AwesomeDataviz

rgl

3D Visualization Using OpenGL

Website GitHubCRAN
GitHub stars
103
CRAN downloads / week
16.7K
Commits, last 12 months
36
Contributors
12
Last commit
Latest release
v1.3.36Mar 6, 2026

Overview

rgl is an open-source R visualization package released under the GPL-2.0 license. Its GitHub repository has 103 stars, 24 forks, and 12 contributors. It is actively developed with 36 commits in the last 12 months. The latest release, v1.3.36, was published on Mar 6, 2026. On CRAN it is downloaded about 16.7K times per week.

Its GitHub description: rgl is a 3D visualization system based on OpenGL. It provides a medium to high level interface for use in R, currently modelled on classic R graphics, with extensions to allow for interaction.

GitHub topics: rglwebglopenglgraphicsr

Install

CRAN
install.packages("rgl")
v1.3.36

Development activity

Commits per month to the default branch over the last 12 complete months.

0510 Oct 2025 Nov Dec Jan 2026 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
0510 Oct 2025 Jan 2026 Apr Jul
36 commits from Oct 2025 to Sep 2026.
Show data as a table
MonthCommits
Oct 20253
Nov 20259
Dec 20253
Jan 20265
Feb 20263
Mar 20262
Apr 20261
May 20260
Jun 20268
Jul 20262
Aug 20260
Sep 20260

Popularity among R data visualization packages

ggplot2 7K Shiny 5.7K plotly (R) 2.7K patchwork 2.6K ggstatsplot 2.2K rayshader 2.2K rgl 103
ggplot2 7K Shiny 5.7K plotly (R) 2.7K patchwork 2.6K ggstatsplot 2.2K rayshader 2.2K rgl 103
GitHub stars for rgl and the most-starred alternatives.
Show data as a table
ToolStars
ggplot27,005
Shiny5,694
plotly (R)2,682
patchwork2,615
ggstatsplot2,207
rayshader2,182
rgl103

Alternatives to rgl

  • ggplot2

    A plotting system based on the grammar of graphics.

    7K starsRMIT

  • Shiny

    Framework for creating interactive applications/visualisations

    5.7K starsRMIT

  • plotly (R)

    Interactive charts (including adding interactivity to ggplot2 output), cartograms and simple network diagrams

    2.7K starsRMIT

  • patchwork

    Composes multiple ggplot2 plots into a single figure.

    2.6K starsRMIT

  • ggstatsplot

    Ggplot2-based plots with statistical test details included in the graphic.

    2.2K starsRMIT

  • rayshader

    2D and 3D mapping and data visualization in R, including 3D renders of ggplot2 plots.

    2.2K starsRGPL-3.0

rgl FAQ

Is rgl open source?

Yes. rgl is released under the GPL-2.0 license, and its source code is on GitHub.

Is rgl still maintained?

Yes. rgl is actively developed, with 36 commits in the last 12 months and the latest commit 3 months ago.

How do I install rgl?

From CRAN: install.packages("rgl").

What are the best alternatives to rgl?

The most popular alternatives listed in R data visualization packages are ggplot2, Shiny, and plotly (R). See the full ranking.

What language is rgl written in?

rgl is primarily written in C++, according to GitHub.

Data: GitHub API, CRAN. Updated Oct 4, 2026.