Gradients Studio

The best dither gradient tools in 2026, compared

Nine tools for a dithered look, side by side. Some make the gradient and dither it; most dither an image you bring. The table says which, and what each one exports, which algorithms it has, and what it costs.

Updated October 2026Facts checked

We make Gradients Studio, one of the 9, and we're not affiliated with the other 8. Their facts come from their own sites, linked on each card; where a site doesn't say, neither do we. Written by Anusandhan.

The short answer

The best tool for each job, in one line. Each name jumps to its details.

  • Best for dithering photos, free, with every algorithm: Dither it!.

    Floyd–Steinberg, Atkinson, Bayer to 16×16, blue noise and more, in the browser, in batches.

  • Best for a dithered gradient background in your palette, at 4K: Gradients Studio.

    Designs the mesh gradient and its Bayer, halftone or glyph dither together, in every aspect ratio.

  • Best for pixel-art skies and ramps: Lospec Dither Pattern Generator.

    Band height, shades and dithering levels, made for pixel artists.

  • Best for dithered animation and video: InstantGradient Image Dithering or Dither Boy.

    InstantGradient dithers an animated gradient (MP4 on a pass); Dither Boy is a desktop app with a timeline.

  • Best for a dithered gradient as SVG or CSS: graphic.so Dither Generator or Dither.

    graphic.so exports SVG and CSS; Shpigford's Dither turns images and gradients into vector shapes.

  • Best for live dithering in your own site: Paper Shaders dithering.

    Open-source shaders that animate on the page.

  • Best for ASCII and halftone styles on an image: MagicPattern Dither Generator.

    Six styles including ASCII and custom patterns, free with no sign-up.

Side by side

Every tool on the same seven questions, checked October 19, 2026. Listed alphabetically.

YesPartlyNoNot stated
Dither gradient tools: output, grain, pixel, dither, animation, price and sign-up, checked October 19, 2026
ToolOutputGrainPixelDitherAnimationPriceSign-up
DitherSVG grouped by colour, or PNGNoSquare, circle or diamond cellsBayer, halftone, lines, crosses, dotsNoFree, MIT licenceNo sign-up
Dither BoyPNG, JPG, SVG, MP4; vectors for printNot statedPattern effects15 error-diffusion, 5 ordered, 8 patternVideo with a timeline£49 once (was £60)A purchase; no trial mentioned
Dither it!PNG, JPEG or WebP (keeps the input type)NoPixel scale controlFloyd–Steinberg, Atkinson, Bayer to 16×16, moreAccepts animated GIFsFreeNo sign-up
Gradients StudioJPEG up to 4K (3840 wide, or 2160 tall for portrait and square)Rendered into the exportPixel cells, blue-noise fadeBayer marks, halftone, glyphs; 4K on ProMP4 loops, free up to 1080p; 4K on ProFree (5 exports a month at 4K); Pro $39 for 12 months or $9 for 7 days, one paymentFirst download needs none (HD); 4K needs a free account
graphic.so Dither GeneratorSVG, PNG, CSS or code; 1920 × 1080 or customNoResolution 8–64 cellsOrdered, random, halftoneNoFreeNo sign-up, no watermark
InstantGradient Image DitheringImage to 1080p free; 4K and native size (4096px) on a passGrain in the gradient editorSeparate pixelate toolBayer 2×2 to 8×8, blue noiseGradient mode: MP4 or codeFree; $19 for a year or $29 lifetimeNo sign-up, no watermark
Lospec Dither Pattern GeneratorPNGNoPixel-art bandsCheckerboard and line patternsNoFree (Patreon-supported)Login optional
MagicPattern Dither GeneratorPNG or JPGIn its other toolsPixelation styleBayer, halftone, Floyd–Steinberg, ASCIIDithered video in the shader editorFree; suite from $15/moNo sign-up for this tool
Paper Shaders ditheringLive canvas in your app (code, no image download)Grain gradient shader2×2 to 8×8 dither cellsRandom, 2×2, 4×4, 8×8Animated, liveFree, Apache 2.0No, it's a code library

Each tool, in detail

What it is, what it's best at, and where it falls short. Listed alphabetically.

Dither (by Shpigford)

dither.neato.fun

An open-source vector ditherer: load an image or generate a gradient, then dither it into SVG shapes.

