5 best Minecraft economy mods to have in your world

Minecraft has many great mechanics that make gameplay more interesting. Combat requires proper gear and weapons, survival requires eating regularly, and special materials are needed to travel to other dimensions. However, many players might agree that the trading and economic mechanics of the blocky world are severely lacking.

Thankfully, there are multiple mods that can revamp Minecraft’s trading system and make it more layered, realistic, and genuinely challenging. This article features five of the best economy mods for the game. All of these mods are compatible with both server‑side and client‑side use for better flexibility.

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5 best economy mods for Minecraft

1) VillagersPlus

VillagerPlus mod is great for expanding the in-game villager trading (Image via Modrinth)

Villager trading in the vanilla game is quite rudimentary and not very fun. You trade some basic items for emeralds, and that’s it. The VillagersPlus economy mod takes this simple mechanic and turns it into something more complex and immersive.

Every villager profession gets new trades, and these can even be customized by changing the currency, price, and the experience gained from trading.

Examples include horticulturists selling unique flowers and crop seeds and occultists selling items such as amethysts, tinted glass, and soul lanterns. Other traders include oceanographers selling items found underwater and an alchemist who sells valuable items such as blaze powder, ghast tears, and even dragon’s breath.

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2) Bountiful

Bounties can be found in villages (Image via Modrinth)

The Bountiful mod is a different type of economy mod that adds bounties to the blocky world. While exploring, players will come across “bounty boards” in villages with tasks such as killing mobs or bringing items in exchange for rewards. As with trading, bounties also come in different tiers, with easier ones giving basic rewards and more challenging ones offering rare rewards.

Adding a bounty mechanic to Minecraft makes sense, as it motivates exploration and combat, especially when the rewards are worth the effort. Even better, there is a reputation mechanic that unlocks rarer bounties as players improve at the job.

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3) Ribbits

The Ribbits mod adds more than just a simple Minecraft economy mod (Image via Modrinth)

Ribbits might not look like an economy mod because it adds a new mob called the ribbit; a small frog‑like creature that behaves similarly to villagers. Once installed, you will encounter swamp villages inhabited by ribbits. These mobs have different professions and trade options as well.

There are merchant ribbits and fisherman ribbits that trade plants and crops added by the mod. There is also a sorcerer variant that can grant special powers. Think of ribbits as akin to the newly added copper golem but with more functions.

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4) Numismatic Overhaul

Numismatic Overhaul adds a currency system to Minecraft (Image via Modrinth)

Numismatic Overhaul is a pure economy mod at its core. There are no new villagers, professions, bounties, or fantastical frog‑like creatures. If your goal is to add a currency system to Minecraft, this mod is a strong option. Instead of trading with emeralds, it introduces a currency of gold, silver, and bronze coins.

Money is earned by exploring the world, finding loot, and killing pillagers. The mod also adds a revamped trading user interface with a purse icon that shows wealth. There is also an option to set up a shop and set prices for items being traded.

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5) Tom’s Trading Network

Tom's Trading Network is a simple trading Minecraft mod (Image via Modrinth)

Tom’s Trading Network is a simple mod that adds the ability to trade with other players. You can craft a trading machine and use it to place items for trading. Another player can then interact with the machine to insert their item and complete the trade.

Simple and easy to understand, with all the basic features of trading, this mod is a great pick. Note that the mod is still receiving updates, so expect more features in the future.