Beet vs Sandstone

Beet is a free, open-source development toolkit for Minecraft data packs and resource packs. It brings both pack types into one pipeline, and its library can create, read, edit, and merge packs in zipped or unzipped form. Files load when needed; the documentation says this allows Beet to handle packs with thousands of files instantly. Plugins can inspect, modify, transform, or generate pack resources during builds. The toolchain supports configurable builds, release workflows, watch mode, and linking generated packs to Minecraft. Beet provides a statically typed Python API with autocompletion and first-class pytest integration. Its documentation also describes integration with Sandstone, a Node.js and TypeScript framework for writing Minecraft commands. Beet installs as a Python package using pip or uv, so users need Python and a Python package manager first. Installation instructions cover Windows, macOS, and Linux, and the repository identifies the license as MIT. The maker describes the documentation as a work in progress and invites contributions to guides and use cases. The project points users to Beet Discord for discussion and help.

Sandstone is a TypeScript library for building, debugging, and sharing Minecraft datapacks and resource packs. It gives developers command and resource autocomplete, with Wiki documentation for datapack elements such as predicates, loot tables, and advancements. You can group multiple functions, advancements, or loot tables in one file, or keep Minecraft’s one-per-file arrangement. Built-in control-flow tools include if/else, boolean logic, loops, switch statements, and sleep; vanilla commands are also available with build-time and run-time checks. The CLI scaffolds and builds packs, watches for file changes, and can rebuild automatically. Documentation snippets can be edited with a live datapack preview without installing Sandstone. The CLI installs Smithed and Sandstone libraries, and npm-compatible package managers are also supported. Functions can be published to NPM for use in other packs. Sandstone is open source and free, and is listed for Linux, macOS, web, and Windows. Local installation requires Bun and Node.js; the documentation recommends a code editor such as Visual Studio Code.