Best Free Pixel Art Software of 2025

At the heart of nearly every creative endeavor lies the finest imaging and graphic design software, which encompasses a wide array of functions from photo retouching and compositing to digital artistry, animation, and graphic creation. Now, you can tap into the capabilities of Photoshop on both desktop and iPad, allowing you to create whenever inspiration strikes. With our advanced photography tools, you can effortlessly make routine edits or dramatically transform images across both platforms. You can crop, eliminate unwanted objects, retouch, and merge photographs, as well as experiment with colors and effects to revolutionize your photography. Whether you're designing posters, packaging, banners, or websites, all of your design ventures can begin with Photoshop. By merging images and text, you can fabricate completely new visuals, utilizing unlimited layers and masks for intricate designs. Furthermore, Photoshop is now accessible online, enabling Adobe to extend its functionality for sharing, reviewing, and light editing of cloud documents in the .psdc format. This allows collaborators to access your work directly in their browsers, provide insightful feedback, and perform basic edits without the need for downloads, making teamwork more efficient than ever before.

Welcome to the official site of the GNU Image Manipulation Program, commonly known as GIMP. This versatile image editing software is available across various platforms, including GNU/Linux, OS X, Windows, and additional operating systems. GIMP is open-source, which means you have the freedom to modify its source code and share your adaptations. Designed for a wide range of users like graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, and scientists, GIMP offers an array of advanced tools to achieve your creative goals. Additionally, GIMP enhances your efficiency through numerous customization options and support for third-party plugins. It equips you with the necessary tools for high-quality image editing, allowing for tasks ranging from retouching and restoration to imaginative composites, limited only by your creativity. Moreover, GIMP is widely utilized for creating icons, graphic design elements, and artwork for user interface components and prototypes. As a robust framework for scripted image manipulation, GIMP supports multiple programming languages, including C, C++, Perl, Python, Scheme, and more, making it a versatile choice for developers and artists alike. This flexibility ensures that GIMP can adapt to various workflows and project requirements seamlessly.

Pixie Engine serves as a complimentary online platform designed for pixel art creation. This intuitive pixel editor allows users to effortlessly engage with the art form, whether by improving existing designs or embarking on new artistic projects. You can collaborate with others by building on their designs while also having the freedom to unleash your creativity from scratch.

Pixly is a comprehensive pixel art and animation editor designed specifically for game development on Android devices, and it is now available for free. Users can easily download Pixly from the Play Store without any cost, and it is completely ad-free, ensuring that it will never be locked behind a paywall. Unlike other interfaces that rely heavily on keyboard shortcuts, Pixly has been thoughtfully designed for touchscreen use, allowing for intuitive gestures to access essential features. For instance, users can effortlessly select colors by simply dragging from the color palette to their artwork, eliminating the need for cumbersome tool switching. The app streamlines the workflow by minimizing the need to toggle between the eraser and brush tools repeatedly. Additionally, Pixly incorporates a robust memento system that allows users to undo any changes seamlessly, making it ideal for batch operations and enhancing the overall user experience. Whether you are a seasoned artist or just starting, Pixly provides an inclusive platform for everyone to unleash their creativity in pixel art.

Krita is an advanced, completely FREE and open-source painting application designed for artists who believe in making artistic tools accessible to everyone. Developed by a community of artists, it features a user-friendly interface that seamlessly integrates into your creative process. The customizable dockers and panels allow you to tailor the workspace to suit your personal workflow preferences. Once you settle on a configuration, you can save it as your unique workspace for future use. Additionally, you can establish custom shortcuts for frequently used tools, enhancing your efficiency. With over 100 high-quality brushes available right out of the box, Krita provides an extensive array of effects for users to explore. If you struggle with unsteady hand movements, you can utilize a stabilizer feature to refine your brush strokes, as Krita offers three different methods for smoothing and stabilizing them. Moreover, the dedicated Dynamic Brush tool lets you incorporate drag and mass to your creations, adding an extra layer of control. For comic artists, Krita includes built-in vector tools that facilitate the design of comic panels. You can easily select a word bubble template from the vector library and drag it onto your canvas, allowing for immediate customization by adjusting anchor points to craft your own unique shapes and libraries, making it an incredibly versatile tool for various art forms. The program's robust features cater to both novice and experienced artists, ensuring a rich and fulfilling creative experience.

The traditional Microsoft Paint application is already installed on your Windows computer. To access it, simply type "paint" in the search bar adjacent to the Start button on your taskbar, and select Paint from the displayed options. If you're using the most recent version of Windows 10 and are interested in exploring new features, you can try Paint 3D, which offers a variety of modern 2D and 3D tools for free. Paint remains a staple of the Windows operating system, so just search for it in the taskbar as you would normally do. With the introduction of the Windows 10 Creators Update, you can also engage in three-dimensional creations using Paint 3D. This updated version not only includes new 3D functionalities but also retains many beloved classic 2D features from the original Microsoft Paint. Paint 3D represents the latest advancement in the Paint series, providing a wealth of innovative artistic tools for both 2D illustrations and 3D creations. Dive into the diverse brushes and tools available in Paint 3D's Art tools menu, starting by selecting a hue from the color palette or employing the eyedropper tool to capture a shade already present in your creation. This enables you to fully customize your artistic experience and enhances your creative process in exciting ways.

