FAQs

Manabit is a free, professional-level pixel art editor for artists and indie game developers. It runs in the browser at manabit.app/app and as a Windows desktop app. You can draw sprites, tilesets, animations, and level layouts in one project.

Manabit is built by Coldfox, a small indie studio that crafts games, tools, and assets. Learn more on the About Coldfox page.

Manabit is free to use in the browser. Core drawing, layers, animation, Map Builder, and local projects are included at no cost. The Windows desktop app is available from storefronts on the download page (currently free this week on itch.io). Some advanced cloud or subscription features may require a paid plan — see Terms of Use for current details.

Pixel artists, indie game developers, game jam teams, and anyone making 2D art at low resolutions. Manabit suits sprite work, tilesets, UI icons, animated characters, and tile-based level mockups.

Both are pixel art editors. Manabit runs in the browser without installing, includes Map Builder for tile-based level painting, multi-stage projects, and cloud sync. Aseprite is a mature desktop app with a large plugin ecosystem. Many teams use Manabit for fast iteration and browser access; see the comparison table on About Manabit.

No. You can create and save local projects without signing in. An account is required only for cloud projects and sync across devices. See Sign In.

Not entirely. Manabit focuses on creating and painting pixel art and tile-based layouts. Tools like Tiled and LDtk excel at collision layers, entity markers, and structured map export for engines. Many teams paint art in Manabit and handle gameplay metadata elsewhere. See Build Maps Quickly.

The Manabit application code and branding are owned by Coldfox. You retain full ownership of art you create. See Terms of Use for licensing of the app itself.

Open manabit.app/app, create a new project, pick a canvas size, and start drawing with the pencil tool. Follow the Getting Started guide for the recommended path through Basics docs.

From the startup screen, choose New project, set width and height, and confirm. Your first stage opens ready to draw. Details: Creating a New Project.

The canvas is center stage. Tools sit on the left tools panel; layers and stages on the layers panel (open by default on desktop). Floating panels — Colors, Map Builder, Navigator, and more — open from the Panels menu or keyboard shortcuts. See Understanding the Interface.

Press Ctrl/⌘/⌥+S to save. Local projects stay in your browser storage. Signed-in users can save cloud projects that sync across devices. Export PNG or GIF anytime from the export menu.

Work through Basics (install → project → interface → shortcuts), then Tools, Panels, and Features in the documentation. Tutorials live under Resources.

Yes. Open the browser app, sketch sprites and tiles, use Map Builder to block a level, and export PNG. No install required on jam hardware. Cloud sync helps if you switch machines mid-jam.

Modern Chromium, Firefox, and Safari browsers on desktop and tablet. Use the latest browser version for best performance. Open manabit.app/app directly — no plug-ins required.

Yes. Visit the download page to get the Windows desktop app from itch.io or Gumroad (Steam coming soon). See Download & Installation for setup tips. The desktop app uses the same editor as the browser.

Yes. Use the browser app at manabit.app/app — it works on modern desktop and tablet browsers. See the platforms table on the download page for current availability.

Tablet browsers work well for drawing with touch and stylus. Phone screens are supported but small for long sessions. The desktop and tablet layouts adapt automatically.

Local projects can work offline in the browser after the app loads, subject to browser storage limits. Cloud save and sync require internet. The Windows desktop app is more offline-friendly once installed.

Use Sign in with Google or Sign in with email (6-digit code). Open the account menu from the person icon in the header. Full steps: Sign In.

Local projects stay in your browser — no account needed. Cloud projects upload to your account so you can open them on another device. Both use the same editor features.

Sign in, then press Ctrl/⌘/⌥+S on a cloud project. Thumbnails cache locally for faster browsing. See Sync Across Devices.

Cloud project blobs are limited to 50 MB. Large files can still be saved locally. Export PNG or .manabit files to archive bigger work.

Delete your account from Account settings. Cloud data is removed. Local browser data remains on your device until you clear site storage. See Privacy Policy.

You retain full ownership of everything you create. Manabit stores cloud copies only to provide the service. See Terms of Use, section 6.

Yes. Save .manabit project files locally, or export layers and animations as PNG, GIF, or strip PNG from the export menu.

Press E for the pencil. Draw 1–64 px strokes on the active layer. Enable Pixel P. for clean 1px lines, Stabilizer for smooth curves, and hold A to sample colors. See Pencil and Draw Pixel-Perfect Lines.

At brush size 1, pixel-perfect mode removes extra corner pixels on diagonal strokes so lines stay thin. It smartly eases off when you paint over existing pixels so you can fill and touch up freely. Enable Pixel P. in pencil options.

Hold Shift while using the pencil to erase temporarily. Press R to select the dedicated eraser tool.

Press W for rectangle, oval, lasso, and magic wand selections. Move, nudge, cut, copy, paste, and transform selected pixels. See Select.

Select a tile in Map Builder, activate the brush, and hold Ctrl while dragging a rectangle to flood-fill a grid region. See Fill.

