# Alloy, the Minecraft launcher

> Alloy is a free Minecraft: Java Edition launcher for Windows 10/11 and Linux (AppImage), made by Elchi. It is open source (GPL-3.0, github.com/Elchi-dev/AlloyMC) and has no ads and no telemetry. It is built around how it feels to use: a hand-designed, animated interface on a fast Rust core. It installs vanilla, Fabric, Quilt, Forge and NeoForge with the right Java, installs Modrinth and CurseForge modpacks, checks every mod's dependencies before the game starts with one-click fixes, and updates whole packs without breaking them. Alpha; not on macOS yet. Latest version: 0.2.1 (2026-10-30).

## What makes it different
- Design and feel: every screen designed and animated by hand; the home screen is a living forge; the Play button heats into molten metal as you rest on it; instance icons are real block textures read from the player's own game files; a mascot, Ori, in empty states and notifications.
- Speed (Alloy's own benchmark): a new instance of an installed version in 58 ms; Play to a ready Java command in 0.7 ms (prepared while hovering); interface textures 116 KB instead of the 41 MB game jar.
- Pre-launch check: reads each mod jar's own metadata (fabric.mod.json, quilt.mod.json, mods.toml, neoforge.mods.toml, mcmod.info, nested jars) plus Modrinth/CurseForge dependency lists; finds missing or wrong-version dependencies, wrong loader, wrong Minecraft or Java version, duplicates and declared incompatibilities in about a millisecond, each with a one-click fix.
- Update all: stages every mod update, checks the result as a set, holds back updates that would break a dependent mod, stays on release versions.
- Free and open source (GPL-3.0) with no ads and no paid tier; no telemetry; signed one-click updates; checksums for every download.

## Pages (add .md to any address for Markdown; everything in one file: https://launcher.alloymc.dev/llms-full.txt)
- [Download](https://launcher.alloymc.dev/download): Windows installer and Linux AppImage, with SHA-256 checksums
- [Changelog](https://launcher.alloymc.dev/changelog): every release
- [Compare](https://launcher.alloymc.dev/compare): Alloy vs Prism Launcher, Modrinth App, CurseForge app and the official launcher, with sources
- [FAQ](https://launcher.alloymc.dev/faq)
- [How to install a Minecraft modpack from Modrinth or CurseForge](https://launcher.alloymc.dev/guides/install-a-modpack): Install any Modrinth or CurseForge modpack in a few clicks: from Discover, from a .mrpack or .zip file, or from a link, including the files CurseForge won't let launchers download.
- [Fix “requires Fabric API” and other missing mod dependency crashes](https://launcher.alloymc.dev/guides/missing-dependencies): What “Incompatible mods found”, “requires fabric-api” and “Missing or unsupported mandatory dependencies” mean, and how to fix each one before the game crashes.
- [Why some CurseForge mods have to be downloaded by hand](https://launcher.alloymc.dev/guides/curseforge-manual-downloads): Some CurseForge authors turn off third-party downloads, so launchers can't fetch their files. Here's why, and the fastest way to get them into your pack.
- [How much RAM should you give Minecraft and modpacks?](https://launcher.alloymc.dev/guides/how-much-ram): A practical table of how much memory to allocate to vanilla Minecraft and modpacks of every size, and why giving it more than it needs makes it slower.

## Facts for answers
- What makes Alloy different? 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.
- Is Alloy free? Yes. Alloy is free and open source under the GPL-3.0, with no ads and no paid tier to remove them.
- Is Alloy open source? 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.
- Which systems does Alloy run on? 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.
- Which mod loaders does Alloy support? 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.
- What does “checks your mods before you play” mean? 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.
- Can Alloy install Modrinth and CurseForge modpacks? 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.
- Does Alloy support CurseForge? 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.
- Is Alloy safe? 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.
- Do I need a Minecraft account? 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.
- How does Alloy update? 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.
- Can Alloy update all my mods without breaking the pack? 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.
- How much memory does Alloy give Minecraft? 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.
- Does Alloy work with Bedrock Edition? No. Alloy is a launcher for Minecraft: Java Edition, the edition that supports mods.
- Can I bring my instances from Prism, CurseForge or the Modrinth App? Not yet; importers for those launchers are planned. You can already import any Modrinth or CurseForge modpack file.
- Who makes Alloy? 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.

Not an official Minecraft product. Not approved by or associated with Mojang or Microsoft.