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Getting Aseprite

There are two primary ways to get Aseprite:

Purchase & Download

Buy from the official website or Steam for pre-built binaries

Build from Source

Compile Aseprite yourself from the source code
This guide focuses on building Aseprite from source. For pre-built binaries, visit aseprite.org or purchase on Steam.

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Supported Platforms

Aseprite can be compiled successfully on the following platforms:
  • Windows 11 + Visual Studio Community 2022 + Windows 11 SDK
  • macOS 15.2 Sequoia + Xcode 16.3 + macOS 15.4 SDK
  • Linux Ubuntu Focal Fossa 20.04 + clang 12 (or newer)
Older and newer versions of these platforms may also work, but the versions listed above are officially tested.

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Get the Source Code

You can obtain the Aseprite source code in two ways:

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Option 1: Download Release Archive

Download a Aseprite-v1.x-Source.zip file from the latest release: 
https://github.com/aseprite/aseprite/releases
If you download the ZIP file, follow the compilation instructions included inside the archive.

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Option 2: Clone from GitHub (Recommended)

Clone the repository with all submodules: 
git clone --recursive https://github.com/aseprite/aseprite.git

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Update an Existing Clone

If you already have a clone and need to update it: 
cd aseprite
git pull
git submodule update --init --recursive
On Windows, you can use Git for Windows to clone the repository.

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Dependencies

Before compiling Aseprite, you’ll need to install the following dependencies:

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Common Requirements (All Platforms)

  • CMake: The latest version from cmake.org
  • Ninja: Build system from ninja-build.org
  • Skia Library: Pre-built packages available from the aseprite-m124 branch
Pre-built Skia packages are available at github.com/aseprite/skia/releases. See the laf dependencies page for additional information.

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Windows Dependencies

1

Install Visual Studio Community 2022

Download from visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads
2

Select Required Components

During installation, select:
  • Desktop development with C++
  • Windows 10.0.26100.0 SDK
MinGW is not supported. You must use Visual Studio’s MSVC compiler.

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MinGW Compatibility Note

If CMake detects MinGW (e.g., C:\MinGW\bin\c++.exe), you’ll need to remove it from your PATH: 
cmake -DCMAKE_IGNORE_PATH=C:\MinGW\bin ...

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macOS Dependencies

For macOS, you need:
  • macOS 15.4 SDK
  • Xcode 16.3 (older versions may work)
Download Xcode from the Mac App Store or Apple Developer website.

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Linux Dependencies

Install dependencies based on your distribution:

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Ubuntu/Debian

sudo apt-get install -y g++ clang cmake ninja-build libx11-dev libxcursor-dev libxi-dev libxrandr-dev libgl1-mesa-dev libfontconfig1-dev
For newer clang versions: 
sudo apt-get install -y clang-12

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Fedora

sudo dnf install -y gcc-c++ clang libcxx-devel cmake ninja-build libX11-devel libXcursor-devel libXi-devel libXrandr-devel mesa-libGL-devel fontconfig-devel

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Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S gcc clang cmake ninja libx11 libxcursor libxi libxrandr mesa-libgl fontconfig libwebp

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SUSE

sudo zypper install gcc-c++ clang cmake ninja libX11-devel libXcursor-devel libXi-devel libXrandr-devel Mesa-libGL-devel fontconfig-devel

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Building Aseprite

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Automatic Building (Recommended for Beginners)

Aseprite provides build scripts that automate the compilation process:
Double-click the build.cmd file in the Aseprite folder, or run it from the command prompt:
build.cmd
The script will guide you through the compilation process with on-screen instructions.

