Best Quilt Mods for Minecraft (2026)

Looking for the best mods to use with the Quilt mod loader? Here is the honest truth upfront: the Quilt-native mod ecosystem is very small. The vast majority of mods you will use on Quilt are actually Fabric mods running through Quilted Fabric API (QFAPI), the compatibility layer that lets Quilt load Fabric mods. That is not a knock against Quilt — it is simply where the ecosystem stands. This guide curates the best mods you can run on Quilt, clearly labeled by whether they are Quilt-native or Fabric mods running via compatibility.

If you have not set up Quilt yet, start with our How to Install Quilt Mods guide. Not sure what Quilt is? Our What Is Quilt? explainer covers the background.

Quick Picks

Short on time? Here are the standout mods you can run on Quilt:

Mod	Type	Category	Why It Stands Out
Sodium	Fabric (QFAPI)	Performance	One of the most impactful FPS-boosting mods available
Lithium	Fabric (QFAPI)	Performance	Server-tick and game logic optimizer
Iris Shaders	Fabric (QFAPI)	Visual	Shader support alongside Sodium
Mod Menu	Fabric (QFAPI)	Utility	In-game mod list and configuration screen
Roughly Enough Items	Fabric (QFAPI)	Utility	Recipe viewer and item browser
FerriteCore	Fabric (QFAPI)	Performance	Reduces memory usage for modded setups
Jade	Fabric (QFAPI)	Utility	Block and entity information tooltip

You may notice the "Type" column: every mod in this quick picks list is a Fabric mod running through QFAPI. This reflects the current reality of the Quilt ecosystem.

Understanding Quilt Mod Compatibility

Before diving into the mod list, it is important to understand what "Quilt mod" actually means in practice:

• Quilt-native mods — mods built specifically for Quilt using Quilt Standard Libraries (QSL). These are few in number.
• Fabric mods with explicit Quilt support — Fabric mods that the developer has tested and marked as Quilt-compatible on Modrinth or CurseForge. These work well but are still Fabric mods at their core.
• Fabric mods via QFAPI — Fabric mods that are not explicitly marked as Quilt-compatible but work on Quilt through the QFAPI compatibility layer. Most popular Fabric mods fall into this category.

In practice, when people say "Quilt mods," they almost always mean Fabric mods running on Quilt. There is nothing wrong with this — it is the intended use of QFAPI — but we want to be transparent about it rather than presenting Fabric mods as Quilt-exclusive content.

Requirement: To use any of the Fabric mods listed below on Quilt, you must have Quilted Fabric API (QFAPI) installed. Without it, these mods will not load.

Quilt-Native Mods

The selection of mods built exclusively for Quilt (using QSL rather than Fabric API) is genuinely small. Quilt's smaller developer community means fewer mod authors have invested in building Quilt-only mods, especially when Fabric mods already work on Quilt through QFAPI.

Some mods on Modrinth are tagged as Quilt-compatible and may use QSL APIs where available. However, truly Quilt-exclusive mods — ones that work only on Quilt and not on Fabric — are rare. Most mods that support Quilt also support Fabric, since the APIs are closely related.

We are not going to pad this section with mods that are not genuinely Quilt-native. If the Quilt-exclusive library grows in the future, we will update this guide. For now, the strength of Quilt's mod offering lies in its Fabric compatibility.

Best Performance Mods (Fabric via QFAPI)

Performance optimization is one of the main reasons players mod Minecraft, regardless of which loader they use. These Fabric performance mods are reported to work on Quilt via QFAPI:

Sodium

Sodium is widely considered the single most impactful performance mod for Minecraft. It replaces the game's rendering engine with a more efficient one, and players generally report significant FPS improvements across a range of hardware. Sodium is open-source, actively maintained, and available on both Modrinth and CurseForge. On Modrinth, Sodium is listed as compatible with both Fabric and Quilt.

We have not benchmarked Sodium ourselves, so we cannot provide specific FPS numbers. What we can say is that it is one of the most widely recommended performance mods in the Minecraft community.

Download: Modrinth

Lithium

Lithium optimizes Minecraft's game logic — things like entity AI, block ticking, and chunk loading — without changing how the game looks or feels. Where Sodium focuses on rendering, Lithium focuses on the server-side tick loop. This makes it valuable for both singleplayer and multiplayer. Lithium is listed as Fabric-compatible on Modrinth and is reported to work on Quilt via QFAPI.

Download: Modrinth

FerriteCore

FerriteCore reduces Minecraft's memory usage, which is especially helpful for modded setups where RAM consumption can climb quickly. It works alongside Sodium and Lithium without conflicts. FerriteCore is available for both Fabric and Forge, and the Fabric version is reported to work on Quilt via QFAPI.

Download: Modrinth

Starlight

Starlight rewrites Minecraft's lighting engine to be faster and more efficient. It reduces the performance impact of light updates, which is particularly noticeable when exploring new chunks or placing and breaking light sources. Starlight is a Fabric mod that has been reported to work on Quilt via QFAPI. Note that as of newer Minecraft versions, some of Starlight's improvements have been adopted into vanilla Minecraft, so the benefit may be smaller on the latest game versions.

Download: Modrinth

Best Visual Mods (Fabric via QFAPI)

Iris Shaders

Iris Shaders brings shader support to Fabric (and by extension, Quilt via QFAPI) while maintaining compatibility with Sodium. This means you can use shader packs without giving up Sodium's performance improvements — something that was not possible with OptiFine, which conflicts with Sodium. Iris supports most OptiFine-compatible shader packs. On Modrinth, Iris is listed as compatible with Quilt.

