Game Development · head to head
Construct 3 vs Aseprite
Construct 3
Game Development
Create games without coding. Powered by the Scirra engine.
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Aseprite
Game Development
Animated sprite editor and pixel art tool
- From
- $19.99/once
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Construct 3 has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Construct 3 the free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account; Aseprite a one-off purchase with no free tier, only a trial
- They diverge on capability: Construct 3 covers Visual event system, Aseprite covers Pixel art tools.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Construct 3 and Aseprite actually diverge.
| Attribute | Construct 3 | Aseprite |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $19.99/once |
| Pricing model | freemium | one-time |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web | Windows, Macos, Linux |
| Category | Unknown | Game Development |
| Founded | 2007 | 2001 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Construct 3
- Visual event system
- Drag-and-drop editor
- Physics engine
- Sprite editor
- Particle effects
- Sound effects
- Web-based
- HTML5 support
Only in Aseprite
- Pixel art tools
- Animation timeline
- Onion skinning
- Layers
- Tilemap editor
- Color palettes
- Sprite sheets
- Scripting (Lua)
Both cover
- Local deployment
- Windows support
- Macos support
- Linux support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Construct 3
- Building 2D browser games without writing codenot Aseprite
- Publishing HTML5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one projectnot Aseprite
Aseprite
- Pixel art creation for gamesnot Construct 3
- Frame-by-frame sprite animationnot Construct 3
- Exporting sprite sheets and GIFsnot Construct 3
- Scripting repetitive export tasks through the command linenot Construct 3
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Construct 3
- The free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account
- Free projects are limited to 2 layers, 2 special effects, 1 timeline animation of up to 5 seconds and 1 web font
- The free version can only publish to HTML5 and the Construct Arcade, so desktop, Android, iOS and Facebook Instant Games all need a paid plan
- Licences are per seat and annual, at $129.99 for Personal, $168.99 for Startup Business and $468.99 for Business
Aseprite
- A one-off purchase with no free tier, only a trial
- Deliberately narrow: a pixel art and sprite animation editor rather than a general image editor
- The site does not state supported platforms or licence terms, which are on GitHub instead
Pricing, plan by plan
Construct 3
Free- FreeFree
- Web-based editor
- HTML5 export
- Asset library
- Personal$99/year
- All Free features
- Offline editor
- Advanced export
Aseprite
$19.99/once- License$19.99/once
- Full feature set
- Free updates
- Commercial use
Which should you pick?
Choose Construct 3 if
- You need visual event system.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want drag-and-drop editor.
Choose Aseprite if
- You need pixel art tools.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux.
- You also want animation timeline.
Questions people ask
- Is Construct 3 or Aseprite better?
- Neither clearly leads. Construct 3 starts at Free and Aseprite at $19.99/once, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Construct 3 or Aseprite?
- Construct 3 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Construct 3 and $19.99/once for Aseprite.
- Does Construct 3 or Aseprite run on more platforms?
- Construct 3 runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. Aseprite runs on Windows, Macos, Linux.
- Can I use Construct 3 for free?
- Yes. Construct 3 has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Aseprite starts at $19.99/once.
- What is Construct 3 best used for?
- Construct 3 is most often used for building 2d browser games without writing code, publishing html5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one project. Of those, building 2d browser games without writing code and publishing html5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one project are not what Aseprite is typically brought in for.
- What can Construct 3 do that Aseprite cannot?
- Construct 3 covers Visual event system, Drag-and-drop editor, Physics engine, Sprite editor. Aseprite covers Pixel art tools, Animation timeline, Onion skinning, Layers. Both handle Local deployment, Windows support, Macos support, Linux support.