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Top 25 Most Popular Minecraft Modpacks (Ranked by Community Downloads)

Discover the top 25 Minecraft modpacks on CurseForge by downloads. From hardcore survival to tech and RPG packs, find your next modded world in minutes.

Top 25 Most Popular Minecraft Modpacks (Ranked by Community Downloads)

Modpacks in Minecraft are curated bundles of mods designed to create a specific kind of gameplay experience. While some modpacks are designed to overhaul nearly everything, others focus on niche mechanics like farming, exploration, or tech progression.

I used to be skeptical of modpacks. They seemed bloated, too dependent on third-party launchers, and often felt like a mess of features crammed together. But after trying some of the most downloaded packs on CurseForge, I started to see the charm. These packs aren’t just random collections of mods – they’re carefully designed experiences that can make Minecraft feel fresh and exciting again. Here’s a breakdown of the top 25 most downloaded modpacks from CurseForge, and my honest take after trying many of them.

1. RLCraft

RLCraft transforms Minecraft into an intense, deeply rewarding survival experience. With dragons, thirst, temperature systems, and powerful mobs, it's perfect for players seeking a true test of their survival skills. Every victory feels well-earned and satisfying.

Category: Hardcore Survival

Mod Loader: Forge

2. Pixelmon Modpack

Pixelmon blends Minecraft and Pokémon into one seamless adventure. Catching and training Pokémon while exploring a custom world brings endless enjoyment. Whether solo or with friends, it's a fun and nostalgic experience.

Category: Adventure / Pokémon

Mod Loader: Forge

3. Better MC [FORGE] BMC4

Better MC [FORGE] BMC4 is a large Vanilla+ modpack with over 320 mods. It adds 100+ quests, new bosses and mobs, thousands of dungeons and structures, the Aether dimension with tweaks, plus QoL mods like waystones and minimaps. Biomes O' Plenty and Geophilic add new world generation with a wide variety of new landscapes to explore.

Category: Vanilla+ / Exploration

Mod Loader: Forge

4. SkyFactory 4

SkyFactory 4 reinvents the skyblock concept with rich progression and smart automation. Starting from a single tree block and building out your world provides a deeply satisfying and creative journey.

Category: Skyblock / Automation

Mod Loader: Forge

5. All the Mods 9

ATM9 is a massive, curated kitchen-sink modpack with 400+ mods, robust questing, and a built-in endgame centered on crafting the ATM Star, all while prioritizing stability. It blends big-name tech and magic with newer discoveries, so there's always another system to learn or boss goal to chase. Perfect if you want a "everything in one place" experience with guided progression and late-game challenges.

Category: Kitchen Sink / Tech / Magic / Exploration / Quests

Mod Loader: Forge

6. All the Mods 10

ATM10 is a sprawling, curated kitchen-sink pack with ~500 mods, robust FTB questing, and a proper endgame, continuing ATM's blend of big-name and fresh mods. Available on NeoForge 1.21/1.21.1, with steady updates as new mods land, aimed at broad content, late-game goals, and stable progression.

Category: Kitchen Sink / Tech / Magic / Exploration / Quests / Endgame

Mod Loader: NeoForge

7. DawnCraft

DawnCraft is a Souls-like RPG adventure pack with a custom questline, reputation system, and dozens of animated bosses, powered by 200+ curated mods. You'll see new structures, biomes, mobs, and progression, and detailed systems are explained on the official wiki of quests, reputation, and boss paths.

Category: Exploration / Quests / Hardcore / Adventure and RPG

Mod Loader: NeoForge

8. Prominence 2: Hasturian Era

Prominence 2: Hasturian Era is a fresh and visually striking modpack with a deep sci-fantasy atmosphere. Blending exploration, magic, and technology, it immerses players in a beautifully crafted world filled with unique progression and creative storytelling. With a curated selection of mods and balanced performance, it's perfect for players looking for something imaginative and out of the ordinary.

Category: Sci-Fantasy / Exploration / Magic

Mod Loader: Fabric

9. All the Mods 8

ATM 8 offers a rich combination of tech, magic, and exploration. With deep mod integration and flexible progression, it's a standout pack that offers something new every time you play. It's a fantastic way to explore what modern modded Minecraft has to offer.

Category: Kitchen Sink / Tech / Magic

Mod Loader: Forge

10. Better MC BMC1 Fabric

Better MC BMC1 Fabric is a polished vanilla+ pack with overhauled worldgen, 100+ quests, shader support, new dimensions, new bosses/mobs, and hundreds of structures, plus handy QoL features. It aims to feel like upgraded vanilla while adding lots to discover, all in an optimized Fabric-based setup.

Category: Vanilla+ / Exploration

Mod Loader: Fabric

11. Roguelike Adventures and Dungeons (RAD)

RAD offers thrilling dungeon-crawling adventures packed with tons of RPG elements. The variety of structures and challenges makes it ideal for players who crave fast-paced, action-heavy gameplay.

