Best Essential Mods List 2021 | Minecraft Mod Guide

Play Minecraft with this essential mod list! Get to know recommended essential mods for Minecraft 2021! Know contents, info, download details, & more about the top essential mods!!!

What Are Essential Mods?

Must Have Mods For Minecraft

Essential mods are mods that greatly enrich the Minecraft experience, improving it and making it more manageable for new players and veterans alike. These mods make it easier for the player to get more information, relocate, or know more about the game's world.

How To Install Essential Mods

Installation process depends on the mod itself. You should also consider several factors such as other related applications and mods, and Minecraft's version number. Installing may take a bit of time but it is definitely worth it!

Mods Highly Compatible With Other Mods

These mods are very compatible with other mods. This makes them very versatile as they can seamlessly combine with mods of different content. Note that you still have to check the compatible versions of the other mods!

Recommended Essential Mods

Name	Description
JourneyMap	- JourneyMap is a mini-map mod made for Minecraft that allows users to use a real-time map
Not Enough Items (NEI)	- View information, from blocks to cheats, in one handy window!
Inventory Tweaks 1.12.2	- Sort your inventory with just a single button - Automatically replace broken weapons and tools
WAILA	- WAILA (What Am I Looking At) provides detailed information as to what the player is currently looking at
Swing Through Grass Mod	- Eliminates the situation where you wanted to hit a mob but hits the grass instead.
Fastcraft	- Improves the client & server performance at a significant rate without changing any of its gameplay.
Tool Belt	- Allows you to have an item in-game which has its own inventory slot. With this mod, you can have additional items with you which makes it very handy.
Inventory Hud+	- Adds information about your equipment and inventory. This makes it easier to explore as you can easily see how many remaining foods and ammunition you still have in your inventory.
Apple Skin	- Apple Skin mod is a standalone mod from AppleCore, this mod adds tooltip information about food value, and visual effects for hunger and saturation restored while holding the food.
Waystones	- This mod that allows you to fast travel from one point to another with ease.
Armor Toughness Bar	- This mod adds an armor toughness bar above the hunger bar to show how vulnerable you are against the enemies.
No Tree Punching	- This mod adds a semblance of realism to Minecraft. It makes the early game more difficult as you need to use the proper tools to get the materials that you need.
Immersive Railroading	- This mod gives you the freedom to travel the world of Minecraft with ease as it introduces life-sized trains. This mod is a good addition to your method of transportation if you are building cities that are distant from each other.
Immersive Engineering	- This mod allows you to be very creative as the engineer of your server. This mod includes electricity generating equipment such as windmills and waterwheels
Just Enough Items (JEI)	- This mod is the base mod for Not Enough Items (NEI) which acts the same, it is an instant recipe viewer, inventory manager, item spawner, and cheats. With this mod, you can customize how much information your UI displays.
Enchantment Description	- This is a mod that gives information about the effect of the enchantment book that you are going to use. This mod is best used with Just Enough Items (JEI) as you will be able to read tooltips in the information category.
Extra Boats	- This mod that gives you additional boats for three different uses. This mod is a best used when you are exploring the vast ocean or doing island hopping adventures!
Custom NPCs	- This mod that allows you to spawn non playable characters. It also allows you to customize how they look and their functions. This mod is good if you are creating a fully modded server with its own story line!
Clean Cut	- This mod can be seen as an updated version of Swing Through Grass Mod. It allows you to damage enemies within the grass instead of hitting the grass and missing. This can be useful if you want to engage enemies in the grass!
Mouse Tweaks	- This mod allows you to use your mouse efficiently. It also adjusts some key binds and functions for easier usage. This mod is a good addition to your game as it allows you to maximize the usage of your mouse buttons.
Miner's Helmet	- This is a mod that allows you to have an in-game helmet that passively lights up your surroundings. With this mod, the need for artificial light while mining or exploring the depths is greatly reduced.
MrCrayfish's Vehicle Mod	- MrCrayfish's Vehicle Mod gives you the freedom to travel the world of Minecraft with ease as it introduces a variety of vehicle choices. Like the Immersive Railroading mod, this mod is a good addition to your method of transportation if you are building cities that are distant from each other.
MrCrayfish's Furniture Mod	- MrCrayfish's Furniture Mod gives you access to a collection of custom items for your dream house. This mod is a good addition if you are building modern houses as you have more options to decorate them.
Nature's Compass	- Nature's Compass is a mod made for Minecraft that allows users to use a customized compass. It can make adventures easier as it can guide you towards your destination or instantly teleport/fast travel you to a random cell in the designated biome.
The One Probe (TOP)	- TOP or also known as The One Probe is a more immersive version of WAILA. This mod adds a preview of what you are looking at and it gives you more details than WAILA.
