Better Compass
by Soulspeed
Better Compass gives players a navigation bar at the top of the screen that shows the direction and distance to a chosen coordinate.
What it does
Once a target is set, a minimalist bar across the top of the screen points toward it, with a marker that moves as the player turns and the distance in meters shown below. The bar is drawn in the in-game interface, so the player can keep looking at the world while following it.
Targets are set through a settings window opened with the J key, where destinations are managed. The K key works as a quick toggle: one press sets the current location as the target, and a second press turns navigation off. The mod needs Fabric API, and it is published for Fabric on 1.21.1 only. Servers do not need it; each player installs it for their own game.
Key features
Navigation bar
A bar at the top of the screen marks the direction of the target and its distance in meters.
Target settings window
The J key opens a settings window where destinations are added, chosen and removed.
Quick toggle
The K key sets the current position as the target and turns navigation off when pressed again.
Spawn coordinates
The world's spawn point can be set as the target in one step, for returning to the starting place.
Custom coordinates
X and Z values can be typed in to navigate to an exact location in the world.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 1
Use cases
Returning to a base
A player who has traveled far from home can mark the spot and follow the bar back without memorizing the route.
Reaching a point of interest
Coordinates of a village, mineshaft or landmark can be entered so the bar leads to that place directly.
Who it’s for: Players who explore large worlds and want a constant heading and distance to a fixed point, whether a spawn point, a saved location or typed coordinates.
How it compares
Better Navigation is client-side only, under the MIT License, with files for 1.21.1 – 1.21.11, and it is not open source. Eli's Immersive Navigation runs on client and server, is open source under the GNU General Public License v3.0 only, and covers 1.21.1 – 1.21.11. Better Compass is client-side only, under the MIT License, and is published for 1.21.1 alone.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Better Compass | Fabric | 1.21.1 | Client-side only | 2026-03-17 |
| Better Navigation | Fabric | 1.21.1 – 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-06-08 |
| Eli's Immersive Navigation | Fabric | 1.21.1 – 1.21.11 | Client and server | 2025-12-26 |
Questions
Does Better Compass need Fabric API?
Does the server need Better Compass?
How is a target set without typing coordinates?
In the catalog
Better Compass is one of 3,545 Optimization mods on ModsFinder, and one of 2,575 Optimization mods for Fabric. 32,366 mods support Minecraft 1.21.1.
More from Soulspeed
Similar mods
What the author says
Whether you need to find your way back to spawn, mark a point of interest, or travel to a specific set of coordinates, this mod makes navigation simple and elegant.
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/navigation-plus
- Owner
- Soulspeed
- Published
- 2026-03-17
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-03-17
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15