Manabit vs Pixelc

Manabit is a pixel art editor for sprites, tile maps, animation and projects with multiple stages. Its drawing tools include vector paths, editable shapes, pixel-perfect lines, modifiers, custom palettes and a hue shifter. Map Builder supports tile capture and level painting, while animation features allow separate frame counts for each layer and export of animation strips. Manabit can open images, GIFs, Aseprite files and PSD files, and export PNG, JPG, GIF and animation strips. Projects can be saved online and reopened in another browser or device. The browser app is free to use, though some features are limited until purchase. The maker describes it as browser-first and intended for artists and indie game developers. Supported platforms listed include web, Windows, iOS and Android; the native desktop installer is Windows-only. Manabit Pro costs $5.99 a month as an auto-renewing monthly subscription via PayPal and requires a Manabit license. The Full Editor costs $9.99, paid once and includes one seat, Windows and browser access, unlimited projects and lifetime updates.

Pixelc is a free, open-source tile and sprite editor written in C using SDL2 and OpenGL. The project targets touch devices such as smartphones and tablets, while also running on desktops, and provides a mobile-friendly web app. It supports animation frames and GIF export, as well as layers and onion skinning for frames and layers. Drawing tools include multiple modes, shading, selections, and custom brushes, kernels, and stamps; a tile mode supports tile work. Pixelc includes popular Lospec palettes and accepts custom palettes. The project says artwork is saved locally and nothing is sent to a server, with offline saving available in the browser app. Undo and redo are stated to remain available after an app reload. The app and assets use the GPLv3 license, and the README points users to documentation, a tutorial, and tooltips. A separate Android Premium edition is offered, with grayscale tools and background. The README warns that Samsung Internet Browser can render tiling incorrectly, with potential for other app corruption.