Freedom251 › Digital Painting Software
Limner
What Limner is
Limner is an app for painting, illustration, vector work, animation, and comics, available for Windows, macOS, and iPad. Its drawing tools support pressure and tilt, stroke stabilization, custom brushes, and imported Photoshop ABR brushes. Layers, masks, and live adjustments support editing. The app can record drawing sessions and export timelapse videos at up to 4K. Animation mode supports frame-by-frame work with onion skin and exports to GIF, MP4, or a numbered PNG sequence. The manual also lists PSD import and SVG export.
The free desktop tier runs on Windows and macOS and requires no account or key. Vector, animation, and book projects are Limner Plus features on desktop. Limner Plus offers a free 14-day trial on Windows and macOS; its beta-period and post-beta pricing are not on sale or announced. On iPad, all features are unlocked during the beta, with full-release pricing to be announced before the beta ends. Supported downloads require Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), macOS 13 Ventura or later, or iPadOS 16 or later. Limner says artwork, documents, and settings stay on the device and the app has no analytics, telemetry, or crash reporting. Its license permits personal and commercial creative work.
Who it suits
Limner suits illustrators, animators, and people creating comics or manga who want drawing and animation tools in one app. Its license permits both personal and commercial creative work.
What it does well
- Supports pressure, tilt, and stroke stabilization.
- Custom brushes and Photoshop ABR brush importing are supported.
- Animation exports to GIF, MP4, or numbered PNG sequences.
- Records drawing sessions for timelapse export up to 4K.
- Free desktop tier needs no account or key.
What to know first
- Vector, animation, and book projects require Plus on desktop.
- The full-release iPad price is yet to be announced.
Limits
The desktop free tier excludes vector, animation, and book projects, which are Limner Plus features. The iPad beta unlocks all features, and full-release pricing is to be announced before the beta ends.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Windows and macOS; no account or key required; vector, animation, and book projects are Limner Plus features on desktop | Free |
| Limner Free | Free during beta · Raster illustration · brushes · layers · masks · filters · timelapse · standard file formats | Free |
| Limner Plus | Free during beta; future pricing not announced · Vector workspace · image trace · animation studio · comic and manga Books · advanced production features | Free |
| iPad beta | Free during beta; full-release pricing to be announced · All features unlocked · no key or purchase required | Free |
As limnerart.com lists them, read 8 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Choose a supported Windows, macOS, or iPad device.
- Download for Windows 10 or 11, macOS 13 Ventura or later, or iPadOS 16 or later.
- On Windows or macOS, start with the free tier without an account or key.
- Try Limner Plus with its free 14-day trial on Windows or macOS if you need additional desktop features.
- On iPad, use the beta with all features unlocked.
Verdict
Choose Limner if you want painting, illustration, and animation tools with support for comics and manga projects. Desktop users who need vector, animation, or book projects must use Plus; iPad beta users have all features unlocked while the beta lasts.
Questions
Is Limner free?
Yes. Its Windows and macOS free tier costs nothing and needs no account or key. The iPad beta also costs nothing and unlocks all features during beta.
What does Limner Plus cost?
Limner Plus is not on sale during the beta, and post-beta pricing has not been announced. It includes a free 14-day trial on Windows and macOS.
Which devices does Limner support?
The download page supports Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), macOS 13 Ventura or later, and iPadOS 16 or later.
Can I use Limner for commercial work?
Yes. Its license permits personal or commercial creative work.
What file formats and exports does it support?
The manual lists PSD import, SVG export, and Photoshop ABR brush exchange. Animation can be exported as GIF, MP4, or a numbered PNG sequence.
Who makes Limner?
Limner LLC is a Virginia limited liability company based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States.
Facts from Limner's own pages
- Activation limitation
- Desktop Plus keys are tied to one device and require periodic online revalidation, with an offline grace period of about three weeks. · limnerart.com, 19 Oct 2026
- Animation
- Animation mode supports cel timelines, onion skinning, keyframed cameras, motion curves, parenting, audio, and GIF, APNG, MP4, PSD, and PNG-sequence output. · limnerart.com, 19 Oct 2026
- Animation export
- Animation mode supports frame-by-frame work with onion skin and export to GIF, MP4, or numbered PNG sequence. · limnerart.com, 8 Oct 2026
- API and SDKs
- The official product, manual, download, and support pages document file-format interoperability but do not describe a public API or SDK. · limnerart.com, 19 Oct 2026
- Artwork privacy
- The app contains no analytics, telemetry, or crash reporting, and artwork, documents, and settings stay on the device. · limnerart.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Beta limitation
- The terms warn that beta software may contain errors, change, be interrupted, or be discontinued without notice. · limnerart.com, 19 Oct 2026
- Brushes
- Brush Studio lets users create brushes and exchange Photoshop ABR files and Limner LBRUSH presets. · limnerart.com, 19 Oct 2026
- Canvas limit
- The desktop document loader accepts canvas dimensions from 1 to 16,384 pixels per side. · limnerart.com, 19 Oct 2026
- Comics
- Book projects hold multiple Illustration or Vector pages in one limnerbook file and include page management and comic panels. · limnerart.com, 19 Oct 2026
- Company
- Limner LLC is a Virginia limited liability company with an address in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. · limnerart.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Company headquarters
- The legal entity lists 3419 Virginia Beach Blvd #5120, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23452-4419, United States. · opengovus.com, 19 Oct 2026
- Company registration
- Limner LLC was incorporated in Virginia on July 1, 2026 and is listed as active with Parker Vincent as registered agent. · opengovus.com, 19 Oct 2026
- Desktop requirements
- The stated Windows minimum is a dual-core CPU, 4 GB RAM, and a GPU with a working Direct3D 12 or Vulkan driver. · limnerart.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Developer documentation
- The manual links developer-level material for Limner file-format layout and version history rather than a general programming API. · limnerart.com, 19 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- The official manual is a searchable 45-chapter guide covering tools, workspaces, file formats, animation, Books, troubleshooting, and shortcuts. · limnerart.com, 19 Oct 2026
- Drawing tools
- It supports pressure and tilt, custom brushes, and importing Photoshop brushes. · limnerart.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Earlier defect history
- The 0.8.7 release notes describe fixes for locked-layer painting, keyframed-layer corruption, brush-pack rejection, memory failures, and unsafe revocation handling. · github.com, 19 Oct 2026
- File formats
- The documented formats include Limner, limnerbook, PSD, OpenRaster, SVG, PNG, JPEG, and CMYK TIFF. · limnerart.com, 19 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States · limnerart.com, 28 Sept 2026
- Illustration
- The illustration workspace provides raster painting, a full brush engine, layers, blend modes, masks, selections, filters, and adjustments. · limnerart.com, 19 Oct 2026
- Image trace
- The Vectorize Layer command traces raster layers into editable color or monochrome vector shapes and is a Plus feature. · limnerart.com, 19 Oct 2026
- Independent review availability
- The accessible independent directory pages searched did not show established user-review counts or recurring third-party praise and complaints for Limner. · g2.com, 19 Oct 2026
- Integrations and formats
- The manual lists Photoshop ABR brush exchange, PSD import, and SVG export. · limnerart.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The license permits personal or commercial creative work, and the maker describes the app for illustrators, animators, and comic or manga projects. · limnerart.com, 8 Oct 2026
Where Limner stands on Freedom251
- Digital Painting Software#17 of 46