SDL Alternatives

SDL is described as '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' and is a graphics library in the development category. There are more than 25 alternatives to SDL for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Web-based and Android apps. The best SDL alternative is Godot Engine, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like SDL are Redot Engine, Vulkan, microStudio and Bevy Game Engine.

SDL iconSDL
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Simple DirectMedia Layer is a cross-platform multimedia library designed to provide low level access to audio, keyboard,...

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SDL alternatives page was last updated Oct 4, 2024
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Alternatives
  1. Godot Engine icon

    Godot Engine

     548 likes
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    Godot Engine is a feature-packed, cross-platform game engine to create 2D and 3D games from a unified interface. It provides a comprehensive set of common tools, so that users can focus on making games without having to reinvent the wheel.

    173 Godot Engine alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • AR flagArgentina

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • Epic Games Store
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Haiku
    • Steam
    • FreeBSD
    • Flatpak
    Godot Engine screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  3D Game Engine
    2.  2D Game Engine
    3.  Cross-Platform
    4.  GdScript
    5.  Portable
    6.  Simple installation
    7.  Built-in 3D model viewer
    8.  Intuitive Nodes
    9.  Multiple languages
    10.  Keyframe Animation
    11.  Works Offline
    12.  Community-based

    Godot Engine VS SDL

     
    Comments about Godot Engine as an Alternative to SDL
    IamPyu
    Negative •Jul 20, 2024
    0

    SDL is a 2D multimedia library, Godot is a fully-fledged game engine.

    SDL Icon
    Godot Engine icon

    • Godot Engine is the most popular Web-based, Windows, Android & Mac alternative to SDL.

    • Godot Engine is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to SDL.

    • Godot Engine is Free and Open SourceSDL is also Free and Open Source
    • Godot Engine is LightweightSDL is not according to our users
  2. Redot Engine icon

    Redot Engine

     13 likes
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    Redot Engine is a feature-packed, cross-platform fork of the Godot game engine to create 2D and 3D games from a unified interface. It provides a comprehensive set of common tools, so that users can focus on making games without having to reinvent the wheel.

    56 Redot Engine alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Redot Engine screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Ad-free
    2.  Cross-Platform
    3.  GdScript
    4.  3D Game Engine
    5.  2D Game Engine
    6.  Support for scripting
    7.  Portable
    8.  Works Offline
    9.  Dark Mode
    10.  No registration required
    11.  Keyframe Animation
    12.  Multiplayer

    Redot Engine VS SDL

     
  4. Vulkan icon

    Vulkan

     90 likes
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    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

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Chrome OS
    • Tizen OS
    • SteamOS
    Baldur's Gate 3

    Vulkan Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  OPENGL

    Vulkan VS SDL

     
    Comments about Vulkan as an Alternative to SDL
    Oktay Mercan
    Positive •Mar 8, 2020
    0

    New generation API(New Generation OpenGL) and support many popular platform android, windows, linux etc...

    Guest
    Negative •Apr 7, 2020
    5

    SDL is mainly a 2d library, and can handle window managment (user inputs). Vulkan is a 3d api and do not deal with window managment.

    SDL Icon
    Vulkan icon

    • This alternative is disputed. Vulkan is a legitimate SDL alternative, but it might have issues that some users think are important.

    • Vulkan is Free and Open SourceSDL is also Free and Open Source
  5. microStudio icon

    microStudio

     20 likes
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    microStudio is a free game engine online. Create games, learn programming, play, share, prototype and jam!.

    168 microStudio alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • FR flagFrance
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Raspberry Pi
    microStudio screenshot 1

    microStudio Features

    1.  Embedded tutorials
    2.  Real time collaboration
    3.  Multiple export options
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Works Offline

    microStudio VS SDL

     
  6. Bevy Game Engine icon

    Bevy Game Engine

     19 likes
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    A refreshingly simple data-driven game engine built in Rust. Free and Open Source Forever!

    132 Bevy Game Engine alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Bevy Game Engine screenshot 1

    Bevy Game Engine Features

    1.  3D Game Engine
    2.  Rust
    3.  2D Game Engine
    4.  Scene System

    Bevy Game Engine VS SDL

     
  7. Upbge icon

    Upbge

     10 likes
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    A extremely powerful application to make games in python as well as in visual programming.

    127 Upbge alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    Upbge screenshot 1

    Upbge Features

    1.  Visual Programming
    2.  3D Sculpting
    3.  No Coding Required
    4.  Portable
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  No registration required

    Upbge VS SDL

     
  9. DirectX icon

    DirectX

     41 likes
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    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

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Windows
    DirectX screenshot 1

    DirectX VS SDL

     
    Comments about DirectX as an Alternative to SDL
    Guest
    Negative •Jul 22, 2017
    0

    not so much cross plataform

    SDL Icon
    DirectX icon
    • DirectX is Free and ProprietarySDL is Free and Open Source
  10. WebGL icon

    WebGL

     24 likes
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    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.

    14 WebGL alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Online

    WebGL Features

    1.  OPENGL

    WebGL VS SDL

     
    Comments about WebGL as an Alternative to SDL
    Guest
    Negative •Jun 22, 2019
    4

    it's a graphics API, not a platform layer

    SDL Icon
    WebGL icon
    • WebGL is Free and Open SourceSDL is also Free and Open Source
  11. Moddio icon

    Moddio

     1 like
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    Moddio is a Multiplayer-First Game Engine. It has a built-in server-authoritative netcode, including snapshot interpolation and client-side reconciliation. It can support 50+ concurrent players or 300+ moving entities hosted on a $5/month VM.

    59 Moddio alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • Self-Hosted
    • WebApps
    Moddio screenshot 1
    Moddio screenshot 2
    Moddio screenshot 3

    Moddio Features

    1.  No Coding Required
    2.  Dark Mode
    3.  Multiplayer
    4.  3D Game Engine

    Moddio VS SDL

     

    • Moddio is the most popular Android Tablet & Self-Hosted alternative to SDL.

    • Moddio is Freemium and ProprietarySDL is Free and Open Source
    • Moddio is MultiplayerSDL is not according to our users
  12. ezEngine icon

    ezEngine

     4 likes
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    ezEngine is a free, open source game engine written in C++. Its philosophy is to be modular and flexible, such that it can be adapted to many different use cases. EZ utilizes a plugin system to integrate features such as FMOD or Jolt Physics.

    58 ezEngine alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    ezEngine screenshot 1

    Top ezEngine Features

    1.  Dark Mode
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Portable
    4.  Single player
    5.  Support for scripting
    6.  No registration required
    7.  No Coding Required
    8.  Works Offline
    9.  Scene System
    10.  Modular System
    11.  3D Game Engine
    12.  C++

    ezEngine VS SDL

     
  13. Allegro icon

    Allegro

     11 likes
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    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.

    34 Allegro alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • iPhone

    Allegro VS SDL

     

    • Allegro is the most popular iPhone alternative to SDL.

    • Allegro is Free and Open SourceSDL is also Free and Open Source
  14. CrossBrowdy icon

    CrossBrowdy

     5 likes
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    Multimedia JavaScript framework to create real cross-platform and hybrid game engines, games, emulators, multimedia libraries and apps.

    31 CrossBrowdy alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    CrossBrowdy screenshot 1

    CrossBrowdy Features

    1.  2D Game Engine
    2.  Cross-Platform
    3.  Progressive Web App

    CrossBrowdy VS SDL

     
12 of 27 SDL alternatives