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Manual Building

For advanced users who want more control over the build process:
1

Create Build Directory

Create a build directory to contain all compilation artifacts:
cd aseprite
mkdir build
Keeping the build files separate makes it easy to start fresh by simply deleting the build directory.
2

Run CMake

Configure the build with CMake. The specific command varies by platform (see platform-specific sections below):
cd build
cmake -G Ninja -DLAF_BACKEND=skia ..
3

Compile with Ninja

Build the Aseprite executable:
ninja aseprite
4

Locate the Executable

After compilation completes, find the executable in:
build/bin/aseprite.exe    (Windows)
build/bin/aseprite        (macOS/Linux)

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Platform-Specific Build Instructions

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Windows Build Details

1

Open Developer Command Prompt

Search for x64 Native Tools Command Prompt for VS 2022 in the Start menu, or run:
call "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\Common7\Tools\VsDevCmd.bat" -arch=x64
The x64 command prompt is required when using the 64-bit version of Skia.
2

Configure Build

Navigate to your build directory and run CMake:
cd aseprite
mkdir build
cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo -DLAF_BACKEND=skia -DSKIA_DIR=C:\deps\skia -DSKIA_LIBRARY_DIR=C:\deps\skia\out\Release-x64 -DSKIA_LIBRARY=C:\deps\skia\out\Release-x64\skia.lib -G Ninja ..
Replace C:\deps\skia with your Skia installation directory.
3

Compile

ninja aseprite

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macOS Build Details

cd aseprite
mkdir build
cd build
cmake \
  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo \
  -DCMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES=x86_64 \
  -DCMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=10.14 \
  -DCMAKE_OSX_SYSROOT=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk \
  -DLAF_BACKEND=skia \
  -DSKIA_DIR=$HOME/deps/skia \
  -DSKIA_LIBRARY_DIR=$HOME/deps/skia/out/Release-x64 \
  -DSKIA_LIBRARY=$HOME/deps/skia/out/Release-x64/libskia.a \
  -G Ninja \
  ..
ninja aseprite
Ensure CMAKE_OSX_SYSROOT points to the correct SDK directory on your system. The path may vary depending on your Xcode installation.

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Retina Display Issues

If you experience issues with Retina displays, check issue #589 for solutions.

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Linux Build Details

Aseprite can be compiled with gcc or clang. When using pre-compiled Skia, use libstdc++: 
cd aseprite
mkdir build
cd build
export CC=clang
export CXX=clang++
cmake \
  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo \
  -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS:STRING=-stdlib=libstdc++ \
  -DCMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS:STRING=-stdlib=libstdc++ \
  -DLAF_BACKEND=skia \
  -DSKIA_DIR=$HOME/deps/skia \
  -DSKIA_LIBRARY_DIR=$HOME/deps/skia/out/Release-x64 \
  -DSKIA_LIBRARY=$HOME/deps/skia/out/Release-x64/libskia.a \
  -G Ninja \
  ..
ninja aseprite
Replace $HOME/deps/skia with your Skia installation directory.

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Using Shared Libraries

By default, Aseprite uses embedded versions of third-party libraries. To use system-installed versions:
1

Run CMake

First run cmake to generate the build files
2

Edit CMakeCache.txt

Edit build/CMakeCache.txt and set the relevant USE_SHARED_ flags to ON:
USE_SHARED_curl:BOOL=ON
USE_SHARED_giflib:BOOL=ON
USE_SHARED_jpeglib:BOOL=ON
USE_SHARED_libpng:BOOL=ON
3

Rebuild

Run ninja again to rebuild with shared libraries
Using shared libraries may introduce version compatibility issues. The embedded libraries are tested and known to work correctly.

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Troubleshooting

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Compilation Issues

Make sure you cloned with --recursive or run:
git submodule update --init --recursive
Remove MinGW from PATH or use:
cmake -DCMAKE_IGNORE_PATH=C:\MinGW\bin ...
See issue #2449 for more details.
Verify that:
  • SKIA_DIR points to the correct directory
  • SKIA_LIBRARY_DIR contains the compiled Skia library
  • SKIA_LIBRARY points to the actual library file (skia.lib on Windows, libskia.a on macOS/Linux)
Download and install the latest CMake from cmake.org

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Getting Help

If you encounter compilation problems:
  1. Search existing compilation issues
  2. Check for relevant pull requests
  3. Ask in the Development category on the Community forum
  4. Create a new GitHub issue with:
    • Your platform and version
    • Complete error messages
    • Steps you’ve already tried

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Next Steps

Quick Start Guide

Now that you have Aseprite installed, learn how to create your first sprite!

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