| Feature | Arctic Launcher | Minecraft Launcher |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no ads, no premium tier | Free to download; Minecraft: Java & Bedrock costs $29.99 |
| Open source | Yes (GPL-3.0) | No |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS and Linux | Windows, macOS and Linux (Debian, Arch and other distributions) |
| Mods and modpacks | Fabric, Quilt, NeoForge and Forge with Modrinth mods and modpacks (.mrpack too), plus resource packs and shaders | No mod manager built in; modded play needs a separate loader installer |
| Skins, capes and cosmetics | Free skins, capes (animated too), 3D cosmetics and emotes that other Arctic players see in game | Java skin management for your account |
Checked October 2026 against each project’s own website and repository. Something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it.
Why Arctic over Minecraft Launcher
- Fabric, Quilt, NeoForge and Forge instances with Modrinth mods and modpacks, and the right Java downloaded for you.
- Free cosmetics and emotes, plus a built-in client with over thirty HUD widgets and replays.
- Several accounts and separate profiles on one PC, with game files shared so nothing downloads twice.
- Friends, chat and voice, and performance mods one switch away.
- It downloads the game from Mojang's own servers, so you lose nothing by switching.
Switching takes a minute: Arctic imports your Minecraft Launcher instances and leaves the originals untouched.
Where Minecraft Launcher still fits: Arctic plays Bedrock Edition too, but you'll still want the official launcher for the other Mojang games.