This will give you an overview over the various Minecraft (Java Edition) launchers and their features.
Explanations:
- Modloader support means a way to install the modloader through the launcher directly, without downloading it separately.
- CurseForge blocked downloads: CurseForge offers creators on the platform the option to opt out of downloads from 3rd party platforms as a means to ensure ad revenue is generated when downloading content. Platforms need to work around that restriction to properly support CurseForge content.
| Feature |  ATLauncher |  CurseForge App |  FTB App |  GDLauncher Carbon |  GDLauncher (Legacy) |  Modrinth App |  MultiMC |  PoJavLauncher |  Prism Launcher |  QWERTZ Launcher |  Technic Launcher |  Vanilla Launcher (old) |  Vanilla Launcher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| License | GPLv3 | proprietary | LGPL-2.1 | source available | GPLv3 or newer | GPLv3 or newer | MS-PL | GPLv3 or newer | GPL-3.0-only | AGPL3 | GPLv3 | proprietary | proprietary |
| Look & Feel | Custom (configurable) | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | System (configurable) | Minecraft Inspired | System (configurable) | System (mostly) | Custom | Java Swing | Minecraft Official |
| Platforms |  Linux  Windows  MacOS | Linux Windows MacOS | Linux Windows MacOS | Linux Windows MacOS | Linux Windows MacOS | Linux Windows MacOS | Linux Windows MacOS |  Android  iOS | Linux Windows MacOS | Windows | Linux Windows MacOS | Linux Windows MacOS | Linux Windows MacOS |
| Languages | Java | HTML, JS, CSS | HTML, JS, CSS, Java | HTML, JS, CSS, Rust, TypeScript | HTML, JS, CSS, Rust | HTML, JS, CSS, Rust | C++ | Java, C | C++ | Python | Java | Java | HTML, JS, CSS, C++ |
| Core Toolkits and Libraries | Swing | React, Next.js, Overwolf (Windows) or Electron (Windows, macOS, Linux) | Vue.js, Tailwind, Overwolf (Windows) Electron (macOS and Linux) | Astro | Preact, Electron, Solid.js | Vue.js, Tauri | Qt (Widgets) | Qt (Widgets) | Qt | Swing, AWT | React, CEF | Modpacks | |
| CurseForge | Download | Download | Download | Download | Download | No | No | Download | Download | No | No | No | No |
| Modrinth | Download | No | No | Download | No | Download | Download | Download | Download | No | No | No | No |
| FTB | Download | No | Download | No | No | No | Import | No | Download | No | No | No | No |
| AT Launcher | Download | No | No | No | No | No | Download | No | Download | No | No | No | No |
| Technic Launcher | Download | No | No | No | No | No | Download | No | Download | No | Download | No | No |
| Legacy FTB | No | No | Download | No | No | No | Download | No | Download | No | No | No | No | Modloaders |
 Forge | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
 Neoforge | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
 FabricMC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
 QuiltMC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
 Legacy Fabric | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Lite Loader | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Resource Download (Mods, Resourcepacks, Shaders, etc.) |
| mods | Modrinth CurseForge | CurseForge | CurseForge | Modrinth CurseForge | Modrinth CurseForge | Modrinth | | | Modrinth CurseForge | | | | |
| resourcepacks | Modrinth CurseForge | CurseForge | | | | Modrinth | | | Modrinth CurseForge | | | | |
| shaderpacks | Modrinth CurseForge | | | | | Modrinth | | | Modrinth CurseForge | | | | |
| worlds | CurseForge | CurseForge | | | | | | | | | | | |
| datapacks | | | | | | Modrinth | | | Modrinth CurseForge | | | | |
| plugins | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| import | OneSix Modrinth CurseForge | CurseForge | FTB App Share Code CurseForge | OneSix 🚧 Modrinth CurseForge 🚧 Technic 🚧 FtbApp 🚧 ATLauncher | CurseForge | OneSix Modrinth CurseForge ATLauncher | OneSix Modrinth Technic FtbApp | OneSix Modrinth CurseForge Technic FtbApp | Technic | ||||
| export | OneSix Modrinth CurseForge | CurseForge | FTB App Share Code | Modrinth CurseForge | CurseForge | Modrinth | OneSix Modrinth | OneSix Modrinth CurseForge Text Markdown JSON HTML | |||||
| java |
Download
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use System Java
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Download
Manage Versions
use System Java
|
Download
Manage Versions
use System Java
|
Download
Manage Versions
use System Java
|
Download
Manage Versions
use System Java
|
use System Java
|
Download
Manage Versions
use System Java
|
Download
Manage Versions
use System Java
|
Download
Manage Versions
use System Java
|
Download
Manage Versions
use System Java
|
Download
Manage Versions
use System Java
|
Download
Manage Versions
use System Java
|
| sandboxing | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | WIP | No | No | No | No |
| overlay | No | Optional (via Overwolf app) | Optional (via Overwolf app) | No | No | No | No | Yes, for controls → touch screen | No | No | No | No | No |
| advertisements | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| CurseForge Blocked Mods handling | via web browser, automatically copies mod | Yes | Yes | Yes (granted bypass by CurseForge) | Yes (by using standard browser user agent) | No | No | No | via web browser, automatically copies mod | No | No | No | No |