CSS Gradient Generator
Create linear, radial and conic CSS gradients with a live preview. Multi-stop colors, custom angles, copy-ready CSS. Free, browser-based, no sign-up.
background: linear-gradient(135deg, #667EEA 0%, #764BA2 100%);
Type
Angle
135°Color Stops
🎨 What This Tool Does
A free online CSS gradient generator that lets you create beautiful linear, radial, and conic gradients with a live preview. Pick colors, drag position sliders, rotate the angle, and watch the preview update in real time. When you're happy, copy the ready-to-use CSS and paste it into your project.
Everything runs in your browser — no sign-up, no size limits, no rate limits. Perfect for designers, front-end developers, and anyone who wants a quick way to create custom CSS backgrounds without writing the syntax by hand.
🧭 Gradient Types Explained
Linear
Colors transition in a straight line at a specified angle. Most common type. Use for backgrounds, buttons, headers.
Radial
Colors radiate outward from a center point in a circle or ellipse. Great for spotlight effects, vignettes, orbs.
Conic
Colors sweep around a center point like a clock hand. Perfect for rainbow wheels, pie charts, spinning effects.
⚡ How to Use
- Start with a preset — click one of the preset gradients to load it instantly
- Pick a type — linear, radial, or conic
- Adjust the angle — drag the slider or click a cardinal direction (0°, 45°, 90°...)
- Add or edit color stops — click "Add" for more stops, drag sliders to reposition, click the color to change
- Copy the CSS — one click copies the full
background:line, ready to paste into your stylesheet
💡 Tips for Great Gradients
- Use 2-3 colors max for clean, modern backgrounds. More colors = busier look.
- Stay in the same hue family (e.g. all warm tones or all cool tones) for a cohesive feel.
- Complementary colors (opposite on the color wheel) create vibrant, high-energy gradients.
- Dark-to-light gradients work great for hero sections with overlay text.
- Test readability if placing text over the gradient — ensure contrast stays above 4.5:1 (WCAG AA).
- Rotate to 135° for the classic "top-left to bottom-right" modern look.
🔒 Privacy
- ✓ Runs entirely in your browser
- ✓ No data is sent, stored, or logged
- ✓ Works offline after the page first loads
- ✓ Gradients are just CSS — no copyright, no attribution required
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is a CSS gradient?
A CSS gradient is a smooth transition between two or more colors, created purely with CSS (no images). Gradients can be linear (straight-line transition), radial (circular/elliptical transition from a center point), or conic (sweeping rotation around a center). They are rendered natively by the browser, so they scale perfectly and have zero network overhead.
How do I use the generated CSS in my project?
Copy the CSS line (e.g. "background: linear-gradient(...);") and paste it into your stylesheet, inline style, or CSS-in-JS. For Tailwind users, you can use the arbitrary value syntax like "bg-[linear-gradient(...)]" or define it as a custom utility.
What browsers support CSS gradients?
All modern browsers support linear and radial gradients (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge — since 2012). Conic gradients are slightly newer (supported since Chrome 69, Firefox 83, Safari 12.1) but have 95%+ global support as of 2024. No vendor prefixes are needed for any modern browser.
Can I use multiple color stops?
Yes. Click "Add color" to add up to 10 color stops, each with its own position (0% to 100%). Multiple stops let you create rainbow gradients, duotones, or smooth multi-tone backgrounds. Drag the position sliders to fine-tune each stop.
What is the difference between linear, radial, and conic gradients?
Linear: colors transition in a straight line at a specified angle. Radial: colors transition outward from a center point in a circle or ellipse. Conic: colors sweep around a center point like a clock hand, creating pie-chart or "cone" effects. Pick linear for backgrounds and buttons, radial for spotlight or vignette effects, and conic for rainbow wheels or fake pie charts.
Is my gradient saved anywhere?
No. Everything runs in your browser. Your color choices and the generated CSS are not stored, logged, or sent anywhere. Close the tab and they are gone.
How do I create accessible gradients?
Make sure any text placed on the gradient has sufficient contrast against the darkest part of the gradient. Use our Color Contrast Checker (coming soon) to test WCAG compliance. For important UI elements, avoid gradients that transition through yellow/pale colors where text can become unreadable.
Can I use these gradients commercially?
Yes. CSS gradients are just math — there is no copyright on color transitions. Use any gradient you generate here in any project, commercial or personal, no attribution required.