Zephyr is a free texture packer and sprite editor for 2D games, with animation support. It organizes sprites in a tree, packs them into an atlas, and lets users set pivots and editable rectangle, circle, or polygon hitboxes. Atlas packing offers Shelf and MaxRects algorithms, configurable padding, and a maximum texture size, with the preview updating in real time. Animations use a frame timeline with per-frame delays and can loop or play forward, in reverse, or ping-pong. Export creates a packed texture and JSON metadata containing sprite positions, pivots, hitboxes, and animation information. Projects are saved in one .zephyr file, but source images are referenced by relative paths and need to remain alongside it. Windows, macOS, and Linux archives are listed for version 0.2.1, including Windows and Linux ARM64 builds. The maker says users can extract the archive and run the executable without installation. The source code uses the MIT License; artwork and mascot rights are reserved separately.

Who it is for

Zephyr suits 2D game developers who need to pack sprite atlases, edit hitboxes, and define animations. It is also suitable for users who prefer a tool that runs from an extracted archive.

What is good

Free tool for sprite packing and editing
Offers Shelf and MaxRects packing algorithms
Supports editable rectangle, circle, and polygon hitboxes
Exports atlas textures with JSON metadata
Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux

What to know first

Source images must stay alongside the project file
Listed downloads are version 0.2.1
Artwork and mascot rights are separately reserved

Verdict

Zephyr covers atlas packing, sprite hitboxes, animation setup, and metadata export for 2D game assets. Keep its relative-path requirement in mind when moving project files.

Zephyr plans and pricing

All plans

Name your own price Not published downloadable tool · Windows and Linux listed under platforms · macOS binaries also listed for download aristurtledev.itch.io · 30 Sept 2026

Compared on test management software

Free plan: Yes
Animation type: 2d
Sprite-sheet export: Yes
Game engine integration: Yes
Export formats: PNG, JPG, BMP
Supported platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

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The record

Purpose

Zephyr is a texture packer and sprite editor with animation support for 2D games.

Sprite workflow

It organizes sprites in a tree, packs them into an atlas, supports per-sprite pivots and hitboxes, defines animations, and exports a texture with JSON metadata.

Atlas packing

It offers Shelf and MaxRects packing algorithms, configurable padding, and a maximum texture size, with the atlas updating in real time.

Sprite hitboxes

Sprites can have Rectangle, Circle, or Polygon hitboxes whose shapes and positions are editable with interactive handles.

Animation

Animations use a frame timeline with per-frame delays and Forward, Reverse, or PingPong playback, and can loop.

Export

Export writes a packed atlas texture and JSON metadata containing sprite positions, pivot points, hitboxes, and animations.

Project files

Projects are saved as one .zephyr file, while source images are referenced by paths relative to that file and need to remain alongside it.

Downloads

The download page lists Windows, macOS, and Linux archives for version 0.2.1, including Windows and Linux ARM64 builds.

Installation

The maker says to extract the platform archive and run the executable, with no installation required.

Source license

The source code is licensed under the MIT License; the artwork and mascot are separately reserved by the copyright holder.

Maker

The project credits Christopher Whitley (AristurtleDev) as its copyright holder and Aristurtle as its itch.io author.

Security

The repository links a GitHub security policy, but the opened page does not provide security or compliance details.