Pencil2D vs Xara Designer Pro

Struggling to choose between Pencil2D and Xara Designer Pro? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Pencil2D is a Photos & Graphics solution with tags like 2d-animation, handdrawn-animation, free-animation-software, opensource-animation.

It boasts features such as Vector and raster drawing tools, Onion skinning, Intuitive timeline for animation, Ability to create cutout animations, Support for layers and frames, Import and export images, Record audio alongside animations, Customizable keyboard shortcuts, Drawing symmetry tool, Color palette management and pros including Free and open source, Easy to use interface, Good for beginners, Active community support, Cross-platform availability.

On the other hand, Xara Designer Pro is a Photos & Graphics product tagged with illustration, layout, tracing, photo-editing, web-design.

Its standout features include Vector illustration tools, Page layout tools, Photo editing tools, Web design tools, Support for unlimited layers, Live guides and snapping, Shape recognition and auto tracing, Gradient and pattern fills, Text styling and formatting, Import/export various file formats, and it shines with pros like Intuitive drag-and-drop interface, Powerful drawing and editing tools, Affordable one-time license cost, Fast rendering of vector graphics, Good for print and web design, Active community support.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Pencil2D

Pencil2D

Pencil2D is a free and open-source 2D animation software. It allows users to create traditional hand-drawn animation with an intuitive and easy to use interface. Pencil2D is available for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows.

Categories:
2d-animation handdrawn-animation free-animation-software opensource-animation

Pencil2D Features

  1. Vector and raster drawing tools
  2. Onion skinning
  3. Intuitive timeline for animation
  4. Ability to create cutout animations
  5. Support for layers and frames
  6. Import and export images
  7. Record audio alongside animations
  8. Customizable keyboard shortcuts
  9. Drawing symmetry tool
  10. Color palette management

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Easy to use interface

Good for beginners

Active community support

Cross-platform availability

Cons

Limited animation features compared to premium software

Occasional bugs and crashes

Lack of documentation

No native video export

Limited file format support


Xara Designer Pro

Xara Designer Pro

Xara Designer Pro is a vector graphics editor for Windows that is aimed at both professional and novice users. It has an intuitive drag-and-drop interface and provides tools for illustration, layout, tracing, photo editing, and web design.

Categories:
illustration layout tracing photo-editing web-design

Xara Designer Pro Features

  1. Vector illustration tools
  2. Page layout tools
  3. Photo editing tools
  4. Web design tools
  5. Support for unlimited layers
  6. Live guides and snapping
  7. Shape recognition and auto tracing
  8. Gradient and pattern fills
  9. Text styling and formatting
  10. Import/export various file formats

Pricing

  • One-time Purchase

Pros

Intuitive drag-and-drop interface

Powerful drawing and editing tools

Affordable one-time license cost

Fast rendering of vector graphics

Good for print and web design

Active community support

Cons

Limited native PDF editing capabilities

No native font management

Less flexible compared to Adobe Illustrator

Lacks some advanced design features

Windows only, no Mac version