Pixilart serves as an online platform for pixel art creation and social interaction among those interested in art, gaming, and programming. Mastering pixel art is essential for grasping the principles behind digital art, game design, and coding. Users can create an endless number of frames, although larger GIFs may require additional loading time. To edit frames, simply click on the preview image, while the left and right arrow icons allow for easy navigation between frames. Additionally, adjusting the timing of each frame is possible by selecting the desired milliseconds. This platform encourages creativity and collaboration, making it a vibrant space for artistic expression.

Outsprite, an online editor, is a toolchain that allows artists and independent game developers to create retro pixel art assets, organize them, and export them.

An online platform for crafting pixel art and GIF animations awaits you. Design custom brushes and utilize the symmetry feature to create stunning pixel artwork that you can proudly share. Choose your desired grid size and dive into the creative process, using our pastel color palette or selecting hues from the extensive color tool. The symmetry tool enables you to produce beautifully balanced designs with various settings. Create captivating animations and easily export them as GIF files. Transform your uploaded images into playful art, and share your creations with friends or the wider community. You can also import pictures from your device and convert them into pixel art. Combine multiple images or link them together for dynamic animations. Remember, art doesn't need to adhere to realism; simply express your creativity through pixels and showcase your work. This versatile tool functions seamlessly within a web browser or as a desktop application, making it accessible on any device, whether it be a computer, tablet, or smartphone. It operates on any operating system or browser without the need for additional plugins! Effortlessly import images from your device and save your work locally or upload it to the cloud for easy access later. With such functionality, the possibilities for creativity are truly endless.

Pixaki stands out as the premier pixel art application for iPad, offering a multitude of features within a sleek, contemporary design that seamlessly integrates with the Apple Pencil. This means you can effortlessly create game sprites while relaxing on your couch, craft animated backgrounds during your daily commute, or even produce music videos while enjoying time outdoors. The app is filled with exceptional tools tailored specifically for pixel art creation, ensuring that the drawing experience on an iPad with an Apple Pencil is both smooth and intuitive. It's truly one of the most delightful methods for creating pixel art. By activating the pixel perfect painting mode, you can eliminate unsightly double pixels during line art creation, thereby saving you a significant amount of time. In addition to the standard round and square brushes, Pixaki features a matrix dither brush that offers 13 unique dither patterns, which can also be utilized with the eraser tool. The line tool simplifies the process of drawing straight lines and has the option to lock at specific angles, making it ideal for isometric artwork. Overall, Pixaki provides a comprehensive suite of tools that enhance the pixel art creation process, ensuring that artists have everything they need at their fingertips.

Pyxel Edit is a specialized pixel art software tailored for creating and manipulating tiles. Users can arrange tiles to construct levels, modify them in real-time to observe their interactions, and subsequently export both the tileset and level information for integration into their games. The application allows for flipping and rotating tiles, ensuring that they remain editable and synchronized with the overall design. This innovative feature draws inspiration from notable programs like Pixothello and Cosmigo Pro Motion, enhancing the user experience even further. Additionally, Pyxel Edit offers capabilities for animation creation, enabling users to export their work as sprite sheets or animated GIFs. Originally launched as a free application, it still provides a free version; however, significant updates aimed at enhancing its functionality will require a purchase. To facilitate this transition, a discounted beta version will initially be offered, allowing early supporters to access future standard-priced updates without incurring additional costs. Furthermore, this model not only supports the ongoing development of the application but also ensures that users can enjoy the evolving features as they become available.

Pro Motion NG is a powerful drawing application designed for the rapid creation of pixel-perfect images, animations, sprites, tiles, and level maps commonly utilized in game development. This software is particularly well-suited for artists focusing on intricate graphics necessary for mobile platforms like smartphones or portable gaming consoles, including the Nintendo DS and Sony PS Vita. Additionally, it is excellent for producing lightweight graphics intended for the web or web-based applications and games. Users can manage animation and image layers effectively, employing various features such as effects, blend modes, and the ability to flatten or lock layers as needed. Its versatility makes it a valuable tool for both professional game designers and hobbyists alike.

Currently, a significant issue with most NFTs and CryptoArtworks is that their images are kept off-chain, which means if the hosting project ceases to exist, the visual elements of the artwork could be irretrievably lost. To address this challenge, we propose storing all artwork information and metadata directly on the blockchain, ensuring that the art persists indefinitely. With this approach, creators can generate and archive their art entirely on-chain, guaranteeing its longevity. Each time a PixelChain is minted, our innovative smart contract captures all image data, compresses it, and uploads it to the blockchain, along with the corresponding title and creator details. This stored information remains accessible at all times via the blockchain, enabling it to be decompressed and decoded using our open-source decoder, thus reconstructing the original artwork envisioned by the artist. This represents our Minimum Viable Product (MVP) solution for fully on-chain art storage. Additionally, we plan to deploy the same concept to preserve other artistic mediums, including music and voxel art, thereby expanding the reach of our technology.

