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Lightcube

Paid#47 of 70 in Pixel Art Software

Lightcube: A feature-rich Windows pixel art editor with a high listed starting price. Ranked #47 of 70 in Pixel Art Software by our editors (5.5/10); pricing: Paid; best for windows tilemap editing where price is secondary.

5.5/10Editor score

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Lightcube5.5 Visit Lightcube

At a glance

Editor score
5.5 / 10
Pricing
Paid
Best for
Windows tilemap editing where price is secondary
Free plan
No
Animation timeline
Yes
Facts checked
20 Sep 2026

Where it wins
- Frame animation includes grouping and onion skinning.
- Tilemap editing provides live tile updates.
- Exports sprite sheets, GIFs and MPEG-4 video.
Where it doesn't
- Available only for Windows desktop.
- No documented time-unlimited free plan.
- Listed starting price is 690, limiting its value appeal.

Our verdict on Lightcube

Lightcube is a Windows desktop pixel art editor for game developers and artists creating game assets, animations and illustrations. Its workspace combines drawing, selection, fill, gradient, shape and color-replacement tools with customizable brushes, grids, color ramps, layers and palette management. It supports Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11, and handles both still artwork and frame-based animation. A demo is available through its store listing, while the commercial edition uses a one-time purchase model.

Animation and tilemap work are the clearest reasons to consider Lightcube. The frame-based timeline supports frame grouping, and onion skinning helps compare adjacent animation frames during production. The tilemap editor provides live tile updates, while multiple layers add locking, opacity and blending controls. Palette workflows include imported palette files, and indexed color support fits pixel art projects that require controlled color sets. Export options cover PNG, BMP, GIF, JPEG and MPEG-4, with dedicated sprite-sheet export for game assets.

The main trade-off is cost relative to platform breadth. The listed starting price is 690, and there is no documented time-unlimited free plan, so Lightcube suits buyers who specifically need its animation and tilemap feature set rather than those comparing low-cost or broadly available tools. Its Windows-only distribution also narrows the fit for teams working across other desktop platforms. Choose Lightcube for Windows-based pixel art production where layered editing, palette control, tilemaps and animation exports justify the purchase; choose an alternative if cross-platform access or lower entry cost matters more.

Your product? Our editors can test Lightcube in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →

Lightcube pricing

Plans PaidPaid No free plan — trial or paid only. Prices checked 20 Sep 2026.

See plans on lightcube.art

All 1 Lightcube plans and prices →

Lightcube 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	Windows 7, 8, 10, 11
Export formats	PNG, BMP, GIF, JPEG, MPEG-4
Deployment	Desktop
Platforms	Windows
Support	Email, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business (editorial estimate)
Pricing	Paid (source)
Website	lightcube.art
Facts checked	20 Sep 2026

Alternatives to Lightcube

See all Lightcube alternatives →

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Featured on iTechGuides

Lightcube is listed in our Pixel Art Software directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update