WebGL Alternatives

WebGL is described as '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' and is a graphics library in the development category. There are more than 10 alternatives to WebGL, not only websites but also apps for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, iPhone and BSD apps. The best WebGL alternative is OpenGL, which is both free and Open Source. Other great sites and apps similar to WebGL are Vulkan, microStudio, Bevy Game Engine and UPBGE.

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Alternatives list

  1. OpenGL icon

    OpenGL

     188 likes
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    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...

    10 OpenGL alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    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 is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to WebGL.

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

    • OpenGL is Free and Open SourceWebGL is also Free and Open Source
  2. Vulkan icon

    Vulkan

     95 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

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Chrome OS
    • Tizen OS
    • SteamOS
    • HarmonyOS
    • Nintendo Switch
    Baldur's Gate 3
     
  4. microStudio icon

    microStudio

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

    172 microStudio alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

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

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

    • microStudio is Free and Open SourceWebGL is also Free and Open Source
  6. UPBGE icon

    UPBGE

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

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Blender
    UPBGE screenshot 1
     
  7. DirectX icon

    DirectX

     42 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

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    DirectX screenshot 1
     
  9. SDL icon

    SDL

     35 likes
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    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...

    33 SDL alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

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

    • SDL is the most popular iPad alternative to WebGL.

    • SDL is Free and Open SourceWebGL is also Free and Open Source
  10. Allegro icon

    Allegro

     12 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.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • iPhone
     
  11. Metal icon

    Metal

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    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 WebGL.

    • Metal is Paid and ProprietaryWebGL is Free and Open Source
  12. Amethyst Game Engine icon

    Amethyst Game Engine

     4 likes
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    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
     
  13. ANGLE icon

    ANGLE

     1 like
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    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 Android Tablet alternative to WebGL.

    • ANGLE is Free and Open SourceWebGL is also Free and Open Source
  14. GLFW icon

    GLFW

     6 likes
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    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.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
     
12 of 14 WebGL alternatives