FiveM Legacy or Enhanced: which one to use if you want mods

Short answer

Since July 21, 2026 there are two FiveMs: FiveM Legacy, for GTA V Legacy, and FiveM for GTAV Enhanced, for GTA V Enhanced. On Enhanced, pure mode is always on and, for as long as early access lasts, you can’t use graphics mods. For citizens, skins or BloodFX you need FiveM Legacy and a server that allows mods.

All our mods are made for FiveM Legacy.

FiveM Legacy vs Enhanced: the differences that matter for mods

The table is based on the FiveM documentation and the Cfx.re announcements, except for the Enhanced folder, which is what one user reports and we haven’t seen confirmed.

Watch out for one thing: Enhanced isn’t “FiveM with better graphics”. It’s FiveM running on the other version of GTA V. Having GTA V Enhanced installed doesn’t mean you’re playing on FiveM Enhanced: it depends on which FiveM you open.

How to tell which FiveM you’re using

1. Check the name of the program you open. The Enhanced one is called FiveM for GTAV Enhanced. The Legacy one is the regular FiveM you’ve always had. You can have both installed at the same time.
2. Check which GTA V you have. In your game library (Steam, Epic Games or Rockstar Games Launcher), the two versions of GTA V usually show up separately, with “Legacy” or “Enhanced” in the name. FiveM Legacy needs GTA V Legacy.
3. Look for the folders. Press Win+R, type %localappdata%\FiveM and press Enter. That’s the FiveM Legacy folder, with FiveM.app inside. We haven’t found anything official on where Enhanced keeps its files; a forum user points to %appdata%\FiveM for GTAV Enhanced.
4. Ask on the server. If you’re not sure which one your server runs on, ask on its Discord or check its rules.

If you ended up here because you can’t find the folder, there’s a full guide to the FiveM folder.

What it means for our mods

We’ll keep it straight so you don’t waste time installing something that won’t show.

• Citizens with an image in the sky. They’re graphics mods: only on FiveM Legacy and on servers that allow them. On Enhanced, not right now. You’ll find them on FiveM citizen.
• Weapon skins. Same thing: Legacy only. There are more than 80 different skins in weapon skins.
• BloodFX, kill effects and tracers. Same thing: Legacy only. They’re in BloodFX.
• Sounds. On Legacy, with pure mode 1, audio files usually get through. On Enhanced, pure mode is always on, but we haven’t found anything published on which level it uses or whether it lets audio through. Before installing a pack on Enhanced, ask us. The packs are in weapon sounds.
• The free optimizer. It tweaks Windows (network, latency and FPS); it doesn’t touch FiveM or the game. It doesn’t depend on which version you use. It’s in optimize FiveM.

What about when Enhanced allows mods? There’s no date. All we know is that Enhanced already uses a different format for the models and textures that servers send, and Cfx.re has a tool, Alchemist, to convert them. Most likely, client mods will have to be adapted too. When something gets published, we’ll update this guide and announce it on the Discord.

Want to play with mods? The steps

1. Use FiveM Legacy with GTA V Legacy. If you only have Enhanced installed, install GTA V Legacy and the regular FiveM from the FiveM website.
2. Pick a server that allows mods. If it has pure mode, modified files in the FiveM folder get ignored without any error. It’s covered in the pure mode guide.
3. Back up the citizen folder before installing anything. Copy the whole thing somewhere else.
4. Install the mod following its README (the LEEME file). For a citizen, follow how to install citizen in FiveM.
5. Test it on the server. If it doesn’t show, go back to step 2.

Common problems

“I installed a citizen and it doesn’t show on Enhanced.” That’s expected. During early access you can’t use graphics mods on Enhanced. Open FiveM Legacy.

“I switched to Enhanced and lost my mods.” You didn’t lose them: they’re still in the FiveM Legacy folder, where you put them. Enhanced just doesn’t use them. If you go back to Legacy, check they’re still there, because FiveM updates can overwrite the files in citizen.

“When I join a server, FiveM asks me to restart.” This happens when the server uses a different pure mode level or a different game version from the one you had loaded. FiveM warns you and you have to restart the client. It’s not an error.

“FiveM can’t find my GTA V.” Make sure you’re opening the FiveM that matches your GTA V: Legacy with Legacy, Enhanced with Enhanced.

If you’re still confused, join the Discord and tell us which FiveM you open and which GTA V you have. We’ll tell you what works for you.

Quick questions

Can I have FiveM Legacy and Enhanced at the same time?

Yes. Enhanced runs alongside Legacy: they’re two separate programs.

When will graphics mods work on Enhanced?

There’s no published date. The Cfx.re documentation says they can’t be used while Enhanced is in early access. When that changes, we’ll cover it here.

Is FiveM Legacy going away?

The Enhanced early access announcement says nothing about the future of Legacy. Right now both work, and graphics mods can only be used on Legacy.

Can I get banned for using mods on Legacy?

The same goes for Legacy and Enhanced: there are no documented global bans for visual or sound mods, but every server sets its own rules. More in the FAQ.

More in FAQ · All guides