When comparing Pixly vs Paint.NET, the Slant community recommends Paint.NET for most people. In the question“What are the best pixel art / sprite editors?” Paint.NET is ranked 9th while Pixly is ranked 14th. The most important reason people chose Paint.NET is:
Unlike most photo editing software, Paint.NET is simple to learn and easy to use. This means less time is spent learning the in's and out's of Paint.NET and more time on photo editing. For those who only edit photos sporadically and don't have time to invest in learning complicated tools for editing, Paint.Net will suit your needs.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Color selector with different color systems
RGB, CMY, HSB, and a somewhat different HUSL.
Pro Offers color ramp generator
Pixly offers a color ramp generator that then exports directly into a custom palette.
Pro You can use reference images
You can work with a reference image on top of your art, or by its side.
Pro Allows you to continue your work even when not in front of your PC
This tool works on both phones and tablets that run Android, which is handy for when you do not have access to a PC.
Pro Layered projects
Pro Gestures that feel natural on touch screens
In Pixly, you can move the art around with two fingers (like in Google Maps) and change the brush/eraser size with a three-finger pinch.
Pro Supports onion skinning
Onion skinning is also called ghosting. It allows the user to see the past and previous frames, while editing the current frame. This way, the user can make decisions on how to create or change an image.
Pro Mirroring support
In Pixly, the user can make symmetrical art with a mirror, or even go bananas setting up two or more mirrors at different angles at once.
Pro Transparency support
The user can make transparent sprites in Pixly.
Pro Animation support
Even though this is a mobile tool, it's fully featured and even allows you to create animations.
Pro Standard and custom palettes
Pro Live image tiling
The user can create tiles in Pixly and keep an eye on progress in real time.
Pro Color filters
Pro Easy to learn and use
Unlike most photo editing software, Paint.NET is simple to learn and easy to use. This means less time is spent learning the in's and out's of Paint.NET and more time on photo editing. For those who only edit photos sporadically and don't have time to invest in learning complicated tools for editing, Paint.Net will suit your needs.
Pro Free software
There is no charge for this software; but donations are welcomed.
Pro Lightweight
Paint.net provides a streamlined but effective core tool set. Support for advanced and niche features is provided through modular plugins, allowing the user to install only what's needed.
Pro Actively developed
The project is active and being continually expanded and refined.
Pro Active and friendly community
The forums are filled with tutorials, as well as people who are friendly and eager to help.
Pro Plugins allow extra functionality
Plugins can be made by anyone in the community, and are offered for download on the forum. They extend the capabilities of Paint.NET to cover most tasks.
Pro HiDPI support
Paint.NET supports fully HiDPI displays, with no scaling problems.
Cons
Con No PC version
The PC version has not yet been released.
Con Only available on Windows
Paint.NET is only available on Windows.
Con No project-based interface
You can only edit a single image at a time in Paint.NET. For example, in other tools you can open 5 or a 100 images at the same time, and stack those windows in all directions.
Furthermore, when you are editing in Paint.NET you can only "view" a single image at a time, even though you can have multiple images open. This limits your zooming ability, as the image will go fullscreen quite quickly, and hide parts of it behind the floating toolbars which can not be embedded anywhere on the screen.