LibreSprite vs Pixelpart

LibreSprite is a free, open-source program for creating and animating sprites. It provides real-time animation previews and onion skinning, with sprites arranged in layers and frames. Users can edit multiple sprites at once, draw in tiled mode, and use pixel-precise tools such as filled contour, polygon, and shading mode. The program includes ready-to-use palettes and supports creating custom ones. Listed export formats include PNG, GIF, JPEG, BMP, PCX, TGA, ICO, FLI/FLC, WebP, and ASE; sprite-sheet export is also listed. Scripting methods cover loading palettes, cropping and resizing sprites, and saving them. LibreSprite is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. The project developed independently after originating as a fork of an Aseprite commit covered by GPL version 2. Version 1.0 is listed as supported, and the project security page reports no published advisories. The plan is free.

Pixelpart is an application for making 2D and 3D visual effects for games, with a particle-based workflow. It provides particle emitters, force fields, colliders, light sources, and group nodes, alongside keyframe animations and motion paths. Effects can be exported as videos, sprite sheets, image sequences, or animated images. Inputs and triggers allow its game-engine plugins to respond to game-state changes, and runtime plugins are listed for Unity, Godot, and GameMaker. The maker describes those plugins as free and open-source; they work with effect files from Pixelpart 1.9.x. Documented engine requirements are Unity 2021.3 or later, Godot 4.3 or later, and GameMaker 2024 or later. The application runs on Linux and Windows; its listed minimums are Ubuntu 20.04 x64 with X11 or Windows 10 x64. Plugin documentation also names macOS, iOS, Android, and Web/HTML5 runtime targets. A free Demo is available for simple effects. Professional costs $24.99, paid once purchase and includes all features, unlimited nodes and particle types, unlimited inputs and triggers, and unrestricted video and sprite export.