When you find a modpack on CurseForge you want to play with friends, the download button gives you a client installer - something your launcher uses to set up the game on your PC. That file doesn’t run on a server. Hosting a modpack on a server requires a server pack, which is a different download built for the server side of things.
This guide covers two ways to get there. If your host has a modpack manager built into the control panel, that’s the fast path and where you should start. If the pack you want isn’t available through the manager - or you need a specific version - the manual upload method gets you there just the same.
Client Pack vs. Server Pack: The Quick Version
Before jumping in, it helps to know what these terms actually mean, because they get mixed up constantly.
A client pack is what you install through the CurseForge app or your mod launcher (like Prism or ATLauncher) to play on your own machine. It includes client-side mods - things like shader support, inventory tweaks, and visual improvements - that a server has no use for.
A server pack is the same modpack, minus the client-only mods, plus a server launcher and any configuration files the pack needs to run. It’s what gets uploaded to your host.
Some modpack developers publish both. Others only publish the client pack, which means you’d need to build the server pack yourself - but that’s a less common situation and we’ll flag it when we get there.
Path 1: Install via the Modpack Manager
If you’re hosting with WinterNode, the Modpack Manager is built into the panel and pulls directly from CurseForge. For most popular packs, this is a one-click process.
Step 1: Open the Modpack Manager
Log into the Game Control Panel, select your server, and click Tools → Modpack Manager. You’ll see a searchable list of thousands of packs pulled from CurseForge.
Step 2: Find your pack and install
Search for the pack you want. Once you find it, click Install. You’ll be asked whether to format the server or install without formatting.
Format Server deletes everything
Choosing “Format Server” wipes all existing server data - your world, configs, and any uploaded files. If you have anything worth keeping, take a backup before proceeding. For a fresh server with nothing on it yet, Format Server is the right choice.
Step 3: Check your server jar
After the install finishes, open the File Manager and look at your server directory. Most packs will include a Forge jar (usually named something like forge-1.20.1-*.jar or just server.jar). Head to Server Options and confirm the Server Jar field is pointing to the correct file - not minecraft_server.*.jar, which is the vanilla jar and will start a plain Minecraft server instead of your modpack.
Start your server. If it boots without errors and loads the mod list in the console, you’re done.
Path 2: Manual Server Pack Upload
Use this path when the pack you want isn’t showing up in the Modpack Manager, when you need a specific older version, or when the developer has released an update that hasn’t been indexed yet.
Step 1: Set your server version
Before downloading anything, check what Minecraft version and modloader the pack requires. You’ll find this on the CurseForge pack page - look for the Minecraft version tag and whether it’s listed as Forge, NeoForge, or Fabric.
Once you know what you need, go to Advanced → Server Actions in the panel and open the Install Different Edition modal. Select the correct modloader (Forge, NeoForge, or Fabric) from the top dropdown, then pick the matching version below it.
Only recent versions are listed
The Edition Installer carries the latest release and the last couple of releases for each modloader. If your pack requires a specific older version that isn’t in the list, you’ll need to install it manually. Check WinterNode’s guides for installing Forge manually or installing Fabric manually.
Step 2: Download the server pack from CurseForge
Go to the modpack’s CurseForge page and click the Files tab. Look for a file labeled “Server Pack” - it’s usually listed separately from the client installer. If you don’t see one on the main files list, check the Additional Files section just below it. That’s where server packs often live and where a lot of people miss them.
No server pack available?
Some packs don’t publish a server pack at all. If you’re in that situation, you’ll need to build one manually. WinterNode has a separate guide on creating your own server pack that walks through the process.
The server pack will download as a .zip file.
Step 3: Upload and extract
In the Game Control Panel, open the File Manager and navigate to your server’s root directory. Upload the .zip file, then right-click it and extract it. Most server packs will extract their contents directly into the current folder - make sure you’re extracting into the root, not a subfolder inside it.
If you’d rather use SFTP for the upload (useful for larger packs), you can connect with any SFTP client using the credentials in your server settings. The process is the same: upload the zip, then extract it through the File Manager.
Step 4: Start the server Start the server and watch the console. A successful Forge startup will list the loaded mods and eventually print a “Done” line with the world load time.
A Note on RAM
Vanilla Minecraft runs fine at 2-3GB. Modpacks are a different story. Most mid-sized packs (50-100 mods) need at least 4GB to run without constant lag. Larger packs - the kind with 200+ mods, custom dimensions, and heavy world generation - often need 6-8GB, sometimes more.
If your server is bogging down shortly after players log in or during world generation, low RAM is the first thing to check. The console will usually log memory errors, but sluggish TPS without obvious errors is often a RAM issue too. It’s worth sizing up before you spend time troubleshooting other causes.
Common First-Timer Mistakes
The most frequent issue we see in support tickets is the server starting on vanilla instead of the modpack. Nine times out of ten it’s the wrong server jar - double-check that before anything else.
The second most common: uploading the client pack instead of the server pack. The client installer (a .zip or .exe from the CurseForge app) will not work on a server. Make sure you’re grabbing the file specifically labeled “Server Pack” from the Files tab.
If players are getting kicked on login with a timeout error, that’s usually expected behavior on larger packs - the initial sync takes a while. The RandomPatches mod for Forge can help by increasing the connection timeout window. WinterNode’s modpack installation guide has more detail on that.
Get Your Server Running
WinterNode Minecraft servers are $1.99/GB of RAM - no extra charges for CPU, storage, or the features you actually need. If you want to test before committing, there’s a 48-hour free trial on Minecraft servers with no credit card required.
If you run into anything during setup, our support team handles modpack troubleshooting regularly. Open a ticket or find us on Discord and a real person will take a look. We also have a full modpack installation guide in the help center if you want more detail on specific packs or error messages.
Frequently Asked Questions
A client pack is what you install on your PC to play. A server pack is a version of the same modpack stripped of client-only mods and bundled with a server launcher. You need the server pack to host.
Your server jar is probably still set to the vanilla Minecraft jar. Go to Server Options in the Game Control Panel and update the server jar to match your Forge or modpack jar file.
Most modpacks need at least 4GB to run stably. Larger or heavily modded packs (100+ mods) often need 6-8GB. Vanilla Minecraft is typically fine at 2-3GB.