DirectX Alternatives for Mac

DirectX is not available for Mac but there are some alternatives that runs on macOS with similar functionality. The best Mac alternative is OpenGL, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 10 alternatives to DirectX and eight of them are available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Mac alternatives to DirectX are Vulkan, SDL, Allegro and GLFW.

DirectX alternatives page was last updated

DirectX

Free • Proprietary

DirectX is a set of components in Windows that allows software, primarily and especially games, to work directly with your...

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OpenGL
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
BSD
Haiku
10 OpenGL alternatives
OpenGL is the premier environment for developing portable, interactive 2D and 3D graphics applications. Since its introduction in 1992, OpenGL has become the industry's most widely used and supported 2D and 3D graphics application programming interface (API), bringing...
- - OpenGL is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to DirectX.
- - OpenGL is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to DirectX.
OpenGL has no features, suggest some!

Opinions about OpenGL as a Alternative to DirectX
Almost everyone thinks OpenGL is a great DirectX alternative.
Vulkan
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
Chrome OS
Tizen OS
SteamOS
9 Vulkan alternatives
Vulkan is a new generation graphics and compute API that provides high-efficiency, cross-platform access to modern GPUs used in a wide variety of devices from PCs and consoles to mobile phones and embedded platforms.
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Vulkan Features
OPENGL
Opinions about Vulkan as a Alternative to DirectX
Almost everyone thinks Vulkan is a great DirectX alternative.
SDL
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Mac
Windows
Linux
Windows Mobile
iPhone
Symbian S60
BSD
iPad
Haiku
22 SDL alternatives
Simple DirectMedia Layer is a cross-platform multimedia library designed to provide low level access to audio, keyboard, mouse, joystick, 3D hardware via OpenGL, and 2D video framebuffer. It is used by MPEG playback software, emulators, and many popular games, including the...
- - SDL is the most popular iPad alternative to DirectX.
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SDL Features
Drawing 2D
Extensible window manager
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Allegro
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Game Development Tool
Mac
Windows
Linux
iPhone
29 Allegro alternatives
Allegro 4 and Allegro 5 are cross-platform, libraries mainly aimed at video game and multimedia programming. They handle common, low-level tasks such as creating windows, accepting user input, loading data, drawing images, playing sounds, etc.
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GLFW
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
13 GLFW alternatives
GLFW is an Open Source, multi-platform library for OpenGL, OpenGL ES and Vulkan development on the desktop. It provides a simple API for creating windows, contexts and surfaces, receiving input and events.
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GLFW Features
1. Support for Multiple MonitorsGLFW supports the use of multiple displays.
OPENGL
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PyOpenGL
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Mac
Windows
Linux
5 PyOpenGL alternatives
Python bindings for OpenGL API.
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PyOpenGL Features
OPENGL
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Crystal Space
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Mac
Windows
Linux
9 Crystal Space alternatives
Crystal Space is a mature, full-featured Software Development Kit (SDK) providing real-time 3D graphics for applications such as games and virtual reality. It is free (LGPL) and cross-platform (Windows, GNU/Linux, Mac OS X).
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Crystal Space Features
Games library
Discontinued
Discontinued since July 2012 : http://www.crystalspace3d.org/main/Download
Metal
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Paid • Proprietary
Mac
9 Metal alternatives
Metal provides near-direct access to the graphics processing unit (GPU), enabling you to maximize the graphics and compute potential of your apps on iOS, macOS, and tvOS. Building on an approachable, low-overhead architecture with precompiled GPU shaders, fine-grained resource...
- - Metal is the most popular commercial alternative to DirectX.
Metal has no features, suggest some!