Limner
Limner is a creative app for painting, illustration, vector work, animation, and comics.
What Limner is
Limner is a creative app for painting, illustration, vector work, animation, and comics. Its drawing tools support pressure, tilt, stroke stabilization, custom brushes, and imported Photoshop ABR brushes. Editing features include layers, masks, and live adjustments. Animation mode supports frame-by-frame work with onion skin and export to GIF, MP4, or numbered PNG sequences. Limner can also record drawing sessions and export timelapse videos up to 4K; its manual lists PSD import and SVG export. It runs on Windows, macOS, and iPadOS. The download page specifies Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), macOS 13 Ventura or later, and iPadOS 16 or later. The desktop free tier is available on Windows and macOS without an account or key, while vector, animation, and book projects require Limner Plus on desktop. The iPad beta unlocks all features. Limner Plus has a free 14-day trial on Windows and macOS; its post-beta price has not been announced. Artwork, documents, and settings stay on-device, and the app contains no analytics, telemetry, or crash reporting.
Good
- Drawing tools support pressure, tilt, and stabilization
- Animation exports to GIF, MP4, or numbered PNG
- Records timelapses up to 4K
- Artwork and settings stay on-device
Watch out
- Desktop vector, animation, and book projects require Plus
- Post-beta Plus pricing has not been announced
- iPad features are currently unlocked during beta
Who it suits
Limner suits illustrators, animators, and people working on comic or manga projects. Its license permits personal and commercial creative work.
Verdict
Limner combines illustration tools with frame-by-frame animation and comic project support. The free desktop tier has limits on project types, while the iPad beta currently unlocks all features.
Plans and prices
From Limner's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Free | Windows and macOS; no account or key required; vector, animation, and book projects are Limner Plus features on desktop |
| iPad beta | Free | All features unlocked · no key or purchase required · Free during beta; full-release pricing to be announced |
| Limner Free | Free | Raster illustration · brushes · layers · masks · filters · timelapse · standard file formats · Free during beta |
| Limner Plus | Free | Vector workspace · image trace · animation studio · comic and manga Books · advanced production features · Free during beta; future pricing not announced |
The facts
Each one read from Limner's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Activation limitation
- Desktop Plus keys are tied to one device and require periodic online revalidation, with an offline grace period of about three weeks.checked 19 Oct 2026
- Animation
- Animation mode supports cel timelines, onion skinning, keyframed cameras, motion curves, parenting, audio, and GIF, APNG, MP4, PSD, and PNG-sequence output.checked 19 Oct 2026
- Animation export
- Animation mode supports frame-by-frame work with onion skin and export to GIF, MP4, or numbered PNG sequence.checked 8 Oct 2026
- API and SDKs
- The official product, manual, download, and support pages document file-format interoperability but do not describe a public API or SDK.checked 19 Oct 2026
- Artwork privacy
- The app contains no analytics, telemetry, or crash reporting, and artwork, documents, and settings stay on the device.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Beta limitation
- The terms warn that beta software may contain errors, change, be interrupted, or be discontinued without notice.checked 19 Oct 2026
- Brushes
- Brush Studio lets users create brushes and exchange Photoshop ABR files and Limner LBRUSH presets.checked 19 Oct 2026
- Canvas limit
- The desktop document loader accepts canvas dimensions from 1 to 16,384 pixels per side.checked 19 Oct 2026
- Comics
- Book projects hold multiple Illustration or Vector pages in one limnerbook file and include page management and comic panels.checked 19 Oct 2026
- Desktop requirements
- The stated Windows minimum is a dual-core CPU, 4 GB RAM, and a GPU with a working Direct3D 12 or Vulkan driver.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Developer documentation
- The manual links developer-level material for Limner file-format layout and version history rather than a general programming API.checked 19 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- The official manual is a searchable 45-chapter guide covering tools, workspaces, file formats, animation, Books, troubleshooting, and shortcuts.checked 19 Oct 2026
- Drawing tools
- It supports pressure and tilt, custom brushes, and importing Photoshop brushes.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Earlier defect history
- The 0.8.7 release notes describe fixes for locked-layer painting, keyframed-layer corruption, brush-pack rejection, memory failures, and unsafe revocation handling.checked 19 Oct 2026
- File formats
- The documented formats include Limner, limnerbook, PSD, OpenRaster, SVG, PNG, JPEG, and CMYK TIFF.checked 19 Oct 2026
- Illustration
- The illustration workspace provides raster painting, a full brush engine, layers, blend modes, masks, selections, filters, and adjustments.checked 19 Oct 2026
- Image trace
- The Vectorize Layer command traces raster layers into editable color or monochrome vector shapes and is a Plus feature.checked 19 Oct 2026
- Independent review availability
- The accessible independent directory pages searched did not show established user-review counts or recurring third-party praise and complaints for Limner.checked 19 Oct 2026
- Integrations and formats
- The manual lists Photoshop ABR brush exchange, PSD import, and SVG export.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The license permits personal or commercial creative work, and the maker describes the app for illustrators, animators, and comic or manga projects.checked 8 Oct 2026
The company
- Company
- Limner LLC is a Virginia limited liability company with an address in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Company headquarters
- The legal entity lists 3419 Virginia Beach Blvd #5120, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23452-4419, United States.checked 19 Oct 2026
- Company registration
- Limner LLC was incorporated in Virginia on July 1, 2026 and is listed as active with Parker Vincent as registered agent.checked 19 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- Virginia Beach, Virginia, United Stateschecked 28 Sep 2026
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