Dottie
Dottie: A feature-rich Mac editor for pixel artists who want animation, tilesets, and scripting. Ranked #25 of 70 in Pixel Art Software by our editors (6.7/10); pricing: Paid; best for mac users wanting scripting depth.
At a glance
- Editor score6.7 / 10
- PricingPaid
- Best forMac users wanting scripting depth
- Free planNo
- Animation timelineYes
- Facts checked22 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Frame-based animation includes timelines, tags, playback, and per-frame timing.
- Tileset tools support grid-based sprite sheets and cross-tile strokes.
- JavaScript plugins, AppleScript, and JXA enable scripting and extensions.
Where it doesn't
- Runs on macOS only and requires macOS 12.4 or later.
- There is no free plan.
- An iPad version is not currently supported.
Our verdict on Dottie
Dottie is a native macOS pixel art editor for creating game sprites, tilesets, icons, portraits, and animations. It is aimed at solo pixel artists and small game-development teams who prefer a dedicated desktop application. The tool combines pixel-focused drawing and selection tools with layers, custom palettes, vector layers, animation controls, and format support for common raster, animation, project, and vector workflows. It is distributed through the Mac App Store and requires macOS 12.4 or later.
Animation and tileset work are central strengths. Dottie provides a frame-based timeline with frame tags, playback, per-frame timing, onion skinning, and animation modes in its layer system. Its tileset editor supports grid-based sprite-sheet workflows and cross-tile strokes, while sprite-sheet, animated GIF, and animated APNG export support delivery to game and media pipelines. Custom palettes include built-in presets, Lospec import, gradients, and palette-file support. Vector layers add editable objects, groups, and SVG interoperability for workflows that mix pixel and vector elements.
The scripting options distinguish Dottie from a narrowly focused drawing tool. JavaScript plugins, AppleScript, and JXA scripting provide ways to extend or automate work, and export options include PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, ICO, PICO-8, XPM, APNG, and SVG. The trade-off is platform scope: Dottie is desktop software for macOS, with no current iPad support, and it does not offer a free plan. Choose it if you work on a Mac and value animation, tilesets, palette control, vector interoperability, or scripting. Choose another editor if you need Windows, Linux, iPad, or a free starting option.
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Dottie fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Animation timeline | Yes |
| Indexed color tools | Yes |
| Sprite-sheet export | Yes |
| Onion skinning | Yes |
| Tilemap tools | Yes |
| Supported platforms | macOS |
| Export formats | PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, ICO, PICO-8, XPM, APNG, SVG |
| Deployment | Desktop |
| Platforms | macOS |
| Support | Email, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Paid (source) |
| Website | gingerbeardman.com |
| Facts checked | 22 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to Dottie
- PixeloramaA capable free pixel art editor with broad platform support and automation tools.9.4
- PixelWallA capable free pixel-art editor with broad platform support and $15 Pro exports.9.3
- Pix2DA capable free pixel art editor for artists working across web, desktop, and Android.9.1
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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