Top Glade Alternatives for GTK+ and GNOME UI Development

Glade is a powerful RAD tool designed for rapid and easy development of user interfaces for the GTK+ toolkit and the GNOME desktop environment. It excels at saving UI designs as XML, which can then be dynamically loaded by applications using the GtkBuilder GTK+ object across various programming languages like C, C++, C#, Vala, Java, Perl, and Python. However, for those seeking different features, workflows, or simply exploring other options, a variety of excellent Glade alternative tools are available.

Top Glade Alternatives

While Glade offers robust UI design capabilities, several other tools provide similar or complementary functionalities for developing GTK+ and GNOME interfaces, or even broader cross-platform GUI applications. Here are some of the best Glade alternatives to consider:

Anjuta

Anjuta is a versatile Integrated Development Environment (IDE) specifically for C and C++ on GNU/Linux. As a free and open-source tool, it's deeply integrated with GTK/GNOME, making it a strong Glade alternative for developers looking for a comprehensive environment that includes features for Java and Python development within a robust IDE.

Yad

Yad, short for "yet another dialog," is a free and open-source fork of Zenity that offers numerous improvements, including custom buttons, additional dialog types, and a pop-up menu for its notification icon. Available on Windows and Linux, Yad is an excellent Glade alternative for scripting simple graphical dialogs, providing a lightweight and portable solution for quick UI interactions.

wxFormBuilder

wxFormBuilder is a free and open-source RAD tool that facilitates the creation of multi-platform applications using the wxWidgets framework. Supporting Mac, Windows, and Linux, it's a valuable Glade alternative for developers who work with Python and need a visual designer for cross-platform GUI development, offering an excellent way to design forms without writing extensive code.

wxDev-C++

wxDev-C++ is a free and open-source extension of Bloodshed Dev-C++, designed to simplify the creation of dialogs and frames for wxWidgets visually through its form designer. Running on Windows, it's a solid Glade alternative for C++ developers seeking an integrated development environment (IDE) with visual design capabilities for wxWidgets-based applications.

wxSmith

wxSmith is a free and open-source plugin for Code::Blocks, offering RAD editing for wxWidgets applications. Available across Mac, Windows, and Linux, it serves as an excellent Glade alternative for users of Code::Blocks who need an integrated GUI designer to develop applications using the wxWidgets framework, streamlining the process of creating graphical user interfaces.

Each of these Glade alternative tools offers unique strengths, from comprehensive IDEs to lightweight dialog creators and cross-platform visual designers. We encourage you to explore them based on your specific development needs, preferred programming language, and target operating system to find the best fit for your next project.