Canvas UI is a component library that renders creative, interactive UI elements using WebGL or WebGPU effects layered over real HTML.
The library solves the problem of integrating visually sophisticated canvas-based effects into standard web interfaces without sacrificing interactivity. It achieves this by running shader effects and animations on canvas while keeping the underlying HTML fully functional, allowing users to click buttons, fill forms, and interact with elements normally even as fluid simulations or 3D scenes play across them. The tool supports multiple rendering backends through WebGL or WebGPU via vgpu, giving developers flexibility in choosing their graphics pipeline.
The project suits teams building design-forward applications where visual polish and creative effects enhance the user experience without compromising usability. It works across React, Vue, Svelte, and vanilla JavaScript, making it accessible regardless of framework choice. Developers should adopt it when they need pre-built components with built-in shader effects rather than starting from scratch with raw canvas or Three.js, and when they want those effects to coexist seamlessly with standard interactive UI patterns.
The project maintains active development with passing continuous integration checks. Documentation is comprehensive, including installation guides, rendering explanations, and a playground for experimenting with components. The codebase is written in TypeScript, providing type safety for integration into modern frontend projects.
