TiloBox
Back to directory
Pencil2D project preview
MediaAlternative to Adobe AnimateAlternative to TVPaintAlternative to Toon Boom

Pencil2D

Easy, intuitive traditional hand-drawn 2D animation software across raster and vector.

View on GitHub Visit website
LicenseGPL-2.0
GitHub stars6.2k
Last commit1 weeks ago
Tags6 topics
Qt5Hand Drawn AnimationOnion SkinningMediaCppTraditional 2d
Overview

Why consider Pencil2D?

Pencil2D is a free and open-source 2D animation software written in C++ and Qt. Designed for traditional frame-by-frame animation, it seamlessly blends bitmap sketching and vector lineart on separate keyframe timeline tracks.

Guided learning

Learn Pencil2D by building

Practical setup notes, real use cases, and copy-ready examples in one focused guide.

1 min read 2 sections
In this guide2 sections

Overview of Pencil2D

Pencil2D provides an uncluttered interface focusing entirely on hand-drawn sketch animation and onion skin playback.

Installation

bash
1# Ubuntu
2sudo apt install pencil2d
3
4# macOS via Homebrew
5brew install --cask pencil2d

Pencil2D is licensed under the GNU General Public License v2.0 (GPL-2.0).

Related tools

More options with a similar category or technology profile.

MyPaint logo

MyPaint

Nimble, distraction-free, and easy graphic application for digital painters.

Hydrogen logo

Hydrogen

Advanced open-source drum machine and pattern-based step sequencer for audio production.

Pure Data logo

Pure Data

Open source visual programming language for multimedia, audio, and physical computing.

Zrythm logo

Zrythm

Highly automated and intuitive digital audio workstation (DAW) in C and GTK4.

Pencil2D FAQs

Pencil2D is listed as a Media tool on TiloBox. Review the overview, features, and official documentation on this page to decide whether it solves your specific workflow.

Start with the project's GitHub repository and official website for supported installation and deployment instructions. Test the setup with representative data or a small project before rolling it out more widely.

Pencil2D is listed under the GPL-2.0 license. Read the complete license text and the project's notices before using, modifying, or distributing the software.

Production readiness depends on your requirements. Review maintenance activity, security practices, documentation, backup and upgrade procedures, and compatibility with your stack; then validate it in a non-production environment.

Pencil2D is listed as an alternative to Adobe Animate. Compare the core workflow, deployment model, integrations, and licensing against your must-have requirements before switching.