GIMP ~ v3.0.4
OS: Win/Linux/Mac
author: The GIMP Team
url: http://www.gimp.org
The GIMP isn’t exactly a fractal generator, but since it’s free and can render fractal images, I’ve included it in this list. As a graphics editor, GIMP is an excellent tool that everyone should have (it cost nothing, so it doesn’t hurt to have a copy). It’s also available for many platforms, including Windows, Macintosh and Linux. This editor comes with several plug-ins and filters that can produce beautiful fractals, among them: Fractal Explorer, to create fractals using several well-known formulas (Mandelbrot, Julia, Barnsley, Lambda, etc.); Cloud, for several types of cloud-like patterns; Flame, for fractal flames, and IFS Fractals, this one starts with the Sierpinski triangle. Look for all of them in the Filters > Render menu. The screenshot above shows the Fractal Explorer window.
Last revision: 18 May 2025.
iFractales ~ v1.2
OS: MacOS X
author: Software-DS
url: http://www.software-ds.com
iFractales is a simple program to draw Von Koch snowflake, Von Koch flowsnake, Sierpinski carpet, Sierpinski gasket, Fractal tree, Hilbert, Peano, Cantor’s castle, Sierpinski pentagon. The user can choose the color (for a simple program like this one, it has a wonderful set of color controls), the drawing mode (fill or stroke), and the fractal’s depth. You can save the picture as TIFF files. Available in French and English.
Last revision: 2006.
JWildfire ~ v8.50
OS: Win/MacOS/Linux/ + Java
author: Andreas Maschke
url: http://www.andreas-maschke.com
JWildfire is an interesting flame fractal explorer that’s packed with lots of options to play with. It’s similar to the well known Apophysis, but faster and easier to use. You can start from zero using the flame editor or use the random batch function to automatically generate a series of images that you can then tweak at will, or even pick some initial parameters and then proceed to generate a more specific batch. If you identify a nice image from that first iterated group (warning: as is to be expected, most random images aren’t that pleasant), you can select it and mutate it to produce a new series of pictures based on the first one. JWildfire then lets you work with the flame parameters (you can input the numbers or move around some triangles à la Apophysis to alter the image) and adjust several image-processing options, such as depth of field, brightness, contrast, anti-aliasing level, etc., to finish your composition. Both images and parameters can be saved: the former as PNG files by default (user can specify dimensions), and the latter as .flame or .xml for later reproduction or export to compatible programs. To run it, the program needs the Java Runtime machine previously installed on your computer. The software is open source.
Last revision: 25 December 2023.
Kalle’s Fraktaler 2+ ~ v2.15.5.2
OS: Win
author: Karl Runmo & Claude Heiland-Allen
url: https://mathr.co.uk/kf/kf.html
Kalle’s Fraktaler 2 claims to be capable of zooming deeper than any other program out there. I haven’t put it to the test thoroughly, but so far it seems to meet expectations in both speed and zoom depth. The interface is simple, but there are plenty of options and setting to customize through the menus. The default color scheme has a 3D shadowy/embossed-style look, but don’t be discouraged —you can switch to a more traditional palette for a familiar look similar to other generators. Images can be saved in various formats. A newer cross-platform version exists as fraktaler 3, but it currently has no color options (only black & white). Click HERE if you want to download it or HERE if you want to try the live web version first.
Last revision: 07 June 2022.
Mandelbrot Explorer ~ v3.4
OS: Win
author: J. R. Oakley
url: https://www.mandel.org.uk
Mandelbrot Explorer is a simple tool for navigating the Mandelbrot set. The module to generate the images and modify their parameters is simple and comes with few options. As such, it’s not ideal to create stunning artistic pictures, but it should be enough to produce nice pure fractal examples… if you’re patient. Maybe it’s because I’m not familiar with the program or because I haven’t read the documentation, but I didn’t like the tool to manage and edit the color palettes —like at all. It’s promising, I have to admit it, with color layering and such. Certainly, in its current state there are better options, but it’s a nice generator nonetheless.
Last revision: December 2016.
ManpWin ~ v6.001
OS: Win
author: Paul de Leeuw
url: http://www.deleeuw.com.au/
Another Windows version of legendary FractInt. It’s an eternal work in progress, but unlike the previous WinFract, this one is a 32 and 64-bit application with true color and animation support. Pictures can be saved as PNG files, GIF for animations, and MPEG for video. FractInt color maps and parameters files seems to be compatible with this program.
Last revision: 09 April 2024.
Neptune & Triton ∼ v1.1.0
OS: Win/Linux
author: Mark R. Eggleston
url: https://element90.wordpress.com
Neptune can render critical point fractal images. Images, called seeds, can be saved as PNG files. Then, you can import the seeds to Triton to create and save larger pictures. I don’t know why these two apps aren’t integrated into a single program, but that’s the way they work (both applications come in one package and install together automatically, so go figure). I do like the fact that fractal parameters are easy to access from a secondary window, that you can open alongside the image window to keep real-time track changes, a nice thing to learn what each variable can do. Extensive documentation available as a PDF file from its parent website.
