Tactix vs Microsoft Paint
Purpose-built tactical animation versus improvised diagram sketching
There's a coach somewhere right now using Microsoft Paint to draw tactics. We know this because the screenshots end up on Reddit and everyone does the polite thing and says "nice idea" while quietly knowing the left back has no idea what that arrow means. Paint works. It's free, it's on every Windows machine, it requires zero setup. If you need to put a circle on a field and draw a line, it does that. The problem is that football isn't a circle on a field. It's eleven people moving simultaneously, at different speeds, in different directions, with timing that changes everything. You can't draw timing. You can only animate it.
Microsoft Paint Strengths
Paint is free and universal. That's genuinely hard to beat. No account, no installation, works offline, no subscription, available on every Windows machine since 1985. For a coach who creates diagrams a few times a year and just needs a quick positional sketch, the case for switching is weak and we'll admit that.
Where Tactix Excels
For anyone creating tactics more than occasionally, the equation flips quickly. Formation templates load 22 players with correct spacing in seconds. Drawing a path takes as long as it takes to drag your mouse. The animation plays back at 60fps. Export to video, share a link, done. Total time: five minutes. Same sequence in Paint: a static image your players will interpret however they want — and then confirm they understood it by doing something completely different on Saturday.
Verdict
If you draw tactics once a quarter and just need a shape, keep using Paint. If you're doing this regularly — even at grassroots level — five minutes with Tactix's free tier produces something your players can actually follow. There's no cost argument for staying in Paint once you've tried the alternative, because the alternative is also free.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Microsoft Paint | Tactix |
|---|---|---|
| Animation playback | ✗ | ✓ |
| Link sharing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video export | ✗ | ✓ |
| Formation presets | ✗ | ✓ |
| Team collaboration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Free to use | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learning curve | none | none |
| Time to create | 10 min | 5 min |
Pricing Comparison
Microsoft Paint
Free (bundled with Windows)
Tactix
Free forever
Pro from $50/mo for 4K + no watermark
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tactix cost anything?
The free tier is genuinely free — unlimited tactics, shareable links, watermarked video exports. No account required to start. Pro ($50/month) removes watermarks and unlocks 4K exports. If you're coming from Paint, the free tier alone is a significant step up.
I'm not technical. Will I be able to figure Tactix out?
It takes about five minutes. Select a formation, drag players into position, draw their movement paths, hit play. If you can use Paint, you can use Tactix.
Can I use Tactix on Mac? Paint is Windows-only.
Tactix runs in any browser — Mac, Windows, Linux, tablet. Nothing to install. Open it and start.
What's actually wrong with static diagrams?
Nothing, for simple things. If you're showing a formation shape, a static image is fine. The problem is when you need to show timing — when does the midfielder press? How does the full-back overlap? When does the striker check away? Those are questions a static image can't answer. Animation can.
Five minutes. No account needed.
Open the canvas, pick a formation, draw a path, hit play. You'll have something worth sharing before you finish this sentence.