Is Linen a replacement for MinecraftDev?

It can be, if you work on Windows with the loaders Linen supports. Linen is a whole IDE rather than a plugin: it sets up the project and Java, runs the game, checks your mod and explains crashes. MinecraftDev adds Minecraft support to IntelliJ IDEA, which you may prefer to keep.

Is MinecraftDev free?

Yes. The Minecraft Development plugin is free on JetBrains Marketplace and open source under LGPL-3.0. It runs in IntelliJ IDEA, whose core features are free; JetBrains sells an Ultimate subscription for extended tooling. Linen Free covers every Minecraft version, and Linen Pro, with its power tools, is €7.99 a month.

Which loaders do Linen and MinecraftDev support?

MinecraftDev lists Forge, NeoForge, Fabric and Architectury mods, Bukkit, Spigot, Paper and Sponge plugins, and Velocity and BungeeCord proxies. Linen sets up mods for Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, Quilt and Legacy Fabric and plugins for Paper, Spigot, Bukkit and Purpur, from Minecraft 1.12.2 to 26.x.

Does Linen run on macOS or Linux?

Not yet. Linen's beta runs on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11; macOS and Linux installers come once they are signed and tested. IntelliJ IDEA, and so MinecraftDev, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux today, so on a Mac or on Linux it is the one of the two you can use now.

Can I use Claude Code with either one?

Yes. Anthropic makes a Claude Code plugin for IntelliJ IDEA, and Linen installs Claude Code, Anthropic's extension, unmodified. Both run on your own Claude plan. What Linen Pro adds is its tools, rules and checks: your exact loader and version, the game's real code, and Linen Check on every edit.

Compare

Linen vs MinecraftDev (IntelliJ IDEA)

MinecraftDev is a free, open-source plugin that adds Minecraft support to IntelliJ IDEA, on Windows, macOS and Linux. Linen is a whole IDE for Minecraft mods and plugins that also sets up Java, runs the game, checks the mod and explains crashes; its beta runs on Windows only, and its power tools need Pro. If you like IntelliJ IDEA, MinecraftDev keeps you there.

MinecraftDev's facts checked against its own pages on 3 November 2026, each with its source below. Linen's from the app, checked on 2 November 2026.

Who is each one for?

Linen

Modders who want one app that sets up the project and the right Java, runs the game with a readable log, checks the mod the way the game reads it and explains crashes, from a first mod to one mod across several loaders and versions.

MinecraftDev

Developers who already work in IntelliJ IDEA and want Minecraft support inside it: a project creator, Mixin and mappings support, and in-depth support for access transformers, access wideners and NBT files, across mods, plugins and proxies.

Linen and MinecraftDev at a glance

"Not in its feature list" means MinecraftDev's own pages don't name it; another tool or plugin may still cover it.