Xaero's Minimap	- Xaero's Minimap is a mini-map mod made for Minecraft that allows users to use a real-time map. It is like the JourneyMap Mod that does makes the adventures easier, but on this mod, around your area.
Xaero's World Map	- Xaero's World Map is a world map mod that allows the user to view the landscape similar to that of reading a map. The system itself is intuitive and it allows you to see different biomes and geographic features.
Sit	- This mod makes it possible to sit on slabs and stairs. You can use it to take creative pictures while posing or sitting inside your house or base. However, sitting does not make you regenerate health and is solely for striking a pose.
Hats	- Hats mod introduces a variety of hats to choose from and wear in Minecraft. - This mod also comes with a Hat Launcher, a craftable weapon that fires random hats and forces its targets to wear them.
Back Tools	- This mod introduces a feature that displays an extra item on the hotbar on your character's back in Minecraft. - It is also possible to have 2 items on your back at the same time.
Loot Bags Mod	- A simple mod that rewards you for exploring certain locations in Minecraft - The Loot Bag is not craftable and the only way to obtain it is by acquiring it through chests.
Croptopia	- A mod recommended for those looking for more variety in farming and food. - Fruits and seeds are naturally occurring and are generated together with the world.
Simple Magnets	- Simple Magnets mod introduces an item that can automatically loot items and experience near you in Minecraft. - Aside from the Basic Magnet, you can also use Advanced Magnet for selective auto looting. - With this mod, it ensures that you won't miss looting important items and generally enhances your looting capabilities.
First Aid	- First Aid is a mod that changes the vanilla health mechanics and makes it a bit realistic and complex. - Compartmentalizes HP, meaning that body parts get damaged and you get debuffs based on their condition. - It also adds an indicator that you can keep track of.
Future MC	- This mod enables the usage of blocks and items from version 1.16 and lower to your Minecraft! - A mod worthy of being added to Minecraft servers that uses 1.12.2 or 1.15.2 version mods.
Camera Mod	- Camera Mod adds an item that allows you to capture a photograph of certain places or memorable events in your server or play. - This mod is best used with Shaders or Texture Packs as you can have a livelier and more photograph-worthy moments in Minecraft!
Better Third Person	- Better Third Person changes the default camera of Minecraft to third-person. - This now allows you to see your movements, clothes, skins, and your full avatar.
Dynamic Surroundings	- Dynamic Surroundings mod changes the visual and audio experience while retaining the original game mechanics. - It allows you to customize it further by enabling or disabling some of the effects based on how customized you want your game to be.
Carry On	- Carry On mod is a quality of life improvement mod that allows you to carry decoration blocks, mobs, and animals. - To do carry something, your hand should be empty first. - This mod also makes moving a chest from one place to another a lot easier!
Torchmaster	- Torchmaster is a mod that introduces light items that light up locations and bases to make them safer. - It introduces a variety of torches with different effects to suit your needs.
Fast Furnace	- Fast Furnace is a simple mod that allows Blast Furnace to have a better tick per second, that means you can smelt ores to make ingots faster! - This allows you to quickly make resources to easily craft materials, armor and weapons!
Macaw's Bridges	- Macaw's Bridges mod increases the variety of bridges in Minecraft. - It gives the user a variety of bridges used to enhance the quality of life in certain areas, making it easier to connect 2 different points.
Macaw's Doors Mod	- Macaw's Doors mod adds a ton of doors to Minecraft. - It gives the user more doors that can be used to design your personal base and enhance your playing experience.
KleeSlabs	- KleeSlabs mod is a simple mod that allows the player to break the half of a double slab. - The side that will be broken will depend on which part of it you are looking into. - This can be used to make stairs or to add more to your base's designs.
Useful Backpacks	- This mod introduces bags that can hold more items than your default inventory. - This can be incredibly helpful if you're into farming or mining resources as you don't have to rely on chests for storage.
Trash Cans	- Trash Cans is a simple mod that allows you to delete items that you no longer need. - The mod introduces 4 types of Trash Cans: Item, Liquid, Energy, and Ultimate. - Unlike the other 3, the Ultimate Trash Bin can accommodate the 3 types of entities.
Sodium Reforged	- Sodium Reforged is a simple mod that combines and ports the 3 Essential mods namely Sodium, Lithium, and Phosphor, that are originally made for Fabric. - All of the included mods are mainly used for optimizing Minecraft to provide better overall performance. - This mod is a good option for players with low-end computers!
Dynamic Trees	- Dynamic Trees is a mod that makes the growth and look of trees in Minecraft to be realistic. - With this mod, trees are subject to environmental factors and natural growth, adding new elements to the process.
Diagonal Fences	- Diagonal Fences mod is a simple mod that allows the player to put up the fences in a diagonal way. - It adds more allowable fence design than what we can do with vanilla Minecraft. - Unfortunately, due to engine limitations, the diagonal fences cannot be connected diagonally to blocks.
Project: Vibrant Journeys	- Project: Vibrant Journeys is a mod that enhances your Minecraft world to make it livelier and more populated. - It adds new biomes, new plants, and new creatures for you and your friends to enjoy!

