Glider: 5 Open Source Clones Compared
These clones split across two different games in the Glider series rather than all remaking the same one: Aerofoil is a full-featured port of Glider PRO specifically, built from its 2016 source-and-assets release, with a level editor and tools to import existing community-made Macintosh levels. The plain 'Glider' entry is instead a JavaScript port of the earlier Glider 4.0, staying close to its original Pascal source while adding a cheat mode and omitting the demo mode; some behavioral differences come from swapping the original's QuickDraw rendering for HTML5 Canvas, which is why the 'Hands of House' level doesn't work as designed. Glider 4.0 and Glider PRO are themselves the original Macintosh source code releases for their respective games, not fan remakes, and Glider for Apple II is an unrelated project built for real Apple II hardware using the cc65 toolchain.
Comparison table
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Classic Mac OS
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 5y ago
- Stars
- 421
- Contributors
- 2
- License
- GPL-2.0
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- —
- Modding support
- —
- Multiplayer
- —
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Classic Mac OS
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 5y ago
- Stars
- 115
- Contributors
- 2
- License
- MIT
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoOriginal source code repository with no external assets required.
- Modding support
- —
- Multiplayer
- —
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Apple II
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 1d ago
- Stars
- 89
- Contributors
- 3
- License
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- —
- Modding support
- —
- Multiplayer
- Local multiplayer
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows, Android, OSX, Web
- Play in browser
- YesPlay in Browser
- Mobile
- Android
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 11d ago
- Stars
- 86
- Contributors
- 11
- License
- GPL-2.0
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoBased on 2016 release of source code and assets; includes all houses from CD-ROM release.
- Modding support
- YesIncludes a full level editor and tools for importing hundreds of existing community-created levels from the original Macintosh version.
- Multiplayer
- —
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Web
- Play in browser
- YesPlay in Browser
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 4y ago
- Stars
- 26
- Contributors
- 1
- License
- MIT
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoA JavaScript port with all assets included.
- Modding support
- —
- Multiplayer
- —
| Title | Glider PRO | Glider 4.0 | Glider for Apple II | Aerofoil | Glider |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Playable | Playable | Playable | Playable | Playable |
| Platforms | Classic Mac OS | Classic Mac OS | Apple II | Windows, Android, OSX, Web | Web |
| Play in browser | No | No | No | YesPlay in Browser | YesPlay in Browser |
| Mobile | No | No | No | Android | No |
| Project health | |||||
| Development status | Halted | Halted | Active | Active | Halted |
| Last updated | 5y ago | 5y ago | 1d ago | 11d ago | 4y ago |
| Stars | 421 | 115 | 89 | 86 | 26 |
| Contributors | 2 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 1 |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT | — | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Compatibility | |||||
| Requires original assets | — | NoOriginal source code repository with no external assets required. | — | NoBased on 2016 release of source code and assets; includes all houses from CD-ROM release. | NoA JavaScript port with all assets included. |
| Modding support | — | — | — | YesIncludes a full level editor and tools for importing hundreds of existing community-created levels from the original Macintosh version. | — |
| Multiplayer | — | — | Local multiplayer | — | — |
| Preview | | | |
Known limitations
- platform: Android version has been discontinued and will no longer be available after August 2025.
- compatibility: Certain overlay software can cause very long startup times and laggy controls.
- compatibility: Some subtle differences from the original due to timing differences and Canvas vs. Quickdraw rendering.
- gameplay: The Hands of house does not work as designed due to timing differences.
- features: Demo mode is not included.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Glider clones on this page open source?
Yes — every clone catalogued here is an open-source project. Availability, license, and development-status details for each one are listed in the comparison table above.
What license do these Glider clones use?
Glider PRO and Aerofoil (GPL-2.0); Glider 4.0 and Glider (MIT).
Do I need to own the original Glider to play these clones?
Glider 4.0, Aerofoil, and Glider run standalone, no original files needed.
Can I play any of these Glider clones directly in a browser?
Yes — Aerofoil and Glider have a browser-playable build linked in the comparison table above, no install required.
Which Glider clone is the most actively maintained?
Glider for Apple II and Aerofoil are currently under active development, based on recent commit activity. See the "Development status" row above for every clone's current status.
See the full write-up for each clone, or go back to Glider.