Basalt Launcher vs Refract

Basalt Launcher is a free, open-source Minecraft launcher written in Rust for Linux, Windows, and macOS. It keeps saves, mods, resource packs, shaders, settings, and launch options separate for each instance. Users can install and switch among Fabric, Quilt, NeoForge, and Forge, browse Modrinth and CurseForge with compatibility filtering, dependency resolution, changelogs, and update checks, and create an instance from a Modrinth modpack. Multiple Microsoft accounts are supported with device-code sign-in and silent token refresh. Skin and cape tools allow importing, previewing, saving, and applying cosmetics. Basalt can locate compatible Java runtimes and set global or per-instance overrides. Downloads and installs can be monitored, cancelled, or recovered after interruption. Separate launcher and game logs, adjustable log levels, and launch-argument previews aid diagnosis. Installers are provided for the three desktop systems, though testing coverage varies by platform during beta. Basalt is not an official Mojang or Microsoft product.

Refract is a free launcher for organizing Minecraft modpacks on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It supports modpacks from Modrinth, CurseForge, and FTB, with a built-in catalog for finding compatible content. Multiple mod loaders are supported, and modpack import is available through both listed methods. Each pack runs in a separate instance, with its mods, resource packs, worlds, settings, and launch options kept apart. The launcher can install dependencies, update individual mods in place, manage Java runtimes, and apply automatic updates; worlds are preserved during updates. Existing libraries can be imported without mixing files or damaging saves. Users can choose themes, accent colors, sidebar layouts, Java versions, memory limits, and launch behavior. Refract is licensed under GNU GPL v3.0, and its application and website are developed in public. The project uses Tauri and Rust for its native shell. Discord supports player help and project discussions, while GitHub is used for bug reports, change proposals, and code contributions.