better-creative
Better Creative gives players control over the tab bar of the creative inventory, with sorting, pinning, hiding and named layouts.
What it does
Minecraft gives little control over creative tabs by default, and a modpack can push the bar past two hundred entries. Better Creative replaces that bar with a set of tools: tabs can be sorted, pinned, hidden or dragged into a custom order, and the vanilla order can be restored at any time. Favourite tabs always come first whatever order is set, and a single click hides every tab except the pinned ones.
The mod keeps a named layout for each arrangement, so a player can save several and switch between them. Layouts follow tabs by their identifier, so adding or removing mods does not scramble an arrangement. A gear button in the creative inventory opens the Mods Better Creative Config screen, and a built-in help page explains the controls and their limits.
Better Creative runs on the client only and works with vanilla servers, so players can install it without the server changing. It is for NeoForge; the project publishes builds for 1.21.1 – 1.21.11, and the latest NeoForge file, 2.1.1, targets 1.21.1. The code is not open source and is released under All rights reserved.
Key features
Tab sorting and dragging
Creative tabs can be sorted alphabetically, returned to the vanilla order, or moved by drag and drop into a custom sequence.
Pinning and hiding
Frequently used tabs can be pinned to the front, and one click hides every tab that is not pinned.
Named layouts
Several arrangements can be saved under their own names and switched between without rebuilding the bar.
Server-side lock
A server running Creative Admin can lock its tabs so they stay hidden for every player who connects.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
1.21.x11 of 11 versions with builds
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Who it’s for: Players who use the creative inventory often, and modpack authors who want players to find content without scrolling past dozens of tabs. Server owners can use the lock to hide tabs for everyone.
How it compares
Creative Tabs + is open source under the MIT License and covers Fabric, Forge and NeoForge for 1.20.1 – 1.21.1, so it fits a wider set of loaders. EMI Tabs is open source under the MIT License, targets NeoForge and Fabric for 1.21.1, and works on the client alone. EMI Recipe Pin is NeoForge-only for 1.21.1 and is not open source.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| better-creative | NeoForge | 1.21.1 – 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-10-03 |
| Creative Tabs + | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 1.21.1 | Client-side only | 2025-02-01 |
| EMI Tabs | Fabric and NeoForge | 1.21.1 | Client-side only | 2026-06-20 |
| EMI Recipe Pin | NeoForge | 1.21.1 | Client-side only | 2026-05-16 |
Questions
Does Better Creative need to be installed on the server?
Which loader does Better Creative use?
Does a tab layout survive adding or removing mods?
In the catalog
better-creative is one of 36,990 Utility mods on ModsFinder, and one of 13,477 Utility mods for NeoForge. 19,862 mods support Minecraft 1.21.11.
More from THE_Fricadelle
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What the author says
Better Creative puts you in charge of the creative inventory tab bar: sort the tabs, pin the ones you use and hide the rest. Two hundred tabs in your pack, three you actually open.
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/better-creative
- Owner
- THE_Fricadelle
- Published
- 2026-07-20
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-10-03
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15