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Head-to-head · Pixel Art Software

Pixelorama vs Hexcalibur

  • Updated Nov 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Pixelorama #1 in Pixel Art Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Pixelorama
Hexcalibur #8 in Pixel Art Software 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Hexcalibur

Pixelorama leads on 0 checks, Hexcalibur on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scorePixelorama · 9.4/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresPixelorama · 5 of 5

Pixelorama scores higher on our rubric for pixel art software: 9.4 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #8.

Pixelorama is the better fit for free, open-source pixel art across many platforms. Hexcalibur is the better fit for affordable browser pixel-art tooling.

  • Pixelorama fits best

    Free, open-source pixel art across many platforms

  • Hexcalibur fits best

    Affordable browser pixel-art tooling

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Side by side

Feature Pixelorama 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Hexcalibur 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.6
Ranking #1 in Pixel Art Software #8 in Pixel Art Software
Best for Free, open-source pixel art across many platforms Affordable browser pixel-art tooling
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price — $29/yr
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop, Mobile Cloud
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android Web
Support Docs Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Pixelorama 5/5 · Hexcalibur 4/5
Animation timeline ✓ ✓
Indexed color tools ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Sprite-sheet export ✓ ✓
Onion skinning ✓ ✓
Tilemap tools ✓ ✓
Specs
Supported platforms Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, Web web
Export formats PNG, animated PNG, spritesheets, GIF, video PNG, JPEG, WEBP, animated GIF, APNG, sprite sheet, WebM, Minecraft Java .mcmeta, Bedrock flipbook, .tsx/.tmx, ZIP, .mcpack
Our review
Pros
  • Free and open-source across Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and web
  • Animation, tilemap, palette, onion-skinning, and indexed-color tools
  • Non-destructive effects, clipping masks, video export, and CLI automation
  • Free tier includes a full 2D editor and animation timeline
  • Supports tilemaps, terrain generation, autotiling, and shared palettes
  • Exports for Minecraft, Tiled, Unity, Godot, and other engines
Cons
  • The Steam edition is limited to Windows and Linux
  • Steam Cloud, Achievements, and automatic updates require the Steam edition
  • Paid Steam access adds platform benefits rather than listed editing features
  • Available only through the web
  • Cloud sync requires a Pro plan
  • Support is provided through documentation
Our verdict

Pixelorama is an open-source pixel art editor for creating sprites, tiles, and frame-based animations. It is suited to artists, game developers, and hobbyists who want a free workflow across desktop, browser, and Android platforms. Its…

Read the review →

Hexcalibur is a browser-based pixel-art editor for pixel artists and voxel game developers. Its workspace combines a full 2D pixel editor with live 3D previews for cubes, stairs, slabs, and L-stacks. It also includes animation, tilemaps,…

Read the review →
  1. PixeloramaPixel Art Software 9.4Free plan
  2. HexcaliburPixel Art Software 8.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Pixelorama — where it wins

    • Free and open-source across Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and web
    • Animation, tilemap, palette, onion-skinning, and indexed-color tools
    • Non-destructive effects, clipping masks, video export, and CLI automation

    Where it doesn't

    • The Steam edition is limited to Windows and Linux
    • Steam Cloud, Achievements, and automatic updates require the Steam edition
    • Paid Steam access adds platform benefits rather than listed editing features

  • Hexcalibur — where it wins

    • Free tier includes a full 2D editor and animation timeline
    • Supports tilemaps, terrain generation, autotiling, and shared palettes
    • Exports for Minecraft, Tiled, Unity, Godot, and other engines

    Where it doesn't

    • Available only through the web
    • Cloud sync requires a Pro plan
    • Support is provided through documentation

Pixelorama vs Hexcalibur: questions

Which is better for pixel art software, Pixelorama or Hexcalibur?

Pixelorama scores higher on our rubric for pixel art software: 9.4 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #8.

How do Pixelorama and Hexcalibur compare?

All 6 checks we put side by side come out level: neither leads on any.

Do Pixelorama and Hexcalibur have a free plan?

Pixelorama: Yes. Hexcalibur: Yes.

More comparisons

All pixel art software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026

Last updated · How we research and update