The Best Game Mod Loaders in 2026
We researched game mod loaders through official websites, pricing pages, plan tables, and product documentation. Rankings reflect each product’s core loading job, value for money, and verified features, including supported games, platforms, plugin handling, and mod-management capabilities within the game mod loader category.
Our top picks
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Top ranked
MelonLoader#1 of 269.4/10A flexible Unity mod loader with plugins, dependencies, debugging, and cross-platform support.
Free plan
-
Runner-up
BepInEx#2 of 269.2/10A free, open-source loader for multi-framework desktop game modding.
Free plan
-
Top-ranked free plan
SMAPI#3 of 268.9/10A capable, free loader for Stardew Valley mods, diagnostics, dependencies, and save backups.
Free plan
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 26 tools, best first
-
Best forBroad Unity mod loading
A flexible Unity mod loader with plugins, dependencies, debugging, and cross-platform support.
- Load-order control
- Dependency handling
- Plugin support
9.4/10★★★★★Visit MelonLoader -
Best forMulti-framework game modding
A free, open-source loader for multi-framework desktop game modding.
- Load-order control
- Dependency handling
- Plugin support
9.2/10★★★★★Visit BepInEx -
Best forStardew Valley modding
A capable, free loader for Stardew Valley mods, diagnostics, dependencies, and save backups.
- Mod profiles
- Load-order control
- Dependency handling
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit SMAPI -
Best forTitanfall 2 modding and custom servers
A focused, free loader for Titanfall 2 mods, plugins, profiles, and custom servers.
- Mod profiles
- Load-order control
- Dependency handling
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit R2Northstar -
Best forCeleste players and mod creators
A free, open-source Celeste mod loader with broad content support and developer tools.
- Dependency handling
- Plugin support
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Everest -
Best forUnreal Engine game modding
A deep Unreal Engine mod loader for Windows modders and developers.
- Load-order control
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit UE4SS -
Best forSatisfactory mod development
A free, developer-focused framework for building and loading Satisfactory mods.
- Dependency handling
- Plugin support
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forAdvanced Morrowind scripting
A free, open-source scripting extension for advanced Morrowind mod development.
- Load-order control
- Dependency handling
- Plugin support
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit MWSE -
Best forHades II modding with profiles
A free, open-source Hades II loader with profiles and broad mod-manager support.
- Mod profiles
- Plugin support
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Hell2Modding -
Best forBattleTech mod organization
A focused BattleTech loader with manifests, dependency handling, and load-order control.
- Load-order control
- Dependency handling
- Plugin support
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit ModTek -
Best forModding Hades and related games
A capable, free loader for Supergiant game mods, with backups and load-order control.
- Load-order control
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit SGG-Modding -
Best forFallout 4 mod development
A free Windows loader and API toolkit for advanced Fallout 4 mod scripting.
- Plugin support
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit F4SE -
Best forCyberpunk 2077 gameplay tweaking
A focused, free framework for scripting and tuning Cyberpunk 2077.
- Plugin support
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forGTA V .NET scripting
A free, open-source Windows runtime for GTA V .NET scripting.
- Plugin support
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forBaldur's Gate 3 scripting
A focused, free script extender for Baldur's Gate 3 mod authors.
7.3/10★★★★☆View the project -
Best forFallout: New Vegas scripting
A focused, free script extender for Fallout: New Vegas mod and plugin development.
- Plugin support
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit xNVSE -
Best forOblivion script extensions
A focused Oblivion script extender with retail, Steam, and Proton support.
- Plugin support
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit xOBSE -
Best forCyberpunk 2077 native plugins
A free, open-source loader for Cyberpunk 2077 native plugins on Windows.
- Plugin support
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit RED4ext -
Best forGTA and Bully script modding
A focused script and plugin runtime for GTA and Bully modding.
- Plugin support
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit CLEO -
Best forOfficial Cyberpunk 2077 mod tooling
A free official toolkit for creating and loading compatible Cyberpunk 2077 mods on Windows.
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit REDmod -
Best forBattlefield 3 custom servers
A focused Windows framework for custom Battlefield 3 server experiences.
- Dependency handling
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit product site -
Best forHollow Knight mod settings
A focused Hollow Knight loader with patching, hooks, settings, and load-order controls.
