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Design · 10 alternatives

Instead of Pencil Project, try one of these 10.

Every alternative is lined up against Pencil Project on what people actually switch for: price, open source, self-hosting, offline use and platforms. Pencil Project sits in the first row, so you can see what you give up.

Show onlySorted by likes · 10 of 10
Alternative
Price
Open source
Self-host
Offline
Platforms
Pencil ProjectWhat you have now
Simple standalone tool for wireframes and UI mockups.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
Animation Desk#1
Frame-by-frame sketching and storyboards on tablets.
PriceFreemium
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · iOS · Android
OpenToonz#2
Studio-grade 2D animation suite, free and open source.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
Synfig Studio#3
Vector 2D animation with bones and tweening.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
Wick Editor#4
Browser-friendly toolkit for web animations and small games.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostYes
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · Web
Pencil2D#5
Simple hand-drawn animation for bitmap and vector art.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
Glaxnimate#6
Quick vector animation editor with Lottie export.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
TupiTube#7
Beginner-friendly animation tool for classrooms and kids.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · Android
Moho#8
Professional 2D rigging and cutout animation suite.
PricePaid
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac
Toon Boom Harmony#9
Studio-grade pipeline for rigged 2D productions.
PricePaid
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
TVPaint Animation#10
Painterly animation software mimicking traditional media.
PricePaid
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · Android

How to read this. “Yes” means fully supported by the maker. “Partial” means it works with caveats. Likes reflect community popularity; vendors can’t pay for them or for placement. How we compare.

Pencil Project alternatives at a glance

Pencil Project is a free design app. We compared 10 alternatives: 6 are open source, 6 are completely free, 1 can be self-hosted and 9 work fully offline. The most popular is Animation Desk, with 181 likes.

Most liked overallAnimation Desk

Frame-by-frame sketching and storyboards on tablets.

Freemium · Works offline
Best free optionOpenToonz

Studio-grade 2D animation suite, free and open source.

Free · Open source · Works offline
Best open-source optionSynfig Studio

Vector 2D animation with bones and tweening.

Free · Open source · Works offline
Best to self-hostWick Editor

Browser-friendly toolkit for web animations and small games.

Free · Open source · Self‑hostable

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