Best Animation Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Rive is ranked #1 of 108 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Houdini and Blender. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Houdini. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Rokoko Studio at $0.83/mo.
Animation projects can call for 2D tools, 3D modeling, character rigging, or motion graphics. Compare those capabilities with cloud collaboration, export formats, and supported platforms to see which options fit your intended workflow. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing provide additional points of comparison for access and cost. The ranking begins with Houdini, Rive, and Blender, followed by Live2D Cubism and Tahoma2D. Consider the kind of animation you want to create and weigh the features listed for each tool against that work.
108 animation software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 Rive Top pick · 9.4 Free plan · $9/mo
#2 Houdini Runner-up · 9.3 Free plan · $7.92/mo
#3 Blender Also great · 9.2 Free plan · Free
- Free plan AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- Free
- 2D animation tools
- Yes
- Character rigging
- Yes
- Motion graphics
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$9/mofirst paid tier About RiveVisit site - Free plan WindowsmacOSLinux
- Free plan
- Yes
- 3D modeling
- Yes
- Character rigging
- Yes
- Motion graphics
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$7.92/mofirst paid tier About HoudiniVisit site - Free planOpen source LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- 2D animation tools
- Yes
- 3D modeling
- Yes
- Character rigging
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- 2D animation tools
- Yes
- 3D modeling
- No
- Character rigging
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan AndroidextensioniOSWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- $15/mo
- 2D animation tools
- Yes
- Motion graphics
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$8/mofirst paid tier About PowtoonVisit site - Free planFree trial iOSLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- $8/mo
- Character rigging
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$19/mofirst paid tier About CascadeurVisit site - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- 2D animation tools
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial AndroidiOSmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- $13.26/mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$5.65/mofirst paid tier About Live2D CubismVisit site - Free planFree trial AndroidapiiOSWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- $15/mo
- 2D animation tools
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Windows
- Free plan
- Yes
- 2D animation tools
- No
- 3D modeling
- No
- Character rigging
- Yes
- Motion graphics
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free planFree trial macOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$0.83/mofirst paid tier About Rokoko StudioVisit site - Free plan AndroidLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- 2D animation tools
- Yes
- 3D modeling
- No
- Character rigging
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$6.75/mofirst paid tier About Toon Boom HarmonyVisit site - Free trial LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- 2D animation tools
- Yes
- Character rigging
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$70.83/mofirst paid tier About SpineVisit site - Free planFree trial Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- $18/mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$1.50/mofirst paid tier About Plask MotionVisit site - Free plan apiWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- 2D animation tools
- Yes
- Character rigging
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Web
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan AndroidiOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan AndroidiOSmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- 2D animation tools
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- 2D animation tools
- Yes
- 3D modeling
- No
- Character rigging
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- 2D animation tools
- Yes
- Character rigging
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan macOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- 2D animation tools
- Yes
- Character rigging
- Yes
- Motion graphics
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$5/mofirst paid tier About CallipegVisit site
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which animation software is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
Rive is ranked #1 of 108 with a score of 9.4. Houdini is second and Blender third.
How many of these have a free plan?
18 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Rokoko Studio has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.83/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.