Pixelsmith

Paid Self-hostedWebWindows

What Pixelsmith is

Pixelsmith is a free, MIT-licensed, open-source pixel-art sprite editor and animation engine. It combines a headless core, local browser editor, and MCP server for agent-assisted workflows. An MCP-connected agent can create sprites, draw, animate, transform, and export, receiving a base64 PNG preview after each tool step. Animation includes keyframes and procedural motions such as breathe, bob, sway, walk, recoil, swing, float, pulse, and shake. Exports include PNG, GIF, APNG, packed spritesheets, and Aseprite spritesheet JSON. Reference images can be supplied from a configured input directory for agent inspection. The editor runs locally after cloning the repository and starting its development commands; a Windows script handles setup and launches the browser. Pixelsmith is version 0.1, described as a prototype, and is not yet published to npm. It supports web, Windows, and self-hosted use.

Who it suits

Pixelsmith suits agents creating sprites and developers building on a headless sprite engine. It is less suited to people seeking a mouse-driven drawing-app replacement.

What it does well

MCP agents can create, animate, and export sprites
Keyframe and procedural animation styles included
Exports PNG, GIF, APNG, and spritesheets
Local workspace limits server disk access
MIT-licensed open-source project

What to know first

Version 0.1 prototype
Not yet published to npm
No tilemap tools
Undo is in-memory per document

Verdict

Pixelsmith focuses on agent-connected sprite creation, animation, and export across a local browser editor and MCP server. Its prototype status and missing drawing features matter for users needing a fuller conventional editor.

Facts from Pixelsmith's own pages

AI workflow: An agent connected over MCP can create sprites, draw, animate, and export them, with a PNG preview returned after each tool step. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Animation: It supports keyframe animation and procedural motion styles including breathe, bob, sway, walk, recoil, swing, float, pulse, and shake. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Export: It can export GIFs, APNGs, and packed spritesheets. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Exports: The project says it can export GIF, APNG, and packed spritesheets. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Integrations: The README provides MCP setup examples for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, and generic MCP clients. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Intended users: The maker recommends it for agents making sprites or developers building on a headless sprite engine, and says it is not intended as a mouse-driven drawing-app replacement. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Known gaps: The README says Pixelsmith lacks linked cels, free-transform, tilemaps, and a substantial brush engine; undo is in-memory per document. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
License: The repository states that Pixelsmith is licensed under MIT. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Limits: Defaults include a 512-pixel maximum canvas edge, 256 frames per document, 64 layers per document, and 600 tool calls per minute. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Local editor: The browser editor runs locally at http://localhost:5173 after cloning the repository, installing dependencies, and running npm run dev. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Maturity: The README describes version 0.1 as a prototype and says the package is not yet published to npm. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Notable omissions: The README says it has no linked cels, free-transform, tilemaps, or substantial brush engine, and that undo is per-document and in-memory. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Preview: Every create, draw, transform, and export tool returns a base64 PNG preview alongside its text. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Product: Pixelsmith is a pixel-art sprite editor and animation engine designed for AI agents to control over MCP. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Reference images: Reference images can be added for an agent to inspect through an MCP resource; the configured input directory is the only directory from which reference images may be read. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
References: Reference images can be added from the configured input directory and read by an agent through an MCP resource. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Security boundary: The MCP server is configured to touch only its workspace, and reference images may be read only from its configured input directory. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Status: The project describes itself as version 0.1 and a prototype, and says it is not yet published to npm. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Windows: On Windows, dev.bat installs dependencies if needed, builds the core package, starts the server, and opens a browser. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Windows setup: On Windows, the README says dev.bat installs dependencies on first run, builds the core package, starts the server, and opens a browser. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Workspace boundary: The server's default workspace is ./pixelsmith-workspace, described as the only place on disk the server touches. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026

Where Pixelsmith stands on Freedom251

Pixel Art Software#67 of 70