Shadertoy

Shadertoy

Shadertoy is a website that allows users to create and share GLSL shaders. It has an online editor and gallery for experimenting with shader programming in an easy-to-use web interface.
Shadertoy screenshot

Shadertoy: Online Shader Editor and Gallery

Discover Shadertoy, a web-based platform for creating and sharing GLSL shaders, with an intuitive online editor and a vast gallery of community-created effects.

What is Shadertoy?

Shadertoy is an online community and tool for creating and sharing shaders. Users can write fragment shaders in GLSL and immediately see the results rendered in real-time. The site includes a basic code editor with syntax highlighting and automatic compilation and error checking.

The gallery features thousands of shaders created by the community, showcasing a wide range of graphics effects and algorithms. Users can view the code behind each shader and make their own edits and customizations. Comment threads allow for discussions about techniques and code snippets.

With its instant visual feedback and active community, Shadertoy has become a popular destination for both new and experienced shader programmers to learn, experiment, and exchange knowledge. The easy access from any modern web browser makes this one of the simplest ways to get started with shader coding.

Shadertoy Features

Features

  1. Online GLSL shader editor
  2. Built-in shader library and examples
  3. Ability to share and browse thousands of shaders created by the community
  4. Render shaders in real-time in the browser
  5. Supports WebGL 2.0 and OpenGL ES 3.0 shaders
  6. Integrated with VR headsets for immersive shader experiences
  7. Social features like comments, hearts, profiles
  8. Powerful compute shaders supported
  9. Mobile app available

Pricing

  • Free

Pros

Easy to get started with shaders without installing anything

Huge library of shaders to learn from

Active community of shader creators

Completely free with no limits

Runs shaders efficiently in the browser

Works across desktop and mobile

Cons

Limited to GLSL shaders only

No ability to save shader source offline

Some more advanced shader features not supported

Occasional bugs or performance issues

No offline tooling integration

Mobile app lags behind website

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