MultiMC vs Prism Launcher

MultiMC is an alternative launcher for Minecraft that keeps multiple game instances separate. Each instance can have its own mods, resource packs, and saves, and users can import or export instances for sharing. It imports modpacks from Modrinth, CurseForge, FTB, Technic, ATLauncher, and FTB legacy, and includes a built-in modpack catalog. MultiMC also manages worlds and resource or texture packs, with controls for Java settings and runtimes. Color-coded logs provide extra diagnostic information, and users can stop Minecraft if it crashes or freezes. Automatic updates are supported. Downloads are available for Windows, macOS 10.13 or newer, and Linux distributions; Linux installations require Qt5 and may need distribution-specific packages. Designed to run in the background, including on older machines, MultiMC is free to use. A listed Patreon support option is priced on request; supporters get an app credit mention and a Discord role.

Prism Launcher is a free, open-source Minecraft launcher for creating and managing multiple installations on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Separate instances can keep their own settings, mods, and resource packs. It installs modpacks from CurseForge, Modrinth, Technic, FTB, and FTB Legacy, and can update them. Individual mods from CurseForge and Modrinth can be installed with loader and game-version matching. Forge, Fabric, Quilt, and LiteLoader support one-click installation. Prism includes a built-in modpack catalog, Java runtime management, game log access, menu customization, and themes. On Windows, macOS, and Linux, version 9.0+ can detect and download an appropriate Java version, though availability varies by package. The macOS build requires Monterey or later; older versions are unsupported. Flathub is the primary Linux distribution method, and official AppImage builds are listed for x86_64 and ARM64. Prism is licensed under GPL-3 and supports free redistribution; the project states that it is not affiliated with Mojang or Microsoft.