GDLauncher vs packwiz

GDLauncher7.4Visit packwiz6.9Visit

Higher score GDLauncher #4 in Minecraft Modpack Builders 7.4/10 Free · no premium tier Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Get GDLauncher

vs

packwiz #6 in Minecraft Modpack Builders 6.9/10 Free · open source (MIT) Free plan✓ 1 of 4 features Get packwiz

• GDLauncher fits best

  Friend groups sharing one custom pack

• packwiz fits best

  Pack authors and server owners who use git

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	GDLauncher 7.4/10 Visit ↗	packwiz 6.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	7.4	6.9
Ranking	#4 in Minecraft Modpack Builders	#6 in Minecraft Modpack Builders
Best for	Friend groups sharing one custom pack	Pack authors and server owners who use git
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Features GDLauncher 2/4 · packwiz 1/4
Built-in publishing	—	—
Server tools	✓ (best)	—
Share by code	✓ (best)	Not published
Open source	Not published	✓ (best)
Specs
Runs on	Windows, macOS, Linux	Command line
Mod & pack sources	CurseForge, Modrinth	CurseForge, Modrinth
Export formats	CurseForge .zip, Modrinth .mrpack, GDLauncher .gdlpack	CurseForge .zip, Modrinth .mrpack
Our review
Pros	Reads and writes CurseForge .zip, Modrinth .mrpack and its own .gdlpack Cloud Instance Sharing recreates an exact setup from one code Creates and manages Vanilla, Forge, Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt servers	TOML metadata files version cleanly in git instead of raw JAR files Exports CurseForge and Modrinth packs and imports CurseForge ones packwiz-installer keeps MultiMC or ATLauncher instances auto-updated
Cons	Share codes need an optional GDL account on top of the Microsoft login Not extremely lightweight, by the developer's own comparison Publishing a pack still means uploading it to a platform yourself	Command line only; the docs point GUI users to third-party efforts No installer; builds come from CI artefacts or compiling with Go Auto-updating distribution needs an HTTP server you host
Our verdict	GDLauncher is a free launcher built around CurseForge and Modrinth, with no overlay and, in the developer's words, no premium tier. It searches both platforms at once, installs mods and modpacks with one click, downloads files in parallel… Read the review →	packwiz treats a modpack as source code. Instead of a folder of JAR files, a pack is a set of TOML metadata files describing each mod and where it comes from, so the whole pack can live in a git repository, be reviewed like any other… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• GDLauncher — where it wins

  • Reads and writes CurseForge .zip, Modrinth .mrpack and its own .gdlpack
  • Cloud Instance Sharing recreates an exact setup from one code
  • Creates and manages Vanilla, Forge, Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt servers

  Where it doesn't

  • Share codes need an optional GDL account on top of the Microsoft login
  • Not extremely lightweight, by the developer's own comparison
  • Publishing a pack still means uploading it to a platform yourself

• packwiz — where it wins

  • TOML metadata files version cleanly in git instead of raw JAR files
  • Exports CurseForge and Modrinth packs and imports CurseForge ones
  • packwiz-installer keeps MultiMC or ATLauncher instances auto-updated

  Where it doesn't

  • Command line only; the docs point GUI users to third-party efforts
  • No installer; builds come from CI artefacts or compiling with Go
  • Auto-updating distribution needs an HTTP server you host

• GDLauncher7.4/10 · Free · no premium tier

  Searches CurseForge and Modrinth at once, shares whole instances by code and runs local servers, all free.

  Get GDLauncherFull verdict →
• packwiz6.9/10 · Free · open source (MIT)

  Modpacks as code: TOML metadata in git, auto-updating installs for servers, and exports to both platforms.

  Get packwizFull verdict →