Long-running Windows sprite and pixel-art editor from HUMANBALANCE, with layers, onion skinning, real-time animation preview, palette tools and sprite-sheet or GIF export. It was paid software until June 2017 and has been freeware since. It is still updated: 2.11.03 shipped on 2026-05-18.
At a glance
Licence
custom
Commercial use
commercial OK
Credit
Not required
Status
active: License spot-checked at the source; the entry carries dated evidence.
custom: proprietary freeware. The bundled licenseUS.txt forbids redistributing the package without permission and forbids reverse engineering. It says nothing about your images
The site's FAQ settles both questions a game developer asks. The software may be used commercially free of charge, and images you make may be used commercially
The FAQ adds that third-party material you edit keeps its own terms
Windows only. Installer and portable zip are both on the download page. Download from graphicsgale.com rather than a mirror, since mirroring needs permission
A DLL for reading .gal files from other programs is published separately
Evidence
Live FAQ (2026-09-30): "You may use this software free of charge for both personal and commercial purposes"
Same FAQ (2026-09-30): "Images you create or edit may be used for both personal and commercial purposes"
licenseUS.txt in the 2.11.03 portable zip (2026-09-30): "You can not distribute the package without our permission"
Live homepage (2026-09-30): "June 18, 2017 - GraphicsGale became a freeware!"