The best Terraria mods to play with friends are Calamity or Thorium for new bosses and items, plus Magic Storage, Recipe Browser and Boss Checklist to cut out the chores. They all run on tModLoader, the free mod loader on Steam, and they work in multiplayer when the server and every player run the same mods.
Below are 15 mods that work in multiplayer, grouped by what they do. For each one you'll see whether it goes on the server or only on your own PC. Every mod was checked on the Steam Workshop in November 2026.
How mods work in multiplayer
Most mods have to be on the server and on every player's game. When you join a modded server, tModLoader switches off any mod the server doesn't have, and the server sends you the mods you're missing. Mods that only change what you see run on your own PC, and the server doesn't need them.
Each mod below is marked with one of these:
- Server and players: the server needs it, and so does everyone who joins.
- Your PC only: each player installs it if they want it. Don't put it on the server.
- Optional: works on either side, and nobody is forced to have it.
Big content mods
Calamity Mod
The most popular tModLoader mod, with nearly 10 million subscribers. Calamity adds over 2,000 items, new bosses, new biomes, harder difficulty modes and a much bigger endgame. It needs the Calamity Mod Music mod too, and together they're about 1 GB, so ask your friends to subscribe before the first session.
Server and players · Calamity Mod · Calamity Mod Music
Thorium Mod
Thorium calls itself "Vanilla+": over 2,700 items, new bosses and three new classes that fit in with the base game. Two of those classes are made for groups. The Healer heals and buffs teammates, and the Bard plays instruments that buff everyone nearby.
Server and players · Thorium Mod
Fargo's Souls Mod
For groups that have beaten the game and want it much harder. Its Eternity Mode reworks many parts of the game for a bigger challenge, and it adds powerful Enchantment and Soul accessories plus new bosses. Playing it with Calamity? Add the official Fargo's Souls DLC for Calamity as well.
Server and players · Fargo's Souls Mod
Spirit Reforged
The newest mod from the team behind the original Spirit Mod, which is now called Spirit Classic. It adds new places, enemies and items at every stage of the game.
Server and players · Spirit Reforged
Skip Mod of Redemption for now
It's a popular content mod, but its Workshop page says multiplayer doesn't work yet. Keep it for a singleplayer world.
Quality of life mods
Magic Storage
Swaps your rows of chests for one storage network you can search, and crafts straight from what's stored. On a server the whole group uses the same storage.
Server and players · Magic Storage
Recipe Browser
Look up any item to see how to craft it and which recipes use it. It also shows what you can craft from what you carry, even when it takes a few steps. In multiplayer, recipes your friends favorite show up in your list too, so you can see what they're working towards.
Server and players · Recipe Browser
Boss Checklist
A list of every boss in order, modded ones included, with how to summon each one and what it drops. It keeps the whole group on the same page about what to fight next.
Server and players · Boss Checklist
Fargo's Mutant Mod
Adds the Mutant, a town NPC who sells summons for bosses from nearly every mod, so you can refight a boss when someone missed a drop. It also makes big stacks of ammo and potions last forever, and adds instant skybridges and hellevators.
Server and players · Fargo's Mutant Mod
Mods made for multiplayer
HERO's Mod
Admin tools for the server, with an in-game menu instead of chat commands. It has over 25 tools you can switch on or off, and groups that decide who may use which tool.
Server and players · HERO's Mod
Team Spectate
Watch a teammate's screen, or the boss, from a menu under the team selector. It only works in multiplayer, for players on your team or on no team.
Server and players · Team Spectate
Shorter Respawn Time
Set how long players wait after dying, with separate settings for boss fights and Expert Mode. Long respawns hurt most when the rest of the group is still fighting.
Server and players · Shorter Respawn Time
DPSExtreme
Live damage meters for the whole team, so you can see who did the most damage to a boss. Everyone who wants the meter buys a DPS Meter from the Traveling Merchant first.
Server and players · DPSExtreme
Performance and client-only mods
High FPS Support
Runs the game above 60 FPS without speeding up the world. You need a screen faster than 60 Hz to notice.
Your PC only · High FPS Support
Not Quite Nitrate
Performance tweaks and bug fixes that speed up how the game draws the world.
Optional · Not Quite Nitrate
Boss Cursor
Arrows around your character point at the boss and change size as it gets closer, so you can aim without the minimap.
Your PC only · Boss Cursor
Is tModLoader updated to 1.4.5?
Not yet. Terraria 1.4.5 came out on 27 January 2026, but the tModLoader version Steam installs is still built on Terraria 1.4.4. The 1.4.5 version is a beta for people helping to build it, and the tModLoader team hasn't given a release date (checked on 7 November 2026).
What that means for you:
- Modded Terraria doesn't have the 1.4.5 content yet.
- Updating Terraria doesn't break your mods. tModLoader is a separate app in your Steam library.
- Every mod in this list works on the current tModLoader. Thorium even warns that it won't work on the preview version, so stay on the default one.
Run your mods on a server
Everyone in your group needs tModLoader, and so does the server. Players without tModLoader can't join a modded server, and modded players can't join a vanilla one.
To play on FPS.ms, pick the tModLoader server type when you create a Terraria server. There's no one-click mod installer for Terraria: you save your mods as a mod pack in tModLoader, then upload the mod files with their enabled.json to the server's mods folder. The tModLoader setup guide shows each step, and the join guide shows how your friends connect. Leave the "Your PC only" mods off the server.
Plan the memory before you pick mods. The free plan has 2 GB of RAM, which is enough for a few quality of life mods. Calamity, Thorium and other big content mods want 4 GB or more, so pick a paid Terraria plan for those.
If tModLoader says "You are on tModLoader v…, server is on tModLoader v…", your game and the server run different tModLoader versions. Both have to match before anyone can join.
FAQ
How do I add mods to Terraria?
Install tModLoader from Steam, start it, and open Workshop, then Download Mods. Search for a mod and download it, then turn it on under Manage Mods. When you leave that screen, tModLoader reloads with the mod turned on.
Is tModLoader free and legal?
Yes. tModLoader is a free app on Steam, published by Re-Logic, the makers of Terraria, together with the tModLoader team. You need to own Terraria to play it.
Do my friends need the same mods?
Yes, for every mod marked "Server and players". The server sends players the mods they're missing when they join, but for big mods like Calamity it's easier if everyone subscribes on the Steam Workshop first, so share your mod list before you start.
Can I use Terraria mods on mobile or console?
No. tModLoader runs on Windows, macOS and Linux only, so players on phones, Switch, Xbox or PlayStation can't join a modded server.
What is the most popular Terraria mod?
Calamity. It has more Steam Workshop subscribers than any other tModLoader mod, with Recipe Browser, Boss Checklist and Magic Storage close behind.
Got your mod list? Make a free Terraria server and pick tModLoader when you create it.