Category: Adventure / RPG / Exploration

Mod Loader: Forge

12. SevTech: Ages

SevTech: Ages takes players on a guided journey through the history of Minecraft technology. Progressing through ages by unlocking tools and mods makes each milestone feel meaningful and earned.

Category: Progression / Age-Based Unlocks

Mod Loader: Forge

13. SkyFactory 3

SkyFactory 3 is a classic skyblock pack that starts you in the void with a tree and one dirt and pushes you toward high-tech automation and full progression. Version 3 adds broader mod choices and an Achievement Book to guide goals, making the path from hand-made beginnings to fully automated factories clear and replayable.

Category: Skyblock / Automation

Mod Loader: Forge

14. All the Mods 6

All the Mods 6 is a huge 1.16.5 kitchen-sink pack with broad tech/magic content, quests, and a late-game chase to craft the ATM Star - your path to creative-tier items. Curated for variety and stability.

Category: Exploration / Tech / Magic / Extra Large

Mod Loader: Forge

15. Cursed Walking - A Modern Zombie Apocalypse

Cursed Walking is a fully featured zombie apocalypse pack focused on exploration, progression, and survival against escalating hordes. Expect custom zombies/variants, cities and structures, guns and modern gear, blood moons, and a custom dimension with powerful enemies and high-tier loot.

Category: Zombie Apocalypse / Survival / Exploration / Progression

Mod Loader: Forge

16. Better MC [FORGE] BMC1

Better MC [FORGE] BMC1 is a Vanilla+ pack for 1.16.5 with overhauled worldgen, 5+ new dimensions, 100+ quests, built-in shader support, lots of QoL features, and 200+ mods to expand bosses, dungeons, biomes, and building - aiming to feel like Minecraft, but better.

Category: Combat / PvP / Vanilla+ / Adventure and RPG / Quests / Exploration

Mod Loader: Forge

17. FTB Infinity Evolved

FTB Infinity Evolved is a well-balanced classic that supports both casual and expert playthroughs. With extensive tech mods and the optional Expert Mode, it delivers great depth and challenge tailored to your playstyle.

Category: Tech / Classic Modding

Mod Loader: Forge

18. Fabulously Optimized

Fabulously Optimized is a pre-configured, plug-and-play optimization package for Fabric. It bundles Sodium, Lithium, and the essentials to improve the performance of Minecraft to run more smoothly and look nice. It enables a lot of OptiFine-like features (such as shaders and connected textures), doesn't introduce new content, and is ideal for FPS-friendly vanilla upgrades. Easy installation, swift patching, and ideal for low to mid-spec PCs.

Category: Performance / Small / Light / Vanilla+

Mod Loader: Fabric

19. Vault Hunters (Third Edition)

Vault Hunters is an action-RPG modpack built around The Vault, a procedurally generated, high-risk, high-reward dimension. Level up, unlock talents and abilities, craft a Vault Altar to open runs, and chase 25 unique artifacts to reach the final challenge. Features exclusive Vault gear, mobs, bosses, and strong multiplayer loop; also includes Sky Vaults skyblock variant for an alternate start.

Category: Exploration / Multiplayer / Adventure and RPG

Mod Loader: Forge

20. Cave Horror Project 1

Cave Horror Project 1 is a deeply immersive horror survival modpack with a chapter-based questline, dynamic story events, and intense boss encounters. Built for a scary atmosphere, it delivers moody lighting and shaders that heighten the tension. Play solo or team up using optional voice chat and in-game radios. The experience is designed to keep you on edge every step of the way.

Category: Exploration / Quests / Horror / Hardcore / Multiplayer

Mod Loader: Forge

21. MC Eternal

MC Eternal offers incredible variety - run a town, explore dungeons, practice magic, or dive into tech. The freedom to play your way makes this one of the most dynamic modpacks available.

Category: Sandbox / Questing / Magic

Mod Loader: Forge

22. DeceasedCraft - Modern Zombie Apocalypse

DeceasedCraft is a handcrafted, modern zombie apocalypse pack with custom-built cities, progressive horde waves, infection and survival systems, parkour movement, and tech-powered progression. With hundreds of weapons/foods, difficulty scaling, vehicle crafting, and a guided questline.

Category: Combat / PvP / Quests / Multiplayer / Tech / Adventure and RPG / Exploration / Hardcore

Mod Loader: Forge

23. StoneBlock

StoneBlock is like Skyblock, but underground - you start encased in stone instead of on an island, then use quests to progress from nothing to full automation. It's a kitchen-sink pack with guided goals.

Category: Skyblock-like / Kitchen Sink / Quests / Tech / Underground

Mod Loader: Forge

24. Mustard Virus (by Forge Labs)

Mustard Virus is a relentless zombie apocalypse pack where infected mobs are drawn to light, sound, and players, don't burn in daylight, and attack in waves - pushing you to fortify, scavenge, and survive as long as possible. Expect classic survival progression with a focus on bases, horde management, and tense exploration.

