Plate 05 Guide
Fractal art software: free and paid programs compared
There is no single best fractal program. The right choice depends on the family of fractal you like. Check each program's own site for current versions, prices and system requirements, because these change.
Three kinds of program
Most fractal software falls into one of three groups: 2D explorers for escape time fractals such as the Mandelbrot set, 3D renderers for forms such as the Mandelbulb, and editors for fractal flames. Some programs cross groups.
2D explorers
- Ultra Fractal. A long running commercial program for layered 2D fractal art with formulas, gradients and compositing.
- XaoS. A free, open source, real time zoomer that is smooth even on modest hardware.
- Kalles Fraktaler 2. A free Windows program known for very deep Mandelbrot zooms.
- Fractint. A historic DOS program from the late 1980s. It is mainly of interest to people who want to see where the hobby began.
3D fractal renderers
Mandelbulber is an open source renderer for 3D fractals that runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Mandelbulb3D is a free Windows program that helped popularise the Mandelbulb. Both can take a long time to render a large image, so expect minutes to hours for a print sized picture.
Flame editors
Apophysis, a free Windows editor, introduced many people to flames, although it is no longer actively developed. JWildfire is a free Java based editor, Fractorium is a free renderer that can use the graphics card, and Chaotica is a commercial flame program. The older flam3 renderer is still the reference for the algorithm.
Free online generators
Many websites draw the Mandelbrot and Julia sets in the browser with WebGL. They need no installation and are the easiest way to try the idea. Their limits are usually resolution, zoom depth and export options, so treat them as a way to explore and move to a desktop program when you want a large render.
How to choose
- What do you want to make? Spirals and filaments point to a 2D explorer, glowing ribbons to a flame editor and sculpted landscapes to a 3D renderer.
- What computer do you have? Check whether there is a version for your system and whether the graphics card is used.
- How large will the output be? Look for export at high resolution, supersampling for smooth edges and a way to save parameters so you can re-render later.
- Is there a trial or a free version? Try before you buy.
When you have a program, the step by step guide shows a workflow that works in most of them.