Canary Mod: smoother Minecraft ticks, same vanilla game

Download Canary only from its official pages on Modrinth, CurseForge or the developer's GitHub releases. These sources host the genuine files and show which Minecraft version and loader each file supports. CanaryMod.com does not host mod files; every download button on this site links straight to those official pages, so you always get the original, unmodified jar from the source.

Yes. Canary is completely free and open source. There is no paid version, no premium tier and no account required to use it. You can download it, use it in single-player or on a server, and include it in public modpacks, following the terms of its open-source license. Any site asking you to pay for Canary or unlock it with a survey is not legitimate.

Install Forge or NeoForge for your Minecraft version, launch it once, then download the matching Canary jar. Place the jar in the mods folder inside your Minecraft directory without unzipping it. Launch the Forge or NeoForge profile and open the Mods screen to confirm Canary is listed. The whole process takes about five minutes with the official launcher.

No. Canary is built for Forge and NeoForge only, because it exists to bring the Lithium optimizations to those loaders. If you play on Fabric or Quilt, install Lithium instead. Lithium is the original project that Canary is based on and it is actively maintained. Treat any file labelled as a Fabric version of Canary as unofficial and potentially unsafe.

Choose the file that matches your exact Minecraft version and loader. Minecraft 1.21.1 is usually played on NeoForge with Java 21. For later patches such as 1.21.10 or 1.21.11, check the official file list for a build with that exact number. A jar made for one patch is not guaranteed to load on another, so do not swap them.

Canary has Forge builds for Minecraft 1.16.5, which runs on Java 8. We are not aware of any official build for 1.12.2, because the code Canary is based on targets far newer versions of the game. Files claiming to be Canary for 1.12.2 are likely mislabelled or unsafe. For 1.12.2 packs, use the performance mods from that era instead.

For multiplayer, the server copy does the important work, because the server simulates the world. Installing Canary on each player's client is optional but harmless, and it helps in single-player where your PC runs its own internal server. Canary does not add blocks or items, so players can join a Canary server even without it installed on their client.

Canary is a Java Edition mod, so it does not work with Minecraft Bedrock on phones or tablets. Some community launchers can run Java Edition with Forge on Android, and a few do on iOS with extra setup. These launchers are unofficial, performance varies widely and support is limited. A Windows, macOS or Linux computer gives a far more reliable experience.

Back up your world, then download the newest Canary file for the same Minecraft version and loader. Delete the old Canary jar from your mods folder and add the new one; never keep both. Launch the game and check that it loads normally. Launchers like CurseForge, Prism and the Modrinth App can update Canary automatically when you update your instance.

Canary from its official sources is safe. It is open source, so anyone can read its code, and it is published on moderated platforms that scan uploads. The risk comes from unofficial re-upload sites that bundle adware or altered files. Download from Modrinth, CurseForge or GitHub, and compare the file hash with the one shown on the official file page if you want extra assurance.

Canary is designed to keep vanilla behaviour. Its patches return the same results as the original game code, just faster, so mob farms, redstone and game mechanics should work the same. If you find a genuine difference, it is treated as a bug. Report it on the official issue tracker with your Minecraft version, Canary version and a description of the build.

Canary is distributed under an open-source license inherited from Lithium, the GNU Lesser General Public License version 3. In practice this means you can use it freely, include it in modpacks and read or modify the source code, as long as you follow the license terms when redistributing changes. Check the repository for the current license file before redistributing.

Most crashes come from a mismatch: the wrong loader, the wrong Minecraft version or the wrong Java version. The next most common cause is a second Lithium-based mod, such as Radium, installed alongside Canary. Open logs/latest.log, read the first ERROR line, and check it against these causes. Our crash guide explains each fix step by step.

A mixin error means Canary could not patch a piece of game code as expected. First remove any duplicate optimization mod. If the crash report names another mod, find the Canary option mentioned in the report, set it to false in the config file and restart. Disable one option at a time, and report the conflict to both mod developers.

Canary mainly improves ticks per second, the speed of the game's simulation, rather than frames per second. You may see smoother gameplay and fewer stutters, especially in busy worlds, but big FPS gains come from rendering mods. Pair Canary with Embeddium on Forge or NeoForge for higher frame rates, and FerriteCore for lower memory use.

Canary works with the vast majority of Forge and NeoForge mods and ships in many large modpacks. Conflicts are uncommon and usually involve mods that rewrite the same core systems, such as other Lithium ports. If a conflict appears, the config file lets you switch off one specific optimization rather than removing Canary entirely.

On Fabric or Quilt the direct alternative is Lithium. On older Forge versions some packs used Radium. For different bottlenecks, Embeddium improves rendering, FerriteCore lowers memory use and ModernFix speeds up loading. These complement Canary rather than replace it. See our comparison table for licenses, supported loaders and the main pros and cons of each.

No. Canary is a Minecraft optimization mod and has no connection to Final Fantasy IX. FF9 modding on PC uses separate tools, such as the community Memoria engine project. Searches combining Canary with FF9 usually mix up unrelated projects that happen to share a word. If you are looking for Final Fantasy mods, visit dedicated FF9 modding communities.