Better Hotbars
by JeremySeq
Better Hotbars changes the look and motion of Minecraft's hotbar, with smoother animations, extra hotbar styles and a quick inventory peek.
What it does
Three hotbar styles can be chosen, and the hotbar slides with smooth scrolling animations when the selected slot changes. A hotkey briefly opens a view of the inventory without leaving the game screen, so a player can check items without switching to the full inventory.
The changes apply on the client alone. Only the client needs the mod, and a server can run without it. Cloth Config is recommended for adjusting the options, though the mod itself is built for players who want a different hotbar feel. The mod is available for Forge on 1.20.1, with the 1.0.0-1.20.1 file published on 2026-07-27, and it is released under the MIT License.
Key features
Three hotbar styles
The hotbar can be displayed in one of three visual styles, selected in the mod's settings.
Smooth scrolling animations
Changing the selected slot animates the hotbar instead of snapping it into place.
Quick inventory peek
A hotkey shows the inventory briefly, so items can be checked during play.
Cloth Config options
Settings can be changed through a Cloth Config screen when that library is installed.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
How it compares
Better Chat is also a Forge client mod for 1.20.1 and is open source under the Apache License 2.0, but it changes chat rather than the hotbar. Unscrollify Hotbar is an open source Forge client mod released under The Unlicense, but its files target 1.8.9 instead of 1.20.1. Smooth Swapping - Forge Updated (1.20.1) is a client-side Forge mod for 1.20.1 under the GNU General Public License v3.0 only, and it is not open source. Pocket Tools ALZ is open source under the MIT License and covers 1.20 – 1.20.1, but it runs on client and server, unlike Better Hotbars, which only needs the client.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Better Hotbars | Forge | 1.20.1 | Client-side only | 2026-07-27 |
| Better Chat | Forge | 1.20.1 | Client-side only | 2026-06-06 |
| Unscrollify Hotbar | Forge | 1.8.9 | Client-side only | 2023-07-20 |
| Smooth Swapping - Forge Updated (1.20.1) | Forge | 1.20.1 | Client-side only | 2024-06-04 |
| Pocket Tools ALZ | Forge | 1.20 – 1.20.1 | Client and server | 2026-07-03 |
Questions
Does Better Hotbars need to be installed on the server?
Is Cloth Config required for Better Hotbars?
Which Minecraft version does Better Hotbars support?
In the catalog
Better Hotbars is one of 36,990 Utility mods on ModsFinder, and one of 14,575 Utility mods for Forge. 34,764 mods support Minecraft 1.20.1.
More from JeremySeq
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What the author says
Improves Minecraft's hotbar with smoother animations and more hotbar styles. I highly recommend that you install Cloth Config to configure this mod to your liking.
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/better-hotbars
- Owner
- JeremySeq
- Published
- 2026-07-27
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-07-27
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15