Better Nether Portals
by Zerw
Better Nether Portals lets players build Nether portal frames in shapes other than the vanilla 4×5 rectangle, using obsidian or crying obsidian and lit with flint and steel.
What it does
A portal frame built from obsidian or crying obsidian can be closed in any shape and placed upright on walls or flat on floors and ceilings. The interior is left as empty air, and lighting it with flint and steel opens a portal that behaves like a normal Nether portal. Players walk through it the same way, and vanilla Nether travel, extra items and rituals from other mods still work with it.
The mod is built for both single-player and multiplayer play, so the server and every player need it. Files are published for Fabric, Forge and NeoForge across 19 release versions, 1.20.1 – 26.3, and the code is licensed under All rights reserved, so it is not open source. No other mod is required.
Key features
Custom portal shapes
Hearts, diamonds, crosses, circles and other custom builds can serve as the frame instead of a plain rectangle.
Orientation choice
Frames can be built upright on walls or flat on a floor or ceiling, not only in one fixed direction.
Small and large openings
The smallest opening is a single portal block surrounded by four obsidian blocks, and the largest matches vanilla's 21×21 limit.
Crying obsidian frames
Crying obsidian can be used alongside regular obsidian in the frame, as long as the frame stays closed and connected.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
26.x5 of 5 versions with builds
1.21.x8 of 8 versions with builds
1.20.x6 of 6 versions with builds
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Decorative portal designs
Builders can make portals that match a themed build, such as a round gate or a heart-shaped arch.
Compact Nether hubs
A one-block portal fits tight spaces where the standard 4×5 frame would not.
Who it’s for: Builders who want portals that fit their designs, and server owners who want custom portal shapes for their players. Players who only use the vanilla portal layout gain nothing from it.
How it compares
Nether Portal Coordinate Scale is a Fabric, Forge and NeoForge mod for 1.20.1 – 26.2 that is client or server optional and not open source, so it changes travel coordinates rather than frame shapes. The Forgotten Portal is a Fabric-only, server-side mod for 1.19.3 – 26.2 with the same license status. Free Inventory is open source under the MIT License and client-side only, for Fabric 1.21 – 26.3.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Better Nether Portals | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 26.3 | Client and server | 2026-09-24 |
| Nether Portal Coordinate Scale | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 26.2 | Client or server, optional | 2026-08-20 |
| The Forgotten Portal | Fabric | 1.19.3 – 26.2 | Server-side only | 2026-08-17 |
| Free Inventory | Fabric | 1.21 – 26.3 | Client-side only | 2026-06-19 |
Questions
Does Better Nether Portals need to be installed on the server?
Which loaders are supported?
Can crying obsidian be used in the frame?
Which release files are available?
In the catalog
Better Nether Portals is one of 36,990 Utility mods on ModsFinder, and one of 25,772 Utility mods for Fabric. 8,071 mods support Minecraft 26.3.
More from Zerw
Similar mods
What the author says
Tired of the same old 4×5 rectangle? Better Nether Portals lets you build Nether portals in any shape and orientation, as long as the obsidian frame is closed and connected. Light it with flint and steel and it just works.
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/betternetherportals
- Owner
- Zerw
- Published
- 2026-07-19
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-09-24
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15