Motestack

What Motestack is

Motestack is a web-based editor for creating pixel art and 2D animations. It runs in a browser, with drawing tools for pencil work, erasing, filling, gradients with dithering, brush shapes, custom brushes, and pixel-perfect lines. Animation projects can include multiple frames and named animations, organized through a timeline and frame tags. Onion skinning and frame interpolation support work across frames. For color work, indexed color mode updates matching pixels when a palette slot changes, while color cycles rotate palette slots over time. Layers can sit inside nested groups with their own opacity and blend modes, and a layer can be linked across frames.

Motestack offers PNG, GIF, sprite-sheet, project JSON, and .mstack export formats. Game asset tools include Aseprite-compatible JSON sprite sheets with frame tags and slices, an auto-tile 47 generator, and smart upscale. The editor works client-side and stores projects in browser IndexedDB; its documentation says artwork remains on the user's machine unless exported. Self-contained .mstack files can be shared or kept as backups. Motestack is free to use and does not require an account. Its documentation describes the editor as beta v0.15.0, with schemas subject to change before version 1.0, and says the editor and documentation come with no warranty.

Who it suits

Motestack suits indie game developers and pixel-art enthusiasts who want to draw and animate in a browser. Its frame tools, indexed color features, tilemap tools, and game-focused export options also suit people preparing pixel-art assets for games.

Getting started

1. Open https://www.motestack.com/ in a web browser.
2. Use the editor without creating an account.
3. Create or edit artwork and save projects in the browser's IndexedDB.
4. Export artwork in PNG, GIF, sprite-sheet, project JSON, or .mstack format as needed.

Verdict

Choose Motestack if you want a free browser editor with pixel-art drawing, animation, indexed color tools, and game asset exports. Its beta status and the possibility of schema changes before version 1.0 may matter when choosing a tool for projects that depend on a stable project format.