MelonLoader vs Everest

MMelonLoader9.4Visit Everest8.6Visit

Higher score M MelonLoader #1 in Game Mod Loaders 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit MelonLoader

vs

Everest #5 in Game Mod Loaders 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Everest

• MelonLoader fits best

  Broad Unity mod loading

• Everest fits best

  Celeste players and mod creators

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Side by side

Feature	MMelonLoader 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Everest 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.6
Ranking	#1 in Game Mod Loaders	#5 in Game Mod Loaders
Best for	Broad Unity mod loading	Celeste players and mod creators
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop, Self-hosted	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, Linux, macOS, Android	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features MelonLoader 3/4 · Everest 2/4
Plugin support	✓	✓
Load-order control	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Mod profiles	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Dependency handling	✓	✓
Specs
Supported games	Unity games using Mono or Il2Cpp	Celeste
Supported platforms	Windows, Linux (WINE/Steam Proton/native), macOS, Android and Oculus Quest (WIP)	Windows, macOS, Linux
Mod loading method	Injection	Injection
Our review
Pros	Supports Unity Mono and Il2Cpp games Offers plugin loading, dependencies, and load ordering Runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android	Supports custom maps, campaigns, graphics, audio, dialogue, and code mods Works with Celeste on Windows, macOS, and Linux Includes dependency downloads, updating, debugging, and vanilla switching
Cons	Android and Oculus Quest support is work in progress Requires game-installation folder and loader setup Focused on Unity games rather than broader game engines	Focused on Celeste rather than multiple games Uses a separate Olympus installer for cross-platform installation Does not provide AI features
Our verdict	MelonLoader is an open-source mod loader for Unity games built with Mono or Il2Cpp. It is designed for game modders and plugin developers who need to load mods from a game's installation directory, manage plugins, and control how… Read the review →	Everest is an open-source mod loader and modding API for Celeste. It is aimed at players who want custom maps, campaigns, graphics, audio, dialogue, and code mods, as well as creators who need tools for developing and debugging mods.… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• MelonLoader — where it wins

  • Supports Unity Mono and Il2Cpp games
  • Offers plugin loading, dependencies, and load ordering
  • Runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android

  Where it doesn't

  • Android and Oculus Quest support is work in progress
  • Requires game-installation folder and loader setup
  • Focused on Unity games rather than broader game engines

• Everest — where it wins

  • Supports custom maps, campaigns, graphics, audio, dialogue, and code mods
  • Works with Celeste on Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Includes dependency downloads, updating, debugging, and vanilla switching

  Where it doesn't

  • Focused on Celeste rather than multiple games
  • Uses a separate Olympus installer for cross-platform installation
  • Does not provide AI features

• MMelonLoader9.4/10 · Free plan

  A flexible Unity mod loader with plugins, dependencies, debugging, and cross-platform support.

  Visit MelonLoaderFull verdict →
• Everest8.6/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source Celeste mod loader with broad content support and developer tools.

  Visit EverestFull verdict →