OpenGLfor Windows

OpenGL is a free programming software program that allows for cross-platform 2D and 3D vector graphics programming in multiple languages. This programming software is one of the original APIs and can be downloaded for free on the OpenGL website.

Features

OpenGL functions primarily in hardware such as GPUs, allowing you to draw 2D and 3D graphics. The API is defined as a set of functions called by the client program, using language bindings to work with various programming languages. The OpenGL API is extremely simplistic and easy to use, making it an easy choice for new developers.

Drawbacks

OpenGL is a basic programming language and is less reliable for complex actions than its competitors. OpenGL is also considered to be outdated, but not yet obsolete as it is one of the original programming software. 

Competition

There aren’t as many different competitors for OpenGL, simply due to its efficiency, which follows a methodology of using the same tools until they break. The primary competitors are the modern-day APIs of DirectX and Vulkan.

DirectX is more than just a graphics API; it also governs sound, music, input, networking, and multimedia. The software is more general in its use and capabilities but less focused than OpenGL. DirectX also interacts more with system software and drivers than the hardware itself.

Whereas, Vulkan was produced by the same developer that originally created OpenGL. In some ways, the Vulkan API is a more open-ended software than OpenGL. However, OpenGL is more capable of doing simplistic actions and two-dimensional graphics manipulation.

Our take

OpenGL is an old but a solid graphics programming software API that allows developers to create simple 2D and 3D graphics. 

Should you download it?

Yes, if you’re looking to learn to program simple graphics.