Topic	Linen	MinecraftDev
What it is	A desktop IDE for Minecraft Java mods and server plugins, built on Eclipse Theia and Eclipse's Java language server.	A plugin that adds Minecraft modding support to IntelliJ IDEA. ^[1]^[3]
Price	Free covers every Minecraft version. Pro adds Linen's power tools for €7.99 a month or €59.99 a year; Lifetime is €199.99 once. VAT included. The beta is free, with a month of Pro.	The plugin is free. IntelliJ IDEA's core features are free; JetBrains sells an Ultimate subscription for extended tooling. ^[1]^[7]
Runs on	64-bit Windows 10 and 11. macOS and Linux once their installers are signed and tested.	Windows, macOS and Linux: wherever IntelliJ IDEA runs. Version 1.9.0 has builds for IntelliJ IDEA 2026.1, 2026.2 and 2026.3. ^[8]^[2]
Mod loaders	Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, Quilt and Legacy Fabric.	Forge, NeoForge, Fabric and Architectury. ^[1]^[3]
Plugins and proxies	Plugins for Paper, Spigot, Bukkit and Purpur.	Plugins for Bukkit, Spigot, Paper and Sponge; proxies for Velocity and BungeeCord (and Waterfall). ^[1]^[3]
Minecraft versions	Minecraft 1.12.2 to 26.x, in Free and Pro.	Its pages give no range. Version 1.9.0 added Fabric 26.1+ class templates. ^[2]
New projects	New mod uses templates made for each era of each loader, installs the Java version it needs and lists every file before writing it. Free makes a mod for one loader and one version; with Pro, one mod can target several.	A Minecraft project creator for mods, plugins and proxies: Gradle or Maven, Java or Kotlin, and your own template repositories. ^[5]^[6]
The game's code	Minecraft's code decompiled on your machine for your mod's version, with go to definition and Find usages, in Free.	Its release notes mention a decompile button for Fabric and VanillaGradle projects (fixed in 1.8.21). ^[2]
Mixins	Mixin tools: completion for targets, a preview of what an injection hooks into, and checks for targets that don't exist. Linen Check reads mixins too.	Mixin support; 1.9.0 added quantifier and lambda selector support. ^[1]^[2]
Mappings	Names in Mojang, Yarn, intermediary and Parchment mappings.	Support for MCP mappings. ^[1]
Access transformers, wideners, NBT	New Fabric projects come with a class tweaker (access widener) set up, and Linen's docs explain access widener and access transformer errors.	In-depth support for access transformers, access wideners and NBT files, with a text-based NBT editor. ^[4]^[1]
Running and fixing the game	Play the game runs the client or server with a game log that puts your mod first, and Linen Check names the file and the fix. Pro adds Crash Doctor, Find what lags, the F8 Inspector and hot swap.	Not in its feature list.
Assets	With Pro, the Assets page shows what each block and item still lacks, Add to your mod writes a block, item, recipe or loot table, and the texture maker has 21 templates.	Not in its feature list.
AI	Optional. Linen installs Claude Code, Anthropic's extension, unmodified, on your own Claude plan. With Pro, Linen gives it your mod's version, tools that look up the game's real code, and Linen Check on every edit.	Not in the plugin's feature list. Anthropic's own Claude Code plugin works in IntelliJ IDEA. ^[9]
Status	Private beta (2 November 2026).	Version 1.9.0, released 17 October 2026. More than 2.4 million downloads on JetBrains Marketplace. ^[1]^[2]

What does MinecraftDev do better?

It is free and open source (LGPL-3.0), with nothing held back for a paid edition. Linen Free covers every Minecraft version, but Linen's power tools, such as Crash Doctor, hot swap and multi-loader mods, need Pro.
It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux today. Linen's beta runs on Windows only.
It covers more server software: Sponge plugins, Velocity and BungeeCord proxies, and Architectury projects.
It has in-depth support for access transformers, access wideners and NBT files, including a text-based NBT editor.
You keep IntelliJ IDEA, with its editor, its settings and the other plugins you use.
It is released and widely used: version 1.9.0 came out on 17 October 2026, and the plugin has more than 2.4 million downloads. Linen is in private beta, and it has no test runner or dependency tree view yet.

What does Linen do differently?

One app for the whole loop: New mod sets up the project and installs the Java version that Minecraft version needs, Play the game runs it, and Linen Check reads your mod the way the game will.
Quilt and Legacy Fabric mods, Purpur plugins, and Minecraft 1.12.2 to 26.x, each from a template made for that era of that loader.
Minecraft's code decompiled on your machine for your version, with Find usages, and names in Mojang, Yarn, intermediary and Parchment.
A folder holding several versions of a mod, or a Stonecutter project, opens as it is. With Pro, one mod spans several loaders and versions in one window.
With Pro, Crash Doctor says in plain words which mod and line crashed and what to change, and Find what lags shows the busiest methods in your mod while you play.
With Pro, Claude Code gets your exact loader and version, Linen's tools for the game's real code, and Linen Check on every file it changes.

Every Linen feature · Free and Pro

When to choose MinecraftDev instead

MinecraftDev is the better choice if any of these is true for you.

You already work in IntelliJ IDEA and want to stay there. MinecraftDev adds Minecraft support without changing your IDE.
You are on macOS or Linux. Linen's beta runs on Windows only.
You make Sponge plugins, Velocity or BungeeCord proxies, or Architectury mods. Linen doesn't set those up.
You want a free, open-source tool with no paid edition. Linen Free covers every version, but Linen's power tools need Pro.
You need a test runner or a dependency tree view in your IDE today. Linen doesn't have them yet.
You need a tool that is out of beta. Linen is in private beta.

