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Top 23 C header-only Projects
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I'm working on better UI for my app AutoPTT [1]. It's probably going to look somewhat similar to Discord's settings, except I won't be using Electron. I refuse to use bloated stuff like that, so I'm going to keep using a pure C UI library [2].
Obviously this is going to take a bit more work but at least the resource usage will stay low, which I consider quite important. Especially since gamers are a large portion of the user base.
[1] https://autoptt.com/
[2] https://github.com/Immediate-Mode-UI/Nuklear
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AppSignal
AppSignal knows why the f*#k it crashed. Stop vibe-debugging. Every exception, every backtrace, grouped so you see patterns, not noise.
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Project mention: Pocketpy: Portable Python 3.x interpreter written in C11 | news.ycombinator.com | 2026-07-21
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Project mention: Recursive macros in C, demystified (once the ugly crying stops) | news.ycombinator.com | 2025-11-05
The CPP does allow quite advanced metaprogramming, it's just so obtuse to use and requires insane hacks so almost nobody does. See one of my favorite projects https://github.com/hirrolot/metalang99
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Project mention: Minicoro: Single header stackful cross-platform coroutine library in pure C | news.ycombinator.com | 2025-11-14
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RSGL
A simple-to-use modular, cross-platform graphics library. It combines the freedom of lower-level graphics libraries with modern C techniques, offering both simplicity and convenience.
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libcester
A robust header-only unit testing framework for C and C++ programming language. Support function mocking, memory leak detection, crash report.
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TurboStitchGIF-HeaderOnly-Fast-ZeroAllocation-PlatformIndependent-Embedded-C-GIF-Decoder
TurboStitchGIF: A fast, header-only C GIF decoder without dynamic allocations, ideal for embedded systems and cross-platform projects.
Project mention: Show HN: TurboStitchGIF GIF decoder that lets you choose: safety or speed | news.ycombinator.com | 2026-02-22Version 1.2 introduces two LZW backends (safe bounds-checked vs unsafe turbo), micro-cache for 30-40% faster decoding, three output formats (RGB888/RGB565LE/RGBA8888), span-based turbo blit, optional 256KB RGB565 map2 for 2-pixel-at-once rendering, proper disposal method 3 support, renderer API for indexed output, safety toggles to disable checks when you need raw speed, and prefix mode to avoid symbol conflicts — all while staying 100% malloc-free on a user-provided scratch buffer.
Repo: https://github.com/Ferki-git-creator/TurboStitchGIF-HeaderOn...
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easy_memory
A strictly typed, platform-agnostic, and safe memory management system for C. Features arbitrary alignment, triple-key LLRB tree, and zero-dependency bare-metal support.
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Source is here if anyone wants to look at the macro internals: https://github.com/springkim/OpenCSTL
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Canon-C
A standard library for formally-verified C — with explicit, composable primitives that can scale.
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NOTE:
The open source projects on this list are ordered by number of github stars.
The number of mentions indicates repo mentiontions in the last 12 Months or
since we started tracking (Dec 2020).
C header-only discussion
C header-only related posts
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Pocketpy: Portable Python 3.x interpreter written in C11
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Canvas_ity: A tiny, single-header <canvas>-like 2D rasterizer for C++
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Ask HN: What are you working on this weekend?
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Starting Up The Engine - Nikola Game Engine Devlog 1
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C: Simple Defer, Ready to Use
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Using Jolt with flecs & Dear ImGui: Game Physics Introspection
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Factor is faster than Zig
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A note from our sponsor - SaaSHub
www.saashub.com | 10 Oct 2026
Index
What are some of the best open-source header-only projects in C? This list will help you:
| # | Project | Stars |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | nuklear | 11,440 |
| 2 | pocketpy | 2,130 |
| 3 | librg | 1,501 |
| 4 | metalang99 | 1,090 |
| 5 | zpl | 1,067 |
| 6 | minicoro | 986 |
| 7 | uuidv47 | 750 |
| 8 | rawdraw | 482 |
| 9 | VEFontCache | 383 |
| 10 | Tina | 295 |
| 11 | ctl | 288 |
| 12 | tiny-dream | 269 |
| 13 | RSGL | 205 |
| 14 | CParseC | 91 |
| 15 | libcester | 67 |
| 16 | TurboStitchGIF-HeaderOnly-Fast-ZeroAllocation-PlatformIndependent-Embedded-C-GIF-Decoder | 50 |
| 17 | easy_memory | 43 |
| 18 | sgc | 37 |
| 19 | rexo | 31 |
| 20 | OpenCSTL | 27 |
| 21 | Canon-C | 20 |
| 22 | exile.h | 18 |
| 23 | pega-texto | 18 |
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Stop vibe-debugging. Every exception, every backtrace, grouped so you see patterns, not noise.
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