
Dear ImGui
A lightweight C++ library for building immediate-mode graphical user interfaces, mainly for tools and games.ocornut/imgui
- Stars
- 76.9k
- Forks
- 12.1k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- C++
- Last update
- 6 days ago
- Type
- Library
What it is
Dear ImGui is a C++ library for drawing graphical user interfaces such as buttons, sliders, and windows. It is described as bloat-free with minimal dependencies, and it is commonly used for debug panels and tools inside games and other software. The README provided to me was empty, so this description relies mainly on the repository's description and topics.
- Adding debug windows and sliders to a game while it runs
- Building a quick internal tool interface in C++
- Creating simple control panels for graphics or simulation experiments
Great for
- Game developers who want an in-engine debug or tools panel
- C++ developers building internal tools that need a quick interface
- Developers who want a small GUI library with few dependencies
Not ideal for
- People who want a ready-made desktop app with no coding, since this is a library for developers
- Teams that need a native-looking, polished end-user interface out of the box, because the README provided does not establish this
How to get it
- 1
Clone and build from source
You'll need: C++ compiler · Git
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/ocornut/imgui - 2
Run it
- Clone the repository with Git
- Add the source files to your C++ project
- Follow the project's own examples and documentation to create a first window
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Check the repository's examples folder for backend integrations, if present
- Review the release notes for v1.93.0 for changes
- Use the repository's documentation for supported platforms and renderers
Downloads
Strengths
- Described as bloat-free with minimal dependencies
- Widely starred and actively pushed, with a v1.93.0 release listed
- Released under the permissive MIT license
Trade-offs
- The README was not available to verify features, APIs, or setup details
- Release v1.93.0 is listed without binaries, so you build from source
- Being a library, it requires C++ programming to use
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| imgui (this) | 76.9k | Library | intermediate | 6 days ago | Game developers who want an in-engine debug or tools panel |
| DearPyGui | 15.7k | Library | beginner | 17 days ago | Python developers who want a desktop GUI for a script or internal tool |
| entt | 13.2k | Library | advanced | 4 days ago | C++ game developers who want an ECS |
| flame | 10.8k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | Flutter developers who want to add a game to an app |
| godot | 119k | App | beginner | 6 days ago | Indie game developers who want a free engine with no royalties |
| ccxt | 44.7k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers building trading bots or algorithmic trading software |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.