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PixelLab

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in Images & design · 36 tools compared

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Pixel art generator for game assets with text animation, tilesets and a remote MCP server for coding assistants

PixelLab generates pixel art game assets such as directional characters, animations, tilesets and UI, and runs a remote MCP server so coding assistants like Claude Code and Cursor can create them. The Free trial gives 40 fast generations, then 5 slower ones a day, though the docs list a subscription as an MCP requirement. Tier 1 costs $12.00 a month for 2,000 generations, Tier 2 $24.00 for 5,000 and Tier 3 $50.00 for 10,000.

  • Free planFree
  • Paid from$12.00 / month

Free includes: 40 fast generations, then 5 slower generations a day (up to 20 stored). Images up to 200x200, rotation, inpainting, basic text animation, API access, the AI Agent Toolkit and commercial use are listed; map tools are not. The docs say MCP needs an active subscription.

Runs on Web · Windows · macOS · Linux

Works with MCP server for Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex CLI and others · REST API and Python SDK · Aseprite extension · Pixelorama web editor

Prices and limits checked against 5 official sources · how we check

Official site All plans
PixelLab homepage screenshot showing the official landing page
Official homepagepixellab.aiCaptured

Is PixelLab your product? Send updates or get featured. Paid placement never changes this profile.

What is PixelLab, in short?

Updated October 25, 2026 · By Elias Brandt · Documentation review, not tested hands-on

Pros

  • Built for game assets
  • Works from coding assistants
  • Free way to try
  • Commercial use stated

Cons

  • Cost per tool unpublished
  • MCP access unclear on free
  • Map tools paid
  • Narrow refunds
  • Regional limits

Best forIndie developers prototyping 2D gamesDevelopers who vibe code with an AI assistantNot for photorealistic or 3D artNot for planning a budget in advance

Strengths, limits and who it suits, in full

Strengths

  • Built for game assets Directional characters, animation, tilesets and UI elements cover a 2D game pipeline in one service.
  • Works from coding assistants A remote MCP server with ready configs for many clients means nothing to install.
  • Free way to try The Free trial needs no credit card and lists commercial use of generated images.
  • Commercial use stated The pricing page says you own the generated images except for training models.

Limits

  • Cost per tool unpublished Some tools use several generations per image, but the page gives no rates.
  • MCP access unclear on free The homepage and the docs disagree on whether the free plan includes MCP.
  • Map tools paid Map generation is on Tiers 1 and above, not the Free trial.
  • Narrow refunds A refund needs fewer than 50 generations used, and payment fees are deducted.
  • Regional limits The pricing section lists Russia, Belarus, Iran and Venezuela as unsupported.

Who it suits

  • Indie developers prototyping 2D games Characters, animations and tilesets from one tool, with MCP configs for Godot-style workflows.
  • Developers who vibe code with an AI assistant The MCP server lets Claude Code or Cursor generate assets while writing game code.
  • Not for photorealistic or 3D art The tools are built around pixel art and sprites.
  • Not for planning a budget in advance Generations per tool are unpublished, so a test is needed first.

How much does PixelLab cost?

Prices confirmed · checked

Regional prices: Prices are in US dollars as printed on the homepage plan cards, which load through JavaScript.

Tiers 1 and 2 say about 25% off with annual billing and Tier 3 says save $100, but no yearly total is printed, so none is calculated. A footnote on a monthly discount ladder is not explained and is not used. Some tools use more than one generation per image. The API page lists estimated per-call prices (for example $0.00718 for a 64x64 Pixen image) that vary with GPU time; some are provisional and their link to the subscription is not stated. The pricing section lists Russia, Belarus, Iran and Venezuela as unsupported. No enterprise price is published.

