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VoxelMap: the classic Minecraft minimap

VoxelMap (formerly Zan's Minimap) is one of the oldest minimap mods for Minecraft. It has been around since 2011 and for years was the default choice for thousands of players. It offers a minimap with radars, waypoints, a cave map and a full-screen map of explored terrain, all in one mod.

Main VoxelMap features

Minimap

A round minimap in the corner of the screen shows the terrain around you, rendered live in colors that match the blocks. Forests are green, deserts yellow, water blue. A compass on the edge of the minimap helps you keep your bearings.

Entity radar

VoxelMap shows icons of nearby mobs on the minimap: hostile (red), neutral (yellow) and passive (green). Other players are visible too. On PvP servers the player radar is sometimes blocked by anti-cheat plugins, but in singleplayer it works without limits.

Waypoints

A waypoint system with colored markers visible on the minimap and in the game world. You create a new waypoint with a keyboard shortcut or from the menu. Each waypoint has a name, a color and coordinates. VoxelMap automatically creates waypoints for the places where you died (death points).

Cave map

When you go underground, the minimap switches to cave mode, and you see the layout of tunnels and open spaces at your level. The different levels of a cave are shown with transparency, which helps you understand the three-dimensional layout of the underground.

Full-screen map

The M key (by default) opens a full-screen map of the world you have explored. You can see all the terrain you have visited and your waypoints, and you can scroll the map. It is not as elaborate as the map in JourneyMap or Xaero's World Map, but it is enough for most players.

Installing on Fabric and Forge

Fabric

  1. Install Fabric Loader from fabricmc.net
  2. Download Fabric API from Modrinth
  3. Download VoxelMap from Modrinth or CurseForge - make sure the version matches your Minecraft and Fabric versions
  4. Put the .jar files (Fabric API + VoxelMap) in the .minecraft/mods folder
  5. Launch Minecraft with the Fabric profile

Forge / NeoForge

  1. Install Forge or NeoForge
  2. Download the Forge version of VoxelMap from CurseForge
  3. Put the .jar file in the .minecraft/mods folder
  4. Launch Minecraft with the Forge profile

VoxelMap needs no extra dependencies besides Fabric API (on Fabric). It is compatible with most popular mods, although conflicts can occur if you install other map mods at the same time.

Configuration and settings

You open the VoxelMap settings menu by clicking the options icon on the minimap or with a keyboard shortcut. The most important options:

  • Minimap size - small, medium or large. It affects how much terrain you see, but a bigger map takes up more of the screen
  • Position - top right corner by default, but you can move it anywhere on the screen
  • Radar - separate toggles for hostile, neutral and passive mobs and for players. You can turn off individual types to reduce clutter on the map
  • Terrain coloring - VoxelMap can show terrain in biome colors (jungle green differs from taiga green) or in block colors
  • Cave rendering - turn the automatic switch to cave mode underground on or off
  • Waypoints - waypoint visibility on the minimap and in the 3D world, and the maximum display distance

VoxelMap vs Xaero's vs JourneyMap

Here is how VoxelMap stacks up against the competition.

VoxelMap

  • One mod instead of two (the minimap and the full-screen map in one)
  • Classic, proven design
  • A good cave map with layers
  • Slower updates in recent years
  • Medium FPS impact: heavier than Xaero's, lighter than JourneyMap

Xaero's Minimap + World Map

  • The lightest, with minimal FPS impact
  • The fastest updates to new Minecraft versions
  • A clearer, more modern interface
  • Two separate mods: flexible, but you install twice

JourneyMap

  • The most feature-rich: a map in the browser, auto-mapping, advanced filtering
  • The heaviest: a noticeable FPS drop on weaker computers
  • The prettiest map, but the slowest rendering

For new players in 2026, Xaero's is usually a better choice than VoxelMap: it is lighter, more actively developed and has better support for the latest versions. VoxelMap remains a good option for players who are used to it and like the all-in-one package.

Known problems and fixes

  • The minimap does not show up - check whether you have another map mod installed at the same time. Conflicts between VoxelMap and Xaero's or JourneyMap can block the display
  • Black map / no colors - this sometimes happens after a Minecraft update. Delete the .minecraft/voxelmap/ folder and let the mod render the map again
  • Low FPS with the radar on - on servers with many entities (mob farms, big villages) the radar can lower your FPS. Turn off the passive mob radar or limit the detection range
  • Waypoints missing after switching servers - VoxelMap saves waypoints per server/world. Make sure you connect to the exact same address (for example, play.example.com and PLAY.EXAMPLE.COM are two different servers to VoxelMap)

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