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GTK

A free and open-source cross-platform widget toolkit for creating graphical user interface

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GTK is a free and open-source cross-platform widget toolkit for building graphical user interfaces, maintained by GNOME. It provides a comprehensive set of core widgets such as buttons, windows, and toolbars, along with an API designed to support projects ranging from small tools to full application suites. GTK is built on GLib for fundamental data types and system integration, and is released under the GNU Lesser General Public License.

GTK supports language bindings and wrappers for C, JavaScript, Perl, Python, Rust, Vala, and C++, with official GNOME bindings offering API stability and time-based releases. It runs on Linux, Windows, and macOS, with hardware-accelerated rendering, high DPI/4K support, UTF-8 Unicode localization, native look and feel, theme support, and gesture handling for pointer and touch input. Downloads are available in stable, unstable, and old stable versions.

GTK is aimed at developers building desktop applications across platforms, from individual tools to larger suites. It is distributed as free and open-source software with no paid editions, seat-based licensing, or usage-based pricing.

12 alternatives to GTK

Ranked by how well each tool replaces GTK: shared features, audience, price and popularity.

  1. Glade

    A User Interface Designer

    Covers 0 of 14 key features and has a free plan.

    Free planOpen source
    65 out of 100 matchFree

  2. wxWidgets

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    Covers 3 of 14 key features.

    Open source
    63 out of 100 match—

  3. GIMP

    The Free & Open Source Image Editor

    Covers 0 of 14 key features and has a free plan.

    Free planOpen source
    62 out of 100 matchFree

  4. GNUstep

    Frameworks and tools for building portable GUI desktop and server applications

    Covers 3 of 14 key features.

    Open source
    61 out of 100 match—

  5. Pencil Project

    An open-source GUI prototyping tool that's available for ALL platforms.

    Covers 2 of 14 key features and has a free plan.

    Free planOpen source
    60 out of 100 matchFree

  6. FontForge

    A free and open-source outline font editor

    Covers 2 of 14 key features and has a free plan.

    Free planOpen source
    57 out of 100 matchFree

  7. Kivy

    The open source Python app development framework for building and distributing cross‑page

    Covers 2 of 14 key features and has a free plan.

    Free planOpen source
    57 out of 100 match$5/mo

  8. Gmsh

    A three-dimensional finite element mesh generator with built-in pre- and post-processing

    Covers 3 of 14 key features and has a free plan.

    Free planOpen source
    57 out of 100 matchContact sales

  9. Slint

    Declarative GUI toolkit for Rust, C++, JavaScript and Python

    Covers 2 of 14 key features and has a free plan.

    Free planOpen source
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  10. LibreCAD

    Free Open Source 2D-CAD

    Covers 2 of 14 key features and has a free plan.

    Free planOpen source
    56 out of 100 matchContact sales

  11. KiCad

    A Cross Platform and Open Source PCB Design Suite

    Covers 2 of 14 key features and has a free plan.

    Free planOpen source
    56 out of 100 matchFree

  12. KediCAD

    CAD, CAM and FEA software for Linux, available in 2D and 3D versions.

    Covers 1 of 14 key features and has a free plan.

    Free plan
    56 out of 100 matchFree