Compare
Why Mortar? (vs Mod Organizer 2)
Mod Organizer 2 is the usual choice for heavily modded Bethesda games; Mortar reads its profiles. Use Mortar for games MO2 supports only lightly, native Linux, or one search across mod sites.
| Compared | Mortar | Mod Organizer 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, Linux, Steam Deck | Windows (v2.5.2); Linux through a third-party Wine installer |
| Games | 333, each with its loader installed | 10 fully supported Bethesda games, 17 with basic support (Game Support) |
| Mod sites |  Nexus Mods Vintage Story Mod DB | Nexus Mods and local archives (source) |
| Loader install | SMAPI, BepInEx and each game's loader | Set up by hand (wiki) |
| Sharing | A link or a .mortar file | None documented |
| Latest stable release | 0.3.15 (changelog) | v2.5.2, August 2024 |
| Conflict tools | Content Patcher conflicts explained in Problems | Priority, winning and losing files, hidden files, LOOT (comparison) |
| Licence | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
Highlighted: the stronger of the two, or both where they are even.
Where Mod Organizer 2 is stronger
- Its virtual file system keeps the game folder untouched and switches profiles instantly (comparison).
- Conflict and load order tools for Bethesda games: priority, winning and losing files, hidden files and LOOT.
Moving from Mod Organizer 2
In Profiles, choose Import… and Mortar lists MO2 profiles for the game, with a preview. MO2's folders are read, never changed.