First things first: The following list is not a software repository, but rather a —somewhat— curated software directory of freeware fractal generators. Visitors will find brief reviews intended to give them a general idea of how these applications work and their basic capabilities. Screenshots accompany most of the titles, so they can preview the interfaces before installation. I took some of those screen captures years ago on older operating systems (which I no longer keep around), so the programs may look different in recent machines. If you wish to download and try any of them, I provide links to their respective web pages.
As I said, these applications are freeware. That doesn’t mean they are in the public domain —unless their authors explicitly state so. In any case, they retain all rights to their products. The list does not include shareware or other types of distributions; I moved those to the Software section of Fractal.nfo.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. I found these fractal generators and utilities while browsing the Internet. I’ve been using them for many years, for different reasons. Initially, it was a Windows-only index, but eventually I added Mac and Linux programs as I was able to test them personally. Later on, I started to include a few Android apps as well.
I moved old software that doesn’t run on today’s computers to an Outdated subsection (these old programs worked on Win9x/NT/Me/Vista, without long file name support). I’ve also added a Legacy page for software whose developers retired from their official websites. However, some third party collections may still list them or even offer them for download. In any case, if you’re concerned about working with older applications, check the last revision date first —or skip those two sections altogether.
Linux users can try to run Windows-based software using Wine or other similar program loaders. Users of Mac with Intel processors can try Apple’s Boot Camp to install a copy of Windows to run Windows generators, while users with M-series chips can use a suitable virtual machine (VM). The same applies to Windows users wanting to try non-Windows apps. But beware: These suggestions are for experts only. I cannot guarantee that the programs will run without issues, or even to load at all. So do this at your own risk. Do not attempt these suggestions if you don’t know what you are doing, if you’ve never tried those programs before, or if in doubt (if you lack experience basically). I’m not responsible if you get into trouble.
The list includes fractal generators, fractal music software, and some utilities, organized alphabetically. If you choose to download any of these applications, follow the links to their respective web pages. That will usually lead to information, screenshots, sample images, parameter files, and tutorials on how it works. If there is no URL —either because the website no longer exists or has been offline for some time— try to contact its author via e-mail (if desired).
There are surely more fractal generators and related applications out there —already known or waiting to be discovered— from the archaic QBASIC apps (now often in the public domain) to advanced GUI multimedia shareware or commercial suites, from the earliest experimental tools to the “under development” ones, not to mention those bundled with graphics editor packages or as stand-alone plug-in extras (one of which I’m also including in this list). It’s simply difficult to list them all, and nearly impossible to keep a directory like this up to date… at least for a single person with an ever-decreasing amount of free time like me. So don’t forget to use your favorite search engine with terms like “fractal” and “software” to find many more.
Very important: this site focuses on the artistic side of fractals, not on their mathematical study. Therefore, these applications are primarily intended for creating pictures or music, not for analyzing fractals as mathematical models or conducting in-depth experimentation (though many of them could be used that way regardless).
A special note for programmers: some of these generators are open source, or at least their code is available via their authors’ websites or upon request. Look for such indications in the reviews.
This list was last revised and updated on Wednesday 2025.05.21.
Contents
Use the following links to navigate through the pages and categories:
Software index:
More info…
Visit GitHub website to find a 1000+ entries regarding fractal-related topics.