JourneyMap

Video from The Breakdown!!!

More Map Awareness Using JourneyMap

JourneyMap is a mini-map mod made for Minecraft that allows users to use a real-time map. It does makes the adventures easier with as it can give you more information about your surroundings.

Not Enough Items (NEI)

Video from The Breakdown!!!

Better Info Viewer

This mod is an instant recipe viewer, inventory manager, item spawner, and cheats. Having this mod on your server will definitely allow you to be more creative when it comes to items.

Inventory Tweaks

Video from AntVenom!!!

Customizing And Sorting Your Inventory

Inventory Tweaks is a mod that allows you to fully customize the way you use your inventory. With this mod, managing and using your inventory will definitely be more convenient and easier.

WAILA

Video from CraftToday's Chanel!!!

Provides Block Information On Screen

WAILA or also known as What Am I Looking At is a mod that adds a preview of what you are looking in HUD. With this mod, you can get a more informed glimpse of your surroundings and the creatures that you encounter.

Swing Through Grass

Swing Through Grass And Its Usage

Swing Through Grass mod eliminates the situation where you wanted to hit a mob but hits the grass instead. This can be useful if you want to damage an enemy hiding or walking through grass!

Fastcraft

Video from PopularMMOs!!!

What Does Fastcraft Do

This mod improves the client & server performance at a significant rate without changing any of its gameplay. FastCraft gives benefits not only to the servers, but even to fast PCs.

Tool Belt

Video from Awesome Meatball!!!

Provides Additional Inventory Slot

Tool Belt mod allows you to have an item in-game which has its own inventory slot. With this mod, you can have additional items with you which makes it very handy.

Inventory Hud+

Video from Juri TV!!!

Enables Additional HUD Information

Adds information about your equipment and inventory. This makes it easier to explore as you can easily see how many remaining foods and ammunition you still have in your inventory.

Apple Skin

Video from iPodmail!!!

Shows Details About Hunger & Saturation

Apple Skin mod is a standalone mod from AppleCore, this mod adds tooltip information about food value, and visual effects for hunger and saturation restored while holding the food.

Waystones

Video from Juri TV!!!

Allows Faster And Safer Travel

This mod that allows you to fast travel from one point to another with ease. This makes your exploration faster and safer as you can use way stone and warp plates for your travel convenience.

Armor Toughness Bar

Damage Reduction Bar

This mod adds an armor toughness bar above the hunger bar to show how vulnerable you are against the enemies. With this mod, it makes you aware on how much damage you can withstand and how much damage can be reduced.

