Minecraft key art from Tricky Trials, with copper chambers, trial spawners, and hostile mobs.

Minecraft: Java · Bedrock · Horizon v1.0.0

Every edition.
One launcher.

Q: Does Aqua support Horizon?

Yes. Installations → Horizon downloads Horizon's official Rust build, verifies its SHA-256, provisions Minecraft 26.3 and the Java runtime it pins, and runs Horizon's own preparer. Play starts the Rust client directly; the Horizon launcher is not involved. You still need your own Minecraft: Java Edition copy, and Horizon launches have no playtime or crash capture in Aqua.

Q: Where does Aqua keep my files?

On Windows, everything lives under %APPDATA%\Aqua Launcher : launcher.json for settings and profiles, minecraft/ for shared versions and assets, instances/ for game directories, runtime/ for Java, logs/ for output, and backups/ for world archives. Custom game folders are checked against drive roots and protected system locations.

Play Java, Bedrock, and Horizon from one local app. Keep versions, mods, worlds, backups, servers, and logs together without switching launchers.

Get Aqua View source on GitHub

Windows 10/11
MIT licensed
No telemetry

Your library Ready

3 ways to play.
One Play button.

Java Edition Fabric 1.21.10 · 4 GB Play

Bedrock Edition Minecraft for Windows · 1.21.101 Play

Horizon Rust Edition · Minecraft 26.3 Play

Java, Bedrock and Horizon — your files stay on your disk.

Tricky Trials

3 ways to playJava, Bedrock & Horizon

4 mod loadersFabric, Quilt, Forge, NeoForge

500+ Bedrock buildsIn the version catalogue

0 telemetryLocal files, local play

Inside the launcher

Everything between
you and the game.

Profiles, content, saves, servers, and the messy bits in between. Aqua handles the plumbing so a session is one click, not five.

Three clients, one library

Java installations, Microsoft Store copies of Minecraft for Windows and Preview, and Horizon's Rust build live side by side. Each Java profile resolves Fabric, Quilt, Forge, or NeoForge against its own version. Point Play at any of them, or launch one straight from its card.

Installations Java 3 Bedrock 2 Horizon 1

Fabric 1.21.101.21.10 · Fabric · 4 GB Selected

Horizon 0.2.97Minecraft 26.3 · Rust Edition Horizon

Minecraft for Windows1.21.101 · Microsoft Store Bedrock

Mods that stay current

Browse Modrinth content matched to your loader and version. Dependencies come along, files are matched back by SHA-1, and updating keeps disabled mods disabled.

Installed content 3 updates

SodiumFabric · 0.6.x Update

Iris ShadersFabric · 0.8.x Update

ContinuityDisabled · stayed disabled Off

Worlds you can't lose

Real names, game modes, versions, sizes, and last played times — read straight from the save. Make a ZIP backup in one click; a restore always lands in a new folder, never over the original.

ZIP SurvivalToday · 18:04 · 412 MB Latest

ZIP SurvivalOct 21 · 19:12 · 401 MB Restore

Restores create “Survival (restored)” — the original stays put.

Servers, pinged properly

Java servers answer the same Server List Ping as the game's multiplayer menu. Bedrock servers are queried over RakNet and joined through Minecraft's own deep link.

Logs, not guesswork

The launcher log, game output for each session, and crash reports are one search away. Filter, copy, open the folder, or export a report without digging through AppData.

crash-2026-10-28_18-42-11.txt Exit code 1

[18:42:11] [Render thread/INFO] Backend library: LWJGL
[18:42:14] [Render thread/INFO] Narrator library loaded
[18:42:19] [Render thread/ERROR] java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space
    at net.minecraft.client.main.Main.main(Main.java:242)
[18:42:19] Game crashed with exit code 1

Open folder Copy report Export

Why Aqua

Three launchers.
Three folders.
One quiet window.

Java, Bedrock, and Horizon already live on your PC. Aqua gives them one library without moving a world. No account, no telemetry, and nothing hidden in a cloud folder.

Look inside

See it in place.

Dashboard — the selected installation, recent activity, and the offline profile prompt.

Real screenshots from Aqua. Game artwork comes from the installed version.

Horizon · Rust Edition

Horizon, installed
by Aqua.

Horizon is the open source Rust rewrite of Minecraft: Java Edition 26.3. Aqua downloads the official client, provisions the Minecraft and Java files it pins, runs Horizon's bundled preparer, then starts the Rust game directly — no Horizon launcher involved.

Official builds, hash verified. Aqua pulls the Windows, macOS, or Linux release from horizon-rust/horizon and checks its SHA-256 before unpacking.
One Play target. Point the dashboard's Play button at any installed Horizon build, or start a specific build from its row.
Its own home. Builds, downloads, and worlds live in Aqua's data folder. Horizon's launcher folder is never read.
Your copy still matters. Horizon's preparer reads Minecraft: Java Edition files that Aqua installs, so you still need your own game copy.

About Horizon

Horizon Rust Edition Win · macOS · Linux

Minecraft: Java Edition 26.3 · Wilderness Bound

Horizon Minecraft 26.3 v0.2.97 · prepared by Aqua Ready to play

Game folder: Aqua\horizon
Installed builds: 2
Worlds: 3

Play Game folder Worlds Builds

v0.2.97 Minecraft 26.3 · installed by Aqua Play target

v0.2.96 Minecraft 26.3 · installed by Aqua Prepared

SHA-256 verified · downloads stay in Aqua

No playtime or crash capture for Horizon.

Horizon runs outside Aqua, so those launches are not tracked like Java profiles. Game folders and worlds are still one click away.

