What is the difference between mods and addons for Minecraft?

Minecraft, the beloved sandbox game by Mojang, offers players a world of creativity and imagination. As you delve into the realm of customization, you might have come across terms like mods and add-ons. While they might seem interchangeable initially, they hold distinct meanings and functionalities within the Minecraft universe. While mods dive into the code's depths, add-ons provide a more accessible avenue for enrichment.

In this article, we'll unravel the differences between these two concepts to help you better comprehend the nuances of each.

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Understanding the difference between Mods and Add-ons in Minecraft

Explaining mods in the game

The Ultimate Unicorn mod (Image via Mojang Studios)

Mods are software packages that delve deep into the game's code to introduce new features, rectify bugs, and alter the game's mechanics.

Unlike add-ons, mods often come into existence through the endeavors of independent developers and lack official endorsement from Mojang Studios. The installation of mods can either be manual or facilitated through mod managers, which streamline the process.

Mods directly manipulate the game's code, fostering the addition, removal, or modification of objects and their behaviors within the virtual universe. Players can access many possibilities by harnessing mod loaders like Forge or Fabric, ranging from new functionalities and features to novel blocks and creatures.

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Explaining add-ons in the game

Reign of Dragons add-on (Image via Mojang Studios)

Add-ons, a remarkable feature exclusive to the Bedrock and Pocket Edition of the title, have been designed by Mojang Studios, the game's creators. Unlike mods, which delve into the game's core code, add-ons allow players to modify the behavior of mobs, blocks, and items.

Additionally, they empower players to introduce fresh assets like skins, textures, and sound effects into the game's fabric. A fascinating aspect of add-ons is their ease of installation and management. Players can conveniently acquire and manage these additions through the in-game store or the Minecraft Marketplace.

Minecraft Add-ons (image via Mojang Studios)

It's important to note that add-ons do not entail the same level of code alteration as mods. They operate within the existing game code, employing command blocks, MCEdit filters, and custom texture packs to weave their magic.

Rather than restructuring the code, add-ons manipulate save game data creatively and intriguingly. This approach hints at the potential expansion of the vanilla experience by Mojang, although for the present, add-ons remain separate from the realm of mods.

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Whether you're delving into modding to reshape the game's fabric or embracing add-ons to tweak specific elements, your choices are as diverse as the blocks that populate the virtual universe. Both avenues cater to players' unique preferences, allowing them to shape their Minecraft journey according to their creative aspirations.