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OpenToonz vs Penly

Professional comparison and analysis to help you choose the right software solution for your needs.

OpenToonz icon
OpenToonz
Penly icon
Penly

OpenToonz vs Penly: The Verdict

⚡ Summary:

OpenToonz: OpenToonz is free and open source 2D animation software. It has features for scanning drawings, producing 2D animation, creating special effects, and more. OpenToonz is based on Toonz software, which has been used for major productions like Futurama and Studio Ghibli films.

Penly: Penly is a free and open-source note taking app for Windows, macOS and Linux. It allows users to create rich text documents, add images and attachments, organize notes into notebooks, collaborate with others and sync across devices. Penly has a clean and intuitive interface, supports tagging and search, and integrates with cloud services.

Both tools serve their respective audiences. Compare the features, pricing, and user ratings above to determine which best fits your needs.

Last updated: May 2026 · Comparison by Sugggest Editorial Team

Feature OpenToonz Penly
Sugggest Score
Category Video & Movies Office & Productivity
Pricing Open Source Open Source

Product Overview

OpenToonz
OpenToonz

Description: OpenToonz is free and open source 2D animation software. It has features for scanning drawings, producing 2D animation, creating special effects, and more. OpenToonz is based on Toonz software, which has been used for major productions like Futurama and Studio Ghibli films.

Type: software

Pricing: Open Source

Penly
Penly

Description: Penly is a free and open-source note taking app for Windows, macOS and Linux. It allows users to create rich text documents, add images and attachments, organize notes into notebooks, collaborate with others and sync across devices. Penly has a clean and intuitive interface, supports tagging and search, and integrates with cloud services.

Type: software

Pricing: Open Source

Key Features Comparison

OpenToonz
OpenToonz Features
  • 2D animation
  • Digital scanning
  • Coloring
  • Compositing
  • Special effects
Penly
Penly Features
  • Rich text editing
  • Notebooks for organization
  • Collaboration
  • Cross-platform availability
  • Open source
  • Cloud sync
  • Search
  • Tags
  • Attachments
  • Clean and intuitive interface

Pros & Cons Analysis

OpenToonz
OpenToonz

Pros

  • Free and open source
  • Powerful features
  • Used by major studios

Cons

  • Steep learning curve
  • Limited documentation
  • Not very user friendly
Penly
Penly

Pros

  • Free and open source
  • Available on Windows, Mac and Linux
  • Supports rich formatting
  • Good organization with notebooks
  • Collaboration capabilities
  • Cloud sync
  • Powerful search and tagging
  • Can attach files
  • Clean and simple interface

Cons

  • Limited compared to proprietary options
  • Formatting not as robust as Word
  • No mobile apps
  • Collaboration could be better
  • Sync relies on third-party services
  • Some features still in development

Pricing Comparison

OpenToonz
OpenToonz
  • Open Source
Penly
Penly
  • Open Source

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