---
title: "Best Minecraft Clients: Which One Should You Really Choose?"
description: "Comparing Lunar, Badlion, Prism, and optimization mods to see where your FPS actually comes from and what works best for low-end PCs."
url: "https://www.alemasone.com/en/best-minecraft-clients-comparison/"
language: "en"
published: 2025-12-14
updated: 2026-09-20
categories: ["Gaming"]
translations:
  it: "https://www.alemasone.com/it/migliori-client-minecraft/"
  es: "https://www.alemasone.com/es/mejores-clientes-minecraft-que-elegir/"
  fr: "https://www.alemasone.com/fr/meilleurs-clients-minecraft-comparatif/"
  pt: "https://www.alemasone.com/pt/melhores-clients-para-minecraft/"
  de: "https://www.alemasone.com/de/beste-minecraft-clients-vergleich/"
---

# Best Minecraft Clients: Which One Should You Really Choose?

A few things have changed compared to a couple of years ago. First: in March 2025, **[Lunar Client](https://www.lunarclient.com/) acquired Badlion Client**, and today Badlion launches from the Lunar launcher. The second point matters more if you have a low-end PC: most of your extra FPS doesn't come from the launcher itself, but from the **optimization mods** that the launcher installs for you.

First, let's clear up a misconception: in the Minecraft community, "client" can mean two very different things. I am talking about alternative launchers—legitimate software linked to your account. Programs that provide unfair advantages in matches are something else entirely; they are banned on any serious server, and you won't find them here.

## The comparison

| Client | Main Strength | Limitation |
|--------|----------------|--------|
| Lunar Client | Many versions, pre-installed mods, now includes Badlion too | Not open source, requires its own account |
| [Badlion Client](https://www.badlion.net/) | History in competitive PvP, integrated mods | Now launches via Lunar, fewer supported versions |
| [Feather Client](https://feathermc.com/) | Integrated mods plus any Fabric mods you want to add | Some features require payment |
| [LabyMod](https://www.labymod.net/) | Highly customizable user interface | Primarily designed for German and European servers |
| [Prism Launcher](https://prismlauncher.org/) | Open source, manages separate instances, no restrictions | You choose the mods yourself; there are no shortcuts |
| Modrinth app [Modrinth](https://modrinth.com/) | Extremely simple way to install modpacks | Fewer customization options |
| Official launcher + mods | No middleman, maximum freedom | Manual installation of loaders and mods |

## Lunar Client and Badlion are now essentially the same thing

The acquisition brought two famous names together. In practice, you install the Lunar launcher and from there you can choose to launch either Lunar or Badlion, using whichever game version and memory allocation you prefer.

**Lunar Client** covers almost all versions, including the most recent ones, and its profiles allow you to use the main mod loaders ([Fabric](/en/install-minecraft-mods-without-crashing/), Forge, and Quilt), meaning you can also use community mods. It comes with about sixty pre-installed and self-updating mods designed for competitive play: an FPS counter, cooldown timers, a minimap where permitted, and cosmetics.

**Badlion Client** was born in the PvP scene and supports fewer versions, focusing on the classic `1.8` and `1.12` alongside recent ones. Its anti-cheat (BAC) is required for several tournaments. If you play on PvP servers that use `1.8`, it remains a standard.

For both, remember two things: you need a regular game account and a service account, and since these are not open-source programs, you can't verify exactly what they are doing in the background.

![A Minecraft match with Lunar Client mods active: FPS counter, minimap, and on-screen indicators](lunar-client-minecraft-schermata-fps.png "The ready-to-use mods are the real reason to choose Lunar")

> **Take any FPS percentage increases with a grain of salt.** Clients often publish improvements in percentages. These numbers are credible, but they are measured on **their** configurations: what you actually gain depends on your version, render distance, active mods, and how old your computer is. The only comparison that matters is the one on your own PC, using the same scene and settings.

## Where do FPS come from

Few people talk about this part. On any client, most of the performance gain comes from a group of mods that rewrite how the game renders the world and uses memory. The most notable are:

- **[Sodium](https://modrinth.com/mod/sodium)**, which rewrites the rendering engine: it is the single mod that provides the biggest jump, often doubling FPS on modest computers.
- **Lithium**, which optimizes game logic (creatures, blocks, physics) without changing how they behave.
- **[Iris](https://modrinth.com/mod/iris)**, which allows you to use shaders while remaining compatible with Sodium.
- **FerriteCore** and **Entity Culling**, which reduce memory usage and the rendering of things you can't see, respectively.

These are free, open-source, and you can install them on the official launcher in a few minutes or with one click from the Modrinth app. Essentially, an alternative client **does this work for you** while adding its own interface and cosmetics.

