Brush Ninja
Brush Ninja is a 2D animation tool available in a web browser and on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.
What Brush Ninja is
Brush Ninja is a 2D animation tool available in a web browser and on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Its free plan provides core animation tools and does not require an account. Finished work can be exported as GIF, WebM, PNG, JPG, PDF, a ZIP image sequence, or a .brushninja file. Premium adds the ability to upload and animate personal images, premium stickers, sound effects, advert removal, and priority email communication. Premium monthly costs $7 a month, and Premium annual costs $48 a year; both listings say they can be cancelled any time. Brush Ninja is identified as founded in 2013 and headquartered in the United Kingdom. The available product information describes 2D animation rather than 3D modeling or character rigging, and does not list motion graphics or cloud collaboration. Those distinctions may matter for people seeking a broader animation or collaborative production tool.
Good
- Free plan requires no account.
- Available on web, desktop, and mobile platforms.
- Exports GIF, WebM, PNG, JPG, and PDF.
- Paid plans allow image uploads and animation.
- Both paid plans can be cancelled any time.
Watch out
- Does not provide 3D modeling.
- Character rigging is not included.
- Motion graphics and cloud collaboration are absent.
Who it suits
Brush Ninja suits people who want to make 2D animations across desktop, mobile, or web platforms. Its free plan is suitable for those who want core tools without creating an account.
Verdict
Brush Ninja focuses on accessible 2D animation with a free starting option and multiple export formats. Premium plans add image uploads, stickers, sound effects, and advert removal.
Plans and prices
From Brush Ninja's own pricing page, checked 15 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Premium monthly | $7 a month | premium features · removes adverts · priority support · cancel anytime · monthly |
| Premium annual | $48 a year | premium features · removes adverts · priority support · cancel anytime · annually |
| Free | Free | core tools · no account required · advertisements |
The facts
Each one read from Brush Ninja's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- 2D animation tools
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
- 3D modeling
- Nochecked 22 Sep 2026
- Accessibility
- Listed accessibility features include keyboard navigation, screen-reader support, high-contrast modes, alternative text, an accessibility statement, and a VPAT.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Advertising service
- Brush Ninja says its advertisements are provided by AdMetricsPro.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Character rigging
- Nochecked 22 Sep 2026
- Classroom limitation
- Brush Ninja does not provide class accounts, student dashboards, assignments, central storage, or bulk-management tools.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Cloud collaboration
- Nochecked 22 Sep 2026
- Code Ninja
- Code Ninja is included as a tool for creating two-dimensional artwork with a simple coding language.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- The help center contains separate guides for the animation maker, stop-motion tool, Emoji Art, Paint Ninja, Code Ninja, Mini Book, Photo Collage, Pixel Camera, and Comic Maker.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Embedding
- The Paint Ninja drawing app can be embedded in another website with a script from embed.brush.ninja and a custom brush-ninja-drawing element.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Emoji Art
- Emoji Art creates mosaic-style images from emoji characters.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Export formats
- GIF,WebM,PNG,JPG,PDF,ZIP image sequence,.brushninjachecked 22 Sep 2026
- Export limitation
- Free users cannot export animations with sound; video export with sound is reserved for members.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Feature limitation
- The FAQ says the animation editor does not support layers, although users can reorder vector shapes.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Implementation stack
- The maker says Brush Ninja uses JavaScript, FabricJS, ReefJS, gif.js, FFmpeg.wasm, Jekyll, and Gulp 4.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Independent education review
- TeachersFirst recommends Brush Ninja for grades 4–12 and describes frame drawing, timeline reordering, exports, lesson plans, videos, and downloads.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Independent limitation: tutorials
- The EdTech Books reviewer withheld a fifth star because the site lacked a tutorial at the time of review.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Subscriptions use Stripe, static hosting uses Firebase, membership accounts use Userbase, delivery and security use Cloudflare, and error tracking uses Sentry.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Licence
- AlternativeTo lists Brush Ninja as a proprietary free product rather than open source.checked 15 Oct 2026
The company
- Animated GIF maker
- The animation editor lets users draw frames, arrange them on a timeline, preview playback, and export GIFs or individual frame images.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Comic Maker
- Comic Maker places eight images into a printable single-page booklet layout.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Founded
- Gillbanks says he began building the first version of Brush Ninja in 2013 and released the first public version five years later.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- The teacher guide describes developer Ben Gillbanks as based in the United Kingdom.checked 15 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
The full review of Brush Ninja
Brush Ninja is a 2D animation app for people who want to make animated drawings and export them in several formats. Its no-account free plan is a sensible starting point for simple animation; look elsewhere if your work depends on 3D, rigging, motion graphics, or cloud collaboration.
