Best Minecraft Shaders 2026

Shaders need either Iris (Fabric/Quilt/NeoForge) or OptiFine. GDLauncher’s shader browser searches both Modrinth and CurseForge, see the install-shaders guide.

Performance impact below is relative, every shader has presets, and your GPU matters far more than the shader name.

Balanced shaders

Good visuals without melting your GPU.

Complementary Reimagined

Compatibility: Iris, OptiFine
Performance: Scalable (Potato → Ultra presets)
Style: Realistic with stylized water and clouds

The most-downloaded shader pack on Modrinth. The Potato preset runs on low-end hardware; Ultra needs a decent GPU. There’s also a sister pack, Complementary Unbound, with a slightly different look.

BSL Shaders

Compatibility: Iris, OptiFine
Performance: Medium
Style: Vibrant, warm color grading

Long-running pack known for saturated colors and noticeable god rays. Heavily customizable.

Photon Shaders

Compatibility: Iris, OptiFine
Performance: Medium-High
Style: Cinematic realism

Focuses on accurate atmospheric scattering, clouds, and reflections. Heavier than BSL but lighter than the high-end packs below.

Performance-first shaders

For older hardware or maintaining high FPS on big servers.

Complementary Reimagined (Potato preset)

Compatibility: Iris, OptiFine
Performance: Very low
Style: Subtle vanilla-plus

The Potato preset of the same pack listed above. Runs on integrated graphics while still adding waving plants, better water, and basic shadows.

Tea Shaders

Compatibility: Iris, OptiFine
Performance: Very low
Style: Clean and minimal

Lightweight with surprisingly good water and lighting. No volumetrics, no path tracing, just a clean look.

Sildur’s Enhanced Default

Compatibility: Iris, OptiFine
Performance: Very low
Style: Enhanced vanilla

Keeps the vanilla look but adds waving foliage and improved water. Sildur also makes Vibrant Shaders, a heavier sibling.

Super Duper Vanilla

Compatibility: Iris, OptiFine
Performance: Low
Style: Enhanced vanilla

Inspired by the cancelled “Super Duper Graphics Pack”. Vanilla look with modern lighting touches.

High-end shaders

For powerful GPUs. Expect a real FPS hit.

SEUS PTGI

Compatibility: OptiFine only
Performance: Heavy
Style: Path-traced realism

Software-based path tracing, no RTX hardware required, but you’ll want a strong NVIDIA card. The PTGI builds are released through the developer’s Patreon; the older free SEUS Renewed is still available on the official site.

Continuum

Compatibility: OptiFine (Continuum RT also needs OptiFine)
Performance: Heavy
Style: Cinematic

Used a lot for Minecraft cinematics. The free version is on the website; Continuum RT with real ray tracing is paid.

Kappa Shader

Compatibility: Iris, OptiFine
Performance: Heavy
Style: Realistic

By the developer of RRe36’s Shaders. Detailed clouds, volumetric lighting, and good water. Free version available on Modrinth.

Nostalgia Shader

Compatibility: Iris, OptiFine
Performance: Medium-High
Style: Classic shader look (2015-era)

Same developer as Kappa. Looks like older SEUS builds, warmer, less HDR-y. Good if you don’t like the modern overprocessed shader look.

Stylized shaders

For unique looks instead of realism.

Rethinking Voxels

Compatibility: Iris (preferred), OptiFine
Performance: Medium-High
Style: Voxel-based path tracing

Builds on Complementary Reimagined with added voxel-based light propagation. Distinctive blocky-but-pretty lighting.

AstraLex Shaders

Compatibility: Iris, OptiFine
Performance: Medium
Style: Bloom-heavy, dreamy

Strong bloom, saturated colors, and atmospheric haze. Polarizing, you’ll either love it or find it overdone.

Quick comparison

Shader	Performance	Best for
Complementary Reimagined	Scalable	Default pick, works on most hardware
BSL	Medium	Vibrant, warm look
Photon	Medium-High	Atmospheric realism
Tea	Very low	Older PCs, integrated GPUs
SEUS PTGI	Heavy	Realistic lighting (Patreon access)
Continuum	Heavy	Cinematics and screenshots

Installing shaders

See the install-shaders guide for step-by-step instructions, including the Iris vs. OptiFine choice.