Comparison
Iron Sword vs Stone Sword
Minecraft 1.21.8. Java Edition values.
Verdict
Iron does 6 damage vs Stone's 5 — small in absolute terms but it brings most zombies to 3 hits instead of 4 and creepers to 4 hits instead of 5. Iron also has 2× the durability (250 vs 131). Upgrade as soon as you smelt your first iron.
Side-by-side stats
Highlighted cell wins that row.
| Stat | Iron Sword | Stone Sword |
|---|---|---|
| Attack damage | 6 | 5 |
| Attack speed | 1.6/s | 1.6/s |
| DPS | 9.6 | 8 |
| Durability | 250 | 131 |
| Enchantability | 14 | 5 |
| Mining tier | Iron | Stone |
| Survives lava (as dropped item) | No | No |
| Crafted from | Iron Ingot | Cobblestone |
When to pick each
Pick Iron when…
You have smelted iron. The damage and durability bump make caving and overworld combat noticeably safer. Two hits to kill a zombie matters when you're swarmed.
Pick Stone when…
Day one of a new world, no iron yet. Stone is cheap and fast to craft from cobblestone. Replace it ASAP — its only role is bridging to the iron tier.
Get these tools
Iron Sword
Stone Sword
Other tool comparisons
- Netherite Sword vs Diamond Sword
- Netherite Pickaxe vs Diamond Pickaxe
- Netherite Axe vs Diamond Axe
- Diamond Pickaxe vs Iron Pickaxe
- Golden Pickaxe vs Diamond Pickaxe
- Iron Pickaxe vs Stone Pickaxe
- Diamond Sword vs Iron Sword
- Diamond Axe vs Iron Axe
- Diamond Sword vs Golden Sword
- Netherite Sword vs Netherite Axe
- Diamond Sword vs Diamond Axe
- Netherite Shovel vs Diamond Shovel
- Iron Axe vs Stone Axe
- Stone Pickaxe vs Wooden Pickaxe
FAQ
- Is the Iron Sword better than the Stone Sword?
- Iron does 6 damage vs Stone's 5 — small in absolute terms but it brings most zombies to 3 hits instead of 4 and creepers to 4 hits instead of 5. Iron also has 2× the durability (250 vs 131). Upgrade as soon as you smelt your first iron.
- How much damage does a Iron Sword do?
- 6 attack damage with 1.6 attacks per second — 9.6 DPS at full charge. That's 1 more than a Stone Sword (5 damage).
- What's the durability of a Iron Sword?
- 250 uses before it breaks. That's 119 more than a Stone Sword (131 uses). Unbreaking III roughly multiplies durability by 4.
- Should I upgrade from Stone Sword to Iron Sword?
- You have smelted iron. The damage and durability bump make caving and overworld combat noticeably safer. Two hits to kill a zombie matters when you're swarmed. If those don't apply, day one of a new world, no iron yet. stone is cheap and fast to craft from cobblestone. replace it asap — its only role is bridging to the iron tier.