Pixel art editor · Free & open source

Paint with ramps, not with colors.

KPix draws still images and animations in indexed color. Every shade belongs to a ramp that is generated from parameters, so shading, recoloring and dithering stay editable from the first pixel to the last frame.

Try KPix online ↗ Download

Runs in the browser - no install, no account.
Windows · Linux · Android Tablets · macOS

User Interface

The KPix editor with a pixel art scene on the canvas, tools on the bottom left and the palette on the top left.

What it does differently

Built around one idea: the ramp.

Most editors treat a palette as a bag of colors. KPix treats it as a set of ramps with rules - which is what makes shading, recoloring and dithering cheap to change your mind about.

Indexed color only

Every pixel points at a shade in a ramp. Adjust the ramp and the artwork updates with it - no reselecting, no repainting.

Generated ramps

Shades come from parameters: base hue and saturation, hue and saturation shift per step, a saturation curve, and a brightness range.

Shading in every tool

Pen, shape, text, fill, stamp, line, Bézier curve and spray can each work directly or in shading mode, moving pixels up and down the ramp.

Layers that do more

Reference, shading, dither and grid/perspective layers sit anywhere in the stack and stay non-destructive, alongside strokes, shadow and glow effects.

Animation

Per-frame timing from 1 to 30 fps, onion skinning you can tune, and layers linked across frames.

Exports that keep layers

Send work to Aseprite, Gimp, Pixelorama or Photoshop, or export png, apng and gif - plus palettes in nine formats.

Get KPix

Latest release.

Same builds on both hosts - pick whichever you prefer. Installers, portable packages, AppImage, apk and dmg are attached to every release.

GitHub

Latest release ↗

krush62/KPix - release notes, all platform builds and checksums.

Codeberg

Latest release ↗

krush62/KPix - the same builds, hosted on non-commercial infrastructure.

Windows via WinGet

Current KPix version in the WinGet package repository

winget install --id krush62.kpix

Android via Obtainium

Obtainium tracks the GitHub releases and updates the app for you. Sideloading must be allowed.

What's in a release
Platform	Files	Notes
Windows	.exe · .zip	Installer with file association, or a portable package.
Linux	AppImage · .tar.gz · Flatpak	Needs libgtk-3-0, libblkid1, liblzma5, and zenity, qarma or kdialog for file dialogs.
Android	.apk	Designed for tablets, ideally with a stylus.
macOS	.dmg	Experimental and untested - expect rough edges.
Web	-	No download. Open it in a browser.

No install? Draw in the browser.

The web build is the full editor, compiled to run in a browser tab. Good for trying KPix out or sketching on a machine you don't own.

Try KPix online ↗

Limitations of the web build

Slower than the native builds
Not always the latest version
No project manager - load and save by up/download
No palette import
Limited stylus and keyboard shortcut support