Pencil2D
Free, open-source app for simple frame-by-frame 2D hand-drawn animation.
- Verified facts
- 5 of 5
- Alternatives ranked
- 6
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About Pencil2D
Pencil2D is a lightweight, open-source program for traditional hand-drawn animation. You draw each frame on a timeline, use onion skinning to see neighbouring frames, and export the result as a video or image sequence. It mixes bitmap and vector layers, so you can sketch rough lines on one and ink or colour cleanly on another. The interface is deliberately minimal, which makes it a common first animation tool for students, hobbyists and schools; there are no rigging, bones or tweening features, so complex productions quickly outgrow it. It is free to use, including commercially, under the GPL, and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD, with packages for most Linux distributions and Flatpak. Development is community-run and releases are infrequent but steady. Pick it if you want to start animating straight away; look at OpenToonz or Synfig for bigger projects.
Best for: Beginners, students and hobbyists starting frame-by-frame animation for free.
Pros and cons
What works
- Very simple interface that is quick to learn
- Raster and vector layers in the same project
- Free for commercial work, on Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD
Why people leave
- No bones, rigging or automatic tweening
- Few effects and limited sound editing compared with studio tools
- Current macOS build needs macOS 10.14 or later; older Macs get a legacy build
Top Pencil2D alternatives
See all 6- 1
OpenToonz66.5Free studio-grade tool with xsheets, effects and scanning, for when a project outgrows Pencil2D.
- 2
Synfig Studio62.6Free vector animator with automatic tweening and bones, so you don't draw every frame.
- 3
Krita52.6Free painting app with a built-in animation timeline and much richer brushes for drawn frames.
- 4
Clip Studio Paint51.2Paid drawing app with strong frame animation tools, popular with comic and anime artists.
- 5
Toon Boom Harmony48.9Professional paid tool for those moving from hobby animation into studio work.
Why people left Pencil2D
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Pencil2D: common questions
Is Pencil2D free?
Yes. Pencil2D is free, open-source software.
Is Pencil2D open source?
Yes. The source code is on GitHub at pencil2d/pencil.
What platforms does Pencil2D run on?
Pencil2D is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.
What are the best alternatives to Pencil2D?
The highest-ranked Pencil2D alternatives right now are OpenToonz, Synfig Studio and Krita. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.