Betterbags-Itemversion
If your bags look like a dragon hoard after a raid night, Betterbags-Itemversion might be the tidy-up tool you have been waiting for. This plugin extends the popular BetterBags addon and sorts your inventory by the World of Warcraft patch in which each item was originally added. Instead of dumping every expansion's gear into one giant pile, you get clean, patch-specific categories that make it obvious what is old, what is current, and what is worth keeping.
What Betterbags-Itemversion Actually Does
Betterbags-Itemversion is a categorisation plugin, not a standalone bag replacement. It leans on two other addons: BetterBags handles the bag interface and category system, while ItemVersion supplies the database that knows when each item first appeared in the game. The plugin then creates categories based on that version data.
The result is a bag setup where equipment is split by slot and by exact patch number. You might see categories such as Back 12.0.0, Chest 12.0.7, Finger 12.1.0, or Trinket 12.1.0. The full patch number is deliberately kept intact, so you can tell apart gear from a pre-patch and gear from a minor patch instead of lumping an entire expansion together.
Bind-on-Equip and Account-Bound Sorting
BoE and account-bound gear get their own treatment. The plugin can separate these items while still preserving the exact version tag, producing categories like BoE 12.0.7, BoE 12.1.0, BoA 12.0.7, and BoA 12.1.0. For anyone who sells transmog runs or shuffles warbound gear between characters, this makes the auction house and bank routine far less painful.
Trade Goods and Utility Categories
Trade Goods are grouped by expansion rather than by patch, which keeps things readable when you are clearing out a bank alt. Expect headings such as Trade Goods Midnight, Trade Goods The War Within, Trade Goods Dragonflight, Trade Goods Shadowlands, and Trade Goods Battle for Azeroth. On top of that, the addon adds dedicated categories for frequently grabbed utility items, including Hearthstones and Mythic Keystones, so your most-used clickables are never buried.
Game Versions and Addon Compatibility
Betterbags-Itemversion for World of Warcraft follows the modern addon ecosystem, so it targets Retail first and foremost. That said, the wider BetterBags and ItemVersion family has grown to cover multiple client branches, and players regularly ask about Classic, TBC, WotLK, Cataclysm, and MoP support. Because the plugin depends entirely on ItemVersion's API for version data, its behaviour on any given client depends on whether ItemVersion itself supports that branch. Always check the current compatibility notes before you commit a bank alt to a new sorting scheme.
One thing worth knowing: the plugin does not ship its own item-version database. It queries ItemVersion for the patch information and hands the results to BetterBags' category engine. Items the plugin does not handle simply fall back to BetterBags' normal categorisation, so nothing disappears or gets misfiled.
How to Install Betterbags-Itemversion
Installation is straightforward, but order matters because of the dependencies.
- Make sure BetterBags and ItemVersion are both installed and enabled.
- Download Betterbags-Itemversion and place the folder in your World of Warcraft Interface/AddOns directory.
- Restart the game client or reload your UI.
- Open your bags, then check the BetterBags category settings to confirm the new patch-based groups appear.
- Fine-tune which categories you want visible, and hide the ones you never use.
If you would rather skip manual folder shuffling, the foxygame.net launcher offers a one-click install path that pulls Betterbags-Itemversion and its dependencies straight into the right directory. The launcher also keeps an addon catalog with automatic updates, so when ItemVersion refreshes its database after a patch, your categories stay accurate without you hunting for new files.
Who Should Use This Plugin
Collectors chasing transmog sets benefit the most, since patch-level separation reveals exactly which appearance came from which content drop. Auction house traders get a cleaner view of BoE stock by patch, which helps with pricing older gear. Bank alts and hoarders finally get expansion-level Trade Goods sorting that makes a full clear possible in one sitting. Even casual players who just want a Hearthstone within reach will appreciate the utility categories.
Final Thoughts
Betterbags-Itemversion is a niche plugin, but it solves a very specific problem with real elegance. By combining BetterBags' flexible category system with ItemVersion's patch database, it turns a chaotic inventory into something you can actually read at a glance. If your bags have been a mess since the last content update, this is a genuinely useful addition to your addon list.