# glfw/glfw

A multi-platform library for OpenGL, OpenGL ES, Vulkan, window and input

Repository: https://github.com/glfw/glfw
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/glfw
Homepage: https://www.glfw.org
Language: C
License: Zlib
License Family: permissive
Topics: vulkan, opengl, c, linux, macos, windows, unix, opengl-es
Last push: 2026-08-04T16:34:20+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 85/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 96, release rhythm 63, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4885, "days_push": 29, "days_rel": 33, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 1}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 15286, forks 5924 (observed 2026-08-28T04:11:09.514059+00:00)

## What it is
GLFW is a multi-platform C library for creating windows, OpenGL/OpenGL ES contexts and Vulkan surfaces, and handling input and events. It provides a thin, platform-independent API supporting Windows, macOS, and Linux (X11 and Wayland).

## Use cases
- create a window with an OpenGL context in C or C++
- handle keyboard, mouse, and gamepad input in a graphics application
- create a Vulkan surface for rendering
- build cross-platform desktop graphics demos
- enumerate monitors and video modes
- support high-DPI and multiple windows in a rendering app

## When to choose
- you need a minimal, permissively licensed (zlib) windowing and input layer for OpenGL, OpenGL ES, or Vulkan
- you want broad platform support including Wayland and X11
- you want a small C library with bindings for many languages

## When to avoid
- you need image loading, sound, font rendering, or GUI widgets - GLFW deliberately excludes these
- you are building a full game and want an engine with more built-in features
- you need mobile (Android/iOS) or web platform support

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: stable
- function: graphics, gui, game-engine
- domain: graphics, cross-platform, developer-tools
- platform: windows, cross-platform, cpp, c
- tags: opengl, vulkan, opengl-es, windowing, input-handling, gamepad, wayland, x11, c99, zlib-license, game-development, macos, linux

## Member repositories
- glfw/glfw (main) score 85

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:09.514059+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:06:23.420021+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/glfw/glfw (fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:09.514059+00:00, sha 4dc336415ef1)
  - homepage: https://www.glfw.org (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:21.012571+00:00, sha 6a98b8645e57)
  - site_page: https://www.glfw.org/documentation.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:21.021658+00:00, sha 7c28b30ee88d)
  - site_page: https://www.glfw.org/docs/latest/quick.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:21.023941+00:00, sha 3688ce623a56)
  - site_page: https://www.glfw.org/docs/latest (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:21.026726+00:00, sha 26e15356ea0e)
  - site_page: https://www.glfw.org/changelog.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:21.029300+00:00, sha d9de74163daa)
  - site_page: https://www.glfw.org/faq.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:21.033896+00:00, sha 815c7a4b6aaa)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.