# Shaderific - OpenGL editor — Shader development with GLSL

> Mobile GLSL shader development and prototyping tool. (iPhone/iPad app by Gryphos GmbH.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shaderific-opengl-editor/id510588451 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Gryphos GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/457550333)
- Category: Education, Utilities
- Price: $49.99
- Rating: 4.30/5 from 4 App Store ratings · 23 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 14.1 · 42 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2012-04-13
- Data updated: 2026-06-05
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shaderific-opengl-editor/id510588451/reviews.md

## What is Shaderific?

Get started with OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenGL ES 3.0 shader development on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch today. Create your own vertex and fragment shaders using the OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL) and compile them on your mobile device. Tweak your shader code and the values of the uniforms and see the effects immediately. 

Wether you are an experienced developer or a beginner, Shaderific is a powerful and fun tool to work on your shaders on the go or to do some prototyping on the couch.


GLSL REFERENCE
- Built-in reference for the OpenGL Shading Language
- Detailed descriptions of all GLSL data types, qualifiers, variables, constants, statements and functions
- Context-sensitive help for all GLSL keywords providing a description and usage examples (iPad)

EDITOR
- Code completion for keywords, functions and user-defined variables (on pressing the tab key)
- Syntax highlighting with customizable colors
- Line numbers and error highlighting
- 9 fonts in 9 sizes (6 monospaced, 3 proportional)
- Three customizable predefined themes (default, light, dark)
- Keyboard extension with frequently used keys on iPad
- Improved undo / redo support

SHADERS
- 28 built-in shaders ranging from simple lighting and procedural coloring to normal mapping and procedural noise generation
- Change the values of the built-in parameters and uniforms without interrupting the render loop and see the effects immediately
- Import shader files with Dropbox or iTunes Document Sharing

OBJECTS
- 30 objects including 3 polygons, 6 polyhedrons, 7 parametric surfaces and 14 real-life items (teapot, watering can, chair, trumpet, etc.)
- Resolution of real-life objects ranges from 500 to 300,000 faces (triangles) 
- Resolution of the parametric surfaces can be changed to see how this affects the quality of the rendered object
- Import objects in the Wavefront object format (.obj files)
- Export objects as header files

DRAW INSTANCED
Draw multiple instances of the same object using the newly introduced functionality

PARTICLE SYSTEMS
- Particle systems with spherical and cubic shape
- Adjustable number of particles between 1,000 and 100,000
 
TEXTURES
- 26 textures including 4 patterns, 4 earth maps, 6 normal maps and 2 cubemaps
- Import textures in JPEG, PNG, TIFF, GIF and BMP format
- Import supports texture2D textures as well as cubemaps

FRAMEBUFFER TEXTURE
Framebuffer texture containing the previously rendered frame

STEREOSCOPY
Anaglyph 3D red-cyan rendering option for all shaders

VIDEO SUPPORT
- Camera texture with video stream from the built-in cameras
- Uniform with face bounds for up to 5 faces (face detection)
- Movie textures with imported movie files
- Video recording with automatic export to the photo library

FULL SCREEN MODE
- Full screen mode for image processing (e.g. texture blending)
- Hiding the menu and status bar on double tap

MULTITOUCH SUPPORT
- Multitouch support with a uniform array in the shader programs
- Coordinates for up to 10/5 simultaneous touches on iPad/iPhone

DROPBOX SUPPORT
- Import / export shader files
- Import objects (Wavefront .obj files)  
- Import textures (jpeg, png, tiff, gif, bmp)
- Import movies (m4v)
- Export objects as header files with vertex, normal and face data

PHOTO LIBRARY
- Import images / movies
- Export recorded videos

FILE SHARING
- Open shader files in other iOS apps
- iTunes Document Sharing

EXTERNAL KEYBOARD
Full support for external bluetooth keyboards

SETTINGS (PARAMETERS AND UNIFORMS)
The built-in parameters and uniforms can be changed in the settings menu without interrupting the render loop.

Parameters:
- Frame rate
- Scaling
- Object resolution (parametric surfaces)
- Number of particles (particle systems)
- Number of instances (draw_instanced)
- Video resolution
- Video playback frame rate
- Stereo anaglyph red-cyan
- Stereo intensitiy
- Global rotation (axis and velocity)
- Object rotation (axis and velocity)

## Key features

- GLSL shader development
- Real-time parameter tweaking
- Built-in GLSL reference
- Code completion and syntax highlighting
- Import/export shaders and objects
- Particle systems
- Video texture support

## Recent user reviews (10 of 23)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shaderific-opengl-editor/id510588451/reviews.md

### 3/5 — Great App, Needs Maintenance

*2020-03-10*

I’m getting into shader art for fun, and it’s been wonderful to be able to run my experiments from the couch! This app will become an essential part of my day-to-day practice if it’s still being supported by the developer.

The “Request Feature” and “Report Bug” tools in the app are broken, so I’ll use this instead and hope the message gets through! A few thoughts and issues:
- I can’t easily render to a high-res 1:1 rect for pixel shader art. I’d like something similar to the Shadertoy setup out of the box.
- I named one of my shaders “3.10.20 - Circles” and the app crashed, and now I can’t see that shader in the list of shaders in the app. I like to name all my creative projects with the date, but at least special characters should be handled gracefully!
- The code editor needs some love. Specifically, auto-indentation for new lines is a standard feature users expect in a code editor, and having an easy way to comment and uncomment lines is critical – ideally cmd+/ on an attached keyboard.

An app like Shaderific is well worth $10 (or more), though I’d be wary of investing in this one if it’s not going to see further active development.

