Blockbench

Model, texture and animate blocks, items and entities in 3D, then export them for Java, Bedrock or mods.

Facts checked 28 October 2026
The Blockbench editor with a textured lamp post model in the 3D view, the lamp element selected, its UV map on the left, the four elements in the outliner and the four textures listed below the UV map.
Blockbench in Edit mode: the model in 3D, the selected element's UV map, the outliner with its elements and the texture list, all in one window.Screenshot: Blockbench, from web.blockbench.net

What it is

Blockbench is a low-poly 3D model editor built around Minecraft's cuboids and pixel art textures. You model, paint the texture straight onto the model or in a 2D editor, and animate, all in one program.

It has dedicated formats for Java Edition block and item models, Bedrock models, modded entities, OptiFine entities and GeckoLib, so the interface shows what the target format supports. A built-in plugin store adds more tools and export formats.

  • lamp-pack/
  • pack.mcmetaRequired: the pack formats it supports
  • pack.pngThe icon in the pack list
  • assets/
  • lamp/Your namespace
  • items/
  • lamp_post.jsonThe item model definition
  • models/
  • block/
  • lamp_post.jsonThe model Blockbench exports
  • textures/
  • block/
  • lamp_glass.pngYour own texture
  • lamp_glass.png.mcmetaIts animation settings
A model in the form Blockbench exports it, with the resource pack folder that holds it.Drawn by BlockLab

What makers use it for

  • Make custom block and item models for a Java Edition resource pack, as the model JSON files the game reads.
  • Make Bedrock entity models and animations for an add-on.
  • Model entities for a mod, using the Modded Entity or GeckoLib format.
  • Paint pixel art textures on the model, starting from an automatic UV map and template.
  • Rig a model and animate it with position, rotation and scale keyframes in the formats that support animation.
Blockbench in Paint mode with the glowstone texture enlarged on the left, a pixel grid over the lamp post model and a colour picker with a hex field on the right.
Paint mode lets you draw on the 16 by 16 texture or directly on the model, with a pixel grid and a colour picker.Screenshot: Blockbench, from web.blockbench.net

When to pick it

  • You are making a custom block, item or entity model for a resource pack, an add-on or a mod.
  • You want modeling, texturing and animation in one free program.
  • You want to try it without installing anything: it also runs in the browser.

When another tool fits better

  • You want to build with the blocks that already exist in a world: WorldEdit or Axiom fit better.
  • You want to turn a detailed model or a scan into a block build: VoxelVision does that inside Blender. Blockbench is for low-poly models.
  • You want realistic pictures of a finished world: Chunky renders worlds, Blockbench renders single models.