OpenGL AlternativesTop Graphics Libraries and other similar apps like OpenGL

OpenGL is described as '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' and is a very popular graphics library in the development category. There are more than 10 alternatives to OpenGL for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and iPhone apps. The best OpenGL alternative is Vulkan, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like OpenGL are WebGL, DirectX, Metal and Amethyst Game Engine.

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OpenGL alternatives are mainly Graphics Libraries, but if you're looking for Game Development Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Free, Open Source and Windows. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to OpenGL.
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Alternatives list

  1. Vulkan icon

    Vulkan

     95 likes

    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.

    10 Vulkan alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Chrome OS
    • Tizen OS
    • SteamOS
    • HarmonyOS
    • Nintendo Switch
    Baldur's Gate 3
     
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    2
    20
    Comments about Vulkan as an Alternative to OpenGL
    Guest
    Negative
    -1

    I spent half a year studying this wretched API and was very disappointed, it is not designed to work with graphics.

    This API is made only for implementation in ready-made solutions on opengl to slightly increase the number of frames per second (+5 - +10) in exchange for really titanic efforts (unreadable code in> 10,000 lines).

    Unfortunately, Vulkan API - fail. Better try DirectX.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    -5

    Because Vulkan is OpenGL's successor.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    OpenGL Icon
    Vulkan icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Vulkan is a great OpenGL alternative.

    • Vulkan is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & Linux alternative to OpenGL.

    • Vulkan is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to OpenGL.

    • Vulkan is Free and Open SourceOpenGL is also Free and Open Source
  2. WebGL icon

    WebGL

     26 likes

    WebGL is a cross-platform, royalty-free web standard for a low-level 3D graphics API based on OpenGL ES 2.0, exposed through the HTML5 Canvas element as Document Object Model interfaces. Developers familiar with OpenGL ES 2.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
     
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    7

    • Most users think WebGL is a great OpenGL alternative.

    • WebGL is the most popular Web-based alternative to OpenGL.

    • WebGL is Free and Open SourceOpenGL is also Free and Open Source
  4. DirectX icon

    DirectX

     42 likes

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

    12 DirectX alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    DirectX screenshot 1
     
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    6
  5. Metal icon

    Metal

     1 like

    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...

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Metal screenshot 1
     

    • Metal is the most popular commercial alternative to OpenGL.

    • Metal is Paid and ProprietaryOpenGL is Free and Open Source
  6. Amethyst Game Engine icon

    Amethyst Game Engine

     4 likes

    Amethyst uses gfx-rs to render graphics with Vulkan or Metal. It is meant to be used for 2D and 3D, with various utilities for both types of games. It should be beginner friendly but also allow more advanced uses such as custom render passes and GLSL shaders.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  7. ANGLE icon

    ANGLE

     1 like

    The goal of ANGLE is to allow users of multiple operating systems to seamlessly run WebGL and other OpenGL ES content by translating OpenGL ES API calls to one of the hardware-supported APIs available for that platform. ANGLE currently provides translation from OpenGL ES 2.0, 3.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
    ANGLE screenshot 1
     

    • ANGLE is the most popular iPhone, iPad & Android Tablet alternative to OpenGL.

    • ANGLE is Free and Open SourceOpenGL is also Free and Open Source
  9. Crystal Space icon

    Crystal Space

     Like

    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).

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Yo Frankie!
     
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    1
    Comments about Crystal Space as an Alternative to OpenGL
    Guest
    Negative
    -1

    Crystal Space is a software using 3D rendering/drawing APIs. OpenGL is a rendering/drawing API.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    OpenGL Icon
    Crystal Space icon
    • Crystal Space is Free and Open SourceOpenGL is also Free and Open Source
  10. Allegro icon

    Allegro

     12 likes

    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.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • iPhone
     

  11. Mantle

     Like

    Mantle is a graphics API specification; the software component that makes it easy to apply programming techniques and optimizations written for consoles to PCs with Graphics Core Next (GCN) Architecture.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  12. GDI icon

    GDI

     3 likes

    GDI++.dll is a replacement for the Windows default font rasterizer, which gives you a better font-smoothing capability, just like Mac OS X.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    GDI screenshot 1
     
10 of 10 OpenGL alternatives