Minecraft Launcher Comparison

This is here to structure a proper comparison table between the various launchers for Minecraft (Java Edition).

Feature	Vanilla	Prism Launcher	MultiMC	ATLauncher	GDLauncher	Curseforge	FTB App	Technic	Old Vanilla	PoJavLauncher
Download Link	mojang.com	prismlauncher.org	multimc.org	atlauncher.com	gdevs.io	curseforge.com	feed-the-beast.com	technicpack.net	mojang.com	Play Store
Source Code	---	github.com	github.com	github.com	github.com	---	backend frontend	github.com	---	github.com
Operating Systems	Windows, Linux, MacOS	Windows, Linux, MacOS	Windows, Linux, MacOS	Windows, Linux, MacOS	Windows, Linux, MacOS	Windows, MacOS	Windows, Linux, MacOS	Windows, Linux, MacOS	Windows, Linux, MacOS	Android, iOS
Open Source?	❌No	✅Yes, GPL3	🟠Partially. MultiMC is proprietary but a debranded MS-PL licensed version which lacks many keys MultiMC uses is available on GitHub	✅Yes, GPL3	✅Yes, GPL3 (has CLA)	❌No	✅Yes, (LGPL-2.1)	✅Yes, GPL3	❌No	✅Yes, GPL3
Programming Language / Frameworks	C++ (CEF)	C++ (Qt)	C++ (Qt)	Java	Electron (HTML, JS, CSS), Rust	Overwolf	Java, Vue.Js (Overwolf)	Java	Java (AWT, Swing)	Java, C
Modpack Support	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	❌No	❌No
Modpack Updating	❌No	✅Yes (CF, MR)	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	❔	❔	❌No	❌No
Custom Instance Support	🟠No data is managed, only version switches	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	❔	🚧WIP	❌No	🟠No data is managed, only version switches	✅Yes (?)
Installing Modpacks through Launcher
Curseforge Modpacks	❌No	✅Yes	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	❔	❌No	❌No
Modrinth Modpacks	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	❌No	❔	❌No	❔	❌No	❌No
ATLauncher Modpacks	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	❌No	❔	❌No	❔	❌No	❌No
FTB Modpacks	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	✅Yes	❔	✅Yes	❔	❌No	❌No
Legacy FTB Modpacks	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	❌No	❌No	❔	✅Yes	❔	❌No	❌No
Technic Modpacks	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	❌No	❔	❌No	✅Yes	❌No	❌No
Installing Mod Loaders through Launcher
Fabric Loader Support	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	❔	❌No	❔	❌No	❌No
Forge Loader Support	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	❔	❌No	❔	❌No	❌No
Quilt Loader Support	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	❌No	❔	❌No	❔	❌No	❌No
LiteLoader Support	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	❌No	❌No	❔	❌No	❔	❌No	❌No
Installing Mods through Launcher
Curseforge Mod Download	❌No	✅Yes	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	🚧Yes, but not functional	❔	❌No	❌No
Modrinth Mod Download	❌No	✅Yes	❌No	✅Yes	🚧WIP	❌No	❌No	❔	❌No	❌No
Curseforge Blocked Mod Download	❌No	✅Yes (via web browser, automatically moves mod)	❌No	✅Yes (via web browser, automatically moves mod)	✅Yes (by using standard browser user agent)	✅Yes	❔Unknown (as mod search is not functional)	❔	❌No	❌No
Mod Updating	❌No	✅Yes	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	❔	❌No	❔	❌No	❌No
Misc
Resourcepack download [modrinth|curseforge]	❌No	✅Yes (MR, CF)	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No
Shaderpack download [modrinth|curseforge]	❌No	✅Yes (MR)	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No
Plugins Download [modrinth|curseforge]	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No
Server Instances	❌No	❌No	❌No	✅Yes	❌No	❔	❔	❔	❌No	❌No
Automatic Java Setup	✅Yes	🚧WIP	❌No	✅Optional	✅Optional	❔	❔	❔	✅Yes	✅Yes
Full Launcher Sandboxing	❌No	🚧WIP	❔	❔	❔	❔	❔	❔	❌No	❔
Instance Export	❌No	MultiMC, Modrinth	MultiMC, Modrinth	Curseforge, Modrinth, MultiMC	Curseforge	❔	❔	❔	❌No	❌No
Instance Import	❌No	Curseforge, Modrinth, MultiMC, Technic	Curseforge, MultiMC, Technic, FTB App	Curseforge, Modrinth, MultiMC	Curseforge	❔	❔	❔	❌No	❌No
Look and Feel	Minecraft Official	System (configurable)	System (configurable)	Custom (configurable)	Custom	Custom	Custom	Custom	System (mostly)	Minecraft Knockoff
Other Bloat
Advertisements	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	❔	❌No	❌No
In Game Overlay	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	❌No	❌No	✅Yes, for controls -> touch screen

⚠️⚠️⚠️ Technic Launcher seems to specifically require oracle JDK / JRE 1.8.0. Other Java installs like Adoptium Temurin don't seem to work. (tested on Windows 10 with adoptium temurin 8.0.332-9, installed through scoop) ⚠️⚠️⚠️