Draw pixel art with Dots. If you are a pixel art lover, you shouldn't miss Dots! Dots doesn't have complex features. It totally focused on real pixel-art. Select a color and fill dots with it. It's so simple and easy! #DotsApp

About

Pixel Art Animator & Editor

Create frame-by-frame pixel art animations with onion skinning and reference images. Export your creations as GIFs, MP4s, or PNGs. This app offers a private, offline experience with optional pro features for advanced users.

Highlights

Frame-by-frame pixel art animation
Onion skinning for smooth transitions
Reference image import and manipulation
GIF, MP4, PNG, and PDF export options
Offline and private operation
Adjustable canvas sizes

Features

Read full description

Create pixel-perfect animations on your phone. Pixel Art Animator is a frame-by-frame pixel editor with onion skinning, reference images, and exports — fully offline, no account needed. Free to download. No ads. No tracking — ever. ▸ PIXEL-PERFECT DRAWING Draw on a pixel grid with Pencil, Eraser, Fill, and Eyedropper (Free). Pro adds Line, Rectangle, Circle, Selection, Move, and Replace Color. Canvas sizes 16×16 and 32×32 (Free); Pro adds 64×64, and 128×128 on iPad. ▸ ONION SKINNING See the previous frame as a translucent overlay while you draw. Free includes onion skin at the default opacity; Pro adjusts opacity from 5% to 50%. ▸ REFERENCE IMAGES (Pro) Import a reference image, pan, zoom, rotate, and adjust opacity — ideal for tracing and rotoscoping. ▸ FRAME MANAGEMENT Add, duplicate, reorder, and clear frames. Free projects support up to 12 frames; Pro unlocks up to 256 frames and per-frame background colors. ▸ SMOOTH PLAYBACK Play at 1–30 FPS with loop preview. ▸ EXPORTS Free: animated GIF and single-frame PNG — no watermarks. Pro adds MP4 video, sprite sheet, and multi-page PDF. ▸ PROJECTS Free: up to 2 animation projects. Pro removes the project cap with search and filter. ▸ HOME SCREEN WIDGET (Pro) Show your latest pixel animation on your Home Screen. ▸ BACKUP & RESTORE (Pro) Export and restore your full .pixelart archive. ▸ FULLY OFFLINE & PRIVATE No account. No cloud. No ads. Your animations stay on your device only. ▸ TRY FREE Complete a real animation job on Free — draw, preview with onion skin, and export GIF or PNG without watermarks. ▸ PRO UNLOCKS THE STUDIO Larger canvas, pro tools, all exports, no project or frame caps, reference images, backup, and Home Screen widget. Monthly, annual, or lifetime. Pixel Art Animator is built for pixel artists who value simplicity and privacy. Download now and start animating. Have feedback? Reach us at support@can.bi Privacy Policy: https://canbi.notion.site/Privacy-Policy-4c96cac95bdb8303a12e01d3ae58da74 Terms of Use (EULA): https://canbi.notion.site/Terms-of-Service-c966cac95bdb83498f60012e6d420d74

Screenshots

Dots (Pixel Art)4 screens

Pixel Art Animator & Editor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Pixel Art Animator & Editor at Free against Dots (Pixel Art)'s $2.99. Pixel Art Animator & Editor also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.4) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). Dots (Pixel Art)'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and ratings volume (15 vs 3). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Pixel Art Animator & Editor is free to download; Dots (Pixel Art) costs $2.99 up front. Pixel Art Animator & Editor sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Dots (Pixel Art) asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pixel Art Animator & Editor holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dots (Pixel Art) has 15 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dots (Pixel Art) ships an update every 3 weeks, Pixel Art Animator & Editor every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level

Dots (Pixel Art) versus Pixel Art Animator & Editor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter	Dots (Pixel Art)	Pixel Art Animator & Editor
Price	$2.99	Free — better
Rating	3.4 (15 ratings)	5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews	82.1% of reviews	—
Number of ratings	15 — better	3
Update frequency	Every 3 weeks	Every 9 days — better
Ads	No	No
In-app purchases	No — better	Yes
Monetization	Free — better	Freemium
Devices	iPhone, iPad, iPod — better	iPhone, iPad
Requires iOS	15.6 — better	18.0
Further details — not scored
Size	3 MB	17 MB
Age rating	4+	4+
Developer	xiles	Can Bi

Customer experience

Dots (Pixel Art)

All ratings15 ratings

Positive53.3%

Neutral20.0%

Negative26.7%

Written reviews123 reviews

Positive82.1%

Neutral8.9%

Negative8.9%

Pixel Art Animator & Editor

All ratings3 ratings

Positive100.0%

Neutral0.0%

Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Dots (Pixel Art)

Reported bugs

14 issues

Undo button doesn't work all the time
Undo skips around in history
App crashes on older devices
Duplicate feature doesn't always work
App cannot be opened after update

Show 9 more

Moving layer outside canvas loses work
Merge layers undo loses a layer
Fill tool issues (double tap)
Picture disappears when moved
Imported images are pixelated
Exported images look fuzzy
Saving to photo library lowers quality
Line of pixels appears when zooming
Internet connection required, otherwise crashes

Requested features

34 requests

Organize drawings into folders
Eyedropper tool
Copy and paste for layers
Select colors from imported image
Larger canvas size

Show 29 more

Export file showing grid
Animation support
Custom image sizes
Selection tool for moving parts
Shape tool
Adjustable grid or more grid sizes
256x256 size option
Layer opacity for GIFs
Brush tools with multiple widths and shades
User input for custom grid dimensions
Transparent background option
Fill button
8x8 option for Minecraft
Easier way to store favorite colors
Number input for precise color selection
Save to camera roll as PNG and GIF
More export options
Custom resolutions
Direct export to Dropbox
Key in color codes manually
Eraser tool for transparent backgrounds
16x16 resolution option
Save in GIF format
Layer support
Higher resolution export
Toggle grid option
Paint bucket tool
Change pencil size
More tools beyond pencil

Pixel Art Animator & Editor

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Dots (Pixel Art)

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Pixel Art Animator & Editor

Subscriptions2

Pixel Art Monthly$2.991 Month
Pixel Art Annual$9.991 Year

One-time5

Support Tip - 1-Up$1.99
Support Tip - Power-Up$4.99
Support Tip - Extra Life$12.99

Show 2 more

Pixel Art Lifetime$19.99
Support Tip - Boss Key$24.99

Questions

Is Dots (Pixel Art) free?

Dots (Pixel Art) costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

Is Pixel Art Animator & Editor free?

Pixel Art Animator & Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

Which has better reviews, Dots (Pixel Art) or Pixel Art Animator & Editor?

Pixel Art Animator & Editor is rated higher. Dots (Pixel Art) averages 3.4 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Pixel Art Animator & Editor averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

Do Dots (Pixel Art) or Pixel Art Animator & Editor have ads?

Neither Dots (Pixel Art) nor Pixel Art Animator & Editor shows ads.

Which is updated more often, Dots (Pixel Art) or Pixel Art Animator & Editor?

Dots (Pixel Art) ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pixel Art Animator & Editor every 9 days. Most recently, Dots (Pixel Art) was updated on October 15, 2026 and Pixel Art Animator & Editor on October 16, 2026.