2025 Reviews: Piskel App and Its Best Alternatives on Mobile

If you are a fan of pixel art and sprite animation, and love experimenting with these, you've probably heard about the Piksel app. It's a favorite among digital artists for creating pixel-based animation and retro-style graphics.

And many casual users often look for user-friendly mobile alternatives. If you are also one of those, we have got you covered. In this guide, we will delve into what the Piskel app is and how you can utilize it to create the best pixel art. Additionally, we will explore the best Piskel app alternative for mobile devices.

Part 1. What Is the Piskel App?.

Piskel is a free and open-source sprite editor that specializes in pixel art and sprite animation. Piskel is designed to create pixel art forms, individual images (sprites), and then combine them into animations. It is particularly useful for designing characters, animations, and detailed work often used in video games and digital avatars. You can use the Pixel app directly in a web browser or download it as an application for Windows, Mac, or Linux.

Key Features of the Piskel App:

• Lightweight interface
• Comprehensive tools for pixel animation
• Create frame-by-frame animations
• Onion skinning for easy frame transitions
• Multiple export options

Part 2. How to Use the Piskel App to Create Pixel Art

Featuring a clean interface that focuses solely on the art, the Piskel app doesn't overwhelm users with unnecessary features. With just a little practice, you can help yourself explore your creativity and produce engaging sprite animations and retro-style artwork.

Here's how you can use the Piskel app to create pixel art:

Step-by-Step Guide to Create Pixel Art in Piskel

Step 1: To get started, go to Piskel app and click on "Create Sprite"-the editor will open in a new tab. (Make sure to create a free account and save your work offline. If you want to use this offline, you can also download it).

Step 2: Familiarize yourself with the interface to understand it. There are multiple features, such as:

• Drawing Tools: Includes pen, eraser, move tool, and color picker.
• Canvas: Where you draw your artwork.
• Frame Panel: Lets you create and edit animation frames.
• Live Preview Box: Shows a real-time view of your drawing and animation.

Step 3: Now is the time to draw your pixel art. Here, select the pen tool and choose your desired pen size. Next, pick a color using the color selection tool and click and drag on the canvas to start drawing. To fix any mistakes, you can use the eraser tool.

Step 4: Now, if you want to animate your drawing, go to the frame panel and click "Duplicate this frame" to copy your drawing. Next, edit the next frame to show movement (such as blinking eyes or walking legs), or click "Add new frame" to create a blank one.

To see a faded version of the previous frame while editing, you can use the Onion Skin tool. Don't forget to adjust the FPS (frames per second) to control animation speed using the preview box.

Step 5: Save or export your work. If signed in, click Save to keep your project online. However, if you want to export for games or websites:

• Click "Export" and select PNG for a sprite sheet.
• Increase the columns until the row says 1.
• Download the full row of frames as an image.

To Export as GIF:

Click Export, then choose GIF.

Make sure "Loop Repeatedly" is checked.

Adjust the scale (size), then click Download as Animated GIF.

Part 3. Limitations of Piskel on Mobile Devices

Artists love the Piskel app for its lightweight interface and powerful animation tool. However, it only works well on desktops, and using it on mobile comes with major drawbacks. Some of those include:

• There's no official app for Android or iOS; you can only use it on a web browser.
• Since it was designed for a desktop, the UI doesn't really complement mobile phones. The buttons and menus are hard to tap on mobile phones.
• Most of the time, the performance on mobile phones is laggy. As it runs in a web browser, you can expect lagging or crashes.
• Since Piksel only works well on desktop, users often look for apps like Piskel on mobile that offer AI-powered tools, better performance, and user-friendly designs.

Part 4. Best Piskel App Alternatives for Desktop

At first, creating pixel art using Piskel may seem complicated, but with practice, you can use this tool to make your game characters or avatars with perfection. However, if you are looking for a simple and easy to use alternative that comes with smart features like AI editing and one-click cartoon effects, HitPaw FotorPea is definitely worth checking out.

Powered by an advanced AI algorithm, HitPaw FotorPea is designed for people who want to create fun and professional-looking pixel art without needing a lot of technical skills. This means that even if you are a complete beginner and looking to make a retro-style character, HitPaw FotorPea has got you covered.

Why Choose HitPaw FotorPea?

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• Easy-to-use interface
• No learning curve to generate art photos
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How to create pixel image using HitPaw FotorPea?

• Step 1.Visit the HitPaw's official website and download the software on you Window or Mac. After downloading the file, open it and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.

  
  

• Step 2.Once the installation process is complete, open the app and from the main screen, click on Ai Generator to begin the process.

  

• Step 3.In the AI Generator section, select the Image to Image to create the pixel. You can also choose Text to Image option, if you wan to create the pixel from start. Next, select the photo, enter the prompt and choose the art style you like.

  

• Step 4.If you want more control, you can further customize the settings by clicking on Advanced settings. It will allow you to set the image size, number of photos and adjust the sharpness and details.

  

• Step 5.Once everything is set, click on Generate to begin the process. The AI will take a few seconds to process the image and prompt before giving the final results.

  
  

  Your cute pixel image is ready to preview. Preview the result by clicking on the magnifying glass and if you are satisfied with the outcome, click the Download button to save it on your computer.

  

Part 5. Other Notable Mobile Apps Like Piskel

Apart from HitPaw FotorPea, there are several other apps like Piskel that are not only optimized for smaller screens but also include smart features like AI filters, frame-based animation, and stylized export options. Let's take a look at some of the top picks.

1. Dotpict (Android/iOS)

Dotpict is a fun and easy-to-use mobile app designed specifically for pixel art creation. Using a unique tap-to-draw mechanism, it allows users to tap on grid blocks to add color, which is great for precision. Besides this, the app includes a useful undo feature, a wide color palette, and a gallery for storing your artworks. Plus, it auto-saves your progress, so you don't lose your work.

2. Pixly

Pixly, as the name suggests, is a dedicated app for creating pixel animation. It is often considered one of the best Piskel alternatives in terms of functionality. Pixly supports full animation workflows, multiple layers, and onion skinning, which makes it perfect for those who want to create animated sprites on mobile.

3. 8-bit Painter

If you are looking for a quick pixel design, 8-bit Painter can be a great choice. Using this straightforward app, you can select canvas sizes that match popular social media profiles and make avatars or pixel stickers. The app also supports color palettes and custom canvas settings. While it lacks animation features, it's fantastic for static artwork, especially if you're just starting.

4. PixArt Animator

PixArt Animator focuses on pixel-based animation. Using this tool, you can create frame-by-frame GIFs and even draw each frame manually and preview animations in real time. It also allows you to add audio tracks, which is great for creating short animated clips.

Part 6. FAQs about Piskel and Its Alternatives

Conclusion

In the world of pixel art, the Piskel app remains a top choice for desktop-based pixel artists. Its free tools, animation features, and lightweight performance make it a gem for creators. However, when it comes to mobile, Piskel falls short.

Luckily, you don't have to miss out, as tools like HitPaw FotorPea and other apps, such as Piskel, offer powerful and easy-to-use experiences right from your phone. So whether you're designing a retro avatar or making your own video game sprites, you can create these right on the go.