  • Best for a dithered gradient as SVG or CSS
Output
SVG grouped by colour, or PNG
Grain
No
Pixel
Square, circle or diamond cells
Dither
Bayer, halftone, lines, crosses, dots
Animation
No
Price
Free, MIT licence
Sign-up
No sign-up

Where it wins. Vector output for print and plotting, palettes from Game Boy to CGA, and an Illustrator plugin.

Watch out for. A small open-source project; no error-diffusion kernels.

Checked October 19, 2026 on dither.neato.fun, github.com/Shpigford/dither

Dither Boy

studioaaa.com

A paid desktop app for Mac and Windows from Studio AAA with 63 dither, pattern and glitch effects, video and a timeline.

  • Best for dithered animation and video
Output
PNG, JPG, SVG, MP4; vectors for print
Grain
Not stated
Pixel
Pattern effects
Dither
15 error-diffusion, 5 ordered, 8 pattern
Animation
Video with a timeline
Price
£49 once (was £60)
Sign-up
A purchase; no trial mentioned

Where it wins. The most complete dithering toolkit here, with video, palettes and print-ready vectors, for one payment.

Watch out for. Desktop only and paid, with no free version mentioned.

Checked October 19, 2026 on studioaaa.com/product/dither-boy

Dither it!

ditherit.com

Dithers images you upload, several at once, locally in the browser, with palettes and pixel scaling.

  • Best for dithering photos, free, with every algorithm
Output
PNG, JPEG or WebP (keeps the input type)
Grain
No
Pixel
Pixel scale control
Dither
Floyd–Steinberg, Atkinson, Bayer to 16×16, more
Animation
Accepts animated GIFs
Price
Free
Sign-up
No sign-up

Where it wins. The deepest free algorithm list (11 error-diffusion kernels, Bayer to 16×16, blue noise, Riemersma) and palette presets like Game Boy.

Watch out for. It dithers images; you bring the gradient. Maximum size and licence aren't stated.

Checked October 19, 2026 on ditherit.com

Gradients Studio

Ours

Makes the gradient and dithers it: a mesh gradient drawn as an ordered Bayer pattern of dots, bars, crosses or rings, a halftone, your own characters, or pixel cells, over real grain.

  • Best for a dithered gradient background in your palette, at 4K
Output
JPEG up to 4K (3840 wide, or 2160 tall for portrait and square)
Grain
Rendered into the export
Pixel
Pixel cells, blue-noise fade
Dither
Bayer marks, halftone, glyphs; 4K on Pro
Animation
MP4 loops, free up to 1080p; 4K on Pro
Price
Free (5 exports a month at 4K); Pro $39 for 12 months or $9 for 7 days, one payment
Sign-up
First download needs none (HD); 4K needs a free account

Where it wins. Designs the gradient and its dither together, in your palette, over real grain, at 4K in every common aspect ratio.

Watch out for. It doesn't dither your own photos, and has no error-diffusion (Floyd–Steinberg) mode. The first download keeps the finish in HD; 4K with a finish needs Pro.

Start from a look

Or from Claude Code and Cursor, with the MCP server.

graphic.so Dither Generator

graphic.so

Generates a dithered gradient itself, horizontal, vertical, radial or diagonal, in up to four colours.

  • Best for a dithered gradient as SVG or CSS
Output
SVG, PNG, CSS or code; 1920 × 1080 or custom
Grain
No
Pixel
Resolution 8–64 cells
Dither
Ordered, random, halftone
Animation
No
Price
Free
Sign-up
No sign-up, no watermark

Where it wins. A free dithered gradient as SVG or CSS, not just a bitmap.

Watch out for. Simple linear and radial ramps; its page copy mentions Floyd–Steinberg, but the tool offers ordered, random and halftone.

Checked October 19, 2026 on graphic.so/tools/dither-generator, graphic.so

InstantGradient Image Dithering

instantgradient.com

Dithers an uploaded image, or switches to Gradient mode to dither its own animated mesh gradient.

  • Best for dithered animation and video
Output
Image to 1080p free; 4K and native size (4096px) on a pass
Grain
Grain in the gradient editor
Pixel
Separate pixelate tool
Dither
Bayer 2×2 to 8×8, blue noise
Animation
Gradient mode: MP4 or code
Price
Free; $19 for a year or $29 lifetime
Sign-up
No sign-up, no watermark

Where it wins. Dithers both photos and an animated gradient, with duotone and palette modes, free at 1080p.

