The free, browser-based MadMapper alternative
MadMapper is the reference desktop projection mapper — perpetual licenses start from around €479, it's macOS/Windows only, and it's closed source. Projektor does the core mapping job in a browser tab, for free, under an MIT license you can actually fork, embed, and ship commercially.
You get perspective-correct corner-pin warping (a homography solved on the CPU, applied in a fragment shader), multi-shape surfaces, blend modes, masks, a live GLSL shader editor, an audio-reactive engine, MIDI control, a scene/cue list with crossfades, and a Go-Live output window you drag onto a projector. The whole project fits in a URL, and an AI agent can drive the editor over an MCP control API — two things no desktop mapper offers.
MadMapper is a paid, closed-source desktop install. Projektor is MIT-licensed, agent-controllable, and opens from a link — with a live shader editor built in.
Side by side
| Projektor | MadMapper | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | From ~€479 (perpetual) / subscription |
| License | MIT (open) | Closed source |
| Runs in a browser | ||
| Install required | None | macOS / Windows app |
| Free tier exports without a watermark | ||
| Perspective-correct corner-pin | ||
| Live GLSL shader editor | Effects, not open code | |
| AI-agent control (MCP) | ||
| Audio-reactive | ||
| MIDI control | ||
| Timeline / cues | Scenes + crossfades | Native timeline |
| Share a whole project as a URL | ||
| Syphon / NDI / Spout output | ||
| Deep material / 3D + DMX ecosystem |
Prices are directional and vendor-set (MadMapper tiers roughly €299–599); check madmapper.com before quoting a figure. Structural rows (browser, install, license, agent control) are the durable difference.
Where MadMapper still wins
- Native Syphon/NDI/Spout video routing to other apps — Projektor is a single-machine browser tool (BroadcastChannel output), not a networked media server.
- A native keyframe Timeline with audio sync, plus a mature 3D-mapping, material and DMX/fixture ecosystem built over a decade.
- GPU access to the whole machine — heavy multi-projector installations may still want a desktop app.
FAQ
Is Projektor really free?
Yes — it's free to use with no account, no trial timer, and no watermark on the output. The source is MIT-licensed on GitHub, so it's free as in both price and freedom.
Is there a MadMapper free version?
MadMapper ships a free demo, but it watermarks the output and disables saving/exporting, so it isn't usable for finished work. Projektor's free tier saves, exports, and outputs with no watermark.
Can Projektor do perspective-correct corner-pin like MadMapper?
Yes. Quad and ellipse surfaces use a true homography (perspective-correct), so when you drag a corner the media re-warps with no diagonal kink — the same math a desktop mapper uses, running in WebGL2.
Does Projektor run on Windows and Linux?
It runs anywhere with a modern browser (Chrome/Edge recommended for the multi-display Go-Live window) — Windows, macOS, and Linux — because it's a web app, not a per-OS install.