How to install Fabric on a Minecraft server

Fabric is the lightweight alternative to Forge. Hostd installs it for you; drop mods (and the Fabric API) into /data/mods and restart.

The short version

Pick Fabric and the Minecraft version your mods target as the server software when you order, or switch an existing server from Settings, General, Server software. Then upload your mods to /data/mods, including Fabric API, which most Fabric mods depend on, and restart. Every player needs the same mods locally.

Fabric is the lightweight alternative to Forge. It boots faster, uses less RAM at idle, and most performance mods (Sodium, Lithium, FerriteCore) target it first. Hostd installs Fabric for you.

#When you order

On the Configure page for Minecraft Java, skip the modpack and, under Server software, pick Fabric and the Minecraft version your mods are built for. Hostd installs the newest stable Fabric loader and pins it, so restarts never swap it under your mods.

#Switching a server to Fabric

On an existing server: Dashboard → your server → Settings → General → Server software. Pick Fabric and the Minecraft version your mods are built for, press Switch software and type the server name to confirm.

The switch installs Fabric on a fresh server, so the current world and files are erased. A backup is taken first, and you can restore it from the Backups tab.

#Uploading your mods

Wait for the console to show the server has started. Then open Files at the top level and either use Upload folder to upload your mods folder, or upload a zip of it and press Extract on the zip. Either way the jars land in /data/mods. If any of them are already there, Extract asks before replacing them. Restart the server to load the mods.

#Fabric vs Forge in one paragraph

Fabric is smaller, modular, and ships nothing on its own; you add what you want, including the optional Fabric API that most mods depend on. Forge is heavier, ships a lot of utilities by default, and is the historical home of the biggest tech packs (Mekanism, IndustrialCraft, Ender IO). If you are installing a pack, the pack decides for you. If you are picking mods one at a time, Fabric usually wins on performance.

#Fabric API

Most Fabric mods depend on the Fabric API. Download it from its Modrinth page, drop the .jar into Files → /data/mods, restart. Skipping this step is the most common cause of "Fabric server boots but no mods load" tickets.

#Performance mods worth installing

For a vanilla-feel Fabric server with proper performance, the usual stack is Lithium, FerriteCore, and Krypton. Sodium is client-side only; do not install it on the server. All three server mods are on Modrinth and load cleanly with no config.

#Memory

A bare Fabric server runs comfortably on the 6 GB plan for small modpacks. Bigger Fabric packs (Create-based, Cobblemon, larger Modrinth-curated packs) want the 10 GB plan.

#Where to go next

#Frequently asked questions

Do I need Fabric API on the server?

Almost certainly yes. Fabric API is a dependency for the large majority of Fabric mods, and it is a separate download rather than part of the loader. If mods are silently failing to load, a missing Fabric API is the first thing to check.

Is Fabric faster than Forge?

Fabric itself is lighter, and the performance mods built for it (Lithium, FerriteCore and similar) are effective. But the loader is rarely the bottleneck: what matters far more is how many mods you run and what they do each tick.

Can I run Forge mods on Fabric?

No. Forge and Fabric mods are not interchangeable. Some mods publish separate builds for each loader, so check the download page for a Fabric version rather than trying to load a Forge jar.

Written and maintained by the Hostd engineering team. Last updated 2026-09-24. Notice a mistake? Tell us.

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