Phluxel
Phluxel is a Windows app for adding effects such as rain, fire, snow, water, wind, and glow to pixel art, then exporting seamless loops.
What Phluxel is
Phluxel is a Windows app for adding effects such as rain, fire, snow, water, wind, and glow to pixel art, then exporting seamless loops. Its Phlux language describes how cells change in response to neighboring cells, using math, conditions, and scatter. The editor includes a cheat sheet, autocomplete, and live preview; global rules compile to GPU shaders for real-time playback, while per-cell logic can run through a CPU interpreter. It imports PNG, JPG, BMP, animated GIF, and WebP, with smart downscaling and palette lock. Export options include GIF, PNG sequences, APNG, MP4, sprite sheets, and palette-locked files. There are 90 starter scenes across eight groups and 128 rule templates. The Free plan is for personal, non-commercial work, and exports are watermarked and limited to a 128×128 grid, 1024px, and 300 frames. Pro costs 19.99 USD once and includes commercial use, no watermark, and unlimited grid size, resolution, and frames. Phluxel supports 64-bit Windows 10 version 1809 or later and Windows 11.
Good
- Imports still images and animated formats
- Includes 90 starter scenes and 128 rule templates
- Exports GIF, PNG sequences, APNG, MP4, and more
- Pro permits commercial use
- Free edition available for personal projects
Watch out
- Free exports include a watermark
- Free grid limited to 128×128
- Free edition caps output at 1024px and 300 frames
- Windows only
Who it suits
Phluxel suits pixel-art creators who want to animate effects, including people who prefer to start from a scene or rule template rather than code. Commercial work requires Pro.
Verdict
Phluxel offers several ways to build and export looping pixel-art effects, with templates for getting started and a rule language for customization. The Free plan has output limits and is non-commercial; Pro costs 19.99 USD once.
Plans and prices
From Phluxel's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Watermarked · up to 128×128 · 1024px / 300 frames · personal, non-commercial use · Forever free · no account |
| Pro | $19.99, paid once | No watermark · unlimited grid size, resolution and frames · MP4 and APNG export · commercial use · personal single-user license for up to 2 devices · One-time purchase |
The facts
Each one read from Phluxel's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Exports
- Export formats include GIF, PNG sequence, APNG, MP4, sprite sheets and palette-locked exports.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Image import
- The app imports PNG, JPG, BMP, animated GIF and WebP, with smart downscaling and palette lock.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- The maker says projects, fields and exports stay on the user's machine and that the app has no behavioral analytics or ad tracking; it checks for updates and sends an anonymous usage heartbeat.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Phluxel adds animated effects such as rain, fire, snow, water, wind and glow to pixel art using rules, then exports seamless loops.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Rule language
- The Phlux language describes how a cell changes based on its neighbors, with math, conditions and scatter, and the editor includes a cheat sheet, autocomplete and live preview.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Simulation engine
- Global rules compile to GPU shaders for real-time playback, while per-cell logic can run on a CPU interpreter automatically.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Starters and templates
- The app includes 90 one-click starter scenes across 8 groups and 128 rule templates.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- The product offers priority support with Pro, and team quote inquiries are usually answered within one business day.checked 8 Oct 2026
- System requirements
- Minimum requirements are a 64-bit dual-core CPU, OpenGL 3.3 GPU, 4 GB RAM and about 300 MB of disk space.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Who it is for
- The maker says users can start without coding by choosing a starter scene or rule template, and describes making a shareable GIF in about five minutes.checked 8 Oct 2026
Money
- Free edition limits
- Free exports are watermarked and limited to a 128×128 grid, 1024px and 300 frames.checked 8 Oct 2026
The company
- License and ownership
- Users own what they create; Free is for personal, non-commercial work, while Pro grants commercial use.checked 8 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Platform
- Phluxel supports Windows 10 version 1809 or later and Windows 11, 64-bit.checked 8 Oct 2026
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