Comparison

Theseus vs LiquidGlassKit

Both backport Liquid Glass to iOS 13. Theseus follows the iOS 27 look, including the clear to tinted setting.

Our appTheseus is the one we make. Pick it if you want a Liquid Glass tab bar, slider and switch on iOS 13 and later, with the tint setting iOS 27 gives users.

Open source on GitHub

Theseus in a UIKit app

Facts checked on 11 November 2026.

The short answer

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.

Pick Theseus if

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.

Side by side

	Theseus	LiquidGlassKit
Built for	developers who support iOS versions that came before Liquid Glass	developers who want replacements that mirror the native Liquid Glass API
Where it runs	on iOS 13 and later, with Swift 5.9 and later	on iOS 13 and later, with Swift 6.2 and later
Built on	UIKit, with SwiftUI wrappers in the repository	UIKit, with replacements for the visual effect view, slider and switch
What it includes	a tab bar, a slider, a switch and the glass view they are built on	a glass view, a lens view, an effect view, a slider and a switch
How you pay	free and open source under Apache 2.0	free and open source on GitHub

What Theseus is

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.

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.

Questions

Is Theseus a good alternative to LiquidGlassKit?

Yes, 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 the difference between Theseus and LiquidGlassKit?

Theseus is built for developers who support iOS versions that came before Liquid Glass. LiquidGlassKit is built for developers who want replacements that mirror the native Liquid Glass API.

How is Theseus sold compared with LiquidGlassKit?

Theseus: free and open source under Apache 2.0. LiquidGlassKit: free and open source on GitHub.

More comparisons

We make Theseus. What we say about LiquidGlassKit comes from its own pages, read on 11 November 2026: LiquidGlassKit's README on GitHub. Spotted a mistake? Write to support@onedevshop.com. LiquidGlassKit belongs to its owner, and Theseus is not affiliated with it.

Theseus

Same ship, rebuilt plank by plank

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

Open source on GitHub