PlanPriceWhat you get
Free trialFree; no credit card required sourceFrom pixellab.ai, checked Oct 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab)40 fast generations, then 5 slower generations a day (up to 20 stored). Images up to 200x200, rotation, inpainting, basic text animation, API access, the AI Agent Toolkit and commercial use are listed; map tools are not. The docs say MCP needs an active subscription.
Tier 1: Pixel Apprentice$12.00 per month sourceFrom pixellab.ai, checked Oct 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab)2,000 generations a month; images up to 320x320; text and skeleton animation; map generation; Discord support. The card says about 25% off with annual billing, with no yearly total.
Tier 2: Pixel Artisan$24.00 per month sourceFrom pixellab.ai, checked Oct 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab)5,000 generations a month; priority queue with up to 10 concurrent background jobs; images and edits up to 512x512; priority support; early access to experimental tools. About 25% off with annual billing, no yearly total.
Tier 3: Pixel Architect$50.00 per month sourceFrom pixellab.ai, checked Oct 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab)10,000 generations a month; highest priority with up to 20 concurrent background jobs; feedback and prioritization votes. The card says save $100 with annual billing, with no yearly total.

How far does it go?

  • A 100-sprite batch with 4 attempts eachIf every attempt cost one generation, 100 sprites with 4 attempts each would use 400 generations, which Tier 1 covers inside its 2,000 allowance for $12.00 a month. The Free trial would cover only the first 40 attempts, then 5 a day, so the batch would take about 72 days on the daily allowance alone (360 more attempts at 5 a day). Tools that use several generations per image, which the page says exist, would raise these numbers. Arithmetic on published plan limits, not a statement by PixelLab.

Arithmetic from the published allowances above, not a usage test.

PixelLab official pricing page screenshot with plan names
Official pricing pagepixellab.aiCaptured

Taxes, currency and promotions can change the price you see at checkout.

Try PixelLab free (opens in a new tab)

Key features

FeatureWhat it doesWatch out
Characters with 4 or 8 directional views, plus rotation of existing artwork (homepage, MCP page)—
Animation from text prompts or skeletons, with scene animation described on the homepage—
Inpainting that sees the original image, and style-consistent generation from reference images—
Top-down and sidescroller tilesets, isometric tiles, maps and textures (paid plans for map tools)—
Pixel art UI elements such as buttons, health bars and menu items—
Remote MCP server and REST API, with an Aseprite extension and Pixelorama editorThe MCP page describes a remote HTTP server with tools for characters, animation, tilesets, isometric tiles and map objects, and configs for 17 named clients.The docs list an active subscription as an MCP requirement, while the homepage lists the toolkit on the free card.
GenerationsPlans are metered in generations, and the page notes that some tools use more than one generation per image.The cost per tool is not published, so the allowance cannot be converted into sprites without a test.
API pricingThe API page lists estimated dollar prices per call that vary with GPU time, and some are marked provisional.It does not say how API spend relates to the subscription allowance.

What does PixelLab cost, and what is a generation?

PixelLab sells monthly tiers measured in generations: Tier 1 at $12.00 gives 2,000, Tier 2 at $24.00 gives 5,000 and Tier 3 at $50.00 gives 10,000. The page footnote warns that some tools use more than one generation per image, and it does not publish the rate per tool, so the allowance cannot be turned into a number of sprites from the page alone. Divided across the full allowance the base fee is $0.0060, $0.0048 and $0.0050 per generation; that is arithmetic on the plan cards, not a price PixelLab states. Yearly billing is described as about 25% off on Tiers 1 and 2 and as $100 off on Tier 3, with no yearly total, and a footnote about a monthly discount ladder is not explained, so no yearly price is calculated here.

Does the free plan include the MCP server?

The homepage lists the AI Agent Toolkit and API access on the Free trial card, next to 40 fast generations and then 5 slower ones a day. The docs page on ways to use PixelLab lists an active subscription as a requirement for the MCP route. Both are official and we cannot tell which is current, so test the connection with a free token before you plan around it. The free plan also has smaller images (up to 200×200 against 320×320 on Tier 1) and no map tools, which matters for the tileset tools the MCP page advertises.

What can a coding assistant do through the PixelLab MCP?

The MCP page names tools to create a character with 4 or 8 directions, animate it, build top-down and sidescroller tilesets, make isometric tiles and map objects, and generate images with three generators. It also says Godot works well because Claude can run the engine headless. The server is remote, so there is nothing to install; you add the endpoint and a Bearer token to your client. The page gives no sample outputs, limits per call or cost per tool.