Press I for the color picker tool, or hold A while drawing to eyedrop temporarily. The active color updates on the tools panel swatch.

Scroll to zoom. Hold Space and drag to pan. Press . to fit the stage in view. Middle-mouse drag also pans. See Navigate the Canvas.

Ctrl/⌘/⌥+Z undoes; Ctrl/⌘/⌥+Shift+Z or Ctrl/⌘/⌥+Y redoes. Open the History panel to jump farther back in the undo stack.

Each layer is a transparent sheet of pixels. Reorder, hide, rename, and adjust grid size per layer. Press Tab to toggle the layers panel. See Layers.

A stage is a canvas-sized workspace inside a project. One project can hold multiple stages — for example separate stages for characters, tilesets, and maps. Press [ and ] to cycle stages. See Work With Stages.

Select the stage row in the layers panel, choose the pointer tool (Q), and drag the resize handles on the canvas overlay.

Toggle the pixel grid and checker background from the Display menu. Set per-layer grid size in the layers panel for tile stamping. See Snap to the Grid.

A mini-map for large canvases. Press N to open it. Click or drag in the preview to jump; double-click to fit the full stage in view.

Preview a tile as a repeating pattern and edit every copy at once — ideal for fixing seams before stamping with Map Builder. See Repeat Tile Mode.

Press O to open the Colors panel. Pick from the palette grid, HSL sliders, or color wheel. Click the swatch on the tools panel for quick access. See Colors.

Yes. Click the hex field on the tools panel and enter #RGB or #RRGGBB. Press Enter to apply.

Press C to open the Palettes panel. Choose a preset palette; its swatches appear in the Colors panel. Manabit ships with starter palettes for consistent pixel art.

For cohesive retro art, keeping a small focused palette early helps readability. You can always add colors later — starter palettes are under Resources.

Map Builder (shown as Tile Builder in the app) stores reusable tiles from your canvas. Capture art as tiles, then stamp levels with the brush. Press T to open it. See Map Builder.

Draw tile art, make a rectangular selection, open Map Builder, and click Add tile. Click the new tile to activate the brush and start stamping.

Yes. Enable Lock to current layer on Map Builder while your tileset layer is active. Switch to a layout layer and stamp — the panel keeps showing the locked layer's tiles.

No. Capture tiles as you need them — one grass tile, then a corner, then a wall variant. See Build Maps Quickly.

Right-click a tile in Map Builder and use Replace all matching after revising the source art. This saves hours during polish passes.

Yes. Export PNG from your painted layers or tilesets and import into Unity 2D Tilemap, Godot TileMap, GameMaker, or any engine that accepts image-based tiles.

Yes. Use the Animations panel to add frames, preview playback, and export GIF or strip PNG. Enable Sync to keep frame indices aligned across layers on the same stage.

Use the export menu to save the current layer, selection, or full stage as PNG at native pixel resolution — ideal for crisp pixel art in engines.

Yes. Export animated layers as GIF or horizontal strip PNG for sprite sheets in your game engine.

Import PNG and other supported images as new layers or references to trace over or edit inside Manabit.

Projects save as .manabit files containing layers, stages, palettes, tiles, and animation data. You can save locally or to the cloud when signed in.

See the Shortcuts doc for tables of tool keys, panel toggles, editing chords, and project navigation.

Yes. Control-style chords also accept ⌘ or ⌥ where noted in the docs. Tool letter keys work while a project is open.

Tab layers · O colors · C palettes · T Map Builder · N navigator · ; / ' cycle layers · [ / ] cycle stages.

E pencil · R eraser · B brush · W select · Q pointer · I color picker · hold Space to pan.

Manabit is free to use. Paid subscription tiers may unlock additional cloud or pro features — current plan details appear in the app before you subscribe. See Terms of Use, section 4.

Yes. You own your artwork and may use it in commercial games, client work, and sold assets subject to your own licenses. The Manabit app itself remains Coldfox intellectual property.

Terms reference an Asset Store for free and paid third-party assets with their own license terms. Check the app for current availability.

Account email, project data for cloud sync, and usage analytics. We do not sell personal data. Payment cards are handled by PayPal. Full details: Privacy Policy.

You must be at least 13 years old (or the minimum digital consent age in your jurisdiction). See Terms of Use, section 1.

Terms of Use and Privacy Policy are always linked from the site footer.

Local projects live in browser storage. Clearing site data or using private browsing can remove them. Save cloud copies or export .manabit files regularly. Cloud projects persist while your account exists.

Confirm you are signed in, online, and under the 50 MB cloud limit. Try signing out and back in. Local save still works without cloud.

Hide layers you are not editing, use the navigator instead of extreme zoom/pan, and close unused floating panels. Desktop app may perform better on very large files.

Join the Discord server for community help, browse documentation, or use the Contact page to reach the team.

Share ideas on Discord or through the contact form. Manabit is actively developed — see devlogs on YouTube and the roadmap on About Manabit.