Category: Hardcore / Adventure and RPG / Map Based / Exploration

Mod Loader: Forge

25. StoneBlock 2

StoneBlock 2 is the sequel to the original underground challenge pack. Like its predecessor, you start encased in stone with nothing but quests to guide your progression. It features expanded tech mods, more automation options, and additional challenges to keep you mining, crafting, and building your underground empire.

Category: Skyblock-like / Kitchen Sink / Quests / Tech / Underground

Mod Loader: Forge

How to Install Minecraft Modpacks

Installing modpacks used to be kind of a mess. I remember trying to load up a huge one on my old laptop, only to be bombarded with crashes, missing files, and vague error messages. These days, it is a whole lot easier, especially with platforms like CurseForge and mod loaders like Forge and Fabric doing most of the heavy lifting for you. But it still helps to know what you're doing before diving in. Here’s what’s worked best for me and should get you playing in no time:

 1. Install the CurseForge app

Most of the big modpacks are hosted on CurseForge, and for good reason. It’s easy to use, stable, and doesn’t load your system with sketchy extras like some lesser-known platforms do. You can browse, install, and update modpacks with just a few clicks. Curseforge automatically installs the correct mod loader (Forge, Fabric, or NeoForge), so you don’t have to guess. It is lightweight and doesn’t try to be more than it needs to be. Follow these steps:

  1. Download the CurseForge app.
  2. Search for your chosen modpack, like All the Mods 8 or RLCraft, and click "Install."
  3. Once installed, click "Play" and it’ll launch Minecraft with everything preconfigured.

2. Know Your Mod Loader (Forge, Fabric or NeoForge)

Every modpack runs on a loader, usually Forge, Fabric, or NeoForge. CurseForge handles this automatically, but if you're doing things manually (which I wouldn’t really recommend unless you're comfortable with that), you'll need to install the correct loader version yourself. Forge is older and has broader support, especially for huge packs like All the Mods. NeoForge is a newer version of Forge, more lightweight but with fewer mods (at the time of writing). Fabric is newer, faster, and used by more lightweight or performance-optimized packs. If a modpack lists a loader, don’t try to guess, get the exact version. Compatibility issues are one of the biggest reasons modpacks crash on launch.

 3. System Requirements & Common Pitfalls

This is where a lot of players get run into trouble. I tried playing Valhelsia 3 on a laptop with 8GB RAM and integrated graphics – bad idea. It ran like a slideshow and crashed every few minutes. Most modern modpacks demand a decent amount of RAM (I'd recommend 8GB minimum, 12-16GB for smooth gameplay with shaders or large packs). 

You can allocate more RAM to Minecraft in the CurseForge launcher (under "Settings" > "Minecraft" > "Java Settings"). Just don’t overd-allocate, as too much RAM can actually make things worse. Close background apps like browsers or Discord if your system starts to stutter. Opening several tabs in web browsers could also add stress to the system, so close those as well if you are having issues. You can also allocate different amounts of RAM to each profile you have on the app.

 4. Manual Installation (Only If You Like a Challenge)

If you’re a purist or just want to understand what’s under the hood, you can install modpacks manually. Here's what that looks like:

  1. Download the modpack ZIP file.
  2. Install the correct Minecraft version using the vanilla launcher.
  3. Download and install the right loader (Forge or Fabric) for that version.
  4. Navigate to your .minecraft folder and drop all the mod files into the mods folder.

 5. Launch Minecraft using the mod loader or CurseForge profile.

Honestly, unless you’re customizing or building your own pack, just use CurseForge. Manual setups are prone to crashes, version mismatches, and long troubleshooting rabbit holes. I’ve spent hours trying to fix mod conflicts before realizing I had the wrong version of Forge installed.

 6. Managing Updates

Updating modpacks is tempting, especially when you see those “Update Available” prompts. But be cautious. Updates sometimes break worlds or disable certain mods that haven’t caught up yet.

KEY POINT! Always back up your save before updating. Keep backups with mods and with experiments. There is nothing worse than losing a world you are very attached to due to a bug.

Read the changelog (if available) to check what’s new or broken. If your current setup is stable and you're having fun, don’t feel pressured to update right away. Remember the old saying “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. Stability, in the modding universe, is king.

Final Thoughts

Modpacks have come a long way. They’re no longer just clunky bundles but full-blown gameplay experiences. While not every pack will click with everyone, there’s something here for all types of players. If you’re new to modpacks, start light and see what resonates. For me, diving into these worlds changed the way I play Minecraft. I still believe everyone should start their experience on Minecraft Vanilla, at least their first few playthroughs. Once you’ve logged some hours and are fairly comfortable, dive into the world of mods. It will reignite your passion for the game for years to come.