Bedrock Edition

Bedrock gets
the same care.

Aqua finds Minecraft for Windows and Minecraft Preview through the Microsoft Store, launches them, and lists their worlds next to your Java saves.

500+ builds in the catalogue. Releases, beta, and preview channels, downloaded into Aqua's own folder.
Register or install when ready. Windows deploys the build you picked, with a clear warning before anything moves.
Addons without the hunt. Import .mcpack, .mcaddon, and .mcworld files, or browse addon sites in a sandboxed view inside the app.
Worlds where they live. Read each edition's own com.mojang folder, with names and icons.

Bedrock versions Release Beta Preview

1.21.101 Release · MSIXVC Download

1.21.100 Release · MSIXVC Download

1.21.93 Release · APPX Download

1.21.90 Downloaded · registered Installed

Downloading 1.21.10164%

Worlds Addons Register build

Windows only — and worth reading first.

Downloaded builds are unofficial copies of Store packages. Switching between UWP and GDK builds can move Minecraft's data folder, so back up worlds before you register.

The road ahead

Version 1.0 is
a starting line.

Aqua's roadmap is public and sequenced. These are the next packages — planned, not shipped, so you know what is coming before it lands.

01 Planned

Trust & recovery

When something breaks, explain it and offer a way out.

Crash Guard: classified crashes with concrete next actions
Safe Mode that stages mods and restores them afterwards
Scheduled world backups with visible retention
Installation health checks and disk cleanup

02 Planned

Content depth

Make installed content legible, from one jar to a whole pack.

Mod detail panes with changelogs and dependencies
Loader, version, category, and licence filters
Real metadata for jars installed by hand
Full support for resource packs and datapacks

03 Later

Platform reach

Become part of the desktop, not just another window.

Deeper shell integration and launch targets
Signed automatic updates once release hosting is settled
A stable, verifiable channel before any silent updates

Automatic updates stay blocked until hosting and code signing are chosen.

Read the full roadmap on GitHub

Get started

Clone it.
Build it. Play.

Aqua ships as source today. Clone the repository, install dependencies, and electron-builder produces a Windows installer in release/. No public download has been published yet.

Build once

Clone the repository and package a Windows installer in a few minutes.

Add your copies

Aqua finds Java, Store Bedrock, and Horizon, then keeps each profile in one library.

Press Play

Pick an installation and launch. Worlds, mods, backups, and logs stay on your disk.

terminal

# clone, install, and build a local installer
git clone https://github.com/Ch1nDev/Aqua.git
cd Aqua
npm install
npm run electron:build

Node 22 or newer
Platform Windows 10 / 11 (64 bit)
Network for the manifest, game files, and runtimes

Windows 10 / 11 Primary

NSIS installer, installs for the current user, desktop shortcut. The platform every feature is tested on.

macOS / Linux

DMG and AppImage targets are configured in the build, but these builds are not actively tested.

Open the repository Read the build docs

No public installer yet. The repository has no published releases. Build from source with the commands above, or watch the repository for the first signed build. Windows SmartScreen may warn until a signing certificate exists.

MIT licensed No account Files stay local

Straight answers

The fine print,
in plain sight.

Aqua is deliberately honest about what it does, what needs a workaround, and what is still planned. If something is unclear, the repository's README goes deeper.

Read the README

Do I need a Microsoft account to use Aqua?

No. Aqua starts with an offline profile: enter a player name and play singleplayer, LAN worlds, or modded setups. Microsoft login exists in the backend but is hidden in the UI while the Azure application is pending Mojang approval. Offline profiles cannot join online mode servers.

Can I play Bedrock from Aqua?

If Minecraft for Windows or Minecraft Preview is installed from the Microsoft Store, yes — Aqua detects it, launches it, and lists its worlds. The Bedrock version browser can download other builds into Aqua's folder. Those are unofficial copies of Store packages: APPX builds need Developer Mode, MSIXVC builds replace the running copy, and the Store may overwrite either on its next update. Back up worlds before switching.

Does Aqua support Horizon?

Yes. Installations → Horizon downloads Horizon's official Rust build, verifies its SHA-256, provisions Minecraft 26.3 and the Java runtime it pins, and runs Horizon's own preparer. Play starts the Rust client directly; the Horizon launcher is not involved. You still need your own Minecraft: Java Edition copy, and Horizon launches have no playtime or crash capture in Aqua.

What happens when I delete an installation?

Only the profile entry is removed. Its game directory — worlds, mods, resource packs, and downloaded files — stays on disk. Backups live in the launcher data folder, so they survive profile edits too.

Where does Aqua keep my files?

On Windows, everything lives under %APPDATA%\Aqua Launcher: launcher.json for settings and profiles, minecraft/ for shared versions and assets, instances/ for game directories, runtime/ for Java, logs/ for output, and backups/ for world archives. Custom game folders are checked against drive roots and protected system locations.

Does Aqua send telemetry?

No telemetry, analytics, ads, or background uploads. Network calls are limited to what you ask for: Mojang manifests and game files, Java runtimes, Modrinth content, server pings, and — for Bedrock — the Store build catalogue.

What about older versions and Java 8?

Minecraft 1.12.2 and older need Java 8. Aqua will not substitute a newer runtime; install Java 8 once from Settings → Java → Official runtimes and those profiles pick it up automatically.

Does it run on macOS and Linux?

The architecture is cross platform and DMG/AppImage targets are configured, but Windows 10/11 is the primary and only actively tested platform. Bedrock support is Windows only.

Start here