When is the API a better fit than a subscription?

The API page lists estimated dollar prices per call, for example $0.00718 for a 64×64 Pixen image, and states that charges vary with GPU time and that some prices are provisional. It does not explain how API spend relates to the subscription generations or whether the subscription includes API calls beyond the Free trial card’s mention, so treat the two as separate until you have read your account page.

How could you check PixelLab before paying?

Proposed evaluation · not performed yet

Use the Free trial to see how far 40 generations go on one character, and test whether your assistant can connect.

  1. Sign up and generate one 64×64 character, then rotate it to 4 directions.
  2. Note the generations left after each step to learn the real rate per tool.
  3. Add the MCP endpoint to your coding assistant with your token and ask it to create a character.
  4. Divide the Tier 1 allowance of 2,000 by your measured rate to estimate sprites a month.

Accept if the cost per step is visible before you generate and the MCP connects on your plan. Reject if the connection needs a plan you do not want or tilesets need the paid map tools. No result is recorded here.

PixelLab alternatives

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Used PixelLab? Write the first review. Visitor opinions are moderated and kept separate from our source checks.

Frequently asked questions

Is PixelLab free?

Partly. The Free trial card gives 40 fast generations, then 5 slower generations a day that can be stored up to 20, with images up to 200x200 and no map tools. No credit card is required, and the card lists commercial use of generated images. Some tools use more than one generation per image, so 40 does not mean 40 images.

Does the PixelLab MCP server work on the free plan?

The pages disagree. The Free trial card on the homepage lists the AI Agent Toolkit and API access, while the docs page on ways to use PixelLab lists an active subscription as an MCP requirement. Check the MCP page after signing in before building a workflow on the free plan.

Which AI coding tools can use the PixelLab MCP?

PixelLab runs a remote HTTP MCP server at api.pixellab.ai/mcp that takes a Bearer token from your account. The MCP page ships configs for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex CLI, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Zed, Cline, Continue and others; stdio-only clients bridge with mcp-remote.

Can I get a refund on PixelLab?

Only early. The refund policy of 14 Jan 2026 gives a full refund, less payment-provider fees of 5% plus 0.5 USD, if you used fewer than 50 generations, and also when a technical failure cannot be fixed. Requests must come within 30 days of purchase.

Can I use PixelLab images in a commercial game?

The homepage plan section says generated images may be used commercially and that you own the rights, except for using them to train models. It lists commercial use on every plan, including the Free trial. Read the Terms of Service before shipping, because we did not review them.

Sources and method5 official sources · 15 details checked · Oct 25, 2026

How we checked this profile

15 details on this page were checked against PixelLab's own pages and help documentation (Oct 25, 2026). 2 are still open and listed below.

See the checks by section13 documented2 open
SectionChecksLast checkedSources
Article text1 documentedpixellab.ai
Plans and prices6 documented 1 openpixellab.aipixellab.ai/pixellab-api
Platforms and integrations2 documentedpixellab.ai/ways-to-use-pixellab
Strengths and limits1 documented 1 openpixellab.ai
Features1 documentedpixellab.ai/mcp
Questions2 documentedpixellab.aipixellab.ai/refundpolicy

Still open

  • Tier 1 and Tier 2 cards say 'Save ~25% with annual billing' and Tier 3 'Save $100 with annual billing'; no yearly total is printed.Not confirmed · checked · Source (opens in a new tab)
  • The Free trial card lists API Access and the AI Agent Toolkit (MCP), while the docs list an active subscription as an MCP requirement.Not confirmed · checked · Source (opens in a new tab)

Sources for this profile

All 5 sources

Official pages read on 25 Oct 2026: homepage with plan cards and FAQ (through the official-page fetcher, because the cards load client-side), MCP page, ways-to-use docs page, API page and refund policy. We did not create an account, generate anything or call the MCP server, so cost per tool, the real free-plan allowance and MCP access on the free plan were not observed. The Terms of Service and Privacy Policy were not read. Directory listings, user counts, testimonials and search-volume figures were not used.

Sources checked Oct 25, 2026. Found something out of date? See how we correct profiles.

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