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EnglishWhich Subchrist Software CharPad and SpritePad Version Should You Choose?
Updated
Pick the twin-pack if you work on Commodore 64 graphics and need both tile-map and sprite editing: CharPad C64 Pro + SpritePad C64 Pro is listed at $20, while buying the two tools separately costs $15 each. Buy a single Pro tool only if you need just one of those two jobs, choose CharPad C16 Pro ($15) only if your target is the Commodore 16 or Plus/4, and stay on the free CharPad C64 (old version) or CharPad Glaze C64 if you don't need the current Pro feature set.
The paid options at a glance
| Product | Price | Platform | What it edits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CharPad C64 Pro + SpritePad C64 Pro | $20 | Commodore 64 | Character graphics and sprites (twin-pack) |
| CharPad C64 Pro | $15 | Commodore 64 | Character graphics |
| SpritePad C64 Pro | $15 | Commodore 64 | Sprites |
| CharPad C16 Pro | $15 | Commodore 16 / Plus/4 | Character graphics |
All four are Windows desktop tools. Prices are as listed on the Subchrist Software itch.io page.
Twin-pack vs. buying separately
The two C64 Pro tools are sold both ways:
- Twin-pack: $20 for CharPad C64 Pro and SpritePad C64 Pro together.
- Separately: $15 + $15 = $30 for the same two tools.
If you expect to need both — designing tile maps and sprite images/animations for the same C64 project — the twin-pack is the cheaper route by $10. Buy individually only when you genuinely need one tool and not the other.
Which platform are you targeting?
This is the deciding question, because the Pro tools split by machine:
- Commodore 64: CharPad C64 Pro (character graphics) and SpritePad C64 Pro (sprites).
- Commodore 16 / Commodore Plus/4: CharPad C16 Pro, described as an advanced tile-map editor for those machines.
CharPad C16 Pro is not a C64 tool, and the C64 Pro tools are not for the C16/Plus/4. Match the tool to the computer you're developing for before comparing prices.
Free vs. Pro
Subchrist Software lists two free Windows tools alongside the paid ones:
- CharPad C64 (old version, free) — a Commodore 64 character graphics editor. It is explicitly labelled an old version, so treat it as a way to try the workflow or work on existing projects rather than as the current release.
- CharPad Glaze C64 (free) — a Commodore 64 parallax effects builder/viewer. This is a different job from tile-map or sprite editing, so it isn't a substitute for the Pro editors; it's a companion for parallax effects.
The page does not spell out a feature-by-feature diff between the free old CharPad C64 and CharPad C64 Pro, so if a specific Pro feature matters to you, verify it against the tool's own page before buying rather than assuming the free version covers it.
A quick way to decide
- Targeting C64 and need maps + sprites? Take the $20 twin-pack.
- Targeting C64 and need only maps or only sprites? Buy the single $15 Pro tool you need.
- Targeting C16 or Plus/4? CharPad C16 Pro ($15).
- Just exploring, or need parallax effects? Start with the free CharPad C64 (old version) or CharPad Glaze C64.
Background worth knowing
Subchrist Software was founded in 2001 and has focused on retro-gaming development tools, largely for the Commodore 64. Its first project, Final TAP, handled digital remastering of software transferred from cassette tapes and supported efforts to preserve classic game tapes from magnetic degradation. SpritePad and CharPad followed as Windows desktop tools for designing sprite images, animations, and game maps, and the page notes they have been refined for over a decade and are widely regarded among retro-gaming developers. That history is context for why the C64 tools are the mature, central products and the C16 Pro release is the newer addition.