BepInEx
Ranked in Game Mod Loaders ·Free plan
About
BepInEx is a plugin and modding framework for Unity Mono, Unity IL2CPP, and .NET Framework games, including those built with XNA, FNA, and MonoGame. It provides configuration and logging, runtime method patching, and in-memory assembly patching. Runtime patching uses Harmony, including HarmonyX and MonoMod; in-memory patching uses Mono.Cecil with UnityDoorstop. The installation guide lists Windows, Linux, and macOS, though supported versions and architectures vary by build and game. Setup is manual: download the right build and place its contents in the game's root folder. Official binaries come in stable and bleeding edge channels, with stable recommended for most cases and bleeding edge builds described as more prone to bugs. The project is open source under LGPL-2.1 and provides user and developer guides for installation, configuration, troubleshooting, and plugin development. Compatibility is limited: only Unity Mono has stable releases, BepInEx 6 documentation is work in progress, and BepInEx 5 plugins do not yet work with the BepInEx 6.0.0 pre-release.
Who it is for
It suits people modding supported games and developers writing game plugins. The guides cover both installation and plugin development.
What is good
- Free and open source under LGPL-2.1
- Built-in configuration and logging
- Supports runtime and in-memory patching
- Guides cover plugin development and troubleshooting
What to know first
- Installation requires manual file placement
- Only Unity Mono has stable releases
- BepInEx 5 plugins do not yet work with BepInEx 6.0.0 pre-release
Verdict
BepInEx provides plugin loading and patching tools across several game frameworks and desktop operating systems. Check the build and game compatibility limits before choosing a release channel.
Compared on game mod loaders
- Free plan
- Yesgithub.com
- Supported platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linuxgithub.com
- Mod loading method
- injectiongithub.com
- Plugin support
- Yesgithub.com
- Load-order control
- Yesgithub.com
- Dependency handling
- Yesgithub.com
Facts
- Purpose
- BepInEx is a plugin and modding framework for Unity Mono, Unity IL2CPP, and .NET Framework games, including XNA, FNA, and MonoGame.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Features
- It provides drop-in installation, built-in configuration and logging, runtime method patching, and in-memory assembly patching.docs.bepinex.dev · 30 Sept 2026
- Patching integrations
- Runtime patching uses Harmony, including HarmonyX and MonoMod, while in-memory assembly patching uses Mono.Cecil with UnityDoorstop.docs.bepinex.dev · 30 Sept 2026
- Game support
- The documentation lists Unity 3 or newer and .NET Framework games such as XNA, FNA, and MonoGame as supported game engines.docs.bepinex.dev · 30 Sept 2026
- Operating systems
- The installation guide lists Windows, Linux, and macOS, with supported OS versions and architectures varying by build and game.docs.bepinex.dev · 30 Sept 2026
- Installation
- BepInEx is installed manually by downloading the correct build and placing its contents in the game's root folder.docs.bepinex.dev · 30 Sept 2026
- Build channels
- Official binaries are available as stable builds and bleeding edge builds; the docs say stable builds are recommended in most cases and bleeding edge builds tend to be buggier.docs.bepinex.dev · 30 Sept 2026
- Compatibility limit
- The repository says only Unity Mono has stable releases, and BepInEx 6 documentation is marked as work in progress.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Version limit
- The release notes state that BepInEx 5 is in long-term support and that BepInEx 5 plugins do not yet work with the BepInEx 6.0.0 pre-release.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Related loaders
- The repository lists loaders for BSIPA, IPA, MelonLoader, MonoMod, MuseDashModLoader, Partiality, Sybaris, UnityInjector, Unity Mod Manager, and uMod.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
- License
- The project is open source under the LGPL-2.1 license.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Support and guides
- The project links to user and developer guides and a Discord server, and its documentation covers installation, configuration, troubleshooting, and plugin development.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Security
- The GitHub repository's Security and quality page displays zero advisories.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
- Audience
- The docs provide instructions for installing BepInEx and writing plugins, indicating it is intended for people modding games and developing game plugins.docs.bepinex.dev · 30 Sept 2026
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Where it ranks on Inferse
- Best Game Mod Loaders in 2026#3 of 25
Sources
- github.com/BepInEx/BepInEx· checked 30 Sept 2026
- docs.bepinex.dev/master/· checked 30 Sept 2026
- docs.bepinex.dev/master/articles/user_guide/installation· checked 30 Sept 2026
- github.com/BepInEx/BepInEx/releases· checked 30 Sept 2026
- github.com/BepInEx/BepInEx/security· checked 30 Sept 2026