PixelPencil - Pixel art editor review
A focused pixel editor with layers and animation export, free with an optional ad-removal purchase.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
PixelPencil is a pixel-art editor for iPhone and iPad, aimed at people who want to draw and animate small pixel canvases on a mobile device. Its toolset covers common editing tasks such as drawing, filling, selecting, moving, flipping, rotating and scaling. Canvas sizes range from 5×5 to 512×512 pixels, and pinch gestures support zooming and rotation. This is a focused choice for solo creators and small projects built around pixel art, rather than a general drawing app for varied illustration styles.
Layer editing is central to the workflow: layers can be added, deleted, duplicated, reordered, hidden, grouped and adjusted for transparency or blending. For animation, each layer can serve as a frame, with export to animated GIF or APNG. Undo and redo are also available. Projects can be saved through the app file system or iCloud, giving users a way to keep multiple pieces in progress. These features make PixelPencil more than a single-canvas sketchpad, but the published feature set remains centered on basic pixel-art creation and animation.
The app is free to download, with a one-time $4.99 Remove ads purchase according to the US App Store listing; regional App Store prices may differ. The paid option removes advertisements, while the Free plan already includes pixel-art editing tools, layer editing and animation export. That keeps the purchase decision straightforward for users who want to try the editor before paying, but it does not add a separate suite of advanced capabilities. Choose PixelPencil for an iPhone-based pixel-art workflow with layer animation and iCloud saving; look elsewhere if you need a broader drawing tool or work outside iOS.
PixelPencil - Pixel art editor pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Layer controls include grouping, blend modes, transparency and ordering.
- Exports animations as GIF or APNG, using layers as frames.
- Saves multiple projects through the app file system or iCloud.
- Where it doesn't
- Focused on pixel-art workflows rather than general-purpose drawing.
- The free version includes advertisements.
- Available for iOS, with no other platform listed.
PixelPencil - Pixel art editor fact sheet, pricing and score →
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. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update