Minecraft
NeoForge is the community fork of Forge, and the main loader for big modded packs on Minecraft 1.20.2 and newer. NeoForge runs NeoForge mods only: not Forge, Fabric or Paper.
Which loader? Use NeoForge for Minecraft 1.21 and newer, and for any pack built on it. For 1.20.1, the NeoForge team themselves recommend Forge, so use Forge there. Your modpack's page says which loader it needs.
Setup checklist
- [ ] Minecraft and NeoForge versions matching your modpack, set on Startup, with the right Java (Java 21 for 1.21.x, Java 25 for 26.x). Versions and Java
- [ ] The pack's server files, not the player files.
- [ ] No client-only mods in
mods/. - [ ] EULA accepted on the first start.
- [ ] Memory to the pack author's recommendation.
- [ ] Configs set before creating the world. Configs
- [ ] World pre-generated with Chunky. Pre-generate
- [ ] Backups every 6 hours and a restart every 12–24 hours.
Install a modpack
- The panel's Modpacks page installs NeoForge packs from CurseForge, Modrinth, FTB and ATLauncher, including the loader. Install mods and modpacks
- For other packs, upload the pack's Server Pack files. Keep the
libraries/folder: NeoForge's installer puts the game and loader files there. - To update NeoForge itself, change the version on Startup and reinstall, after a locked backup.
Memory
| Server | Memory |
|---|---|
| Light pack (under 50 mods) | 4–6 GB |
| Medium pack (50–150 mods) | 6–8 GB |
| Big packs (All the Mods 10 and similar, 300+ mods) | 10–12 GB for a small group; more for 10+ players |
Start with the modpack author's number and watch with spark. Our start command gives Java its share of your plan, so you don't set -Xmx, and user_jvm_args.txt isn't used on the panel. Ask us for custom flags.
Configs
| Folder | What's in it |
|---|---|
config/ |
Server-wide mod settings. |
world/serverconfig/ |
Per-world settings that override config/. Most gameplay options live here. |
defaultconfigs/ |
Templates copied into serverconfig when a new world is created. Changing them doesn't affect an existing world. |
Edit configs with the server stopped, then start it.
Performance
- spark for finding lag. FerriteCore and ModernFix cut memory and start-up time (most big packs include them).
view-distance8 andsimulation-distance5–6 inserver.properties.- Limit chunk loaders per player in the mod's config (FTB Chunks and similar): each one keeps an area running all the time.
- Pre-generate the world before players explore. Modded world generation is slow, and pre-generation stops it causing lag later.
Client-only mods
Graphics, shader and screen mods (Sodium/Embeddium, Iris/Oculus, minimaps, HUD and menu mods) crash a server at start-up with errors like invalid dist DEDICATED_SERVER. The crash log names the mod. Delete it from mods/.
Restarts and backups
- Restart every 12–24 hours, or every 6–8 hours on heavy packs, with warnings at 10, 5 and 1 minute. Schedules
- A high memory graph isn't proof of a problem: Java keeps memory it has used. Watch spark's tick times (MSPT) and the console for OutOfMemoryError instead.
- Backups every 6 hours, and a locked backup before every pack or mod update. Update the pack as a whole.
Running behind Velocity
Install Proxy Compatible Forge (it supports NeoForge too) for secure forwarding. See NeoForge back-ends in a Velocity network.
Common problems
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| invalid dist DEDICATED_SERVER | A client-only mod. Remove it. |
| A Forge mod won't load | NeoForge needs NeoForge builds of mods. Find the NeoForge version, or an alternative. |
| Settings changes don't apply | The setting is per-world: edit world/serverconfig/, not config/. |
| Server stops on the first start | Normal: accept the EULA and start again. |
| Missing mods for players | Players need the same pack version as the server. |