What Is Hello Minecraft! Launcher (HMCL)?

Updated

Hello Minecraft! Launcher (HMCL) is an open-source Minecraft launcher distributed through hmcl.huangyuhui.net. It is used to install, launch, and manage Minecraft game instances, mod loaders, and modpacks across multiple operating systems. The official site provides downloads, documentation, and an about page, while the source code and issue tracker live on GitHub under the GPLv3 license.

What HMCL does

HMCL covers the parts of Minecraft setup that are otherwise spread across separate tools:

  • Installing game versions and loaders — create a game and install Fabric, Forge, LiteLoader, OptiFine, Quilt, or NeoForge.
  • Managing modpacks — import packs from Curse, MultiMC, or Modrinth, and export packs in HMCL, MultiMC, or MCBBS format.
  • Launching the game — run the configured instance directly from the launcher.
  • Personalizing the interface — choose from multiple launcher color schemes and replace the background image.

If your goal is simply to get a modded Minecraft instance running without manually assembling loader files and pack metadata, HMCL is built for exactly that workflow.

Platform support and project background

The site lists multi-system support, so HMCL is not tied to a single OS. The project describes a twelve-year history and states it has received support from at least 110 contributors since 2015. The site also references a long usage record, describing three hundred million uses.

These figures come from the project's own site and are useful mainly as a signal of maturity and active maintenance rather than as a precise metric.

Licensing and where to get it

HMCL is released under the GPLv3 license, which the site describes as open and free. That means you can inspect, modify, and redistribute the source under the same terms.

Practical entry points:

Purpose Where to go
Download the launcher Download page on hmcl.huangyuhui.net
Read usage guidance Documentation page on the same site
Get source code, report bugs, suggest features The GitHub repository linked from the site

Who it suits

HMCL fits players who want one launcher to handle version installation, loader setup, and modpack import/export, and who value an open-source codebase they can verify or contribute to. If you only need a vanilla launcher with no mod management, the extra features are optional rather than required — you can still use HMCL to launch an unmodified game.