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ViaVersion

Allow newer Java Edition clients to connect to older servers.

by kennytv· creeper123123321, florianreuthUtility
FabricPaperFoliaSponge
Loaders
FabricPaperFoliaSponge
Downloads on Modrinth
3.3M
Followers on Modrinth
1.3K
versions
1,064
Updated
October 12, 2026Oct 12
Published
in 2023

At a glance

Runs on Fabric, Paper, Folia and Sponge
For Minecraft 1.8.9–26.3
Works on either side — install it in the game, on the server, or both
Latest version — 5.12.2-SNAPSHOT+1104 from October 12, 2026
License GPL-3.0-or-later — free
Where it's needed
In gameoptionalOn serveroptional

Works both in the game and on the server — install where you need it

Game versions1.8.9–26.3

ViaVersion

Allows you to connect to servers that are older than your Java Edition client version. See our GitHub page for more information.

On Fabric, use either ViaFabric or ViaFabricPlus. To override the included version

  • in ViaFabric, put ViaVersion into the mods folder
  • in ViaFabricPlus, put ViaVersion into the config/viafabricplus/jars folder

Bungee and Sponge also have their own platform implementations.

Requires Java 17. See here how to update your installed Java version. As a last resort, you can download Java 8 downgraded builds from our ci.

Get access to Via* with new MC version support early

Starting with 1.20.5, ViaVersion and ViaBackwards will only be released a day or so after a Minecraft update unless the protocol changes of the update were trivial. If you want early-access, usually days or even weeks before the final release, you can subscribe to either:

  • GitHub Sponsors (preferred option. Use the /verify command on this Discord after), or alternatively
  • Patreon (see the highest tier and make sure to link Patreon to your Discord account under Discord Settings->Connections)

Note on release channels

It is recommended to always use the latest beta release. Alpha builds are used for work on snapshot version compatibility or other cutting-edge changes.

Always use the same build channel across the ViaVersion, ViaBackwards, and ViaRewind projects.

Releases/Dev Builds

You can find official releases in the following places:

Dev builds for all of our projects are on our Jenkins server:

ViaVersion as a Dependency

JavaDocs: https://jd.viaversion.com

Maven:

<repository>
    <id>viaversion-repo</id>
    <url>https://repo.viaversion.com</url>
</repository>
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.viaversion</groupId>
    <artifactId>viaversion-api</artifactId>
    <version>[4.0.0,5.0.0)</version>
    <scope>provided</scope>
</dependency>

Gradle:

repositories {
    maven("https://repo.viaversion.com")
}

dependencies {
    compileOnly("com.viaversion:viaversion-api:VERSION") // Replace the version
}

Resources

Special thanks to all our Contributors.

FAQ

How to install ViaVersion?

Install Fabric for your Minecraft version, download ViaVersion for the same version and loader, put the file into the mods folder and launch the game with the loader profile.

Which Minecraft versions does ViaVersion support?

ViaVersion has builds for Minecraft 1.8.9–26.3.

Is ViaVersion needed on the server?

Works on either side — install it in the game, on the server, or both

License and source
GNU General Public License v3.0 or laterfree to use and share; changes to the mod itself must be published under the same license
Original — Modrinth↗Files unchanged, verified with SHA-512Is this your mod? For rights holders

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