Best DarkRP addons for 2026: a curated list by a server owner.

Role: The customization layer on top of DarkRP itself. Where all your jobs, shipments, entities, and custom logic go.

You need this — DarkRP without a modification folder is empty. Do not edit the base darkrpmodification folder directly; fork it or add your own darkrp_customthings.lua files. This is the correct way to run a customised DarkRP server without breaking on gamemode updates.

Role: The standard GMod admin mod. Ban, kick, mute, jail, teleport commands. Group-based permissions.

ULX is not the fanciest admin mod but it is the most stable, best documented, and most compatible with other addons. Ninety percent of DarkRP servers use it. Learn ULX first before you consider alternatives — most of your custom addons will assume ULX is present.

Watch out: Configure ULX groups carefully. The default groups are usable but most servers want at least a "Junior Admin" tier between User and Admin.

Role: Replaces the default GMod chatbox with something you can actually read at 1440p.

The default chat is unreadable on modern monitors and does not support Steam avatars, chat channels, or basic filtering. Every serious DarkRP server replaces it. PixelChat is free, open source, and does not depend on Pixel UI (a separate paid pack).

Role: Ownable-doors framework. Buy a door, lock it, sell it, add keypads.

DarkRP ships with basic ownable doors but Simple Base adds the polish players expect: keypad wiring, door groups, buy/sell mechanics, storage inside buildings. This is table stakes — the moment a player joins and cannot own a house, they leave.

Role: Replaces the default DarkRP F4 menu (job select, weapon shop, entity shop).

The default F4 menu is dated and ugly. There are several good replacements — VMenu, Neko F4, DarkPanels — with different aesthetics. Pick one, stick with it, and configure it to match your job list. Do NOT install two F4 replacements; they will fight over the F4 hook and neither will work.

Watch out: F4 menus are a common vector for hidden concommand hooks. Scan whichever one you install BEFORE you deploy — this is exactly what the Backdoor Scanner exists for.

Role: Save props (furniture, decorations, staff-placed items) so they persist across server restarts.

On a DarkRP server, admins spend real time decorating spawn, placing signs, building government buildings. PermaProps saves that work so a restart does not wipe it. There is a permission tier — regular players cannot make anything permanent, staff can.

Role: Persistent logs of every RDM, prop kill, damage event, chat message.

When a player says "he RDMed me" and the accused says "I did not," you need the logs to resolve it. GMod's built-in logs are thin. gLogs (free) or one of the paid alternatives writes structured logs your admins can search from an in-game menu.

Role: Let players pick a custom playermodel per job without editing jobs.lua.

Otherwise every player is the same job's default model. Preferred Jobmodel gives players agency; combined with a good playermodel pack, it is how you get returning players.

Role: Screen-corner notification when a player receives their paycheck. Feels rewarding; drives job engagement.

Payday is DarkRP's core loop. If a player does not notice they got paid, the loop is invisible. This is a tiny addon (~200 LOC) with disproportionate retention impact.

Role: A base for military-style weapons + a pack of ~40 weapons.

Not every DarkRP server needs modern weapons but if yours does, M9K is the most compatible base. Alternatives like CW 2.0 / FA:S 2.0 exist but each has its own attachment ecosystem and locking in early matters.

Watch out: M9K is a Workshop-only addon and pulls a lot of files. Turn on Workshop Prefetch in the Zeros panel so first-boot does not hang while it downloads.

Role: Player-authored cosmetics. Custom outfits, accessories, badges.

PAC3 is polarising — it is powerful, memory-heavy, and the source of most "server crashed when someone joined" reports. But nothing else lets players show off. Enable it, cap the outfit complexity per rank, and require staff review for outfits over a size threshold.

Watch out: PAC3 is one of the two most common vectors for malicious Lua — the other being pirated F4 menus. Scan every PAC pack you install, and require your staff to submit their PAC3 outfits for review before use.

Role: Wired contraptions and saved builds. Backbone of a healthy sandbox side to DarkRP.

On a DarkRP server, Wiremod is what gives your engineers something to do. Advanced Duplicator 2 lets them save and share builds. Together, these two turn passive DarkRP players into active contributors.