Chrono Vault
by Cattleya
Chrono Vault is a NeoForge server mod that keeps incremental backups of Minecraft worlds, storing only the chunks that have changed.
What it does
Each world is split into 512×512 chunk regions. Every chunk is hashed with BLAKE3 and saved under a filename made from that hash, then compressed with Zstd one chunk at a time. Each saved state keeps a list of which chunks it contains, so a restore can rebuild the world from those references.
Storage is content-addressable rather than a full copy of the world, so a new backup only consumes space for chunks that were modified. Identical chunks are stored once and shared across backups, and each world's objects are kept apart from other worlds. Backups run in the background, so the server keeps playing while the copy is written.
The mod requires only NeoForge for 1.21.1 and is needed on the server, while clients may leave it out. It is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later and is open source; the source code and issue tracker are public.
Key features
Incremental saves
Only chunks modified since the last backup take up new storage, keeping repeated backups small.
Cross-backup deduplication
Identical chunks are stored a single time and referenced by every backup that contains them.
Per-world isolation
Each world's objects are stored separately, so backups of one world do not mix with another.
Non-blocking backups
Backups are written in the background while the game keeps running on the server.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Server backups
Server owners can keep frequent backups of a running world without pausing play for the copy.
Long-running worlds
Worlds that grow over months keep one shared store of unchanged chunks instead of a full copy per backup.
Who it’s for: Server owners who want regular backups of their worlds without copying the full world each time. The mod is a server-side utility and does not change gameplay.
How it compares
Fast Async Backups is server-side only, under the MIT License, and published for NeoForge 1.21.1 – 1.21.11, so its range is wider than Chrono Vault's. Universal Save Backup runs on client and server for 1.21.1 under the MIT License, so every player must install it. Chronos Backups is open source under the MIT License and server-side only, covering Fabric, Forge and NeoForge across a wide span of versions, 1.7.10 – 26.3.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrono Vault | NeoForge | 1.21.1 | Server required, client optional | 2026-04-07 |
| Fast Async Backups | NeoForge | 1.21.1 – 1.21.11 | Server-side only | 2026-06-04 |
| Universal Save Backup | NeoForge | 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2026-08-24 |
| Chronos Backups | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.7.10 – 26.3 | Server-side only | 2026-09-16 |
Questions
Does Chrono Vault need to be installed on clients?
Which loader does Chrono Vault support?
Does a new backup take the full size of the world?
In the catalog
Chrono Vault is one of 36,990 Utility mods on ModsFinder, and one of 13,477 Utility mods for NeoForge. 32,366 mods support Minecraft 1.21.1.
Similar mods
What the author says
ChronoVault is a incremental backup mod for Minecraft worlds with deduplication and compression How It Works: - Each 512×512 chunk is hashed with BLAKE3 - Chunks are stored by their hash, not by filename - Zstd compression is applied to each chunk individually - A snapshot manifest records which chunks existed at…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/chronovault
- Owner
- Cattleya
- Published
- 2026-04-07
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-04-07
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15