1 min readFree

WebGL Fluid Simulation

A real-time fluid simulation that swirls bright colours under your mouse or finger, and it is very hard to stop playing with.

// at a glance

Is WebGL Fluid Simulation free?
Free. Yes. WebGL Fluid Simulation is free to use, with no paid plan.
Category
#Art
Website
paveldogreat.github.io ↗
WebGL Fluid Simulation website

What is WebGL Fluid Simulation?

WebGL Fluid Simulation is a browser toy by developer Pavel Dobryakov. Drag across the screen and bright streams of colour pour out and swirl like ink in water, curling into eddies and slowly fading. It runs a real fluid physics solver on your graphics card, so it reacts smoothly and looks different every time, even on a phone.

Pavel released it as an open source project on GitHub in 2017 under the MIT license, and it has since gathered more than 16,000 stars and inspired many copies and ports. Kottke featured it, and it gets shared again and again as one of the most satisfying pages on the web. A settings panel lets you change things like bloom, vorticity and colour, or pause the flow and take a screenshot.

What You Can Do

  • Stir glowing fluid with your mouse or finger
  • Real-time physics running on your GPU
  • Settings for bloom, sunrays, vorticity and colour
  • Pause the simulation and take a screenshot
  • Works on desktop and mobile browsers

How to Play WebGL Fluid Simulation

  1. Open the WebGL Fluid Simulation page.
  2. Click and drag, or swipe on a phone, to stir the fluid.
  3. Open the controls panel to change the look.
  4. Press Space to add random splats of colour.

Is WebGL Fluid Simulation Free?

The browser version is completely free and open source. The page links to a separate paid mobile app by the same developer, but you never need it to play here.

Who Will Enjoy It?

  • Anyone who needs a calming, satisfying distraction
  • Graphics programmers curious about fluid solvers
  • Kids who love swirling colours
  • Designers looking for visual inspiration

Websites Like WebGL Fluid Simulation

  • Silk: Another relaxing generative art toy driven by your mouse.
  • Sandboxels: A physics sandbox with hundreds of elements to play with.
  • Patatap: Bursts of colour and sound triggered by your keyboard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is WebGL Fluid Simulation free?

Yes. The browser version is free and open source with no sign-up. A paid mobile app exists separately but is optional.

Does it work on phones?

Yes. You can swipe with your finger on most modern phones and tablets.

Can I use the code?

Yes. It is on GitHub under the MIT license.

Try WebGL Fluid Simulation