About Pixel Animator
Pick a colour and draw on the canvas, press New frame to copy the frame and change it a little, then press Play. Set the time under each frame, and export a sprite sheet, an animated GIF or a link when it looks right.
By the ToolFluency team · Updated October 2026
Draw and animate pixel sprites in your browser: frames, named animations, exact frame times, onion skin and layers. Export a sprite sheet, a GIF or a link. Free, no sign-up.
How to use
- Choose a canvas size under the canvas (16 by 16 is a good start) and a palette on the right.
- Draw the first frame with the Pencil. Freehand lines are cleaned to one pixel wide as you draw, and Mirror copies your strokes across the middle.
- Press New frame. It starts as a copy of the frame you were on, so you only change what moves. Turn on Onion to see the frames before and after.
- Click the time under a frame to type how long it shows, in milliseconds. Press Play, or watch the real-size preview on the right.
- Short on time? Open Quick motion and pick Pulse, Flicker, Spin, Grow and fade or Shake to build the frames from one drawing.
- Add another animation with the + Animation tab if the sprite needs more than one, such as idle and hit.
- Open Export for a sprite sheet with its JSON, an animated GIF, a PNG or a link. Save keeps a copy in My designs on this device.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Pixel Animator free?
Yes. It runs in your browser with nothing to install and no account. Your work is kept on your device.
What can I export?
A PNG sprite sheet with a JSON file that lists every frame, its time and each animation (the layout Aseprite uses, which engines such as Phaser and Godot read), an animated GIF, a single frame as PNG, or a link that opens the design.
Can each frame have its own time?
Yes. Click the time under any frame and type it in milliseconds, or set every frame at once. 100 ms is ten frames a second.
What are the tabs along the bottom?
Each tab is one animation of the same sprite, such as idle, walk or hit. They share a size and a palette and are exported together.
What is Quick motion?
It turns one drawn frame into a whole animation: pulse, flicker, spin, grow and fade, or shake. Every frame it makes can still be edited.
Can I use my own palette?
Yes. Start from a ready-made palette, add, change or remove colours, or open a .gpl, .pal or .hex palette file such as the ones on Lospec.
Does it work with the game makers here?
Yes. In Retro FPS Maker, choose Make a look on a gun or the explosion. The animator opens at the right size with the built-in art, and Use in Retro FPS Maker sends your version straight back.
Does it work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Draw with one finger, pinch to zoom and drag with two fingers to move the view.
Part of ToolFluency’s library of free online tools for Creative. No account needed, no data leaves your device.