Last revision: 21 April 2014.
QuickMAN ∼ v2.3
OS: Win
author: Paul Gentieu
url: https://sourceforge.net/projects/quickman/
QuickMAN is a simple, lightweight (less than 1MB) fractal explorer that can draw Mandelbrot and Julia sets fractals, with extensive support for custom fractal types and mathematical experimentation. It might not be great as an art tool, but it is excellent for creating pure fractal images. Curiously it installs in Windows’ Public folder, and it stores everything in the same directory. It’s incredibly fast as long as you don’t zoom too deep. Deeper than approximately 2.3 × 10¹³ magnification (rough numbers), it becomes understandably sluggish, but maintains a decent image quality. You can control all options using keyboard shortcuts or through a rectangular secondary window (not shown in the screenshot).
Last revision: 18 May 2025.
Raimuraito ~ v1.7a
OS: Win9x/Me
author: Yasuo Kamei
url: http://www.ab.cyberhome.ne.jp
Raimuraito is a fractal generator that can produce some very unique and interesting pictures. It never left its early stages of development (so it has a few bugs and is quite slow), but is capable of using flowers, fishes, rings and other methods to contour the fractal figures. I wish the developer could have done a little further to this one, but… now it’s probably too late.
Last revision: 11 February 2002.
Saturn & Titan ∼ v4.2.1
OS: Win/Linux
author: Mark R. Eggleston
url: https://element90.wordpress.com
Saturn is the older brother of Neptune (the fractal generator reviewed before), and of course can generate fractal pictures too. Of notice: Don’t judge the program by the screenshot included in here: it’s just a simple shot intended to decorate this page, not to demonstrate Saturn’s full potential. Just visit its website to take a look at much better samples. Saturn can save images, once again called seeds, as PNG files. Then, you can import the seeds to Titan to create and save pictures of even larger sizes. As I said before, I don’t know why these two apps aren’t integrated into a single program, but that’s the way they work (both applications come in one package and install automatically too). I do like the fact that fractal parameters are easy to access from a secondary window, that you can open alongside the image window to keep real-time track changes, a nice thing to learn what each variable can do. Extensive documentation available as a PDF file from the parent website.
Last revision: 2014.
Sterling2 ~ v1
OS: Win
author: Stephen C. Ferguson & Tad Boniecki
url: http://soler7.com
Sterling2 is a derivative work of Stephen C. Ferguson’s Sterling-ware fractal generator, integrating Tad Boniecki’s particular collection of 50 fractal formulas to produce a myriad of different images unique to this program, superimposed –so to speak– over the original software (they feel and look identical). Contrary to Ferguson’s generators of the same name (still freeware but requiring a membership payment to access the collection), this one is freely available from Boniecki’s website.
Last revision: 11 October 1999.
TS Fractal Explorer ~ v3.01 beta
OS: Win9x/NT/Me/XP
author: Sergei Dolgov
url: http://home.onego.ru
This is a fractal generating program that uses the TS Graphics Library v1.0 beta (that’s what the programmer says) to plot its images. It’s pretty simple but slow. Images, which doesn’t look that good anyway, can be saved as BMP files only. May have some secrets deep inside that I haven’t discovered yet. No documentation.
Last revision: 07 June 1998.
Windows Chaos Image Generator ~ v2.00
OS: Win9x/NT/2000
author: Thomas Hövel
url: http://www.th-soft.com
Windows Chaos Image Generator, better known as WinCIG, is another very simple Mandelbrot set generator that is very easy to use. Most of its processes are automated, so users only have to move the mouse around and click to draw a little rectangle to cover the region they want to zoom in. Automatically, a small window with some extra parameters will pop-up, allowing the modification of any value. It also comes with a palette editor for better coloring control. Images can be saved in BMP format.
Last revision: 19 August 2002.
GNU XaoS ~ v4.3.3
OS: Win/Mac/Linux/Online
author: Jan Hubička,Thomas Marsh, et al.
url: https://xaos-project.github.io
alt: https://github.com/xaos-project/Xaos
XaoS is a real-time fractal zoomer that can calculate Mandelbrot and over 30 more fractals significantly fast and on the go. Newer versions introduced an autopilot mode that let’s the program do the exploring while the user sits back and watch as it zooms in and out constantly (imho, not very useful, only good for fun). Supports several palette modes, and coloring is better in the Windows version (in my opinion). Images can be saved in PNG format, and can also produce animations. It comes as a 64-bit package for Windows, Mac and Linux. It’s an open source project with a, extensive list of contributors. An online version is also available at https://xaos.app.
Last revision: 28 October 2024.