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VERDICT

Should I use Nexusmods?

Not disclosed - nexusmods.com

Depends. Essential for PC gamers who mod — it is the largest mod library and free to use. Skip Premium unless you download constantly; casual modders and price-sensitive users can live on the free tier.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 40+ public sources: Trustpilot, Reddit, official forums, security scans.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support evidence found
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
PremiumPaid subscription (raised 2021 and 2024)

Best for

  • PC gamers modding Bethesda-style games
  • Heavy mod users who download constantly
  • Mod authors wanting donation payouts
  • Players wanting one-stop mod hosting

Not for

  • Casual players grabbing one or two mods — free tier is enough
  • Anyone expecting Premium to feel fairly priced after two hikes
  • Users burned by the 2019 breach wanting spotless security
  • People who hate forced UI redesigns and discontinued tools

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Premium billing terms changed twice; expect future price hikes

high

Reported breach hit a small number of accounts; use a unique password

medium

Free tier works but slow downloads and ads push hard toward the Premium upsell

medium

Vortex bundled an outdated, vulnerable as of Dec 2024

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Largest PC mod library with 80M registered players
  • Donation Points pay mod authors monthly
  • Download speeds and stability improved via CDN partnership
  • Site and Vortex manager widely regarded as safe to use
  • Free account covers the whole library

Cons

  • Trustpilot rating sits at 1.7/5
  • Premium price raised in 2021 and again in 2024
  • Reported security breach exposed some user accounts
  • New UI widely disliked by longtime users
  • Discontinued its WIP mod manager, stranding users

Sources & method

Analyzed 10/02/2026 - 9 sources - One reported account breach (2019); outdated 7z.exe flagged in Vortex (2024); third-party scan scores 92.6/100.

official x3review x1security x3news x2
  • Reported security breach, small number of accounts, Nexus Mods reported a breach affecting a small number of user accounts; users were advised to change passwords.
  • Outdated vulnerable 7z.exe embedded in Vortex, Users flagged an outdated, vulnerable version of bundled with the Vortex mod manager as of Dec 2024.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 2/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 9

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 2/5. Two Premium hikes; free tier heavily throttled
  • Ease of use: 2/5. New UI panned; old manager discontinued
  • Feature depth: 5/5. 80M players, Collections, mod-author payouts
  • Support quality. No support evidence found
  • Security posture: 2/5. 2019 breach; vulnerable 7z.exe in Vortex
  • 1.7/5 Trustpilot rating Pages show 1.6–1.7
  • 80 million Registered players Per signup page
  • Yes Free tier Free account, throttled downloads
  • Raised twice Premium pricing 2021 and 2024 billing changes

Pricing

Free

$0

  • Full mod library access
  • Throttled downloads

Premium

Paid subscription (raised 2021 and 2024)

  • Faster, unthrottled downloads
  • Supports mod creators

Security

One reported account breach (2019); outdated 7z.exe flagged in Vortex (2024); third-party scan scores 92.6/100.

  • Reported security breach, small number of accountsNexus Mods reported a breach affecting a small number of user accounts; users were advised to change passwords.
  • Outdated vulnerable 7z.exe embedded in VortexUsers flagged an outdated, vulnerable version of bundled with the Vortex mod manager as of Dec 2024.⁵

What users say

Trustpilot is scathing at 1.7/5 while Reddit users debate safety, pan the new UI, and complain about Premium hikes — yet most still rely on it.

“They have fake mods”
Reddit, r/nexusmods
“Yes both of them are safe”
Reddit, r/AskGames
“I hate NexusMods”
Reddit, r/nexusmods
Full analysis

Based on 40+ public sources: Trustpilot, Reddit, official forums, security scans.

Biggest PC mod library; fine free, but throttled downloads, two Premium price hikes and a 2019 breach. Pay only if you mod heavily.

Methodology

Based on 40+ public sources: Trustpilot, Reddit, official forums, security scans.

Sources

  1. Nexus Mods Reviews — Trustpilottrustpilot.com
    review
  2. Premium Membership — Nexus Modsnexusmods.com
    official
  3. Nexus Mods — Changes to Premium Billing (price increase)reddit.com
    news
  4. Nexus Mods reports security breachreddit.com
    security
  5. Outdated vulnerable 7z.exe embedded in Vortexforums.nexusmods.com
    security
  6. Is nexusmods.com Safe? Security Score 92.6/100cystack.net
    security
  7. Register — Join 80 Million playersusers.nexusmods.com
    official
  8. How Nexus Mods improved download speeds & stabilitybunny.net
    news
  9. Donation Points FAQhelp.nexusmods.com
    official

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