Rive

Rive is a tool for creating 2D animations, motion graphics, and rigged characters. Its Editor is available as a desktop app, with command-line support for macOS, Linux, and Windows. Rive files can run natively on mobile, desktop, web, consoles, TVs, and vehicles. Listed integrations include Web, iOS, macOS, Android, Flutter, React, React Native, Unity, and Unreal. Export formats include RIV, REV, MP4, GIF, PNG sequence, and WebM. The Editor can be used for free to explore, learn, and build. The Free plan costs nothing and includes three collaborative files, one project, and a 10 MB imported-asset limit. Cadet costs $9 a month in the annual view, allows up to three seats, and includes unlimited files. Voyager costs $32 a month in the annual view, allows up to 25 seats, and includes an Agent with advanced models; Free and Cadet include an Agent with limits. Enterprise includes SSO, SOC2 Type II, dedicated support, a custom S3 bucket, and training.

Rive combines animation authoring with runtime support across a wide range of platforms and integrations. The Free plan has file and project limits, while paid plans set seat caps.

Rive suits people creating animated characters or motion graphics for apps, products, games, and other supported platforms. Its collaboration plans offer seat limits for teams of up to three or 25, depending on the plan.

Rive is a 2D animation editor for motion graphics and character rigging, with collaborative files and runtimes for bringing animations into products. It suits teams building interactive content across devices and platforms. Its broad runtime reach is a strong draw, but free users face tight project caps and paid plans limit seats.

Overview

Rive combines animation authoring with ways to ship content into apps, games and other products. The editor is available as a desktop app, with CLI support for macOS, Linux and Windows; open-source runtimes run Rive files natively on supported platforms. That makes it a more natural fit for product and game workflows than for animation intended only as a finished video.

The GPU-accelerated Rive Renderer is described as running at 120fps with perfect quality. Rive names Spotify, Duolingo, Disney, Google and Fortune 500 automakers among its customers, and says products built with Rive reach over 2 billion users worldwide. Those examples signal broad adoption, though they do not determine whether its plans fit a particular team.

Key features

• 2D animation and rigging: Tools cover motion graphics and character rigging, making Rive relevant to both interface motion and animated characters.
• Runtime reach: Content runs natively on mobile, desktop, web, consoles, TVs and vehicles. Listed integrations include Web, iOS, macOS, Android, Flutter, React, React Native, Unity and Unreal, giving teams multiple routes to incorporate Rive content.
• Collaboration: Free includes three collaborative files; Cadet and Voyager allow unlimited files. The paid file allowance is generous, but teams must still work within each plan’s seat cap.
• Agent: Free and Cadet include an Agent with limits, while Voyager includes advanced models. The feature is present at lower tiers, but the stronger model access is reserved for the more expensive plan.
• Exports: Supported formats are RIV, REV, MP4, GIF, PNG sequence and WebM, offering both Rive-native and common animation outputs.

Pricing

Rive is freemium. The displayed paid rates are billed annually; the entry tier is $9 a month.

Free is suitable for learning or a small project, but one project, three collaborative files and the 10 MB asset cap constrain ongoing production. Cadet removes the file ceiling at the lowest paid rate, though its three-seat maximum rules out larger teams. Voyager costs more but raises the cap to 25 seats and adds Libraries and advanced Agent models, making it the more capable collaboration tier. Enterprise addresses large organizations that need security, support or a custom runtime; its listed revenue threshold makes it a poor fit for smaller businesses. No separate trial term is given for Rive plans.

Platforms

The supported platform list spans Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web and Windows. Runtimes extend to consoles, TVs and vehicles, while the editor itself is a desktop app and CLI support covers macOS, Linux and Windows. This separation matters: Rive content can target more environments than the editor’s stated desktop and command-line availability.

Who it's for

Rive is best suited to designers and product teams creating 2D motion or rigged characters that need to run inside apps, games and other products. Its open-source runtimes and integrations are useful when animation must be incorporated into a broader development workflow. It is less compelling for a solo user who only needs a small number of finished exports, since the free tier’s project and asset limits are restrictive and the paid plans charge by seat.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Native runtimes and integrations span mobile, web, desktop and several development frameworks, making product deployment a core strength.
• Pro: Paid plans include unlimited files, while Voyager supports up to 25 seats and adds Libraries and advanced Agent models.
• Pro: Open-source runtimes and six export formats give teams options for running or outputting their work.
• Con: Free is limited to one project, three collaborative files and 10 MB of imported assets, which can quickly constrain production work.
• Con: Cadet stops at three seats and Voyager at 25, so larger teams need Enterprise.
• Con: Enterprise’s $10M+ annual revenue requirement excludes many organizations that might otherwise want its security and support features.

Alternatives

For free options, Effekseer is described as a free, open-source program and supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web and Windows. LibreSprite is also free and open source, with Android, Linux, macOS and Windows support. SkelForm is a free, open-source 2D skeletal animator for Linux, macOS, web and Windows. SpineBones is free for macOS and Windows, with a 300-frame timeline, playback up to 120 FPS, and WebM, PNG sequence and sprite sheet exports.

Live2D Cubism is another freemium option with a free trial and a month-by-month Cubism PRO for indie plan at $13.26 a month. Spriter offers a free version with PNG and spritesheet animation and basic animation features, alongside paid plans. Spritelove is a paid iOS option. Spine is paid, has a free trial, and its Essential plan is $99 a month at the non-sale price, with basic features and exports to every supported format.

Browse more options in 2D Game Animation Software, Game Animation Software or Animation Software.

Verdict

Choose Rive when you need to author 2D motion or rigged characters and deploy them through native runtimes and integrations across product platforms. Its combination of collaboration and broad runtime reach is the main reason to choose it. Look elsewhere if free-tier limits block your project, your team outgrows the paid seat caps, or you need a smaller-scale animation tool without Rive’s product-oriented workflow.