GrafX2

Free plan LinuxWindows

What GrafX2 is

GrafX2 is a free bitmap paint program for pixel art, game graphics, and detailed mouse-drawn images, with a focus on 256-color work. Inspired by Deluxe Paint and Brilliance, it includes tools for freehand strokes, lines, spray, fills, Bézier curves, shapes, and gradients. Its drawing modes and effects cover shading, stencils, masks, grids, sieves, color changes, smoothing, smearing, and tiling. Brushes can be flipped, rotated, stretched, distorted, outlined, or otherwise modified. Layer and animation-frame controls support adding, removing, merging, moving, and selecting frames; Lua scripting controls include repeating the last script and running numbered scripts. Documentation lists PNG, GIF, BMP, PCX, TIFF, ICO, and many retro-computer formats. GIF89a support uses multiple pictures in a file for layered images and animation. Downloads include Linux x86_64 AppImage builds, Windows installer and portable options, and packages for Atari, GP2X, and Switch. GrafX2 is free software under the GNU General Public License version 2.

Who it suits

GrafX2 suits pixel artists and game-graphics creators who want a 256-color bitmap workflow. Its layers, animation controls, brushes, and scripting also suit users building detailed images with those tools.

What it does well

Free software under GNU GPL version 2
Includes drawing modes, effects, and brush controls
Supports layers and animation frames
Documents common and retro-computer image formats
Downloads listed for Linux, Windows, Atari, GP2X, and Switch

What to know first

Free trial is not offered
Primary listed platforms are Windows and Linux
Focused on 256-color bitmap drawing

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
GrafX2	GNU General Public License version 2 · no warranty stated	Free

As grafx2.gitlab.io lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Visit the GrafX2 website.
Choose the Linux x86_64 AppImage or a Windows installer or portable archive from the download options.
Open the program and press F1 while hovering over a menu icon or with a window open to view contextual help.

Verdict

GrafX2 combines a focused 256-color paint workflow with layers, animation, and a wide set of drawing effects. Its listed downloads cover several systems, though the main supported platforms are Windows and Linux.

Questions

How much does GrafX2 cost?

The GrafX2 plan is free, and the software is distributed under the GNU General Public License version 2.

Which platforms are listed?

The listed supported platforms are Windows and Linux. Downloads also include Atari, GP2X, and Switch packages.

What image formats does it support?

Documentation lists PNG, GIF, BMP, PCX, TIFF, ICO, and numerous retro-computer image formats. GIF89a can hold multiple pictures for layered images and animations.

Does GrafX2 support layers and animation?

Yes. Its controls cover adding, deleting, merging, moving, and selecting layers and animation frames.

Does GrafX2 include scripting?

Yes. Its help lists Lua scripting controls, including commands to repeat the last script and run numbered scripts.

Facts from GrafX2's own pages

Brushes: The help includes brush picking, flipping, rotation, stretching, distortion, outlining, nibbling, and brush effects. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Build interfaces: The project says it can be built using SDL 1.x, SDL 2.x, Xlib, or the Win32 API. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Build version: The official page lists GrafX2 version 2.9.3276 with a build date of September 12, 2026. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Development and bug reporting: The documentation directs developers to the GitLab source repository and says a bug tracker and wiki are available on the project site. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Download options: The download page lists Linux x86_64 AppImage and Windows installer and portable builds, as well as Atari, GP2X, and Switch packages. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Downloads: The official download page lists Linux x86_64 AppImage builds and Windows installers and portable archives. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Drawing tools: Its help lists tools including freehand drawing, lines, spray, flood fill, Bézier curves, polygons, rectangles, circles, and gradients. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Effects: The help lists drawing modes and effects including shade, stencil, mask, grid, sieve, colorize, smooth, smear, and tiling. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
File formats: The documentation lists support for PNG, GIF, BMP, PCX, TIFF, ICO, and numerous retro-computer image formats. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
GIF: GrafX2 supports GIF89a, and its documentation says it uses multiple pictures in a GIF file to store layered images and animations. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Help: The project provides online inline help and Doxygen documentation. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Inspiration: The program is inspired by the Amiga programs Deluxe Paint and Brilliance. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Layers and animation: The help describes layer management, adding and moving layers, and animation frame controls. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
License: GrafX2 is free software distributed under the GNU General Public License version 2. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Operating systems: The project says it is mostly developed on Haiku, Linux, FreeBSD, and Windows, and can be built for other platforms. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Other builds: The official download page also lists builds for Atari, GP2X, and Switch. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Portability: The project says it is mostly developed on Haiku, Linux, FreeBSD, and Windows and can be built for other platforms using SDL 1.x, SDL 2.x, Xlib, or Win32 API. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Purpose: GrafX2 is a bitmap paint program inspired by Deluxe Paint and Brilliance, specialized in 256-color drawing for pixel art, game graphics, and detailed mouse-painted graphics. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Release: The download page identifies version 2.9.3276, built on September 12, 2026. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Scripting: The help lists Lua scripting controls, including commands to repeat the last script and run numbered scripts. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Source code: The project says its code is hosted on GitLab and welcomes developer contributions. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026
Support: The download page links to the project's bug tracker for reporting issues. · grafx2.gitlab.io, 11 Oct 2026

Where GrafX2 stands on Freedom251

Pixel Art Software#15 of 70
Digital Painting Software#13 of 46