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How to set up a Fabric Minecraft server
Fabric is the light mod loader behind performance mods and packs like Cobblemon. Set up a server, match the version, and add mods the right way.
What Fabric is #
Fabric is a light mod loader. It's popular for performance mods, technical play and packs like Cobblemon. Fabric mods only work on Fabric (not Forge), and most of them need the Fabric API mod.
1. Create the server #
- In the panel, open Buy a server, choose Minecraft, then Fabric.
- Fabric needs at least 1 GB of RAM. Add more for each mod and player: a few performance mods run fine in 2 GB, but a big Fabric modpack needs 4 to 8 GB. See Minecraft RAM.
2. Match the version #
In Startup, set the Minecraft version to the exact version your mods are built for (Fabric mods are version-locked), then reinstall. Pick the right Java:
| Minecraft version | Java |
|---|---|
| 1.12.2 – 1.16.5 | Java 8 (most old modpacks need exactly 8) |
| 1.18 – 1.20.4 | Java 17 |
| 1.20.5 – 1.21.11 | Java 21 |
| 26.1 and newer | Java 25 |
Pick it in Startup → Docker Image. Wrong Java gives "Unsupported class file version".
3. Add mods #
- Start the server once and accept the EULA so the folders are created. Then stop it.
- Download mods for Fabric and your exact version from Modrinth or CurseForge. Always add Fabric API.
- Upload the
.jarfiles to themodsfolder in Files, then start. A missing dependency is named in the console. See missing mod dependency.
Want a whole Modrinth modpack? On Fabric servers, Files has an Install a modpack button. Pick the pack, install it, then reinstall the server once.
Server-side performance mods #
These only need to be on the server, so players can join with a vanilla Fabric client: Lithium (game logic speed-ups), FerriteCore (less RAM), Chunky (pre-generate the world) and spark (find lag). Check each mod page says it supports a dedicated server.
What players need #
For gameplay mods (new blocks, mobs, items), every player needs the same mods and versions in their own Fabric install. A mismatch gives mismatched mods errors. Share a Modrinth pack or a list of exact files.
FAQ #
Can a Fabric server run plugins? #
Not Bukkit/Paper plugins. Fabric has its own server-side mods for things like permissions (LuckPerms has a Fabric version).
Fabric or Forge? #
Pick the loader your mods or modpack are made for. Many 1.21 packs use Fabric or NeoForge; older big packs often use Forge.
Do Bedrock players work on Fabric? #
Yes. Geyser and Floodgate have Fabric versions. See Geyser + Floodgate setup.
Still stuck? Use the live chat on the panel or ask in the ESN Systems Discord. Last updated November 4, 2026.