Vulkan AlternativesGraphics Libraries and other similar apps like Vulkan

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

Vulkan iconVulkan
  92
  • ...

Vulkan is a new generation graphics and compute API that provides high-efficiency, cross-platform access to modern GPUs...

More about Vulkan
More about Vulkan
Vulkan alternatives page was last updated Jun 17, 2025
Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard
  1. OpenGL icon

    OpenGL

     183 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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...

    11 OpenGL alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    Project64 (Nintendo 64 emulator) with the Glide64 video plugin (which uses OpenGL) playing Super Mario 64.

    OpenGL VS Vulkan

     

    • Almost everyone thinks OpenGL is a great Vulkan alternative.

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

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

    • OpenGL is Free and Open SourceVulkan is also Free and Open Source
  2. DirectX icon

    DirectX

     41 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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 Vulkan

     
  4. WebGL icon

    WebGL

     24 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Online

    WebGL Features

    1.  OPENGL

    WebGL VS Vulkan

     

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

    • WebGL is Free and Open SourceVulkan is also Free and Open Source
  5. SDL icon

    SDL

     34 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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...

    29 SDL alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Windows Mobile
    • iPhone
    • Symbian S60
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Haiku

    SDL Features

    1.  Drawing 2D
    2.  Extensible window manager

    SDL VS Vulkan

     
    Comments about SDL as an Alternative to Vulkan
    aaronfranke
    Negative Jun 30, 2018
    0

    SDL handles everything (input, sound, files) and wraps around graphics APIs like Vulkan. Not the same thing.

    Vulkan Icon
    SDL icon

    • SDL is the most popular iPad alternative to Vulkan.

    • SDL is Free and Open SourceVulkan is also Free and Open Source
  6. Metal icon

    Metal

     Like
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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...

    License model

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Metal screenshot 1

    Metal VS Vulkan

     

    • Metal is the most popular commercial alternative to Vulkan.

    • Metal is Paid and ProprietaryVulkan is Free and Open Source
  7. Allegro icon

    Allegro

     12 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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 Vulkan

     
  9. ModernGL icon

    ModernGL

     1 like
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    OpenGL is a great environment for developing portable, platform independent, interactive 2D and 3D graphics applications. The API implementation in Python is cumbersome, resulting in applications with high latency.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    ModernGL screenshot 1

    ModernGL Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  OPENGL

    ModernGL VS Vulkan

     
  10. ANGLE icon

    ANGLE

     Like
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

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

    ANGLE Features

    1.  OPENGL
    2.  WebGL

    ANGLE VS Vulkan

     

    • ANGLE is the most popular Android Tablet alternative to Vulkan.

    • ANGLE is Free and Open SourceVulkan is also Free and Open Source
  11. PyOpenGL icon

    PyOpenGL

     3 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Python bindings for OpenGL API.

    5 PyOpenGL alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    PyOpenGL Features

    1.  OPENGL

    PyOpenGL VS Vulkan

     
  12. Crystal Space icon

    Crystal Space

     Like
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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).

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Yo Frankie!
    Discontinued

    Discontinued since July 2012 : http://www.crystalspace3d.org/main/Download

    Crystal Space Features

    1.  Games library

    Crystal Space VS Vulkan

     
10 of 10 Vulkan alternatives