No Tree Punching

Video from skunkmunkee

More Difficult Early Game

This mod adds a semblance of realism to Minecraft. It makes the early game more difficult as you need to use the proper tools to get the materials that you need. As an example, punching trees no longer drop wood and you need an axe for that.

Immersive Railroading

Video from Elijah Gooden

Connecting Cities And Villages

This mod gives you the freedom to travel the world of Minecraft with ease as it introduces life-sized trains. This mod is a good addition to your method of transportation if you are building cities that are distant from each other.

Immersive Engineering

Video from Mischief of Mice!!!

Enabling Automated Features

Immersive Engineering allows you to be very creative as the engineer of your server. This mod includes electricity generating equipment such as windmills and waterwheels. You can also deploy conveyor belts that can be used in mining or defending your base.

Just Enough Items (JEI)

Video from ChosenArchitect!!!

Customizable Info Viewer

This mod is the base mod for Not Enough Items (NEI) which acts the same, it is an instant recipe viewer, inventory manager, item spawner, and cheats. With this mod, you can customize how much information your UI displays.

Enchantment Description

Video from wiredboy27

Information Tool Tip For Enchantment

This mod gives information about the effect of the enchantment book that you are going to use. This mod is best used with Just Enough Items (JEI) as you will be able to read tooltips in the information category.

Extra Boats

Video from TalonMC!!!

Introduces New Boats

Extra Boats is a mod that gives you additional boats for three different uses. This mod is a best used when you are exploring the vast ocean or doing island hopping adventures!

Custom NPCs

Video from CraftStones!!!

Introduces Non Playable Characters

Custom NPCs is a mod that allows you to spawn non playable characters. It also allows you to customize how they look and their functions. This mod is good if you are creating a fully modded server with its own story line!

Clean Cut

No More Misses Because Of Grass

Clean Cut can be seen as an updated version of Swing Through Grass Mod. It allows you to damage enemies within the grass instead of hitting the grass and missing. This can be useful if you want to engage enemies in the grass!

Mouse Tweaks

Video from Gregorski!!!

Customizated Mouse Button Commands

Mouse Tweaks is a mod that allows you to use your mouse efficiently. It also adjusts some key binds and functions for easier usage. This mod is a good addition to your game as it allows you to maximize the usage of your mouse buttons.

Miner's Helmet

Video from The Resource Pack!!!

Mining Using The Miner's Helmet

Miner's Helmet is a mod that allows you to have an in-game helmet that passively lights up your surroundings. With this mod, the need for artificial light while mining or exploring the depths is greatly reduced.

MrCrayfish's Vehicle Mod

Video from Juri TV!!!

Making Distant Places Easier To Reach

MrCrayfish's Vehicle Mod gives you the freedom to travel the world of Minecraft with ease as it introduces a variety of vehicle choices. Like the Immersive Railroading mod, this mod is a good addition to your method of transportation if you are building cities that are distant from each other.

MrCrayfish's Furniture Mod

Video from MrCrayfish!!!

Indoor and Outdoor Customization

MrCrayfish's Furniture Mod gives you access to a collection of custom items for your dream house. This mod is a good addition if you are building modern houses as you have more options to decorate them.

Nature's Compass

Video from Juri TV!!!

Guide To Different Biomes & Locations

Nature's Compass is a mod made for Minecraft that allows users to use a customized compass. It can make adventures easier as it can guide you towards your destination or instantly teleport/fast travel you to a random cell in the designated biome.

The One Probe (TOP)

Video from wiredboy27!!!

Informative Overlay By The One Probe

TOP or also known as The One Probe is a more immersive version of WAILA. This mod adds a preview of what you are looking at and it gives you more details than WAILA.

Xaero's Minimap

Video from Ayesel!!!

Advantage Using Xaero's Minimap

Xaero's Minimap is a mini-map mod made for Minecraft that allows users to use a real-time map. It is like the JourneyMap Mod that does makes the adventures easier, but on this mod, it allows you to see mobs around your area.

Xaero's World Map

Video from JSQ Craft!!!

