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Best Free Alternatives to Marmoset Hexels 3
Stop paying $49.00 (Often $19.00 on sale). Discover professional-grade tools that won't break your budget.
Category: Grid-Based Art & Pixel ArtVerified for 2025
Top Recommended Replacements
Aseprite
FREETop Professional Alternative
Why we like it
The industry standard for professional pixel art and animation; features a powerful 'Onion Skinning' system and custom scripting; 100% focused on the pixel-art workflow.
Keep in mind
Lacks the geometric grid (Hexagons/Triangles) and vector capabilities of Hexels; strictly pixel-focused.
HexTML
FREEBest for World Building
Why we like it
100% free; specialized for creating hex-grid maps for tabletop games and world-building; includes a 'fog of war' and quest management features.
Keep in mind
Not a traditional 'painting' tool; limited artistic brushes compared to Hexels.
Tiled Map Editor
FREEBest for Game Development
Why we like it
The gold standard for creating tile-based game levels; supports orthogonal, isometric, and hexagonal maps; huge integration with game engines like Unity/Godot.
Keep in mind
It is an editor for arranging assets, not a tool for drawing the assets themselves.
Lospec Pixel Editor
FREEBest for Quick Sketches
Why we like it
Zero-install; focused on working with specific 'low-spec' color palettes; perfect for social media posts and quick experiments.
Keep in mind
Lacks the deep animation layers and vector rasterization found in Hexels.
LibreSprite
FREEBest Open-Source Aseprite Fork
Why we like it
A free fork of the older open-source version of Aseprite; stable and feature-rich for standard pixel art animation.
Keep in mind
Does not include the most recent features found in the paid version of Aseprite.
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