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Head-to-head · Pixel Art Software

Pro Motion NG vs Pixel Studio

  • Updated Nov 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Pro Motion NG #7 in Pixel Art Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Pro Motion NG
Pixel Studio #11 in Pixel Art Software 8.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Pixel Studio

Pro Motion NG leads on 0 checks, Pixel Studio 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 scorePro Motion NG · 8.7/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresPro Motion NG · 5 of 5

Pro Motion NG scores higher on our rubric for pixel art software: 8.7 against 8.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #7 and #11.

Pro Motion NG is the better fit for pixel artists needing palette and tilemap depth. Pixel Studio is the better fit for free pixel art across desktop and mobile.

  • Pro Motion NG fits best

    Pixel artists needing palette and tilemap depth

  • Pixel Studio fits best

    Free pixel art across desktop and mobile

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Side by side

Feature Pro Motion NG 8.7/10 Visit ↗ Pixel Studio 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.7 8.2
Ranking #7 in Pixel Art Software #11 in Pixel Art Software
Best for Pixel artists needing palette and tilemap depth Free pixel art across desktop and mobile
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $19 one-time —
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Desktop, Mobile
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Support Email, Community, Docs Email, Community, Docs, Tickets
Integrations 6 integrations 2 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market Solo, Small business
Features Pro Motion NG 5/5 · Pixel Studio 4/5
Animation timeline ✓ ✓
Indexed color tools ✓ ✓
Sprite-sheet export ✓ ✓
Onion skinning ✓ ✓
Tilemap tools ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms Windows, macOS via Wine, Linux via Wine Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Export formats BMP, PNG, JPEG, TGA, GIF PNG, JPG, GIF, BMP, TGA, PSP, PSD, EXR, AI, EPS, HEIC, PDF, SVG, WEBP
Our review
Pros
  • Indexed palettes, tilemaps, tilesets and bitmap font tools
  • Animation timeline with key frames, delays and onion skinning
  • Commercial-use free edition and a $19 one-time full license
  • Free editing with layers, animation, onion skinning, and autosave
  • Works across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
  • Exports GIFs and sprite sheets with broad format support
Cons
  • The Free Edition has limited features
  • macOS and Linux run the Windows application through Wine
  • Wine compatibility limitations may affect non-Windows setups
  • Ads are removed only with the PRO purchase
  • PRO pricing varies by region and storefront
  • Tile mode is included, but dedicated tilemap workflows may be limited
Our verdict

Pro Motion NG is desktop software for creating pixel-art images, animations, sprites, tilesets and level maps. It is aimed at pixel artists, game developers, educators and studios producing graphics for games, handheld systems and web…

Read the review →

Pixel Studio is a pixel art editor for artists and game developers, with a free version for creating layered artwork, animations, sprites, and tiles. It runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, making it suitable for solo creators and…

Read the review →
  1. Pro Motion NGPixel Art Software 8.7Free plan
  2. Pixel StudioPixel Art Software 8.2Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Pro Motion NG — where it wins

    • Indexed palettes, tilemaps, tilesets and bitmap font tools
    • Animation timeline with key frames, delays and onion skinning
    • Commercial-use free edition and a $19 one-time full license

    Where it doesn't

    • The Free Edition has limited features
    • macOS and Linux run the Windows application through Wine
    • Wine compatibility limitations may affect non-Windows setups
  • Pixel Studio — where it wins

    • Free editing with layers, animation, onion skinning, and autosave
    • Works across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
    • Exports GIFs and sprite sheets with broad format support

    Where it doesn't

    • Ads are removed only with the PRO purchase
    • PRO pricing varies by region and storefront
    • Tile mode is included, but dedicated tilemap workflows may be limited

Pro Motion NG vs Pixel Studio: questions

Which is better for pixel art software, Pro Motion NG or Pixel Studio?

Pro Motion NG scores higher on our rubric for pixel art software: 8.7 against 8.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #7 and #11.

How do Pro Motion NG and Pixel Studio compare?

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

Do Pro Motion NG and Pixel Studio have a free plan?

Pro Motion NG: Yes. Pixel Studio: Yes.

More comparisons

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026

Last updated · How we research and update