Xaero's World Map And Its Settings

Xaero's World Map is a world map mod that allows the user to view the landscape similar to that of reading a map. The system itself is intuitive and it allows you to see different biomes and geographic features.

Sit

Video from Juri TV!!!

You Can Now Sit On Slabs And Stairs

This mod makes it possible to sit on slabs and stairs. You can use it to take creative pictures while posing or sitting inside your house or base. However, sitting does not make you regenerate and is solely for striking a pose.

Hats

Video from Flammango!!!

Provides Tons Of Custom Headgears

Hats mod introduces a variety of hats to choose from and wear in Minecraft. Aside from the hats this mod also comes with a Hat Launcher, a craftable weapon that fires random hats and forces its targets to wear them.

Back Tools

Video from Lextube!!!

Weapons And Tools Shown In Your Back

This mod introduces a feature that displays an extra item on the hotbar on your character's back in Minecraft. It is also possible to have 2 items on your back at the same time.

Loot Bags Mod

Video from Juri TV!!!

Introduces Loot Bags

A simple mod that rewards you for exploring certain locations in Minecraft. The Loot Bag is not craftable and the only way to obtain it is by acquiring it through chests.

Croptopia

More Crops & Food

Croptopia basically adds a lot of crops and food recipes to Minecraft. Using this mod, players have more variety and options when farming and putting their crops to good use.

Simple Magnets

Video from The Resource Pack!!!

Auto Looting Selected Items

Simple Magnets mod introduces an item that can automatically loot items and experience near you in Minecraft. Aside from the Basic Magnet, you can also use Advanced Magnet for selective auto looting. With this mod, it ensures that you won't miss looting important items and generally enhances your looting capabilities.

First Aid

Video from Ashiwa!!!

Introduces A New Health System

First Aid is a mod that changes the vanilla health mechanics and makes it a bit realistic and complex. It compartmentalizes HP, meaning that body parts get damaged and you get debuffs based on their condition. It also adds an indicator that you can keep track of.

Future MC

Video from Mischief of Mice!!!

Usable Blocks & Items From Newer Versions

This mod enables the usage of blocks and items from version 1.16 and lower to your Minecraft! A mod worthy of being added to Minecraft servers that uses 1.12.2 or 1.15.2 version mods.

Camera Mod

Video from Juri TV!!!

Capturing Moments And Landscapes

Camera Mod adds an item that allows you to capture a photograph of certain places or memorable events in your server or play. This mod is best used with Shaders or Texture Packs as you can have a livelier and more photograph-worthy moments in Minecraft!

Better Third Person

Video from ChronoFury!!!

Strike A Pose And Capture The Moment

Better Third Person changes the default camera of Minecraft to third-person. This now allows you to see your movements, clothes, skins, and your full avatar.

Better Third Person

Video from The Aussie Gamer!!!

Dynamic Surroundings Customization

Dynamic Surroundings mod changes the visual and audio experience while retaining the original game mechanics. It allows you to customize it further by enabling or disabling some of the effects based on how customized you want your game to be.

Carry On

Video from MrCrayfish!!!

Moving Blocks & Chests With Items Inside

Carry On mod is a quality of life improvement mod that allows you to carry decoration blocks, mobs, and animals. To do carry something, your hand should be empty first. This mod also makes moving a chest from one place to another a lot easier!

Torchmaster

Video from Lava Temptress!!!

Create Your Safe Haven Using Torchmaster

Torchmaster is a mod that introduces light items that light up locations and bases to make them safer. It introduces a variety of torches with different effects to suit your needs.

Fast Furnace

Smelt Ores Faster With Blast Furnace

Fast Furnace is a simple mod that allows Blast Furnace to have a better tick per second, that means you can smelt ores to make ingots faster! This allows you to quickly make resources to easily craft materials, armor and weapons!

Macaw's Bridge

Video from Juri TV!!!

Allows Easier Access To High Places

Macaw's Bridges mod increases the variety of bridges in Minecraft. It gives the user a variety of bridges used to enhance the quality of life in certain areas, making it easier to connect 2 different points.

Macaw's Doors

Video from Sketch Macaw!!!

