Motestack
Motestack: A free web editor with animation, indexed color, tile tools, and game-ready exports. Ranked #9 of 70 in Pixel Art Software by our editors (8.4/10); pricing: Free plan; best for solo pixel artists and indie game developers.
At a glance
- Editor score8.4 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forSolo pixel artists and indie game developers
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Animation timelineYes
- Facts checked22 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Frame animation includes onion skinning, tags, durations, and frame ordering.
- Indexed-color editing supports palette locking and palette-wide recoloring.
- Exports include sprite sheets with Aseprite-compatible JSON metadata.
Where it doesn't
- Runs on the web rather than as a desktop application.
- Support is provided through documentation.
- The product is described as beta and a personal hobby project.
Our verdict on Motestack
Motestack is a browser-based pixel art and 2D animation editor for indie game developers, pixel artists, and retro enthusiasts. Its feature set covers pixel drawing with pencils, shapes, gradients, dithering, fills, erasers, and custom brushes, alongside layers, groups, blend modes, opacity, and cross-frame layer linking. Projects run client-side in the browser, with editable .mstack files and exports for PNG, GIF, sprite sheets, project JSON, and other project work.
Animation is a central strength. The frame-based timeline supports ordering, duplication, durations, and tags, while onion skin overlays show neighboring frames during editing. Indexed-color mode adds palette locking and palette-wide recoloring for workflows that require controlled color use. Motestack also includes 47-tile auto-tile sheet generation, making it relevant to tilemap-oriented game work rather than only standalone sprite creation.
The published documentation describes Motestack as beta and as a personal hobby project. Its v0.15.x documentation says all features are enabled, and the product is available as a free web editor. Support is provided through documentation. Solo creators and small teams looking for browser-based animation, indexed-color editing, and game-development exports should find the scope well aligned with those needs. Teams requiring a desktop application, broader support channels, or a product positioned beyond beta should consider a different tool.
Your product? Our editors can test Motestack in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
Motestack pricing
Motestack fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Animation timeline | Yes |
| Indexed color tools | Yes |
| Sprite-sheet export | Yes |
| Onion skinning | Yes |
| Tilemap tools | Yes |
| Supported platforms | web |
| Export formats | PNG, GIF, sprite sheet, project JSON, .mstack |
| Deployment | Cloud |
| Platforms | Web |
| Support | Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | motestack.com |
| Facts checked | 22 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to Motestack
- 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
See all Motestack alternatives →
Used Motestack? Be the first to review it
The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used Motestack for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.
Write a reviewTwo minutes · verified accounts only · read by an editor before it appears
Featured on iTechGuides
Motestack is listed in our Pixel Art Software directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.
<a href="https://www.itechguides.com/products/motestack/"><img src="https://www.itechguides.com/best/badge/motestack.svg" alt="Featured on iTechGuides" width="230" height="46"></a>
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update