Free CSS Gradient Generator: Linear, Radial & Conic
Design pixel-perfect linear, radial, and conic gradients with full color-stop control. Get spec-compliant CSS, Tailwind v4 arbitrary values, and SCSS variables — instantly, all in your browser.
Color Stops (2)
Presets
Three Gradient Modes
Linear, radial, and conic — every CSS Images Module Level 4 type supported, with the correct keyword grammar for each (angle, shape-at-position, from-angle-at-position).
Unlimited Color Stops
Add, drag, recolor, and remove color stops. Each stop carries a precise position (0–100%) and any hex color. Preview updates as you type.
Multi-Format Output
Copy raw CSS, full background declaration (with solid-color fallback for older renderers), Tailwind v4 arbitrary value, or SCSS variable. One click each.
100% Client-Side
Everything renders in the browser. Your brand colors, hero backgrounds, and unreleased visual identity stay local — no upload, no save, no analytics on the gradient.
The CSS Gradient Generator Built for Production Design Systems
Gradients are the single most performance-efficient way to add visual depth to a web page. They render on the GPU at zero asset cost, scale infinitely with no pixelation, and support every modern browser without a single vendor prefix since 2017. Yet most online gradient builders ship CSS that's either invalid against the current spec, missing the solid-color fallback, or stuck in 2015 with prefixed output. Our Free Online CSS Gradient Generator emits clean, spec-compliant CSS aligned with the W3C CSS Images Module Level 4 — plus Tailwind v4 arbitrary values, SCSS variables, and fallback-ready declarations.
Use this tool with our Color Palette Generator (to source harmonious color stops), the Color Converter (to translate stops between HEX, RGB, and HSL), the Color Contrast Checker (to verify text-over-gradient accessibility), and the CSS Minifier (to ship your design tokens to production).
The Three CSS Gradient Modes Compared
| Mode | Color Path | Best For | Browser Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linear | Straight line at an angle | Hero backgrounds, button fills, banner overlays | Universal (since 2013) |
| Radial | Circle or ellipse outward from a point | Spotlight effects, soft vignettes, glowing CTAs | Universal (since 2013) |
| Conic | Around a center point (clock-hand sweep) | Color wheels, pie-chart visuals, modern abstract heroes | Chromium 69+, Safari 12.1+, Firefox 83+ |
Production-Grade Gradient Pitfalls (and Fixes)
1. Banding in Subtle Gradients
Two-stop gradients across similar lightness values produce visible color bands. Fix: add a third interpolation hint, or dither with a 2% noise overlay PNG.
2. Text Over Gradient Fails WCAG
A gradient has many contrast values — your text must pass at the lightest stop. Test against the worst-case region with our Color Contrast Checker.
3. Missing Solid Fallback
Set `background: #color;` BEFORE the gradient line so any failed render shows a sensible solid. Our “With Fallback” output does this automatically.
4. Vendor Prefixes Still in 2026 Code
`-webkit-` and `-moz-` gradient prefixes have been unnecessary since 2017. Strip them. Modern browsers ignore prefixed versions in favor of the unprefixed spec.
A Design-System Gradient Workflow
Source Harmonious Stops
Use the Color Palette Generator to pick analogous or complementary colors.
Compose & Preview
Drop them into the generator above. Choose linear / radial / conic to match the visual energy you want.
Test for Accessibility
Verify any text you plan to overlay passes WCAG against the lightest gradient stop.
Commit as a Design Token
Export the SCSS variable or Tailwind class, name it after the role (hero, cta, surface-elevated), and commit.