RimWorld8 min read10 views10/1/2026Read in Russian

How to install RimSort: download and setup guide (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Where to download RimSort (official GitHub releases), .msi vs .zip on Windows, installing on macOS and Linux, first-run path configuration, the Russian interface, and importing a mod list from the site. RimPy is long outdated — RimSort is its actively maintained replacement.

RimSort is a free, open-source mod manager for RimWorld and the go-to tool for anyone playing without Steam or running large mod lists. It sorts your list against community rule databases, surfaces conflicts and dependencies, downloads Workshop mods via SteamCMD, and accepts ready-made mod lists as a single file. Development is very active: v1.14.0 shipped on September 19, 2026, and releases land every week or two. This guide covers downloading RimSort from the official source, installing it on Windows, macOS and Linux, and configuring the first launch.

RimPy is outdated — RimSort is the replacement

If you have come across older advice recommending RimPy, it is out of date. The last RimPy release shipped in November 2022 and the project is no longer maintained: it does not know RimWorld 1.5 or 1.6, its sorting database is frozen, and it occasionally breaks on fresh mod lists. The RimWorld community has moved to RimSort — the same all-in-one manager concept, but alive: regular releases, up-to-date game version support, built-in mod downloads and a translated interface.

RimPy and RimSort do not conflict, but there is no reason to install the outdated RimPy anymore: everything it could do, RimSort does better. If an old guide or video recommends RimPy — just use RimSort instead.

Where to download RimSort

Download RimSort only from official sources: the GitHub releases page — github.com/RimSort/RimSort/releases — or rimsort.org, which points to the same page. Third-party download portals often host outdated or modified builds, so do not google "rimsort download" on file-sharing sites — get the file straight from the developers.

The GitHub releases page can look confusing at first, so here is the step-by-step:

  1. 1Open github.com/RimSort/RimSort/releases.
  2. 2The top block with the green Latest badge is the newest stable release. As of September 2026 that is v1.14.0.
  3. 3Scroll down to the Assets section — it may be collapsed; click the Assets header to expand the file list.
  4. 4Click the file you need and the download starts. Ignore the Source code (zip / tar.gz) entries at the bottom — those are developer sources, not the app.

Each file name embeds the version and platform. When the next version ships, say v1.15.0, the files become RimSort-v1.15.0-… — just pick the same files with the new number. Which file belongs to which system (v1.14.0 shown):

  • Windows: RimSort-v1.14.0-Windows_x86_64.msi — the installer, sets the app up automatically (recommended); RimSort-v1.14.0-Windows_x86_64.zip — a portable build with no installation, just unpack it into any folder.
  • macOS: RimSort-v1.14.0-Darwin_arm64.tar.gz — for Apple-silicon Macs (M1–M4); RimSort-v1.14.0-Darwin_x86_64.tar.gz — for older Intel Macs.
  • Linux: RimSort-v1.14.0-x86_64.AppImage — a universal build that runs on any distro; RimSort-v1.14.0-Ubuntu-22.04_x86_64.tar.gz and RimSort-v1.14.0-Ubuntu-24.04_x86_64.tar.gz — builds for specific Ubuntu versions.

To pick the right Mac file, click the Apple menu → About This Mac: if it says "Chip Apple M1/M2/M3/M4" take the arm64 file, if it says "Intel" take x86_64. Windows PCs are virtually always x86_64 — every modern computer is compatible with that build.

Installing on Windows

Windows offers two routes, and both end with the same result — the difference is only in convenience.

Option 1: the .msi installer (recommended)

  1. 1Download RimSort-v1.14.0-Windows_x86_64.msi from the releases page.
  2. 2Run it with a double click — the setup wizard opens.
  3. 3Click through Next → Install → Finish: the app copies itself and creates Start-menu and desktop shortcuts.

If Windows shows the blue "Windows protected your PC" dialog, do not worry — it is the standard warning for apps without a paid code-signing certificate, and almost all open-source software ships that way. Click More info, then Run anyway. A file from the official GitHub releases page is safe — only installers from unofficial mirrors deserve suspicion.

