ServerKit
Focus: server control panel, vps and deployment. Also in Workflows and Automation, like MetalForge. Free (MetalForge: Freemium). Adds Linux. Rated 4.7 (MetalForge: 4.5).
WebsiteFreeWeb, Linux
4.7Visit
Website
MetalForge
Generate beautiful SwiftUI Metal shaders by tweaking sliders — no MSL required.
Rating
4.5 / 5
Pricing
Freemium
Difficulty
Intermediate
Works on
Web
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is MetalForge?
MetalForge is a web-based shader generator for SwiftUI developers. Instead of hand-writing Metal Shading Language, you adjust sliders and visual controls to produce real, exportable .metal files with [[stitchable]] shaders ready to drop into a SwiftUI project. It bridges visual design and Metal performance, making custom shaders accessible to iOS and macOS developers who want polished visual effects without learning MSL first.
Pros: what MetalForge does well
- No MSL knowledge needed to create Metal shaders
- Exports real .metal files ready for SwiftUI
- Visual slider-driven workflow speeds up experimentation
Cons: where it falls short
- Output is SwiftUI/Metal specific; not useful for other frameworks
- Advanced customisation still benefits from shader knowledge
Who MetalForge is for
iOS, macOS and SwiftUI developers and designers who want custom Metal visual effects without writing shading language from scratch.
Who can skip it
Developers building for Android, web or cross-platform frameworks that do not use Apple's Metal pipeline.
MetalForge alternatives
Not sold on MetalForge? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
Composerize
Focus: docker, docker compose and devops. Also in Automation and Workflows, like MetalForge. Free (MetalForge: Freemium). Same 4.5 rating.
WebsiteFreeWeb, Cross-Platform
4.5Visit
Tally
Focus: forms, surveys and no-code. Also in Automation and Workflows, like MetalForge. A no-code tool, not a website. Rated 4.8 (MetalForge: 4.5).
No-Code ToolFree planWeb, Cross-Platform
4.8Visit
Superside
Focus: design service, AI design and creative operations. Also in Team Productivity and Workflows, like MetalForge. A web app, not a website. Expensive (MetalForge: Freemium). Rated 4.7 (MetalForge: 4.5).
Web AppExpensiveWeb
4.7Visit
Uptime Kuma
Focus: monitoring, uptime and status page. Also in Workflows and Team Productivity, like MetalForge. A web app, not a website. Free (MetalForge: Freemium). Rated 4.7 (MetalForge: 4.5).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.7Visit
Warp
Focus: terminal, developer tools and AI. Also in Workflows and Automation, like MetalForge. A desktop app, not a website. Adds macOS, Linux and Windows. Rated 4.7 (MetalForge: 4.5).
Desktop AppFree planmacOS, Linux
4.7Visit
Free alternatives to MetalForge
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
Colors Visualizer
Focus: color palette, design preview and brand design. Shares export with MetalForge. Free (MetalForge: Freemium). Rated 4.6 (MetalForge: 4.5).
WebsiteFreeWeb
4.6Visit
Gatus
Focus: monitoring, status page and uptime. Also in Team Productivity and Workflows, like MetalForge. A web app, not a website. Free (MetalForge: Freemium). Rated 4.6 (MetalForge: 4.5).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.6Visit
Healthchecks
Focus: cron, monitoring and scheduled jobs. Also in Automation and Workflows, like MetalForge. A web app, not a website. Free (MetalForge: Freemium). Rated 4.6 (MetalForge: 4.5).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.6Visit
Kestra
Focus: workflow automation, orchestration and scheduling. Also in Automation and Workflows, like MetalForge. An automation tool, not a website. Free (MetalForge: Freemium). Rated 4.6 (MetalForge: 4.5).
Automation ToolFreeWeb
4.6Visit
Random User Generator
Focus: api, test data and placeholder. Also in Workflows and Automation, like MetalForge. A web app, not a website. Free (MetalForge: Freemium). Rated 4.6 (MetalForge: 4.5).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.6Visit
Windmill
Focus: workflows, internal tools and cron jobs. Also in Automation and Workflows, like MetalForge. An automation tool, not a website. Free (MetalForge: Freemium). Rated 4.6 (MetalForge: 4.5).
Automation ToolFreeWeb
4.6Visit
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