Overview
Made by a UK-based maker founded in 2013, Brush Ninja keeps its scope focused on 2D animation. That focus is useful for straightforward animated artwork, but the absence of 3D modeling, character rigging, motion graphics, and cloud collaboration makes it a poor fit for broader production or team workflows. The free plan includes core animation tools and does not require an account, so there is no paid commitment just to get started.
For category comparisons, see our Animation Software and GIF Maker Software lists.
Key features
Animation and export formats
Brush Ninja supports 2D animation and exports GIF and WebM alongside PNG, JPG, PDF, ZIP image sequences, and its native .brushninja format. That variety makes it practical to create an animation, save individual frames, or produce still-image and document outputs from the same tool. It does not, however, add the production features that would make it suitable for 3D, rigged characters, or motion graphics.
Premium additions
Paid plans let users upload and animate their own images, use premium stickers and sound effects, remove adverts, and get priority email communication. These additions matter most to people who want to bring existing images into their animations or want a less ad-supported experience. The free plan is limited to core animation tools, so those extras require a subscription.
Pricing
Brush Ninja is freemium, with one free plan and two paid plans. Both paid options include the same listed features; the choice is between monthly billing and a lower annual cost.
- Free: free. Includes core animation tools and requires no account. It is the right place to begin if those tools are enough, but it does not include the listed premium additions.
- Premium monthly: $7 a month, billed monthly, with the option to cancel any time. It adds image uploads and animation, premium stickers, sound effects, advert removal, and priority email communication. Choose it if you need those extras without committing to annual billing.
- Premium annual: $48 a year, with the option to cancel any time. It includes the same premium features as the monthly plan at a lower cost over a year for users who expect to keep using them.
There are no listed account seats or usage quotas on these plans. The main trade-off is straightforward: stay free with the core tools, or pay for the image, sticker, sound, and advert-related additions.
Platforms
Brush Ninja supports web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. That range gives it broad device coverage, although cloud collaboration is not a feature for coordinating work across users.
Who it's for
Brush Ninja suits individuals who want to make 2D animations without creating an account or paying upfront, especially if GIF or WebM export is useful. Premium is a better fit for users who need to animate their own uploaded images or want its additional stickers and sound effects. It is not the right choice for users who need 3D modeling, character rigging, motion graphics, or cloud collaboration.
Pros and cons
- Pro: The free plan includes core animation tools with no account required, lowering the barrier to trying 2D animation.
- Pro: Exports include GIF, WebM, still images, PDF, ZIP image sequences, and a native format, providing several ways to use or keep the output.
- Pro: Premium has a monthly option and an annual option, and both can be cancelled any time.
- Con: Features such as uploading and animating personal images, premium stickers, and sound effects require a paid plan.
- Con: The lack of 3D modeling, rigging, motion graphics, and cloud collaboration rules it out for more complex or team-based workflows.
Alternatives
Choose FlexClip instead if you want a freemium option that supports online video projects, with a free plan capped at 12 projects, 10 minutes per video, and one stock video per project.
SSuite Gif Animator is a free alternative for Windows users who want freeware available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions.
MakeAGIF offers a free account with 10 seconds of video time, while its Premium Membership provides 20 seconds.
Terminalizer is a free, open-source option for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with its GitHub repository under the MIT license.
Gifox is a macOS alternative with a free Basic plan limited to 10-second screen recordings and a Pro option priced at $14.99 a month as a one-time purchase.
GIPHY Create is a free alternative for web, iOS, and Android.
LICEcap is a free alternative for macOS and Windows.
Piskel is a free alternative for Linux, macOS, web, and Windows.
Verdict
Brush Ninja is a good fit for individuals who want accessible 2D animation, broad export options, and a no-account free starting point. Its main reason to choose it is the combination of core tools at no cost and premium image-animation extras when needed. Look elsewhere if you need 3D, rigging, motion graphics, or shared cloud work.
Getting started
- Open https://brush.ninja/ in a web browser, or use it on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, or Android.
- Start with the free plan and use the core animation tools without an account.
- Choose Premium monthly for $7 a month or Premium annual for $48 a year if you want the listed Premium additions.
- Export finished work as GIF, WebM, PNG, JPG, PDF, a ZIP image sequence, or a .brushninja file.
Limits worth knowing
The free plan is limited to core animation tools. Uploading and animating your own images, premium stickers, sound effects, advert removal, and priority email communication are listed with the paid Premium plans.
Questions
Is Brush Ninja free?
Yes. Its Free plan costs nothing and includes core animation tools; no account is required.
How much does Premium cost?
Premium monthly costs $7 a month. Premium annual costs $48 a year; both are listed as cancellable any time.
What platforms does Brush Ninja support?
It is available on web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.
What can I export?
Export formats include GIF, WebM, PNG, JPG, PDF, a ZIP image sequence, and a .brushninja file.
What does Premium add?
Premium adds uploading and animating your own images, premium stickers, sound effects, advert removal, and priority email communication.
