How to Add Mods to a Free Minecraft Server (Fabric)
November 8, 2026 · 2 min read
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Mods on an mgame.gg server come from our own catalog: about 150 of the most popular server-side Fabric mods, mirrored from Modrinth. You tick the ones you want, and the server installs them on its next start. There is nothing to upload.
Before you start
Mods need a Fabric server. If you created a Vanilla or Paper server, mods won't load. Paper uses plugins instead, see adding plugins to a Paper server. Switching type means creating the server again, so pick Fabric from the start if you want mods.
Add mods step by step
- Open your server dashboard on Free server hosting.
- Scroll to Mods for your version. The list only shows mods that have a build for your server's Minecraft version.
- Use the filter box to find a mod, and tick it. You can pick up to 40.
- Press Save mods.
- Restart the server (or Start it, if it was stopped). The mods are downloaded and installed during startup.
The dashboard then lists what is installed under Installed with dependencies. If a mod has no build for your version, it is named under Not available instead of being skipped silently.
Dependencies are automatic
Many mods need a library to run, most often Fabric API. When you pick a mod, its required dependencies from Modrinth are added too, and you'll see them in the installed list even though you didn't tick them.
Do players need the mods too?
It depends on the mod:
- Server-side only mods, like Lithium (performance), FerriteCore (memory), Chunky (pre-generating the world) or most admin tools, run on the server alone. Players join with a normal client.
- Mods that add blocks, items or mobs must also be installed on every player's client, in the same version, with Fabric. Otherwise players are kicked when they join.
When in doubt, check the mod's page: each catalog entry links to Modrinth.
A good starter set
For a smoother survival server without changing the game, these server-side mods are a safe start:
| Mod | What it does |
|---|---|
| Lithium | General server performance |
| FerriteCore | Lower memory use |
| Chunky | Pre-generate terrain so exploring lags less |
All three are in the mod catalog.
Changing the version later
If you change the server's version in Settings, the same mods are looked up again for the new version. Mods without a build for it are listed as not available.
Licences
The catalog only includes mods whose licence allows them to be redistributed (MIT, Apache, GPL, LGPL, MPL and similar). Each entry names the author and licence and links the source code.
