Dither Boy is a dedicated desktop app for dithering. Bitgrain puts dither next to halftone, riso, a design studio and a video timeline, with nothing to install.
Dither Boy is a well made, focused tool, and plenty of artists love it. People usually look for an alternative for one of three reasons: they are on a machine where they cannot install software, they want to try dithering before buying anything, or they want to lay the result out on a poster or cover without switching apps.
| Capability | Bitgrain | Dither Boy |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | In the browser, on any computer | Desktop app you install |
| Focus | Photo effects, layout studio and video | Dithering and related effects |
| Dither algorithms | Floyd-Steinberg, Atkinson, Sierra, Stucki, Burkes, JJN, Bayer and blue noise | A large, dedicated set |
| Layout for posters and covers | Built in studio with templates | Export to another app |
| Generative AI | None | None, it is also a no AI tool |
| Video | Timeline editor with effects on clips | Supports video and animation |
If dithering is your whole practice and you want the deepest set of dither controls on your own machine, Dither Boy is the specialist. Use Bitgrain when dither is one step in a bigger piece, like a cover, a poster or a music video, or when you cannot install software.
You can use every dither algorithm on the free tier. Exports are at web resolution with a small watermark. Pro removes the watermark and exports at full resolution.
No. Bitgrain runs in your browser, and every effect is processed on your own device. Your images are not uploaded for processing.
Yes. The video editor lets you add effects to clips on a timeline, including dither, and export MP4. 4K export is on Pro.
No. Bitgrain has its own presets and recipes. Most looks are quick to rebuild, since the classic algorithms behave the same way everywhere.