files already get them through Alloy's Downloads-folder flow.

Every download is listed with its SHA-256 checksum, and updates are signed: Alloy only installs an update whose signature matches the key built into the version you have. Alloy collects no telemetry or analytics. Its installer isn't signed with a code-signing certificate yet, so Windows SmartScreen may say “unknown publisher” the first time; choose More info, then Run anyway. Alloy is open source, so anyone can read exactly what it does.

Yes. You sign in with the Microsoft account that owns Minecraft: Java Edition, through Microsoft's own sign-in page. Alloy never sees your password.

Download the update file for your system from the download page. Alloy notices it in your Downloads folder, checks its signature and offers a one-click update. Automatic update checks arrive with the AlloyMC server.

Yes. “Update all” stages every update and checks the result as a set before anything changes. A library only moves as far as the mods that depend on it allow, and an update that would still break something is held back with the reason. It stays on release versions unless you're already on a beta.

Alloy recommends memory from the number of mods: 2 GB for vanilla, 3 GB up to 30 mods, 4 GB up to 100, 6 GB up to 200 and 8 GB above that, never more than half your RAM. You can go up to everything your PC can spare, and Alloy warns before the system would run short.

No. Alloy is a launcher for Minecraft: Java Edition, the edition that supports mods.

Not yet; importers for those launchers are planned. You can already import any Modrinth or CurseForge modpack file.

Alloy is made by Elchi, an independent developer. It is not an official Minecraft product and is not approved by or associated with Mojang or Microsoft.