Glassmorphism CSS Generator

Create frosted glass UI effects with live preview. Adjust blur, opacity, and border — copy CSS instantly.

Frosted Glass Card

This card uses backdrop-filter to create the glassmorphism effect on any background.

Live Preview
Tint color
Generated CSS
Adjust controls above to generate glassmorphism CSS.

How to Use the Glassmorphism Generator

  1. Choose a preset — start with Apple-style, Windows Fluent, Subtle, or Bold to see different looks instantly.
  2. Adjust the sliders — fine-tune blur amount, background opacity, border opacity, and border radius.
  3. Pick a tint color — click the color picker to change the glass tint from white to any color.
  4. Copy the CSS — click "Copy CSS" to grab the ready-to-use code with vendor prefixes.

What Is Glassmorphism?

Glassmorphism is a visual design style that simulates frosted glass using CSS backdrop-filter: blur() combined with a semi-transparent background color. The effect was popularized by Apple in macOS Big Sur (2020) and Microsoft in Windows 11 Fluent Design, and has since become one of the most recognizable UI trends in modern web and app design.

The key properties that create glassmorphism are: a semi-transparent background using rgba(), backdrop-filter: blur() to blur what is behind the element, and a subtle border using a semi-transparent white or light color to simulate the edge of real glass. The backdrop-filter: saturate() property can also be applied to enhance the vibrancy of colors seen through the glass, mimicking the effect used in macOS.

CSS Properties Used

  • backdrop-filter: blur(Npx) — blurs the content behind the element. Values of 8–20px work well for most cards.
  • backdrop-filter: saturate(N%) — boosts color saturation of the blurred background, adding vibrancy.
  • background: rgba(r, g, b, alpha) — sets a semi-transparent tinted background. Keep alpha between 0.1 and 0.4 for glass-like appearance.
  • border: 1px solid rgba(255,255,255,alpha) — a light, semi-transparent border gives the impression of a glass edge.
  • border-radius — rounded corners reinforce the soft, modern aesthetic.
  • -webkit-backdrop-filter — required for Safari compatibility; always include alongside the unprefixed version.

Design Presets Explained

  • Apple-style — high blur (20px), low opacity (10%), vibrant saturation. Used in macOS sidebars, menus, and notifications.
  • Windows Fluent — moderate blur (15px), slightly higher opacity (20%), inspired by Acrylic material in WinUI 3.
  • Subtle — light blur (8px) with barely-there opacity for backgrounds that should not distract from content.
  • Bold — strong blur (30px) and brighter tint for hero sections and splash screens where the glass effect is the focal point.

Browser Compatibility

backdrop-filter is supported in Chrome 76+, Edge 17+, Safari 9+ (with -webkit- prefix), and Firefox 103+. Internet Explorer does not support it. The generated CSS always includes both -webkit-backdrop-filter and backdrop-filter to maximize compatibility. For users on unsupported browsers, the element will fall back to displaying only the semi-transparent background without the blur — still readable, just without the frosted effect.

Performance Considerations

Because backdrop-filter triggers GPU compositing, it is more expensive than regular CSS properties. Keep these tips in mind: limit the number of elements with backdrop-filter on a single page, avoid animating the blur value directly (animate opacity instead), use will-change: backdrop-filter sparingly on elements you know will animate, and test on mobile devices where GPU resources are more limited. For complex layouts, consider applying glassmorphism only to the primary modal or navigation overlay, not every card.

Glassmorphism vs. Neumorphism

Glassmorphism and neumorphism are two popular modern design trends that are often confused. Glassmorphism uses transparency and blur to create the illusion of looking through frosted glass — it works best on top of colorful, vibrant backgrounds. Neumorphism (or "soft UI") creates a raised or indented plastic-like effect using carefully calculated box-shadows on flat monochrome backgrounds. Try the Neumorphism Generator to compare both styles and decide which fits your project.

When to Use Glassmorphism

Glassmorphism works best for: modal dialogs and overlays, navigation bars (especially on sites with hero images), cards that float over a gradient or photo background, dashboard widgets, and notification toasts. Avoid using it for long-form text content, data tables, or any element where readability is critical and the background behind the element is unpredictable. For more CSS tools, explore the CSS Specificity Calculator and CSS Unit Converter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Glassmorphism is a UI design trend that creates a frosted glass effect using CSS backdrop-filter: blur() combined with semi-transparent backgrounds and subtle borders. It was popularized by Apple's macOS Big Sur and Microsoft's Windows 11 Fluent Design.
backdrop-filter is supported in Chrome 76+, Edge 17+, Safari 9+ (with -webkit- prefix), and Firefox 103+. It is not supported in Internet Explorer. Always include the -webkit-backdrop-filter prefix for Safari compatibility.
Firefox added support for backdrop-filter in version 103 (released July 2022). For older Firefox versions, you can use a fallback with a slightly opaque background color. Enable it via about:config by setting layout.css.backdrop-filter.enabled to true in older builds.
backdrop-filter uses GPU compositing and can impact performance on low-end devices or when applied to many elements simultaneously. Use it sparingly — typically only on modal overlays, navigation bars, or key UI cards. Avoid using it on elements that animate frequently.
filter: blur() blurs the element itself and all its children. backdrop-filter: blur() blurs only what is behind the element, creating the frosted glass effect. For glassmorphism, you always want backdrop-filter so the element's content remains sharp while the background is blurred.