Custom Doors For Your House And Base

KleeSlabs

Allows You To Destroy A Single Slab

KleeSlabs mod is a simple mod that allows the player to break the half of a double slab. The side that will be broken will depend on which part of it you are looking into. This can be used to make stairs or to add more to your base's designs.

Useful Backpacks

How To Use Useful Backpacks

This mod introduces bags that can hold more items than your default inventory. This can be incredibly helpful if you're into farming or mining resources as you don't have to rely on chests for storage.

Trash Cans

Clean Up Your Inventory Using Trash Cans

Trash Cans is a simple mod that allows you to delete items that you no longer need. The mod introduces 4 types of Trash Cans: Item, Liquid, Energy, and Ultimate. Unlike the other 3, the Ultimate Trash Bin can accommodate the 3 types of entities.

Sodium Reforge

Choose Preferred Quality Settings

Sodium Reforged is a simple mod that combines and ports the 3 Essential mods namely Sodium, Lithium, and Phosphor, that are originally made for Fabric. All of the included mods are mainly used for optimizing Minecraft to provide better overall performance. This mod is a good option for players with low-end computers!

Dynamic Trees

Natural And Progressive Tree Growth

Dynamic Trees is a mod that makes the growth and look of trees in Minecraft to be realistic. With this mod, trees are subject to environmental factors and natural growth, adding new elements to the process.

Diagonal Fences

Video from xMBotx!!!

Allows You To Put Up Fences Diagonally

Diagonal Fences mod is a simple mod that allows the player to put up the fences in a diagonal way. It adds more allowable fence design than what we can do with vanilla Minecraft. Unfortunately, due to engine limitations, the diagonal fences cannot be connected diagonally to blocks.

Project: Vibrant Journeys

Video from Puzzling Pigeon!!!

A Much More Realistic Habitat

Project: Vibrant Journeys is a mod that enhances your Minecraft world to make it livelier and more populated. It adds new biomes, new plants, and new creatures for you and your friends to enjoy!

Damage Tint

Health Damage Indicator

Damage Tint mod is a simple mod that adds a red tint to your view when you reach a certain health threshold. It can be used in combination with other mods and is also compatible with both Forge and Fabric.

Related Articles

Update 1.17 Related Guides

Update 1.17.1 Patch Notes
Forge 1.17.1	Optifine 1.17.1
Fabric 1.17.1	-

Must-Read Guides

How To Install Mods (Forge)	How To Install Optifine
How To Install Forge & OptiFine	How To Change Textures
How To Install Fabric	-

Featured Weapon & Guns Mods

MrCrayfish's Gun Mod	Spartan Weaponry
Matchlock Guns Mod	Open Modular Turrets
More Swords Legacy	Nuclear Tech Mod

Best Shader Mods

AstraLex Shaders	Chocapic'13
Beyond Belief	Complementary
Vanilla Plus Shaders	Oceano Shaders
Kappa Shaders	Voyager Shaders
SEUS-Renewed	BSL Shaders
MakeUp Ultra Fast Shaders	Tea Shaders
Nostalgia Shader	Potato Shaders
Exposa Shaders	Skylec Shaders
BQ Shaders	YoFPS Shaders
Windom Shaders	Sunflawer Shaders

Best Shaders 2021

Essential Minecraft Mods

JourneyMap	Not Enough Items
WAILA	Inventory Tweaks 1.12.2
Swing Through Grass	Fastcraft
Tool Belt	Inventory Hud+
Apple Skin	Waystones
Armor Toughness Bar	No Tree Punching
Immersive Railroading	Immersive Engineering
Just Enough Items (JEI)	Enchantment Description
Extra Boats	Custom NPCs
Clean Cut	Mouse Tweaks

Best Essential Mods 2021

Best Texture Packs

Realistico (Lite)	Faithful x32
F8thful	8x8 Rodrigo's Pack
Immersion	Bloom
R3D CRAFT	Soartex Fanver Vanilla
Firewolf	Wanderlust
LBPR Reload	Bare Bones
The CreatorPack	Invictus
Vanilla PBR	Compliance 64x