Quartz Composer replacement
Quartz Composer replacement for Apple Silicon
The Mac-native node graph many lost when Quartz Composer was deprecated — rebuilt on Metal, alive and updated.
.qtz files and does not send Syphon; it replaces the patch, not the plug-in. Free download, 7 days of everything, then €99.99 once.What carries over, and what does not
| Grafit Pro 3.2 | Quartz Composer | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Developed and updated | Deprecated by Apple since macOS 10.15 |
| Graphics | Metal, Apple Silicon native | OpenGL |
| Patching | Nodes and typed cables, macro groups, loops and replicators | Patches and ports, macros, iterators |
| Shaders | Metal shaders written inside the graph, with live values | GLSL patches |
| Files | Its own projects; no .qtz import | .qtz compositions |
| Sending the picture | To displays and projectors, a virtual camera, ProRes files, other Grafit Macs | Into host apps as a plug-in, Syphon via add-ons |
| Price | Free download, 7 days of everything, then €99.99 once | Was free with the developer tools |
Rebuilding a patch
Most compositions map naturally: a Clear and a Sprite become a Canvas; an LFO, an Interpolation or a Math patch become LFO, Smooth and Math Expression; a GLSL patch becomes a Live Shader; an Iterator becomes a Replicator. Every node has its own page with its ports explained, and 268 examples play live in the Example Browser before you open them.
Questions
Is Grafit Pro a subscription?
No. Grafit is a free download from the Mac App Store. After a 7-day trial with every feature, one purchase of €99.99 unlocks Grafit Pro for good, with every 3.x update included. No subscription, no account.
Is there a free trial?
Yes: 7 days with every feature, no payment and no card. Start it inside the app with “Start 7-Day Trial”. It is an App Store item priced at zero, so it is tied to your Apple Account.
Do I need to code?
No. Patches are made of nodes and cables. When you want to, you can write Metal shaders right inside the graph, but nothing requires it.
Does Grafit Pro send Syphon or NDI?
No. Grafit sends its picture to other apps as a virtual camera (Virtual Camera output), to files (ProRes 4444 with alpha), to other Grafit Macs over the network (Video Link, with transparency) and straight to displays and projectors.
Does Grafit Pro run on Intel Macs?
No. Grafit is built only for Apple Silicon and needs a Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or later) with macOS 26.2 Tahoe or later. That is what lets it use Metal and the Neural Engine without compromises.
Try it on your own Mac.
Free download. Every feature for 7 days, no card. Then €99.99 once — or keep playing your projects as a Player.
More comparisons
All trademarks belong to their owners; Grafit Pro is not affiliated with any company named here. Comparisons are factual, dated and link to the official pages — prices of other tools as listed on 26 October 2026. Tell us at work@siaspace.eu if anything is out of date.