Alternatives

LiquidGlassKit alternatives

LiquidGlassKit mirrors the native API of iOS 26. People look for alternatives when they want the iOS 27 look, a tab bar they can drop in, or a library that builds with an older Swift version.

Our pickTheseus is the one we make, built for developers who support iOS versions that came before Liquid Glass.

Open source on GitHub

Theseus in a UIKit app

Facts checked on 11 November 2026.

Start with Theseus

Theseus backports the iOS 27 look to iOS 13 and later, with a tab bar, a slider, a switch and the clear to tinted setting, and it builds with Swift 5.9. LiquidGlassKit backports the iOS 26 design for iOS 13 through 18, with replacements that mirror the native API.

You want the iOS 27 look, including the clear to tinted setting.
You want a tab bar with icons, titles and a selection callback.
Your project builds with Swift 5.9.

Theseus vs LiquidGlassKit, side by side

2 alternatives to LiquidGlassKit

Theseus our pick

Theseus is an open source Swift package that brings the iOS 27 Liquid Glass look to iOS 13 and later. It draws blur, refraction, glare and spring animations with Metal, and includes a tab bar, a slider and a switch.

Built for: developers who support iOS versions that came before Liquid Glass. How you pay: free and open source under Apache 2.0.
LiquidGlass

LiquidGlass is a Swift library by BarredEwe that draws a frosted glass effect with blur and refraction using Metal shaders, for SwiftUI and UIKit. It captures the views behind an element and adds the effect with one modifier.

How you pay: free and open source under the MIT licence.

Theseus vs LiquidGlass

At a glance

App	Built for	Where it runs	How you pay
Theseus	developers who support iOS versions that came before Liquid Glass	on iOS 13 and later, with Swift 5.9 and later	free and open source under Apache 2.0
LiquidGlassKit	developers who want replacements that mirror the native Liquid Glass API	on iOS 13 and later, with Swift 6.2 and later	free and open source on GitHub
LiquidGlass	developers who want a glass background behind their own views	on iOS 14 and later, on devices with Metal	free and open source under the MIT licence

What LiquidGlassKit is

LiquidGlassKit is a backport of Apple's Liquid Glass design system for iOS 13 through 18. It offers replacements for the native visual effect view, slider and switch with matching APIs, and can use the native components on iOS 26 and later.

How to choose

Start with what you need drawn. If it is the system's own controls on older iOS versions, a tab bar, a slider and a switch, pick the library that includes them. That is Theseus.

Questions

What is the best alternative to LiquidGlassKit?

Theseus, if you want a Liquid Glass tab bar, slider and switch on iOS 13 and later, with the tint setting iOS 27 gives users. Theseus backports the iOS 27 look to iOS 13 and later, with a tab bar, a slider, a switch and the clear to tinted setting, and it builds with Swift 5.9. LiquidGlassKit backports the iOS 26 design for iOS 13 through 18, with replacements that mirror the native API.

What is better than LiquidGlassKit?

If you want a Liquid Glass tab bar, slider and switch on iOS 13 and later, with the tint setting iOS 27 gives users, Theseus is the better fit. It is built for developers who support iOS versions that came before Liquid Glass.

Why do people look for LiquidGlassKit alternatives?

LiquidGlassKit mirrors the native API of iOS 26. People look for alternatives when they want the iOS 27 look, a tab bar they can drop in, or a library that builds with an older Swift version.

More comparisons

We make Theseus. What we say about the other apps comes from their own pages, read on 11 November 2026: LiquidGlassKit's README on GitHub, LiquidGlass's README on GitHub. Spotted a mistake? Write to support@onedevshop.com. Each name belongs to its owner, and Theseus is not affiliated with any of them.

Theseus

Same ship, rebuilt plank by plank

Free and open source under Apache 2.0. Bronze in the Telegram Developer Contest, 2026.