How to install Fabric on a Minecraft server

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

The short version

Pick Fabric as the loader at order time, or switch an existing server to Fabric from the Settings tab. Hostd installs it in one click. 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 in one click.

#At order time

On the Configure page for Minecraft Java, toggle Modded and pick Fabric under loader. The version selector defaults to the recommended Fabric loader for the Minecraft version you chose. Finish checkout and the server provisions with Fabric ready; drop mods into Files → /data/mods and restart.

#On an existing server

Dashboard → your server → Settings → Loader. Switch to Fabric, pick the loader version, save, restart. Your world stays; any Forge mods you had under /data/mods will not load on Fabric and the console will say so. Take a backup before switching (Taking a manual backup).

#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. Starlight improves chunk light calculation. All four 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 genuinely 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 2026-05-23. Notice a mistake? Tell us.

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