Prism Launcher
FreeOne instance per setup, so mods and worlds never collide
An open-source third-party launcher for Minecraft Java Edition, forked from MultiMC. Each instance keeps its own game version, mods, settings and worlds, and mods and modpacks install straight from Modrinth and CurseForge. The launcher is free; the game is not, and signing in requires a Microsoft account that owns it.
Why we picked it
GPL-3.0-only, 10,480 stars as of September 2026, currently at 11.1.0 (released September 3).
The official launcher can hold several installations, but they share one game directory: install a Create modpack today, go back to vanilla survival tomorrow, and the mods and config files are tangled together. Prism Launcher uses instances instead. Each one is its own folder with its own game version, loader (Forge, NeoForge, Fabric, Quilt), mods, shaders and worlds. A 1.12.2 modpack and the latest vanilla release can sit side by side without touching each other.
Mod management is the part most people use. You search Modrinth and CurseForge from inside the launcher, dependencies come along when you install a mod, and installed mods can be checked for updates in one step. Modpacks work the same way, with no manual zip download and extraction.
Other practical details:
- Memory and Java version are set per instance. Old versions want Java 8 and new ones Java 21, and you configure each separately instead of changing the system setup.
- Multiple accounts. A household with several paid accounts can switch between them on one PC.
- Instances can be copied and exported. Copy one before experimenting, and delete the copy if it breaks.
- Windows builds come in x64 and ARM64, with portable versions; Linux has an AppImage, Flatpak and distribution packages.
To be clear about:
- Minecraft costs money. The launcher does not include the game or bypass the purchase. First use requires signing in with a Microsoft account that owns Java Edition, through Microsoft's own sign-in page.
- Offline accounts also require a paid account first. For legal reasons, Prism Launcher only allows adding an offline account once a Microsoft account that owns the game is in the list. The "bypass" builds circulating online are third-party modifications, not official releases.
- Java Edition only. Bedrock Edition (mobile, console, the Microsoft Store version) is out of scope.
- It is not an official product and has no affiliation with Mojang or Microsoft. After a game update, the launcher occasionally needs time to catch up.