Best Pixel Art Software for Linux of 2025

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.

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.

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.

Aseprite is a powerful tool designed for crafting 2D animations specifically tailored for video games, allowing users to create everything from sprites to pixel art and graphics inspired by the nostalgic 8-bit and 16-bit gaming eras. The software features a color mode that specifies the number of colors that can be used in an image, and it enforces a strict rule: all images within a sprite must be in the same mode, meaning you cannot combine RGB images with Indexed images. It also provides a series of layers accessible through the Timeline, with a crucial distinction between two types of layers: a single background layer meant for opaque sprites and multiple transparent layers that can coexist within the same sprite. Furthermore, Aseprite includes animation frames, each defined by a duration that determines how long it appears on screen during playback. To enhance your workflow, Aseprite can be integrated into your asset pipeline through its command-line interface (CLI), allowing developers to efficiently store multiple animations within a single texture atlas and streamline the animation process. This makes it an invaluable resource for anyone looking to produce engaging and visually appealing 2D animations for their projects.

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.