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.

GLFW is written in C and supports Windows, macOS, X11 and Wayland.

GLFW is licensed under the zlib/libpng license.


Gives you a window and OpenGL context with just two function calls
Support for OpenGL, OpenGL ES, Vulkan and related options, flags and extensions
Support for multiple windows, multiple monitors, high-DPI and gamma ramps
Support for keyboard, mouse, gamepad, time and window event input, via polling or callbacks
Comes with a tutorial, guides and reference documentation, examples and test programs
Open Source with an OSI-certified license allowing commercial use
Access to native objects and compile-time options for platform specific features
Community-maintained bindings for many different languages

No library can be perfect for everyone. If GLFW isn’t what you’re looking for, there are alternatives.

Version 3.3.8 released

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GLFW 3.3.8 is available for download.

This is a bug fix release. It adds fixes for issues on all supported platforms.

Version 3.3.7 released

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GLFW 3.3.7 is available for download.

This is a bug fix release. It adds fixes for issues on all supported platforms.

Version 3.3.6 released

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GLFW 3.3.6 is available for download.

This is a bug fix release. It adds fixes for issues on Windows, macOS and X11.

See the news archive for older posts.