Open Computing Language (OpenCL) is a framework for writing programs that execute across heterogeneous platforms consisting of central processing unit (CPUs), graphics processing unit (GPUs), and other processors. OpenCL includes a language (based on C99) for writing kernels (functions that execute on OpenCL devices), plus application programming interfaces (APIs) that are used to define and then control the platforms. OpenCL provides parallel computing using task-based and data-based parallelism. OpenCL is an open standard maintained by the non-profit technology consortium Khronos Group. It has been adopted by Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, Nvidia, and ARM Holdings.

OpenCL gives any application access to the graphics processing unit for non-graphical computing. Thus, OpenCL extends the power of the graphics processing unit beyond graphics (see general-purpose computing on graphics processing units). Academic researchers have investigated automatically compiling OpenCL programs into application-specific processors running on FPGAs, and commercial FPGA vendors are developing tools to translate OpenCL to run on their FPGA devices.