# How to Install Fabric on a Minecraft Server

> Switch your Minecraft server to Fabric from the Package Manager so it can run Fabric mods.

Source: https://www.beaconhosting.org/knowledgebase/how-to-install-fabric-on-a-minecraft-server
Category: Minecraft
Last updated: 2026-11-05

## Install Fabric

1. Open your server and go to **Backups**. Create a backup, in case you want to go back.
2. Go to **Package Manager** and click **Browse packages**.
3. Search for **Fabric** and open it.
4. Pick the **Minecraft version** you want and click **Install**.
5. The panel shows what will change. Installing server software **replaces what is installed**, and it may **swap the Java runtime** to the one that version needs. Confirm.
6. Package changes are queued and applied the next time the server starts, so restart it from **Console** when you're done.

Your world carries over. Fabric mods go in the `mods` folder; install them from **Package Manager** too.

## Add Fabric API

Almost every Fabric mod needs **Fabric API**. When you install a Fabric mod from **Package Manager**, it adds Fabric API for you as a dependency. If you add mods by hand, install Fabric API from **Package Manager** first.

## Fabric or Forge?

Fabric is lighter and updates to new Minecraft versions quickly. Forge and NeoForge have the large older modpacks. A mod only works on the loader it was made for, so pick the loader your mods need. See [Forge vs Fabric vs Quilt](/knowledgebase/forge-vs-fabric-vs-quilt-understanding-the-differences).

> [!NOTE]
> Plugins (for Paper) don't work on Fabric. If you're moving from Paper, look for Fabric mods that do the same jobs.