![Two screenshots of the same Minecraft scene for comparison, showing the FPS counter before and after Sodium](launcher-minecraft-confronto-fps-sodium.png "Same scene, same settings: the jump comes from the mod, not the launcher")

> **Low-end PC?** Before changing clients, tweak three settings. Set your **render distance** to 8 or less, turn off **clouds** and unnecessary **graphics details**, and above all, **don't overdo the allocated memory**: 4 GB is enough for the base game; assigning 8 or 12 GB on a machine with only 8 GB total will make things worse instead of better.

## Prism Launcher, for those who want control

This is the open-source launcher that carries on the legacy of old community projects (like MultiMC) and works with **instances**: every configuration—with its own version, loader, and mod list—lives in its own folder and doesn't touch the others.

It is the right choice if:

- you play multiple different modpacks and don't want them to interfere with each other;
- you want to know exactly what is running on your computer;
- you need a specific old version with a precise set of mods that is easy to replicate and share.

It has no cosmetics or pre-set mods: it installs only what you tell it to, nothing else.

![A new instance window in Prism Launcher showing Modrinth modpacks ready for installation](pristalancher-con-modpack-modrinth.png "Each instance is its own folder: versions and mods do not get mixed up")

## The Modrinth app

It's a middle ground: it is the official app of the namesake mod platform. It installs complete collections with one click, updates them, and manages multiple configurations. It is the fastest way to get optimization mods without having to learn how to install them manually, and it is also open source.

![The Modrinth app showing an optimization modpack ready for installation and the install button](launcher-modrinth-minecraft-mod.png "An optimization collection can be installed with just one click")

## Other clients

**Feather Client** is the most direct alternative to Lunar: it comes with about forty pre-installed mods, but you can also add any Fabric mods you want, and it includes a system for hosting a small server to play with friends. Some cosmetics and the larger server require payment.

![The Feather Client mod menu with toggles to enable them](launcher-feather-client-interfaccia-mod.png "Feather: integrated mods plus any Fabric mods you choose to add")

**LabyMod** is the most flexible when it comes to your on-screen interface: you can move and resize every widget, and it includes friends, voice chat, and cosmetics. It is very popular on German servers and, with LabyMod 4, supports recent versions.

![LabyMod interface with custom HUD widgets on screen](interfaccia-labymod-launcher-minecraft.png "LabyMod: move any on-screen element wherever you want")

**OptiFine** is a mod, not a client, but for years it has been the go-to choice for FPS and shaders. It still exists (as of early 2026, the stable version reaches 1.21.11), but it always releases after new game versions and is not compatible with Fabric. Today, Sodium and [Iris](/en/best-minecraft-shaders-installation-guide/) do the same job, usually better.

![Minecraft landscape with shaders enabled via OptiFine](paesaggio-minecraft-optifine-shader.png "Shaders were for years the main reason to install OptiFine")

The old list also included **Cosmic Client** and **Tecknix Client**, which still exist but have much smaller communities, and **Batmod**, whose official website no longer responds: for PvP, I would stick with Lunar.

## How to choose

- **Playing on PvP servers and want built-in conveniences:** Lunar Client, with Badlion available right from the same launcher.
- **Have an old computer and just want more FPS:** the official launcher or the Modrinth app with Sodium and company. It's free, it's open source, and it's the best way to go.
- **Want ready-to-go mods but also your own Fabric mods:** Feather Client.
- **Playing with many modpacks:** Prism Launcher.
- **Want the simplest thing possible:** the Modrinth app with a pre-made optimization pack.

## FAQ

### Do alternative clients get you banned?

Legitimate ones, no: they log in with your regular account and do not provide in-game advantages. However, servers with strict anti-cheat have lists of permitted mods, and certain features, such as minimaps that show players, can be blocked. Read the server rules before enabling them. Mods that provide unfair advantages are a different story and will get you banned.

### Are they necessary to play with mods?

No. With the official launcher, you can install mod loaders and mods with a few extra steps. Alternative clients and management apps save you time, but they don't make anything possible that wasn't already.

### Are they safe?

Well-known clients (Lunar, Feather, LabyMod, Prism, Modrinth) are, provided you download them from the official website. The danger lies in copies reposted on third-party sites and "free clients with unlocked cosmetics": these are among the most common ways to steal Minecraft and Discord accounts.

### Do they work with non-premium accounts?

No, and this guide only concerns the regular game. Legitimate clients require a valid game account linked to your Microsoft account.

### How much memory should I allocate?

For the base game with optimization mods, 4 GB. For heavy modpacks, you can go up to 6 or 8 GB, but always stay well below your computer's total memory: if you allocate too much, you leave no space for the system and end up with worse stuttering than what you were trying to fix.

### Do I need a client on an old laptop?

You will get much more help from installing optimization mods and lowering your render distance than by changing launchers. On an older computer, the biggest gains come from Sodium and graphics settings, not the client's interface.