- Load-order control
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit site -
Best forStarfield plugin loading
A free, open-source loader for Starfield plugins on Windows and Steam.
- Plugin support
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit SFSE -
Best forLow-level ASI plugin loading
A focused, free loader for low-level ASI plugin support on Windows.
- Plugin support
6.1/10★★★☆☆Visit ThirteenAG -
Best forMinecraft resource-pack installation
A free Java Edition resource pack, not a conventional game mod loader.
2.0/10★☆☆☆☆Visit Unity -
Best forSelf-hosted full-text search
A focused self-hosted search backend, not a game mod loader.
1.0/10☆☆☆☆☆Visit Sonic
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Paid from | Supported games | Supported platforms | Mod loading method | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MelonLoader | Free | Unity games using Mono or Il2Cpp | Windows, Linux (WINE/Steam Proton/native), macOS, Android and Oculus Quest (WIP) | Injection | 9.4 |
| 2 | BepInEx | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux | Injection | 9.2 | |
| 3 | SMAPI | Free | Stardew Valley | Linux, macOS, Windows, Steam Deck, Android | Plugin | 8.9 |
| 4 | Northstar | Free | Titanfall 2 | Windows; Linux | Injection | 8.7 |
| 5 | Everest | Free | Celeste | Windows, macOS, Linux | Injection | 8.6 |
| 6 | UE4SS | Free | Windows | Injection | 8.4 | |
| 7 | Satisfactory Mod Loader | Free | Satisfactory | Windows, Linux | Plugin | 8.3 |
| 8 | MWSE | Free | The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind | Windows; Linux via Wine | Script | 8.1 |
| 9 | Hell2Modding | Free | Hades II | Windows; Steam Deck through Proton | Injection | 8.0 |
| 10 | ModTek | Free | BattleTech | Windows, Linux, macOS | Injection | 7.9 |
| 11 | Hades Mod Importer | Free | Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, Hades, Hades II | Windows, macOS | Script | 7.8 |
| 12 | Fallout 4 Script Extender (F4SE) | Free | Fallout 4 | Windows | Injection | 7.7 |
| 13 | Cyber Engine Tweaks | Free | Cyberpunk 2077 | Windows; Linux via Proton | Injection | 7.6 |
| 14 | ScriptHookVDotNet | Free | Grand Theft Auto V | Windows PC | Plugin | 7.4 |
| 15 | Baldur's Gate 3 Script Extender | Free | Baldur's Gate 3 | Windows, Linux via Proton | Script | 7.3 |
| 16 | xNVSE | Free | Fallout: New Vegas | Windows | Script | 7.2 |
| 17 | xOBSE | Free | The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion | Windows; Linux via Steam Proton | Injection | 7.1 |
| 18 | RED4ext | Free | Cyberpunk 2077 | Windows | Plugin | 7.0 |
| 19 | CLEO | Free | GTA III, GTA Vice City, GTA San Andreas, GTA IV, Bully, GTA: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, re3, reVC, GTA Liberty City Stories, GTA Vice City Stories | Windows PC, iOS, PSP, PS2 | Script | 6.8 |
| 20 | REDmod | Free | Cyberpunk 2077 | Windows | 6.7 | |
| 21 | Venice Unleashed | Free | Battlefield 3 | Windows | Script | 6.6 |
| 22 | Hollow Knight Modding API | Free | Hollow Knight | Windows, Linux, macOS | Injection | 6.5 |
| 23 | Starfield Script Extender | Free | Starfield | Windows | Injection | 6.4 |
| 24 | Ultimate ASI Loader | Free | GTA San Andreas; Resident Evil 5 | Windows (Win32 and Win64) | Plugin | 6.1 |
| 25 | Unity | Free | 2.0 | |||
| 26 | Sonic | Free | 1.0 |
Head-to-head All 28 comparisons →
- MelonLoader vs BepInEx
- MelonLoader vs SMAPI
- MelonLoader vs Northstar
- MelonLoader vs Everest
- MelonLoader vs UE4SS
- MelonLoader vs Satisfactory Mod Loader
- MelonLoader vs MWSE
- BepInEx vs SMAPI
- BepInEx vs Northstar
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How we rank game mod loaders
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update