Compatible Viewers

If you find a viewer which can connect to OpenSim, feel free to add it to the list.

Viewers with Grid Selector and Grid Manager

Below are viewers that have both a grid selector and a "Grid Manager". It enables you to select one of the many grids, including a grid or region on localhost (your own PC). There is also a UI interface to allow you to modify or add connection settings to these grids.

• RealXtend - a fork of the 1.23 Linden Client that has specialized features (not fully supported.)
• Hippo Viewer - a fork of version 1.23 of the Linden Client with OpenSimulator specific enhancements
• Imprudence Innovative viewer with a high focus on OpenSimulator (good OSSL support). Highly popular amongst users on OSGrid.
• Phoenix Viewer Based on the now discontinued Emerald Viewer (which was based on the 1.23 LL viewer), one of the most popular viewers. Combines many improvements and features from different viewers. (Not fully supported)
• Singularity - A V1 based viewer, with the all the good stuff from v2/3 added. Supports Mesh, OSSL, LightShare, multiple attachments, and more.
• Cool VL Viewer - the oldest of all actively maintained Third Party Viewers (former name: Cool SL Viewer), fully OpenSimulator compatible. It also got support for Mesh, Alpha, Tattoos and Physics, multiple attachments per joint, multiple clothing layers, inventory links, etc...

Viewers with Grid Selector

These viewers don't have a Grid Manager, but you can a grid from a list, including localhost. You may need to manually edit a configuration file in order to connect to grids that are not originally included.

• Looking Glass viewer, Discontinued. Only OSGrid, ScienceSim and localhost are available from the list.
• Firestorm viewer v3 based TPV, touted as Phoenix's successor.
• Kokua v2/3 based successor of Imprudence. Currently in alpha/experimental stage.
• Dolphin Viewer v3 based viewer, but v1 and v2 based versions are also available. Contains modifications which are useful for building, sailing, and for using vehicles.

Viewers without Grid Selector

You will need to launch this viewer with a --loginuri command line parameter to connect to OpenSimulator grids. See [1] for the syntax of this command, or visit the support section on the homepage of your preferred grid.

• Second Life Viewer

Text-only Viewers

These are lightweight viewers, which either do not offer a graphical component or where the graphical component is not used by deault. The function of these viewers however is to connect to a grid, chat, manage inventory, etc. Useful on systems with low specifications or for bringing an alt online without having your main avatar log out, or to quickly take care of messages, inventory, etc.

• Radegast Metaverse Client Works with OpenSim-based grids, as well as with SL. Has Windows, MacOS and Linux versions.
• JOpenMetaverse OpenSim based client core library. Purely written in Java. Windows, MacOS,, Linux and Android Compatible. Please see jopenmetaverse introduction

Other Viewers

• Idealist viewer, Not actively developed.
• 3Di viewer, Status unknown.
• Xenki, an XBAP 3D application intended to be a browser add-on for OpenSimulator. Not actively developed.

Feature Table

Viewer Name

Based on Version

Grid Selector

Grid Manager

Graphical

Mesh

OSSL support

LightShare [1]

Parcel Windlight [2]

Multiple Attachments

Multiple Clothing Layers

Operating System

Notes

RealXtend Naali

n/a

√

√

√

?

?

?

?

?

?

[3]

Hippo Viewer

v1

√

√

√

X

√

X

X

X

X

Imprudence

v1

√

√

√

X

√

√

X

X

X

Phoenix Viewer

v1

√

√

√

√

X

X

√

√

X

Singularity

v1

√

√

√

√

√

√

X

√

X

Cool VL Viewer

v1

√

√

√

√

√

X

X

√

√

Kokua

v2/3

√

X

√

√

X

X

X

√

√

[4]

Looking Glass viewer

?

√

X

√

?

?

?

?

?

?

Second Life Viewer

v2/3

X

X

√

√

X

X

X

√

√

Firestorm viewer

v2/3

√

X

√

√

X

X

√

√

√

Radegast Metaverse Client

n/a

√

X

Text client with graphical component

√

X

X

X

√

?

Idealist viewer

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

[5]

3Di viewer

Browser

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

Xenki

Browser

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

[5]

Dolphin Viewer

v1/2/3

√

X

√

√ (v2/3)

X

X

X

√

√ (v2/3)

Notes

• #1 LightShare is a method for altering WindLight settings on a parcel or region by means of a script. See Lightshare.
• #2 The Parcel Windlight referred to here, is a Phoenix/Firestorm feature which lets parcel owners define a windlight setting which is to be applied to a user's viewer if the viewer supports it, and if the visitor has enabled that feature. See the Parcel WL article on the Phoenix wiki for more info.
• #3 RealXtend requires an additional module to be active on OpenSimulator. See ModRex.
• #4 Data based on Kokua-3.0.0-WIP [2], may soon be out of date!
• #5 Only source code is provided. No precompiled binaries!