Difference between WebGL and OpenGL

Both WebGL and OpenGL are graphics libraries and is developed by the same group i.e, Khronos Group in 2011 and 1992 respectively. Both libraries are used for making interactive 2D and 3D graphic images. WebGL is developed in JavaScript and is being used in HTML Canvas element so it is quite easy to use it in JavaScript and HTML and OpenGL is written in C language. Let us see on what factors both the libraries are different from each other.

WebGL

WebGL stands for “Web Graphics Library”. This is JavaScript API to make interactive 2D and 3D graphics without any use of plugins within any browser. It was developed by Khronos Group in 2011 and is written in JavaScript. Companies that use WebGL are Scale, HHEY, PlayCanvas, and many more.

Features

• It supports vertex and fragment shaders.
• It has a data visualization feature.
• It has a cross-platform development feature.

Advantages

• It is easy to learn and then develop the applications.
• There is no need to use the plugins.
• Complex visualization is possible based on data availability.
• It supports automatic memory management.

Disadvantages

• One needs to use 2D texture to render the images in 3D.
• One needs to learn the use of buffers and shaders to use WebGL.
• It has fewer features.

OpenGL

OpenGL stands for “Open Graphics Library”. This API is used to interact with the graphics processing unit (GPU) by the developers. It was developed by Khronos Group and Silicon Graphics in 1992 and is written in C language. Companies that use OpenGL are TikTok, Intel, Qualcomm, and many more.

Features

• It has geometry shaders and computes shaders.
• It has texture image formats.
• It has a texture that replaces the environmental function.
• It has an animation and rendering package.

Advantages

• It has many features that include WebGL in it.
• Its speed is the main advantage of OpenGL.
• It provides stability and offers reliability in the applications.

Disadvantages

• It is easy to learn but only when a person is familiar with WebGL. So, prior knowledge of WebGL is required.
• For a beginner, it is difficult.
• It does not have its own hardware palette.

Difference between WebGL and OpenGL:

	WebGL	OpenGL
Developed	It was developed by the Khronos Group in 2011.	It was developed by the Khronos Group and Silicon Graphics in 1992.
Application	It is used for web applications.	It is used in desktop applications.
Usage	It is used for browsers. It is used in web applications.	It is used to install the software. It is used in many video games.
Language	It is written in JavaScript.	It is written in C language.
Learning Curve	Due to the absence of certain features, it has less learning curve.	Due to the presence of an abundance of features, it has a big learning curve.
Pipeline	There is no fixed function pipeline.	There is a fixed function pipeline.
Features	It supports vertex and fragment shaders.	It has geometry shaders and computes shaders.

Conclusion

Both the terms, OpenGL and WebGL are related to graphics. Both graphics libraries are used to render 2D and 3D graphics. WebGL is easy to learn and is easy to use in JavaScript and HTML as it is also being used in the HTML Canvas elements. OpenGL and WebGL both have many features. So, the selection should purely be based on the requirements of the organization after looking deep into the advantages and disadvantages of the library.