Alternatives to SDL logo

Alternatives to SDL

OpenGL, Qt, Electron, JavaFX, and pygame are the most popular alternatives and competitors to SDL.
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What is SDL and what are its top alternatives?

It is a cross-platform development library designed to provide low level access to audio, keyboard, mouse, joystick, and graphics hardware via OpenGL and Direct3D.
SDL is a tool in the Cross-Platform Desktop Development category of a tech stack.

Top Alternatives to SDL

  • OpenGL
    OpenGL

    It is a cross-language, cross-platform application programming interface for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. The API is typically used to interact with a graphics processing unit, to achieve hardware-accelerated rendering. ...

  • Qt
    Qt

    Qt, a leading cross-platform application and UI framework. With Qt, you can develop applications once and deploy to leading desktop, embedded & mobile targets. ...

  • Electron
    Electron

    With Electron, creating a desktop application for your company or idea is easy. Initially developed for GitHub's Atom editor, Electron has since been used to create applications by companies like Microsoft, Facebook, Slack, and Docker. The Electron framework lets you write cross-platform desktop applications using JavaScript, HTML and CSS. It is based on io.js and Chromium and is used in the Atom editor. ...

  • JavaFX
    JavaFX

    It is a set of graphics and media packages that enables developers to design, create, test, debug, and deploy rich client applications that operate consistently across diverse platforms. ...

  • pygame
    pygame

    It is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. It includes computer graphics and sound libraries designed to be used with the Python programming language. ...

  • Qt5
    Qt5

    It is a full development framework with tools designed to streamline the creation of applications and user interfaces for desktop, embedded, and mobile platforms. ...

  • Element
    Element

    Element is a Vue 2.0 based component library for developers, designers and product managers, with a set of design resources. ...

  • Tauri
    Tauri

    It is a framework for building tiny, blazing fast binaries for all major desktop platforms. Developers can integrate any front-end framework that compiles to HTML, JS and CSS for building their user interface. The backend of the application is a rust-sourced binary with an API that the front-end can interact with. ...

SDL alternatives & related posts

OpenGL logo

OpenGL

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An environment for developing 2D and 3D graphics applications
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PROS OF OPENGL
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    CONS OF OPENGL
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      Qt logo

      Qt

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      A leading cross-platform application and UI framework
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      PROS OF QT
      • 17
        High Performance
      • 13
        Declarative, easy and flexible UI
      • 12
        Cross platform
      • 12
        Performance
      • 9
        Fast prototyping
      • 8
        Easiest integration with C++
      • 8
        Up to date framework
      • 7
        Python
      • 6
        Multiple license including Open Source and Commercial
      • 6
        Safe 2D Renderer
      • 5
        Great Community Support
      • 4
        HW Accelerated UI
      • 4
        Game Engine like UI system
      • 3
        No history of broken compatibility with a major version
      • 3
        JIT and QML Compiler
      • 3
        True cross-platform framework with native code compile
      • 3
        Reliable for industrial use
      • 3
        Pure C++
      • 3
        Been using it since the 90s - runs anywhere does it all
      • 2
        Open source
      • 2
        Easy Integrating to DX and OpenGL and Vulkan
      • 2
        From high to low level coding
      • 1
        Learning Curve
      • 1
        Great mobile support with Felgo add-on
      • 1
        Native looking GUI
      CONS OF QT
      • 5
        Paid
      • 4
        C++ is not so productive
      • 2
        Lack of community support
      • 1
        Lack of libraries
      • 1
        Not detailed documentation

      related Qt posts

      Electron logo

      Electron

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      Build cross platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS
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      PROS OF ELECTRON
      • 69
        Easy to make rich cross platform desktop applications
      • 53
        Open source
      • 14
        Great looking apps such as Slack and Visual Studio Code
      • 8
        Because it's cross platform
      • 4
        Use Node.js in the Main Process
      CONS OF ELECTRON
      • 18
        Uses a lot of memory
      • 8
        User experience never as good as a native app
      • 4
        No proper documentation
      • 4
        Does not native
      • 1
        Each app needs to install a new chromium + nodejs
      • 1
        Wrong reference for dom inspection

      related Electron posts

      The Slack desktop app was originally written us the MacGap framework, which used Apple’s WebView to host web content inside of a native app frame. As this approach continued to present product limitations, Slack decided to migrate the desktop app to Electron. Electron is a platform that combines the rendering engine from Chromium and the Node.js runtime and module system. The desktop app is written as a modern ES6 + async/await React application.

      For the desktop app, Slack takes a hybrid approach, wherein some of the assets ship as part of the app, but most of their assets and code are loaded remotely.

      See more

      Slack's new desktop application was launched for macOS. It was built using Electron for a faster, frameless look with a host of background improvements for a superior Slack experience. Instead of adopting a complete-in-box approach taken by other apps, Slack prefers a hybrid approach where some of the assets are loaded as part of the app, while others are made available remotely. Slack's original desktop app was written using the MacGap v1 framework using WebView to host web content within the native app frame. But it was difficult to upgrade with new features only available to Apple's WKWebView and moving to this view called for a total application rewrite.

      Electron brings together Chromium's rendering engine with the Node.js runtime and module system. The new desktop app is now based on an ES6 + async/await React application is currently being moved gradually to TypeScript. Electron functions on Chromium's multi-process model, with each Slack team signed into a separate process and memory space. It also helps prevent remote content to directly access desktop features using a feature called WebView Element which creates a fresh Chromium renderer process and assigns rendering of content for its hosting renderer. Additional security can be ensured by preventing Node.js modules from leaking into the API surface and watching out for APIs with file paths. Communication between processes on Electron is carried out via electron-remote, a pared-down, zippy version of Electron's remote module, which makes implementing the web apps UI much easier.

      See more
      JavaFX logo

      JavaFX

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      A Java library for building Rich Internet Applications
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      PROS OF JAVAFX
      • 10
        Light
      CONS OF JAVAFX
      • 1
        Community support less than qt
      • 1
        Complicated

      related JavaFX posts

      Shared insights
      on
      JavaFXJavaFXElectronElectron

      I create desktop applications that use a database for storing data. My applications are used as management tools in supermarkets, stores, warehouses, and other places. I don't know which one to use; Electron or JavaFX. Can anyone advise me on this matter?

      See more
      pygame logo

      pygame

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      Open Source python programming language library for making multimedia applications
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      PROS OF PYGAME
      • 3
        Easy to install
      • 1
        Simple
      • 1
        Lightweigt by only being 12 mb
      CONS OF PYGAME
      • 2
        Has only 2d
      • 1
        Slow

      related pygame posts

      Qt5 logo

      Qt5

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      A free and open-source widget toolkit
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      PROS OF QT5
      • 2
        Easy to learn and use
      • 2
        Cross platform
      • 2
        Open source
      • 2
        C++
      • 2
        Very good documentation
      • 2
        Fast enough
      CONS OF QT5
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        related Qt5 posts

        Element logo

        Element

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        A Vue 2.0-based desktop UI library for developers, designers and PMs
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        PROS OF ELEMENT
        • 3
          Very complete solution
        CONS OF ELEMENT
        • 2
          Buggy in parts

        related Element posts

        Tauri logo

        Tauri

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        A framework for building tiny, blazing fast binaries for all major desktop platforms
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        PROS OF TAURI
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          CONS OF TAURI
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