Option 2: the .zip archive (no installation)

Download RimSort-v1.14.0-Windows_x86_64.zip, right-click the archive and choose "Extract All…". Unpack it into any folder you have write access to — for example C:\Games\RimSort. Avoid Program Files: the system will not let the app update itself and save settings comfortably there. Then run RimSort.exe. The portable build is also handy on a flash drive: it runs on any PC without installation.

Installing on macOS

  1. 1Download the archive for your chip: Darwin_arm64.tar.gz for Apple silicon or Darwin_x86_64.tar.gz for Intel.
  2. 2Double-click the archive — macOS unpacks it with the built-in Archive Utility and you get RimSort.app.
  3. 3Drag RimSort.app into Applications.
  4. 4On first launch macOS warns that the app "was downloaded from the internet". Right-click the icon and choose Open, then confirm Open again in the warning — the app launches, and the warning will not reappear next time.

Installing on Linux

The easiest route is AppImage: download RimSort-v1.14.0-x86_64.AppImage, enable "Allow executing" in the file properties (or run chmod +x RimSort-v1.14.0-x86_64.AppImage in a terminal) and double-click it. On recent Ubuntu releases you may need the FUSE library first: sudo apt install libfuse2. Alternatively, grab the tar.gz for your Ubuntu version (22.04 or 24.04), unpack it with tar -xzf and run the RimSort binary from the resulting folder.

First launch and setup

RimSort can locate the game on its own: on first launch it scans the typical paths and fills them in automatically — version 1.14.0 even discovers non-Steam RimWorld installs from GOG and Heroic. If autodetection fails, the "Essential path(s)" dialog appears, offering to open the settings. Click Yes and provide four paths:

  • Game folder — the folder where RimWorld is installed: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\RimWorld.
  • Config folder — the folder holding ModsConfig.xml: C:\Users\YourName\AppData\LocalLow\Ludeon Studios\RimWorld by Ludeon Studios\Config.
  • Local mods folder — the Mods folder inside the game installation: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\RimWorld\Mods.
  • Steam mods folder — the Workshop mods folder, Steam version only: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\294100.

In the same settings you can switch the interface language: open Settings → Language Setting → pick your language and restart the app. RimSort warns next to the selector that a restart is required for the change to apply — that is expected.

One last step — the Steam Workshop database (often called SteamDB). Auto-sorting and the mod downloader rely on it: without the database RimSort does not know the recommended positions of thousands of Workshop mods. Open the settings, find the Steam Workshop database section, pick GitHub and hit the download button next to it. The database keeps growing, so refresh it with the same button every couple of weeks — the app tells you when the data has gone stale.

How to load a Prime Mods list into RimSort

Every mod collection on the site has export buttons: RimSort (.json), ModsConfig (.xml) and a plain link list (.txt). Download the .json file, open File → Open Mod List… (Ctrl+O) in RimSort and pick it — the whole list appears in the active-mods panel in the article's curated order. Then hit the sort button so RimSort fine-tunes the order against its database, and download the mods you are missing: RimSort highlights them and can fetch them itself via SteamCMD. Favorites work too: heart the mods in the RimWorld catalog, open the Mod Builder — the right-hand panel with your favorites — and export the same .json with one click.

Auto-sorting is a great start, but always eyeball the final order: no utility knows every unconventional dependency out of the box. Building the order by hand is covered in our guide on RimWorld mod load order.

FAQ

My antivirus flags RimSort — is it dangerous?

Sometimes SmartScreen or an antivirus marks the file as "little known": the RimSort installer is built with the free PyInstaller tool and carries no paid code signature, so security software plays it safe. If the file came from the official github.com/RimSort/RimSort/releases page, it is a false positive — add the file to exclusions and continue. Do not go hunting for "alternative" builds on third-party sites because of the warning: those are the real danger, not the developers' files.

Do I need to uninstall RimPy before installing RimSort?

No, they can sit side by side without interfering. But there is no reason to keep RimPy anymore: its last release shipped in November 2022, and the program has not learned a single new game version or fresh mod since. Both managers work with the same ModsConfig.xml mod list file, so there is nothing to convert: open the list you kept in RimPy through File → Open Mod List… in RimSort, just like any other mod list.

More on the topic: how to install RimWorld mods, RimWorld mod load order and RimWorld mod errors and conflicts.

Comments (0)

0/2000

Loading…