ItemsAdder vs Oraxen vs Nova, Custom Items Compared
Compare ItemsAdder, Oraxen, and Nova for adding custom items, blocks, and models to Minecraft. Covers resource pack handling, custom blocks, furniture, and pricing.
Custom items, blocks, furniture, and models make a server feel unique. ItemsAdder, Oraxen, and Nova are the three leading plugins for this. All three use resource packs to add custom content without client-side mods. This itemsadder vs oraxen vs nova comparison covers features, workflows, and trade-offs.
How custom items work
All three plugins use Minecraft's Custom Model Data system. They assign custom textures and models to existing items (like paper or sticks) using unique model data values, then deliver the resource pack to players automatically on join. The result is new items, blocks, and models that appear in-game without any client modification. For a general introduction, see How to Add Custom Items to Minecraft.
Feature comparison table
| Feature | ItemsAdder | Oraxen | Nova |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Premium (~25 EUR) | Premium (~17 EUR) | Free / open-source |
| Custom items | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom blocks | Yes (mushroom, noteblock, tripwire) | Yes (noteblock, stringblock) | Yes (noteblock, tile entity) |
| Furniture | Yes (armor stand + interaction) | Yes (armor stand + barriers) | Yes (display entities) |
| Custom mobs | Basic | No (use MythicMobs) | No |
| Resource pack hosting | Built-in (self-host or external) | Built-in (Polymath or external) | Built-in |
| GUI crafting editor | No (YAML) | No (YAML) | No (YAML + Kotlin) |
| Emotes / animations | Yes | No | No |
| Custom HUD elements | Yes | No | No |
| API | Yes | Yes | Yes (Kotlin-first) |
| Bedrock support | Via Geyser | Via Geyser | Via Geyser |
ItemsAdder
ItemsAdder is the most feature-rich option. Beyond custom items and blocks, it supports custom HUD elements (health bars, mana bars), emotes, and basic custom mobs. The resource pack is generated automatically from your config files and models. The downside is complexity: ItemsAdder's config structure has a learning curve, and the sheer number of features means more things can break during updates. It is the "do everything" choice.
Oraxen
Oraxen focuses on custom items, blocks, and furniture with a cleaner, more focused API. Configuration is YAML-based and feels more organized than ItemsAdder's sprawling file structure. Oraxen uses Polymath for resource pack hosting, which is fast and reliable. It does not try to handle HUDs, emotes, or mobs, deferring those to specialized plugins. If you want custom items without the feature bloat, Oraxen is the leaner choice. The itemsadder vs oraxen vs nova debate often puts Oraxen in the middle ground between power and simplicity.
Nova
Nova is the only free and open-source option. It is written in Kotlin and designed around an addon system: the core plugin provides the custom item, block, and crafting framework, while community addons (like Nova Machines, Logistics, or Jetpacks) add specific content. Nova is more developer-oriented than the other two. If you have Kotlin experience or want to write your own addon packs, Nova is excellent. If you just want to drop in premade items from a config file, the learning curve is steeper than ItemsAdder or Oraxen.
Custom blocks
All three plugins support custom blocks, but they use different vanilla block types as the base. ItemsAdder uses mushroom blocks, noteblocks, and tripwire. Oraxen uses noteblocks and string-based blocks. Nova uses noteblocks and tile entities. The base block choice affects which vanilla mechanics are impacted (noteblock sounds, mushroom spread, tripwire behavior). Check which approach conflicts least with your server's gameplay.
Resource pack delivery
All three plugins auto-host and deliver the resource pack on join. ItemsAdder can self-host or use an external URL. Oraxen uses Polymath (their hosted service) or an external URL. Nova self-hosts. In all cases, players see a "download resource pack" prompt. Server-resource-pack enforcement in server.properties ensures everyone loads the pack.
Which should you pick?
- ItemsAdder if you want the widest feature set (HUDs, emotes, mobs, items, blocks, furniture) in one plugin.
- Oraxen if you want clean custom items and blocks without extra features you will not use.
- Nova if you want a free, open-source, developer-friendly framework with addon support.
All three work with MythicMobs (How to Install MythicMobs) for custom mob drops and with ShopGUIPlus (How to Set Up ShopGUI+, Admin Shops Complete Guide) for selling custom items in shops.
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