Aseprite vs Pixelorama
Aseprite is a paid desktop editor, while Pixelorama is an MIT-licensed project you can take for any price you choose, including zero. Aseprite names Igara Studio S.A. in its footer and sells builds for Windows, macOS and Ubuntu through Paddle, itch.io or a Steam key. Pixelorama runs in a browser as well as on desktop systems, and the pages name Orama Interactive as the developer. Neither site states a country, and Aseprite's buy page shows no price at all.
Sebastiaan SmitsFounderVendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
Choose Aseprite ifyou animate with linked cels, need ping-pong loops and want a command-line export to feed a game pipeline. You also accept paying at checkout without a price on the page we read.
Choose Pixelorama ifyou want to start drawing today without a budget line, or need a tool that opens in a browser. You also want tilemap layers and bulk export from the command line.
Aseprite and Pixelorama side by side
| Aseprite | Pixelorama | |
|---|---|---|
| Our pixel art software rank | #2 of 14 | #1 of 14 |
| Established in | Not stated by the vendor | Not stated by the vendor |
| List price, 10 November 2026 | Paid desktop software; Paddle or itch.io checkout and a Steam key, and no amount on the buy page | Pay what you want on itch.io, zero allowed; MIT licensed and open source |
| Free tier | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
| Built for | Animators who need cels, loop modes and a scriptable export path | Hobbyists and small teams who want animation and tilemaps without paying first |
| Not for | People who want a free tool to open today | Buyers needing a named vendor with a contract |
Both are reviewed in full in our pixel art software ranking: Aseprite and Pixelorama.
Where they differ
Aseprite 1 · Pixelorama 3 · open 2- 01
Name your own price against a buy page without amounts
Pixelorama's itch.io page says Name your own price, so a price of zero is allowed, and the project calls itself a free and open source sprite editor. Aseprite is paid software sold through a Buy page with Paddle and itch.io payment and a Steam key option, but the page shows no prices or currency, only Subtotal, Tax and Total labels. For a first day with no spend, Pixelorama is the clear winner.
Edge: Pixelorama
- 02
Cels that link and loops that bounce
Aseprite's page says frames and cels can be created, copied, moved, linked and dragged, and a section can loop forward, in reverse or ping-pong. It also lists layer and frame tags, onion skin and crash recovery of sprites. Pixelorama offers a timeline with layers and frames, onion skinning, audio sync and frame tags, but nothing there mentions linked cels or loop modes. Animators who need loops get more from Aseprite.
Edge: Aseprite
- 03
Isometric and hexagonal tile layers
Pixelorama lists tile layers that can be rectangular, isometric or hexagonal, which suits tilemap work, and adds non-destructive layer effects such as outlines, gradient maps and drop shadows. Aseprite lists a tiled mode, pixel perfect strokes, RotSprite rotation and custom brushes, but isometric and hexagonal tile layers go unmentioned. For tilemaps built from non-square grids, Pixelorama is the one that says it supports them.
Edge: Pixelorama
- 04
Handing sprites to a game engine
Aseprite exports animations as GIF, sprite sheets as PNG with a JSON file, and texture atlases, and its command-line interface is described for integration into an asset pipeline. Pixelorama exports PNG, animated PNG, spritesheets, GIFs and videos, with command-line automation for bulk exports. Both can be scripted. Aseprite names the JSON description and atlas output that game pipelines tend to read, and Pixelorama adds video and animated PNG.
Depends on the buyer
- 05
Where each one runs
Aseprite is a desktop application with builds for Windows, macOS and Ubuntu, and no cloud or self-hosted version is mentioned. Pixelorama runs in HTML5 in a browser, on Windows, macOS and Linux, and on Android, where the build is labelled experimental and aimed at tablets. It is also downloadable through Steam, itch.io, GitHub Releases and Flathub. For a browser or tablet, only Pixelorama applies.
Edge: Pixelorama
- 06
A named company, an EULA and an MIT licence
Aseprite's footer reads 2001-2026 Igara Studio S.A., and the GitHub README says source and official releases fall under the Aseprite End-User License Agreement, with Steam releases under the Steam Subscriber Agreement. Pixelorama is MIT licensed, with Orama Interactive named as the developer. Neither site states a country. Aseprite also links a trial version, but its length and terms are not shown, so check them before relying on it.
Depends on the buyer
When neither fits
If you want a free editor whose pages we could read in full or a different licence model, look further. LibreSprite is a free alternative to compare, and PixiEditor is another option with its own feature set.
Aseprite or Pixelorama: questions
3 answersDoes Aseprite have a free version I can try before buying?
Its home page links a Trial Version button. Its length and limits are not shown the trial lasts or what it limits, and the buy page does not mention a trial. Check the terms on the download itself.
Can Pixelorama really be downloaded for nothing?
The itch.io page lets you name your own price, which includes zero, and the project describes itself as a free and open source sprite editor. The code is MIT licensed. It is also offered through Steam, GitHub Releases and Flathub.
Who do I contact for support on each of them?
Aseprite's footer links Terms, Privacy and Support pages, and names Igara Studio S.A. as the company. Pixelorama's pages name Orama Interactive and list OverloadedOrama as co-author on itch.io, but no support promise or contract appears.
Sources
Checked 10 November 2026- Aseprite buy page: Windows, macOS and Ubuntu builds, Paddle, itch.io and Steam key options, and the empty price labels.
- Aseprite home page: cel linking, loop modes, exports, command-line interface, the trial button and the Igara Studio footer.
- Aseprite GitHub repository: the EULA and Steam Subscriber Agreement terms for source and releases.
- Pixelorama itch.io page: name-your-own-price, MIT licence, platform list, tile layers and export formats.
- Pixelorama website: the free and open source description, Orama Interactive copyright and download channels.