Watch out for. Ordered and blue-noise dithering only (no error diffusion); 4K needs a pass.

Checked October 19, 2026 on instantgradient.com/tools/image-dithering, instantgradient.com/pricing

Lospec Dither Pattern Generator

lospec.com

Makes pixel-art dither bands between two colours, for smooth skies and fades in pixel art.

  • Best for pixel-art skies and ramps
Output
PNG
Grain
No
Pixel
Pixel-art bands
Dither
Checkerboard and line patterns
Animation
No
Price
Free (Patreon-supported)
Sign-up
Login optional

Where it wins. Made for pixel artists: band height, shades and dithering levels for hand-drawn-looking ramps.

Watch out for. Pattern dithering only (no Bayer or error diffusion), and maximum size isn't stated.

Checked October 19, 2026 on lospec.com/dither-pattern-generator

MagicPattern Dither Generator

magicpattern.design

Dithers an uploaded JPG or PNG in six styles, from Bayer and halftone to ASCII; MagicPattern's shader editor also dithers gradients.

  • Best for ASCII and halftone styles on an image
Output
PNG or JPG
Grain
In its other tools
Pixel
Pixelation style
Dither
Bayer, halftone, Floyd–Steinberg, ASCII
Animation
Dithered video in the shader editor
Price
Free; suite from $15/mo
Sign-up
No sign-up for this tool

Where it wins. Six styles including ASCII and custom patterns, free, inside a suite with a Figma plugin.

Watch out for. Image-only (you bring the gradient); maximum size isn't stated.

Checked October 19, 2026 on magicpattern.design/tools/dither-generator, magicpattern.design/pricing

Paper Shaders dithering

shaders.paper.design

Open-source dithering and image-dithering shaders that animate live on your page, for React or plain JS.

  • Best for live dithering in your own site
Output
Live canvas in your app (code, no image download)
Grain
Grain gradient shader
Pixel
2×2 to 8×8 dither cells
Dither
Random, 2×2, 4×4, 8×8
Animation
Animated, live
Price
Free, Apache 2.0
Sign-up
No, it's a code library

Where it wins. An animated dither that runs on the page with no image to ship.

Watch out for. Needs code; two colours on the procedural shader.

Checked October 19, 2026 on shaders.paper.design/dithering, shaders.paper.design/image-dithering, github.com/paper-design/shaders

Dithered gradients from Gradients Studio

Ordered Bayer, halftone, glyphs and 1-bit, each exported at 4K. Each picture opens the generator that makes it.

How we compared

We started from what Google, Bing and AI answers show for “dither gradient generator” and “dithering tool” in October 2026, and kept the strongest of each kind: gradient makers, image ditherers, a code library and a desktop app.

For each, we read its own pages on the date above, and its shipped code where the copy didn't say (Dither it!'s algorithm list, graphic.so's modes). Where a page and its tool disagree, the card says so.

Prices and limits change. If something here is out of date, write to hello@gradients.studio and we'll fix it.

Questions

What is the best dither gradient generator?
To make a dithered gradient background in your own colours at 4K: Gradients Studio. For a free dithered gradient as SVG or CSS: graphic.so. For pixel-art ramps: Lospec's Dither Pattern Generator. To dither an image you already have: Dither it!
What's the difference between ordered dithering and error diffusion?
Ordered dithering (Bayer) compares each pixel with a repeating threshold grid, so it makes a regular, cross-hatched pattern that reads as texture; it's the classic look for gradients. Error diffusion (Floyd–Steinberg, Atkinson) passes each pixel's rounding error to its neighbours, which looks more organic and suits photos.
Can I dither a gradient for free?
Yes. graphic.so, Lospec and Shpigford's Dither generate dithered gradients for free; Dither it! and MagicPattern dither any image for free. Gradients Studio's first download needs no account and keeps the dither finish in HD; dither at 4K is part of Pro ($39 for 12 months).
Which dither tools export SVG?
graphic.so, Shpigford's Dither and Dither Boy export SVG. Gradients Studio, Dither it! and InstantGradient export raster images.

Make a dithered gradient

First download needs no account and keeps the dither. 5 free 4K exports a month for smooth gradients.

Open the studio