Steadfast
Steadfast: A free, open-source Iris shader pack for atmospheric skies, shadows, and reflective water. Ranked #31 of 40 in Minecraft Shader Packs by our editors (5.3/10); pricing: Free plan; best for java players using Iris on modest hardware.
At a glance
- Editor score5.3 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forJava players using Iris on modest hardware
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Edition supportJava
- Facts checked25 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Adds water reflections, refraction, and underwater caustics
- Supports Distant Horizons and Voxy alongside Iris
- Designed to run on modest hardware, including integrated graphics
Where it doesn't
- Requires Iris and does not support OptiFine
- Visual support is best tuned for the Overworld
- Supported Minecraft versions are limited to 1.18.2 and later listed releases
Our verdict on Steadfast
Steadfast is a free, open-source shader pack for Minecraft Java Edition, aimed at players who want richer atmosphere and water effects without a focus on demanding hardware. It adds sky and fog, shadows from the sun and moon, wind-swayed foliage, and ambient occlusion. The creator describes it as suitable for mobile and integrated graphics, with playability on Raspberry Pi also mentioned. Its documented Minecraft versions include 1.18.2, 1.19.x, 1.20.x, 1.21.x, and 26.1.x.
Water is a particular strength: Steadfast combines waves, reflection, refraction, and depth-based absorption with screen-space reflections on water and ice, plus caustics on underwater surfaces. The pack also offers cirrus or standard blocky clouds and approximate light shafts from the sun and moon. Iris is required. Compatibility with Distant Horizons and Voxy extends its fit to players using those world-distance tools, while Colorwheel is also listed among its integrations. This makes Steadfast a good match for Java players who value layered environmental effects and those ecosystem connections over broad loader choice.
The trade-offs are practical. Steadfast does not support OptiFine, and its strongest visual tuning is for the Overworld, so players prioritizing other dimensions or an OptiFine-based setup should look elsewhere. The creator documents NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel GPU support, as well as macOS and Linux. Community is the listed support channel. Choose Steadfast for free, open-source atmospheric effects on modest hardware; choose another pack if OptiFine support or a different loader is essential.
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Steadfast pricing
Steadfast fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Edition support | Java |
| Loader support | Iris |
| Hardware tier | Low |
| Ray tracing | No |
| PBR materials | Not verified |
| Supported versions | 26.1.x, 1.21.x, 1.20.x, 1.19.x, 1.18.2 |
| Visual effects | sky and fog, sun and moon shadows, wind-swayed foliage, light shafts, water waves, reflections, refractions, water caustics, clouds, ambient occlusion |
| Deployment | Cloud |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS |
| Support | Community |
| Built for | Solo (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 4 integrations: Iris, Distant Horizons, Voxy, Colorwheel |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | modrinth.com |
| Facts checked | 25 Sep 2026 |
Steadfast integrations
Steadfast lists 4 integrations on its own site.
- Iris
- Distant Horizons
- Voxy
- Colorwheel
Alternatives to Steadfast
- Bloop ShadersA free Java shader pack combining performance profiles with advanced lighting and PBR effects.8.8
- Rethinking VoxelsA free shaderpack for ray-traced lighting, PBR, reflections, and volumetrics.8.0
- Hysteria ShadersA free, horror-focused shaderpack with broad version support and Iris or OptiFine compatibility.7.9
See all Steadfast alternatives →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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