Can I use both on the same mod?

Yes. Both work on your mod's ordinary Gradle build, so the same folder opens in IntelliJ IDEA with MinecraftDev and in Linen with Open or import. Linen also opens a folder that holds several versions of a mod, and Stonecutter projects.

Linen keeps its own files for Claude Code in the mod, such as CLAUDE.md and .mcp.json, and opens them read-only so they stay as Linen wrote them.

Questions about Linen and MinecraftDev

Is Linen a replacement for MinecraftDev?: It can be, if you work on Windows with the loaders Linen supports. Linen is a whole IDE rather than a plugin: it sets up the project and Java, runs the game, checks your mod and explains crashes. MinecraftDev adds Minecraft support to IntelliJ IDEA, which you may prefer to keep.
Is MinecraftDev free?: Yes. The Minecraft Development plugin is free on JetBrains Marketplace and open source under LGPL-3.0. It runs in IntelliJ IDEA, whose core features are free; JetBrains sells an Ultimate subscription for extended tooling. Linen Free covers every Minecraft version, and Linen Pro, with its power tools, is €7.99 a month.
Which loaders do Linen and MinecraftDev support?: MinecraftDev lists Forge, NeoForge, Fabric and Architectury mods, Bukkit, Spigot, Paper and Sponge plugins, and Velocity and BungeeCord proxies. Linen sets up mods for Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, Quilt and Legacy Fabric and plugins for Paper, Spigot, Bukkit and Purpur, from Minecraft 1.12.2 to 26.x.
Can I use Linen and MinecraftDev on the same mod?: Yes. Both work on your mod's ordinary Gradle build, so the same folder opens in IntelliJ IDEA with MinecraftDev and in Linen with Open or import. Linen also keeps its own files for Claude Code in the mod, such as CLAUDE.md and .mcp.json.
Does Linen run on macOS or Linux?: Not yet. Linen's beta runs on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11; macOS and Linux installers come once they are signed and tested. IntelliJ IDEA, and so MinecraftDev, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux today, so on a Mac or on Linux it is the one of the two you can use now.
Can I use Claude Code with either one?: Yes. Anthropic makes a Claude Code plugin for IntelliJ IDEA, and Linen installs Claude Code, Anthropic's extension, unmodified. Both run on your own Claude plan. What Linen Pro adds is its tools, rules and checks: your exact loader and version, the game's real code, and Linen Check on every edit.

Join the beta Linen vs MCreator

Sources

Each read on 3 November 2026. Tools change: if one of these is out of date, tell us and we fix the page.

Minecraft Development, JetBrains Marketplace: Free; its platforms (Bukkit, Spigot, Paper, Sponge, Forge, NeoForge, Fabric, Architectury, Velocity, BungeeCord); MCP mappings, Mixins and a text-based NBT editor; more than 2.4 million downloads.
Minecraft Development 1.9.0 release notes, JetBrains Marketplace: Released 17 October 2026 for IntelliJ IDEA 2026.1, 2026.2 and 2026.3; Fabric 26.1+ class templates; Mixin quantifier and lambda selector support. The same page carries earlier notes, including a fix to the decompile button for Fabric and VanillaGradle projects (1.8.21).
MinecraftDev on GitHub (README): A plugin for IntelliJ IDEA for Minecraft modding projects; licensed LGPL-3.0-only; supported platforms including Waterfall and Mixins.
Minecraft Dev for IntelliJ (mcdev.io): In-depth support for access transformers, access wideners and NBT files; compatible with IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate or Community Edition.
Creating a New Project, Minecraft Dev docs: The Minecraft project creator: mods, plugins and proxies; Gradle or Maven; Java or Kotlin.
Creating Creator Templates, Minecraft Dev docs: The project creator reads templates from repositories you can add.
The Unified IntelliJ IDEA, The JetBrains Blog (8 December 2025): One IntelliJ IDEA from 2025.3; the former Community Edition features stay free for commercial and non-commercial use; extended tooling in the Ultimate subscription, with a 30-day trial.
Download IntelliJ IDEA, JetBrains: Available for Windows, macOS and Linux.
JetBrains IDEs, Claude Code docs (Anthropic): The Claude Code plugin works with IntelliJ IDEA and other JetBrains IDEs.