Download: Modrinth

Continuity

Continuity adds connected textures to Minecraft, a feature previously only available through OptiFine. Glass panes, bookshelves, and other blocks with repeating textures connect seamlessly with Continuity installed. It supports OptiFine-format connected texture resource packs. Continuity is a Fabric mod that works on Quilt via QFAPI.

Download: Modrinth

LambDynamicLights

LambDynamicLights adds dynamic lighting — held torches illuminate your surroundings, dropped glowstone lights up the ground, and burning entities cast light. This is another feature that was OptiFine-exclusive before the Fabric mod ecosystem developed alternatives. LambDynamicLights is a Fabric mod reported to work on Quilt via QFAPI.

Download: Modrinth

Best Utility Mods (Fabric via QFAPI)

Mod Menu

Mod Menu adds a "Mods" button to the Minecraft main menu that shows a list of all installed mods with their versions, descriptions, and configuration options. Without Mod Menu, there is no built-in way to see which mods are loaded or configure them in-game. This is generally considered an essential install for any modded Minecraft setup. Mod Menu is a Fabric mod that works on Quilt via QFAPI.

Download: Modrinth

Roughly Enough Items (REI)

Roughly Enough Items is a recipe viewer and item browser that shows you every item in the game and how to craft or obtain it. It adds a searchable sidebar to inventory screens and is widely considered essential for modded Minecraft where the number of items and recipes can become overwhelming. REI is a Fabric mod that is reported to work on Quilt via QFAPI.

Download: Modrinth

Jade

Jade displays information about the block or entity you are looking at — block name, mod source, harvest tool, and other useful data in a clean tooltip. It is the successor to HWYLA (Here's What You're Looking At) and is one of the most commonly used utility mods. Jade is a Fabric mod reported to work on Quilt via QFAPI.

Download: Modrinth

Best Gameplay Mods (Fabric via QFAPI)

Origins

Origins lets you choose a custom origin at the start of the game, each with unique abilities and drawbacks. The Enderian can teleport but takes damage from water. The Avian can slow-fall but cannot eat meat. It adds genuine replayability and is especially popular on multiplayer servers. Origins is a Fabric mod that has Quilt listed as compatible on Modrinth.

Download: Modrinth

Cobblemon

Cobblemon is a community-built creature collecting mod that adds a full creature-catching experience to Minecraft. It features 3D models that spawn in the world, a battle system, and progression mechanics. Cobblemon is primarily a Fabric mod and is reported to work on Quilt via QFAPI, though given its complexity, checking the latest compatibility notes on the mod's page is recommended.

Download: Modrinth

Why Use Quilt Over Fabric for These Mods

If most of these mods are Fabric mods anyway, why would someone use Quilt instead of just using Fabric directly? This is a fair question, and the honest answer is: for most players, the practical difference is minimal. Here are the reasons someone might still choose Quilt:

• Community and governance — Quilt was created because of disagreements over how the Fabric project was governed. Some players and developers prefer Quilt's approach to community management and decision-making.
• QSL features — as Quilt Standard Libraries mature, they may offer APIs or capabilities that Fabric API does not. This is more relevant for mod developers than players at this stage.
• Supporting the project — using Quilt is one way to support an alternative vision for the Minecraft modding ecosystem, even if the day-to-day experience is similar to Fabric.

If none of these reasons resonate with you, Fabric is the more practical choice simply because of its larger community, more active development, and the fact that you would be running the same mods without a compatibility layer in between. For Fabric mod recommendations, see our Best Fabric Mods guide.

If you want to try pre-assembled mod collections instead of picking mods individually, check our Best Quilt Modpacks guide — though fair warning, the Quilt modpack ecosystem is similarly small.

Other Mod Loader Guides

Using a different mod loader? Check out these best mods lists:

• Best Forge Mods
• Best Fabric Mods
• Best NeoForge Mods
• Fabric vs Quilt — Fabric's community fork explained

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there mods made only for Quilt?

Very few. The Quilt-exclusive mod library is small because most mod developers target Fabric (which has a significantly larger audience) and Quilt can already run Fabric mods via QFAPI anyway. Some mods may use QSL APIs and support Quilt alongside Fabric, but genuinely Quilt-only mods that cannot run on Fabric are rare.

Do all Fabric mods work on Quilt?

Most popular Fabric mods appear to work on Quilt via QFAPI, but not all are guaranteed. Mods that deeply rely on Fabric Loader internals (rather than just Fabric API) may have compatibility issues. When in doubt, check the mod's page on Modrinth for Quilt compatibility tags or community reports.

Where do I download Quilt mods?

Modrinth is the best source — it has a dedicated Quilt filter showing mods explicitly tagged as Quilt-compatible. You can also browse Fabric mods on Modrinth or CurseForge and use them on Quilt via QFAPI.

Is the Quilt mod list going to grow?

That depends on the Quilt community's growth. If more developers adopt Quilt and build on QSL, the native mod library will expand. However, given that QFAPI provides strong Fabric compatibility, there is less incentive for developers to build Quilt-exclusive mods. The ecosystem has grown slowly since Quilt's 2021 launch.

Can I use these mods on Fabric instead?

Yes. Every Fabric mod listed in this guide works on Fabric natively (that is where they were originally built). If you do not have a specific reason to use Quilt, using Fabric directly with Fabric API is a perfectly valid — and arguably simpler — approach.