OpenToonz
Free, open-source 2D animation software based on the Toonz used by Studio Ghibli.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.3Visit
Desktop App
Pencil2D
An easy, free and open-source tool for hand-drawn 2D animation.
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is Pencil2D?
Pencil2D is an easy, intuitive tool for hand-drawn 2D animation that lets you switch between raster and vector work while sketching, inking and painting. It is completely open source (GPL) and free to use, even commercially, and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD; the latest version is 0.7.2 (March 2026).
Pros
- Very easy to learn
- Free and open source, even for commercial work
- Raster and vector layers
Cons
- Fewer features than professional tools
- Best for simple, frame-by-frame animation
Who should use Pencil2D
Beginners and students learning hand-drawn animation.
Who may not need it
Studios that need rigging and complex pipelines.
Pencil2D alternatives
Similar resources to Pencil2D, picked from the directory.
Synfig
Free, open-source 2D animation software for vector and bitmap artwork.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.2Visit
Ghostty
A fast, feature-rich, cross-platform terminal emulator with native UI and GPU acceleration.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
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Blender
Free, open-source 3D creation suite for modelling, animation, VFX and 2D animation.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.8Visit
navi
An interactive cheatsheet tool for the command-line.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit
Upscayl
Free and open-source AI image upscaler for Linux, macOS and Windows.
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Free alternatives to Pencil2D
Free resources that cover similar ground.
Krita
A free, open-source painting program made by artists for artists.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.7Visit
LocalSend
Free, open-source AirDrop for every device on your Wi-Fi.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.7Visit
OBS Studio
Free, open-source software for screen recording and live streaming.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.7Visit
Audacity
The free, open-source audio editor and recorder.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
Bento
The office suite that fits in a file.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
brag
Turn the project you just built into a shareable launch video with one command.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.6Visit
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