Pixquare, a powerful iPad pixel art application, is available. Pixquare has a simple interface, a smooth workflow, and advanced pixel art features. Pixquare has many features, including: Apple Pencil Optimization, Timelapse Recording, Advanced Mode for Experienced Artists, and Smooth Sketching powered by Apple MetalKit. It has convenient features such as manual and automatic saving modes, keyboard shortcuts and quick sliders for size, opacity and integration with Lospec color palettes. Discover additional functionalities such as symmetry, reference pictures, and versatile file export/import options to create a seamless pixel-art experience.

Enjoy complete privacy while keeping your projects orderly across various canvases, and easily export your creations as PNG files. Generate images with impeccable accuracy, utilizing features like copy/paste, layering, brushes, and additional tools. Merge AI-generated art with your unique style by selecting the section you wish to modify, entering a prompt, and allowing the AI to handle the rest. You can then apply your preferred outcome directly to the canvas, facilitating the creation of colorful pixel art online at no cost. This platform not only streamlines your artistic process but also encourages creativity and experimentation.

The Lospec Pixel editor is an accessible pixel art software that operates directly in your web browser without any cost. We aimed to develop a user-friendly, straightforward, and non-intrusive application for pixel art that can be utilized from any location. Whether your intention is to design game assets or simply create 8-bit artwork, this tool offers a quick solution for pixel creation. While it lacks some advanced features typically found in desktop editors, we plan to enhance it with additional options in the future. Currently, it includes essential tools such as a pencil, eraser, fill, pan, eyedropper, and zoom functionalities. Furthermore, users can effortlessly modify any colors within their palette, making it a versatile choice for artists. As we continue to refine the application, we aim to expand its capabilities to better meet the needs of our users.

GrafX2 is a bitmap painting application that draws inspiration from the Amiga software Deluxe Paint and Brilliance. It is tailored for creating 256-color artwork and boasts an extensive array of tools and effects, making it ideal for pixel art, game graphics, and intricate graphics created using a mouse. Primarily developed for Haiku, Linux, and Windows, the program also offers portability across various other platforms. Its versatility and comprehensive features make it a popular choice among digital artists seeking to create detailed pixel-based images.

JS Paint is a complimentary web-based painting application inspired by MS Paint. This user-friendly online paint and pixel editor offers a straightforward experience, making it accessible for everyone. It serves as a convenient browser-based substitute for Microsoft Paint, allowing users to create and edit images effortlessly. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned artist, JS Paint provides the tools needed for creative expression.

Innovative image tools designed for modern professionals. This all-in-one platform provides a variety of popular image functionalities in an effortlessly simple format. With just a click, we enhance your images for easy sharing and saving, all while maintaining their original quality. Our secure cloud server compresses your images and ensures they are deleted after your download. Compatible with all devices and operating systems, our tool effectively optimizes images across various platforms. Featuring an intuitive user interface, you can transform any image into ASCII art in just three straightforward steps. Simply drag and drop your image, and you'll receive the converted file immediately on your device. A web-based image splitter is also available for diverse devices, whether you're on an Apple iPhone, Android smartphone, or using Windows, Mac, Linux, PC, tablet, or laptop; it operates seamlessly across all platforms without any delays. Additionally, our user-friendly interface simplifies the pixel art conversion process, allowing you to upload, wait briefly, and then download your pixel art with ease. Overall, this platform revolutionizes image processing for professionals by combining efficiency and simplicity.

PikoPixel is a free and open-source application designed for Mac that allows users to create and modify pixel-art graphics. It features user-friendly controls, offers unlimited undo options, enables the use of multiple layers, provides a customizable canvas background, includes hotkey-accessible popup panels, allows for the export of upscaled images, and supports color blending in linear (gamma-correct) space. Additionally, its intuitive interface makes it accessible for both beginners and experienced artists alike.

Supports a wide range of formats such as .ico, .gif, .avi, .cur, and .ani, allowing you to preview animations in real-time while editing sprites, which means you won't have to pause your work to view the animation. The software features multiple layers to facilitate the drawing and editing process, and onion skinning enables you to see both the previous and next frames as you create. You can choose to output your animation frames onto a single sprite sheet, export each frame as an individual image file, or save the entire animation as a single .gif file. GraphicsGale's export options are versatile enough to suit any workflow preferences. Additionally, it offers numerous pixel-art specific tools to enhance your creative process, including palette management, selective color erasure, and quick color replacement options. With a free download available, you can dive right into your creative projects and start making art! Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, this software is designed to streamline your animation creation experience.

Preview your animation instantly while you create, allowing you to modify the frame delay in real time. There are multiple export options available, including animated GIFs for easy sharing and spritesheet PNG/ZIP files for larger projects. Additionally, the entire codebase is open-source and can be accessed on GitHub for those interested in exploring or contributing. This fosters a collaborative environment where users can enhance their animation experience.