The FTB pack ecosystem
The FTB App's strength is the curated FTB modpack list, well-tested across versions and updated alongside the wider Feed The Beast community. The app can also browse and install third-party CurseForge packs. GDLauncher doesn't curate its own pack list, the built-in browser searches CurseForge and Modrinth side by side instead, so you pick the pack and the platform follows.
Modrinth and the broader catalog
The FTB App is CurseForge-only on the third-party side. Modrinth has been growing fast, especially for Fabric mods, performance mods, and shaders, with many authors now publishing to both platforms. GDLauncher's browser shows both at once, so you don't have to pick which ecosystem to live in.
Server management
The FTB App has a server installer that downloads a server pack as a folder you launch and manage yourself via command line, there's no in-app management. GDLauncher includes a full server view inside the launcher: create a Vanilla / Forge / Fabric / NeoForge / Quilt server, watch the live console, manage players, and edit the same instance settings you use for singleplayer.
Cloud Instance Sharing
If you want to hand off a custom setup in the FTB App, you're back to exporting an instance and sending the file. GDLauncher's Cloud Instance Sharing turns that into a one-click code your friend pastes inside their launcher. The share works across CurseForge and Modrinth content in the same instance, so a setup that mixes FTB-style CurseForge mods with Modrinth-only additions still travels intact.
Le verdict
The FTB App is solid if you mostly install FTB's own packs and don't mind being CurseForge-only on the third-party side. GDLauncher gives you both CurseForge and Modrinth in the same browser, one-click Cloud Instance Sharing for mixed CF + MR setups, and built-in server management with live console. For most modded Minecraft players in 2026, GDLauncher's experience is closer to what you'd expect from a modern app.