Launcher Collection

Basic Knowledge

Minecraft launchers are essential for launching Minecraft, managing game profiles, and versions. Below, we have listed some of the launchers we have collected.

Note

Unless otherwise specified, the software is open-source. For launchers marked as core open source, BSL, or other special cases, use the detailed page as the authoritative description.

Minecraft Launcher (Official)

The official launcher made by Mojang Studio.

Go to this page to learn more.

PCL (Core Open Source)

PCL (Plain Craft Launcher) is a Minecraft launcher developed by 龙腾猫跃.

There are two versions, PCL (outdated) and PCL2.

Currently, PCL is commonly used to refer to PCL2.

PCL uses the PCL limited distribution license and is not fully open source.

Go to this page to learn more.

PCL Community Edition (Core Open Source)

PCL Community Edition (PCL-CE) is a community edition maintained by PCL Community. It is developed from PCL's open-source code and includes features and improvements not yet implemented in the mainline PCL branch.

In the PCL-CE repository, Plain Craft Launcher 2/ uses a custom license, while all other directories use Apache License 2.0.

Go to this page to learn more.

HMCL

HMCL (Hello Minecraft! Launcher) is a cross-platform Minecraft launcher developed by huanghongxun.

This program is released under the GPL-3.0 open-source license with additional terms.

Go to this page to learn more.

BakaXL (Core Open Source)

BakaXL is a Minecraft launcher developed by TT702.

BakaXL has 4 major versions, with versions 1.X and 2.X already in EOL status.

The official BakaXL roadmap says BakaXL 3.0 is currently in security-maintenance-only status. BakaXL 4.0 now has early preview builds, but the official documentation still warns that it should not be used as a primary game launcher.

Go to this page to learn more.

MultiMC

MultiMC is a well-known and long-standing cross-platform Minecraft launcher.

The source code is released under Apache License 2.0, while official branding assets and API keys are not reusable.

Go to this page to learn more.

SKCraft Launcher

SKCraft Launcher is an open-source Minecraft modpack launcher platform maintained by SKCraft, focused on letting modpack authors customize, build, and distribute their own branded launcher.

The launcher itself is released under LGPL-3.0, while third-party contributions also need to follow the 3-clause BSD terms listed in LICENSE.txt.

Go to this page to learn more.

Helios Launcher

Helios Launcher is a custom Minecraft launcher maintained by Daniel Scalzi and built with Electron and Node.js. It is focused on modded server distribution, with the launcher handling Java, Forge, and other mod installation.

This software is released under the MIT license.

Go to this page to learn more.

Prism Launcher

Prism Launcher is a cross-platform Minecraft launcher.

Prism Launcher is a fork of MultiMC and is not endorsed by MultiMC.

This software is released under GPL-3.0-only.

Go to this page to learn more.

PolyMC

PolyMC is a cross-platform Minecraft launcher.

PolyMC is a fork of MultiMC and is not endorsed by MultiMC.

This software is released under GPL-3.0-only.

Go to this page to learn more.

GDLauncher (BSL 1.1)

GDLauncher is a cross-platform Minecraft launcher maintained by GorillaDevs Inc. The current Carbon version has been rewritten, and the old GDLauncher has been discontinued.

The GDLauncher Carbon repository is released under the Business Source License 1.1.

Go to this page to learn more.

X Minecraft Launcher

X Minecraft Launcher (XMCL) is a cross-platform Minecraft launcher maintained by Voxelum. Its official description presents it as an open-source launcher with modern UX and a disk-efficient way to manage mods.

This software is released under the MIT license.

Go to this page to learn more.

ATLauncher

ATLauncher is a powerful Minecraft launcher widely popular for its integration of multiple mainstream modpack platforms (such as CurseForge, Modrinth, etc.).

It aims to provide a simple and efficient instance management experience. This software is released under the GPL-3.0 license.

Go to this page to learn more.

PandoraLauncher

PandoraLauncher is a modern Minecraft launcher written in Rust, emphasizing powerful multi-instance synchronization and storage management features (such as hard-linking mods to save space) within a clean interface. This software is released under the MIT license.

Go to this page to learn more.

ElyPrismLauncher

ElyPrismLauncher (also known as PineconeMC) is a fork of Prism Launcher that features native Ely.by account integration and built-in screenshot management. This software is released under the GPL-3.0-only license.

Go to this page to learn more.

Why is the launcher I use/develop not listed?

Minecraft, as a long-standing community, has produced countless launchers. We do not have the time and energy to use and report on each one.

If you believe the launcher you use/develop deserves to be on this list, you can always submit an issue to us.

Reference Standards

Open-source launchers: Over 800 stars on GitHub

Closed-source launchers: Have a certain reputation in the community, depending on the situation.