Quilt Loom

Overview

Quilt Loom is a Gradle plugin that brings Quilt-specific support to Fabric Loom-based Minecraft mod projects. It is best suited to developers building for the Quilt loader who need Quilt metadata and mappings within their build workflow. Its narrow focus is useful for that work, but contributors should be comfortable with a patch-based development process.

Key features

Quilt Loom reads quilt.mod.json, enabling support for Jars-in-Jars (JiJ), transitive access wideners, and interface injection. These capabilities make it a strong fit when a project relies on Quilt’s metadata conventions; it is not a general-purpose plugin for every Minecraft mod workflow.

The plugin automatically adds the Quilt Releases repository to projects and applies Quilt Mappings on Loom. It also uses Quiltflower by default through loom-quiltflower by Juuxel. Together, these integrations tailor the build setup to Quilt development rather than asking teams to assemble those Quilt-specific pieces separately.

Quilt Loom is based on a fabric-loom subproject with Quilt-specific patches, and Gradle wrapper scripts are provided for build tasks. Contributors are instructed to run ./gradlew applyPatches, import the generated patched-quilt-loom subfolder into an IDE, and submit changes as new patches for maintainers to merge manually. That is a clear route for contributing, but a more involved one than editing a conventional standalone project.

Pricing

Quilt Loom costs free and is MIT-licensed software. The license permits use, modification, distribution, and sale subject to its stated conditions. There is no trial to weigh against a paid plan; the free plan is the product’s only stated plan.

Platforms

Quilt Loom supports Linux, macOS, and Windows. Its supported loader is Quilt, so developers targeting another loader should choose tooling aligned with that project instead.

Who it's for

Quilt mod developers who already use Fabric Loom-based Gradle projects are the clearest audience. Automatic Quilt Mappings and Quilt Releases repository setup, together with support for Quilt metadata features, make it a practical fit for Quilt-specific build needs. Developers seeking a broad Minecraft development environment, or contributors who prefer not to work through patches, may be better served elsewhere.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Quilt metadata support: Reads quilt.mod.json and enables JiJ, transitive access wideners, and interface injection for Quilt projects.
• Focused setup: Automatically adds the Quilt Releases repository and applies Quilt Mappings on Loom.
• Free and permissively licensed: The MIT license allows use and modification subject to its conditions.

Cons

• Loader-specific: Its stated support is for Quilt, limiting its fit for projects built around other loaders.
• Patch-based contributions: Changes must be submitted as patches for manual merging, adding process overhead for contributors.
• No listed releases: The repository's Releases page has no releases, which may deter teams that require a published release for adoption.

Alternatives

For a broader set of options, browse Minecraft Mod Development Tools.

• Architectury Loom is another free Gradle Loom option; consider it when its experimental project and Gradle 8.1-or-newer requirements suit your setup.
• Fabric is free and includes the Fabric Loader; choose it when your project targets Fabric rather than Quilt. Most mods also require Fabric API.
• ForgeGradle is a free alternative for projects using ForgeGradle.
• Gradle is a free open-source build system; choose it when you need the general build tool rather than Quilt-specific Loom support.
• Blockbench is a free tool for any type of project, with no strings attached; consider it when that broader project use is the priority.
• Visual Studio Code is another free option, though its role differs from Quilt Loom's Gradle plugin.
• Minecraft Development MCP Server is free and open source under MIT, with Node.js 18+ and Java 17+ required; consider it when an MCP server is what your workflow needs.
• Eclipse IDE is free and open source; consider it when you want an IDE rather than a Quilt-focused Gradle plugin.

Verdict

Quilt Loom is the right choice for Minecraft mod developers building Quilt projects on Fabric Loom who want Quilt metadata, mappings, and repository setup integrated into Gradle. Its free MIT-licensed plan is appealing, but its loader-specific scope, patch-based contribution workflow, and lack of listed releases are reasons to look elsewhere if your project needs another loader or a published release to adopt.