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Forge on the versions modpacks are made for
A modpack is locked to one Minecraft version and usually to one Forge build. Most classic packs sit on a handful of versions, and those are in the Version list when you order, next to the current releases:
| Minecraft version | What you find there | Java the server runs on |
|---|---|---|
| 1.12.2 | Many classic Forge modpacks | Java 8 |
| 1.16.5 | Many classic Forge modpacks | Java 8 |
| 1.20.1 | The last version where Forge and NeoForge mods stayed largely compatible, with many packs still on it | Java 17 |
| 1.21.1 and newer | Forge still releases, but most large mods moved to NeoForge | Java 21, or Java 25 from 26.1 |
The Java version is picked from the Minecraft version, so a 1.12.2 pack does not fail on a runtime that is too new. The right Java for your Minecraft server has the details.
Installing a Forge modpack
Order with Forge, or switch to it
Pick Forge under Software when you order. An existing server switches from the Settings tab, with a backup taken first.
Search the pack on the Mods tab
CurseForge, Feed The Beast and Modrinth are searched from one screen.
Pick the pack version your players use
Client and server have to run the same version of the pack, or players get a mismatch error when they join.
Install
The Forge build is read from the pack itself. From CurseForge the server gets the server pack its author published, configs included; from Feed The Beast every file comes with its own checksum. Your old mods folder is renamed with a date, not deleted.
The machine your server runs on downloads the pack itself, so an 800 MB pack does not go through your browser and closing the tab does not stop it. One click modpack installs explains the three sources in full.
Adding single Forge mods
Next to whole packs, the Mods tab installs single mods from Modrinth that have a Forge build for your exact Minecraft version, with their required dependencies. Mods that only exist on CurseForge, or a pack you built yourself, go in through the file manager, which can also fetch a large archive from a download link.
Which size a Forge server needs
| Your Forge server | Players | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| A small pack, up to about a hundred mods | 5 to 10 | 8 GB |
| A large modpack with a few hundred mods | 5 to 10 | 12 GB, from €14.95 |
| A heavy kitchen sink pack, or more players | 10 or more | 24 GB, from €20.95 |
Per month on a 24 month term, on the Standard line. The pack page on CurseForge often lists a recommended amount; start at or above it. Big tech packs with many machines often run out of processor time before memory, which is where the Performance line helps.
Forge or NeoForge
In July 2023 most of the Forge team started NeoForge. On 1.20.1 mods for the two stayed largely compatible; from 1.20.2 on they went separate ways. The rule is simple: run the loader your pack or your mods were built for. The pack page usually says which one.
| Your pack or mods | Loader |
|---|---|
| A pack for 1.12.2, 1.16.5 or 1.20.1 | Forge |
| A big tech or magic pack for 1.21.1 | Usually NeoForge |
| Mods that say Forge on their download page | Forge |
Fabric vs Forge vs NeoForge goes deeper. Switching between the two loaders is a setting, but mods made for one do not load on the other.
Written and checked against the panel by the Lodehost team, last reviewed on 17 September 2026.