**Developer response:** Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. Please check out the latest update which adresses most of the issues.
Could you please contact me via https://www.shaderific.com/contact regarding the shader art topic. I do not yet fully understand what you have in mind.

### 5/5 — Great app!

*2018-11-01, version 4.3*

I love this app! Can use it as an offline shader toy on long distance flights ❤️❤️❤️

### 5/5 — Great for prototyping on-the-go!

*2018-01-27, version 4.3*

Very cool!

### 5/5 — Text input fixed on iphone 6

*2017-06-10*

The new update has fixed all the issues with writing shaders on the iphone 6. Which means the app is now exactly what I need to kill time on my commute. Awesome!

**Developer response:** Thank you for your feedback! The problem has been fixed with the latest update. I would be happy if you would give Shaderific another try...😀

### 5/5 — Best GLSL editor for mobile

*2017-05-16*

I've been using this app constantly to experiment with shaders, with 3D models and even full screen running the built in camera to a texture and writing camera effects.  It works on my phone as well so I sometimes play with ideas while I am out and inspired!  The developer has been awesome, adding several feature requests I emailed in.  I love it!

### 4/5 — Looks very interesting

*2016-11-01, version 4.0.1*

it crashes when i lmport obj exported from blender

### 4/5 — Great App

*2015-01-23, version 3.4.1*

Very handy for trying out little ideas on the go. The interface is always going to be a bit of a challenge on a phone sized screen, but it does the job.

### 5/5 — Fantastic app for learning/writing GLSL on the go!

*2014-07-22, version 3.3.1*

I bought this app so that I could learn glsl and play with it as a source for entertainment while not on my computer. This app does a spectacular job at teaching glsl to newbies such as me. It gives you full access to the vertex/fragment shader and has a wide variety of uniforms and models to use as you wish. I would highly recommend it to anybody looking to pickup glsl or if you are experienced at it, this app will give you pretty much the same development environment as you would have on a full fledged desktop PC.

### 5/5 — Excellent

*2014-06-01*

Very impressed. Has lots of options and cool features.

### 3/5 — Buggy

*2014-03-31*

I bought this for the frame-buffer feature but ui doesn't work.  The example works but there is no place in the menus to set that up and even duplicating the frame-buffer example causes the duplicate to break.  The color pickers are all cut off on the top as well.  Otherwise great I just need to see these two issues fixed then I would rate 5 stars.

## Frequently asked questions about Shaderific

### What is Shaderific's learning methodology?

Shaderific supports learning through practical application. It provides a built-in reference for GLSL, context-sensitive help, and immediate visual feedback as you write and modify shader code. This hands-on approach allows users to experiment and learn by doing.

### How does Shaderific track user progress?

Shaderific does not explicitly track user progress in a formal learning sense. Its focus is on providing a tool for development and prototyping. Users can save their shader projects and objects, allowing them to revisit and continue their work at any time.

### Does Shaderific offer certifications?

Shaderific does not offer any formal certifications. It is a development tool designed to aid in the creation and understanding of shaders, rather than an educational platform that provides credentials.

### What is the price of Shaderific?

Shaderific is a paid application priced at $49.99. This one-time purchase grants access to all of its features for shader development.

### How often is Shaderific updated?

Shaderific was last updated on January 15, 2025, indicating recent development activity. The latest version is 5.3.

### What devices is Shaderific compatible with?

Shaderific is compatible with iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches. It is suitable for users on Apple's mobile operating system.

### What is the age rating for Shaderific?

Shaderific has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users. This indicates that it does not contain content typically considered inappropriate for younger audiences.

### What do users like most about Shaderific?

Based on its rating of 4.3 stars, users likely appreciate Shaderific's powerful features for shader development on mobile, including its real-time feedback, extensive GLSL reference, and the ability to prototype on the go. The comprehensive editor and included assets are also probable highlights.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 5.3 — 2025-01-15

Updated for iOS 18

### 5.2.1 — 2021-03-19

Bug fixes and minor improvements

### 5.2 — 2021-03-08

- Improved file import functionality using iOS File Browser
- Access to local device storage, iCloud and third-party storage providers (e.g. Dropbox)
- Support of dark mode as part of the editor themes
- Replaced custom color picker with iOS Color Picker
- Changeable tint color as part of the editor themes
- Improved line numbering
- Bug fixes and minor improvements

### 5.1 — 2020-09-19

Now with full support for iOS 14

Bug fixes and minor improvements

### 5.0 — 2020-06-12

Now with full support for iOS 13 and external pointing devices on iPad

Improvements to the code editor:
- Support for commenting (see shortcuts)
- Support for auto-indentation of new lines
- Tab / backspace are now aware of indentation levels 
- Highlighting of matching braces
- Auto-completion of opening braces
- Auto-deletion of neighboring matching braces 
- Automatic removal of trailing spaces when hitting enter
- Shader files are always terminated with a newline character

Shortcut support for external keyboards:
- Undo / redo with ⌘Z and ⌘⇧Z (remapping to default shortcuts)
- Commenting with ⌘/
- Enabling / disabling split view with ⌃⌥⌘↓ and ⌃⌥⌘↑
- Switching between vertex and fragment shader with ⌃⌥⌘← and ⌃⌥⌘→

Bug fixes and minor improvements:
- Open contact form on website for feedback if the user has no active email account
- Fixed crash when using dots in the shader file name
- Fixed several layout issues

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## More apps by Gryphos GmbH

- [BlockJockey](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blockjockey/id1028308702)
- [Shaderific for Metal](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shaderific-for-metal/id1574694877)
- [bohliö • Your travel companion](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bohlio-your-travel-companion/id6468846360)

All apps by Gryphos GmbH: https://appshunter.io/developer/457550333

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-05.*
