Mod games
without the mess.
One app for the loader, the mods and the playthroughs. It tells you what broke before you launch, and shares a whole profile as a link.
Version 0.7.0 · free · other systems below
How it works
From nothing to modded in three steps.
- 1
Pick your game
Mortar finds it on your stores, or in a folder you choose.
- 2
Mortar sets it up
It installs the mod loader the game needs and makes your first profile.
BepInExMelonLoaderShimloader+ 10 more - 3
Add mods and play
Search every site at once, add a mod with one click, then press Play.
MoreCompanyThunderstoreAdded
Features
Built for big mod lists.
Mortar expects hundreds of mods, several playthroughs and friends on the same pack.
Every feature →A profile per playthrough
Each one has its own mods, settings and launch options. Switching takes one click.
Every mod site in one search
One card per mod across every site; dependencies come along.
Shares as a link
A whole profile fits in one link, and friends import it with a click.
Problems explained
Missing dependencies, conflicts and crashes in plain words, each with a fix.
See what slows startup
Time to the title screen and what each mod costs, next to the last launch.
Scanned before it installs
Each mod goes past your antivirus after unpacking, before they enter the store.
Steam Deck
Play from
Game Mode.
Add a profile to Steam and start it from Game Mode like any other game. Mortar stays out of sight and only asks when something needs an answer. It closes with the game, so Steam counts your playtime.
- A gamepad moves focus, confirms, goes back and plays
- Larger targets, laid out for the Deck's 1280×800 screen
Your PCs
Your profiles on
every computer.
Pair two of your computers with a short code. A profile you send arrives with its mod files, so nothing downloads twice. You don't need an account.
- Nearby computers are found on your network
- The code works once, for five minutes
Compare
Mortar and the others.
Other managers' game counts come from their own repositories, read again each release. Every other fact comes from their own documentation.
 Mortar
|
 r2modman
|
 Gale
|
 Vortex
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | ||||
| Games | 365 | 307 | 237 | 250+ |
| Mod sites |
|
|
||
| Runs on | ||||
| Sharing | ||||
| Shares as | ||||
| Opens | ||||
| Imports profiles from |
 
| — |
| — |
| Everyday | ||||
| Account needed | None | None | None | Nexus, to download |
| Usage analytics | None | — | — | Mixpanel, keyed to your Nexus id |
| Licence | AGPL-3.0 | MIT | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
A dash means the project's own documentation does not mention it. Each manager's column links to a comparison that cites its sources.
Quieter when things go well
A finished download or install goes to the notification list without a pop-up. Turn Something finishes well on in Settings › Notifications to get the pop-ups back. A summary that still needs your choice, such as Update all's, pops up either way.
Tidier mod details
Change version and Pin this version sit on the version's own line, and the Dependencies list is alphabetical at each level. A Develop project's mod shows the categories it declares.
Sign in to Nexus Mods in your browser
Nexus Mods sign-in moves to the browser, mods and Develop projects sort by hand, configs can change while you play, the Flatpak can build mods, and a list of fixes covers load order, Proton, Develop and share imports.
0.5.0November 3mod.io and 32 more games
mod.io is a source with its own sign-in, Baldur's Gate 3 and Bannerlord get a Load order tab, Release everywhere uploads to every site at once, 32 games are new, and a list of fixes.
All newsNotes for every version, how-tos, and an RSS feed.→Download
Get Mortar. It's free.
There's no account and no ads, and it updates itself.
flatpak install --user https://mortar.rethunk.tech/packages/flatpak/tech.rethunk.Mortar.flatpakrefQuestions
Asked often.
Something else? Ask in the Discord's help forum, where Mortar's bot reads your log for you.
Ask on Discord All 10 questions →Is Mortar free?
Yes. It's AGPL-3.0, and the app has no account, ads or tracking.
Coming from another mod manager?
Mortar imports profiles from r2modman, Gale, Vortex, Mod Organizer 2 and Stardrop.
Do I need Nexus Mods Premium?
No. With a free Nexus account you click Mod Manager Download on the mod's page. Premium can also download from inside Mortar.
Does Mortar host mod files?
No. Each mod downloads from its own page on Nexus Mods, CurseForge, GitHub, Thunderstore, Vintage Story Mod DB, mod.io, Paradox Mods, itch.io, or Patreon. The one exception is a LAN send between your own computers.
Does Mortar work on the Steam Deck?
Yes. Install the AppImage in Desktop Mode, then close Steam and use a profile's Add this profile to Steam to play it from Game Mode. The Flatpak cannot add itself to Steam.
Windows says it protected my PC. Is that normal?
Yes. The builds are not code-signed, so SmartScreen warns once. Choose More info, then Run anyway.