Ten years after launch, Stardew Valley still has one of the most active modding communities in gaming. There are thousands of mods on Nexus Mods, which makes picking the good ones harder than ever.
This list covers the best Stardew Valley mods in 2026 that work with update 1.6, sorted by type. For each one, we list what it needs so you do not end up with a red SMAPI console.
Before you start: almost every mod here needs SMAPI, the Stardew Valley mods API. Mods only work on PC, Mac, Linux and Steam Deck, not on consoles.
Best Stardew Valley expansion mods
Expansions add new towns, characters and stories. They are the closest thing to new official content.
1. Stardew Valley Expanded (SVE)
The most popular Stardew mod ever made. It adds 27+ new characters, new locations, reworked farms, new festivals content and hundreds of events. It changes the base game a lot, so it is best started on a new save. Needs: Content Patcher, Farm Type Manager. See our Stardew Valley Expanded requirements page.
2. Ridgeside Village
Adds a full mountain village with its own characters, quests and secrets. It runs alongside SVE. Needs: Content Patcher, Custom Companions, Farm Type Manager, SpaceCore. See Ridgeside Village requirements.
3. Sunberry Village
A newer expansion that adds a magical village south of Pelican Town, with 15+ NPCs, mines, crops and special orders. It is built to work with SVE, Ridgeside and East Scarp. Needs: Stardew Valley 1.6.15 or later plus the requirements listed on its Nexus page. It does not work on mobile.
4. East Scarp
Adds a seaside area with its own villagers and a growing library of add-on NPCs. Needs: Content Patcher and the frameworks listed on its page.
5. Ad Astra
A space-themed story expansion for players who want something very different. Needs: Content Patcher, SpaceCore, Button’s Extra Trigger Action Stuff, MEEP, Cloudy Skies.
Best quality-of-life mods
These are the mods most players never uninstall. They fix small annoyances without changing the feel of the game.
6. Automate
Put a chest next to your machines and they fill and empty themselves. A huge time saver in mid and late game. Needs: SMAPI only. Read our Automate guide.
7. Lookup Anything
Press F1 on anything (an item, a villager, a crop) to see exactly what it is, what it is worth and who likes it as a gift. Needs: SMAPI only. Lookup Anything guide.
8. UI Info Suite 2
Adds helpful icons: daily luck, crop harvest times, villager birthdays, animal happiness and more. Needs: SMAPI only. UI Info Suite guide.
9. Chests Anywhere
Open any chest from anywhere. No more running back to the shed. Needs: SMAPI only.
10. NPC Map Locations
Shows villagers on your map so you can find them for gifts and heart events. Needs: SMAPI only.
11. Generic Mod Config Menu
Adds an in-game settings menu for your other mods, so you do not have to edit config files. Needs: SMAPI only.
12. Better Chests
Adds search, sorting, categories and bigger storage to chests. Needs: SMAPI only.
13. Skull Cavern Elevator
Adds an elevator to Skull Cavern every five floors, like the regular mines. Needs: SMAPI only.
Best framework mods (you will need these anyway)
These do not add content on their own, but many big mods need them.
14. Content Patcher
The most important framework. Most content mods are built on it. Needs: SMAPI only. Content Patcher guide.
15. SpaceCore
An extra toolkit used by Ridgeside, Ad Astra and many others. Needs: SMAPI only.
Best visual mods
16. Seasonal Immersion
Gives buildings seasonal looks: snow on roofs in winter, flowers in spring. Needs: SMAPI only.
17. Dynamic Reflections
Adds water and mirror reflections that make the game look surprisingly modern. Needs: SMAPI only.
18. Quaint Living Architectural Overhaul
Redesigns buildings with a cozy, detailed look. Needs: Content Patcher.
19. Visible Fish
Shows fish swimming in rivers, lakes and the ocean. Needs: SMAPI only.
For more, see our Stardew Valley visual overhaul mod and cottagecore mods guides.
Best gameplay and challenge mods
20. Profit Margins
Lowers sell prices so money matters for longer. Great for replays. Needs: SMAPI only.
21. Better Ranching
Shows which animals still need petting or harvesting and stops accidental milking mistakes. Needs: SMAPI only.
22. Better Junimos
Makes Junimo huts much more useful: they can plant, fertilize and work in more areas. Needs: SMAPI only.
23. CJB Cheats Menu
The go-to cheat mod. Change money, time, weather, friendship and more from a simple menu. Needs: SMAPI only. CJB Cheats Menu guide.
Best romance and family mods
24. Unique Children
Gives your kids unique looks instead of the standard sprites. Needs: SMAPI only.
25. Multiple Spouses
Lets you marry more than one villager. Some players love it, others find it breaks immersion, so try it on a separate save first. Needs: SMAPI only.
Recommended starter pack
New to modding? Start with these five, then add more slowly:
- SMAPI
- Content Patcher
- Lookup Anything
- UI Info Suite 2
- Automate
Once those run smoothly, add one expansion like Stardew Valley Expanded. Adding too many mods at once makes errors hard to track. (We tried running 1,000+ mods at once so you do not have to.)
Tips for a stable modded game
- Back up your saves before adding big mods.
- Add a few mods at a time and test after each batch.
- Read the SMAPI console. It names missing requirements in red.
- Check for updates after every game patch.
- Wait before updating to 1.7. The next big update has no release date yet, and many mods will need time to catch up.
If something breaks, follow our mod crash fix guide.
FAQ
What is the best Stardew Valley mod? For most players, Stardew Valley Expanded. For pure convenience, Automate and Lookup Anything.
Are Stardew Valley mods free? Yes. Almost all are free on Nexus Mods, CurseForge and ModDrop.
Can I add mods to an existing save? Quality-of-life mods are usually fine. Big expansions like SVE work best on a new save.
Do mods work in multiplayer? Many do, but every player usually needs the same content mods installed.
Can I use mods on Switch or PlayStation? No. Console versions cannot run SMAPI mods.
Final thoughts
The best Stardew Valley mods do not replace the game; they give you a reason to start another farm. Pick one expansion, add a handful of quality-of-life mods, and you will have a fresh-feeling Stardew Valley while you wait for update 1.7.
You can look up any mod above in the mod finder on our homepage to see its requirements and download links.
