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Design · head to head

LottieFiles vs Procreate

LottieFiles logo

LottieFiles

Design

Authoring, hosting and delivery platform for Lottie vector animations

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Procreate logo

Procreate

Design

Digital illustration app made for iPad

From
$12.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only LottieFiles has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: LottieFiles lottie only renders the After Effects features the player libraries implement, so expressions, most effects, layer styles and merge paths behave inconsistently or fail outright, and you must test every animation on web, iOS and Android before shipping.; Procreate iPad-only application with no desktop version for Windows or macOS
  • They diverge on capability: LottieFiles covers Lottie Creator, Procreate covers Digital painting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LottieFiles and Procreate actually diverge.

Attributes where LottieFiles and Procreate differ
AttributeLottieFilesProcreate
Starting priceFree$12.99/one-time
Pricing modelPer user per monthUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidiPad
FoundedUnknown2010

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Design).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in LottieFiles

  • Lottie Creator
  • After Effects plugin
  • Figma plugin
  • dotLottie
  • Hosted delivery
  • Player SDKs

Only in Procreate

  • Digital painting
  • Brush library
  • Layer management
  • Selection tools
  • Time-lapse recording
  • Apple Pencil
  • iPad Pro
  • Cloud services

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

LottieFiles

  • Replacing a heavy GIF or MP4 loading state with a vector animation that costs a few kilobytesnot Procreate
  • Shipping the identical animated brand asset to a website, an iOS app and an Android app from one source filenot Procreate
  • Handing motion work from a designer to engineers without exporting frames or writing animation codenot Procreate
  • Auditing and version-controlling a library of micro-interactions across a design systemnot Procreate

Procreate

  • Digital illustrationnot LottieFiles
  • Concept artnot LottieFiles
  • Character designnot LottieFiles
  • Educational artnot LottieFiles
  • Hobby drawingnot LottieFiles

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

LottieFiles

  • Lottie only renders the After Effects features the player libraries implement, so expressions, most effects, layer styles and merge paths behave inconsistently or fail outright, and you must test every animation on web, iOS and Android before shipping.
  • Runtime cost scales with path and keyframe count, so a detailed illustration animated at 60fps can consume more CPU on a low-end Android handset than the video it was meant to replace.
  • The free plan caps private files and collaborators, so once a team standardises on the platform for handoff the seat count grows with reviewers and stakeholders, not just with animators.
  • Using the hosted CDN puts a third-party request in your page or app load path; self-hosting removes that dependency but also removes the versioning and analytics that justified the subscription.
  • The browser editor still does not replace After Effects for character work or complex effects, so most studios keep an Adobe subscription running alongside it and pay for both.

Procreate

  • iPad-only application with no desktop version for Windows or macOS
  • Requires Apple hardware investment (iPad and Apple Pencil)
  • Cannot export to cloud storage natively, limiting cross-device workflows
  • High upfront cost when accounting for required iPad hardware

Pricing, plan by plan

LottieFiles

Free
  • Free$undefined/month
    • Public and limited private files
    • Basic editor access
    • Open-source players and SDKs
  • Pro$undefined/month
    • Private workspaces
    • Version history
    • Team review and handoff
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • SSO
    • Admin controls
    • Volume seat management

Procreate

$12.99/one-time
  • Procreate$12.99/one-time
    • 200+ brushes
    • Unlimited layers
    • Advanced blending modes
  • Procreate Pocket$5.99/one-time
    • iPhone version
    • Touch-optimized interface
  • Procreate Dreams$19.99/one-time
    • Animation tool
    • Frame-by-frame animation

Which should you pick?

Choose LottieFiles if

  • You need lottie creator.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
  • You also want after effects plugin.
LottieFiles review

Choose Procreate if

  • You need digital painting.
  • You work on iPad.
  • You also want brush library.
Procreate review

Questions people ask

Is LottieFiles or Procreate better?
Neither clearly leads. LottieFiles starts at Free and Procreate at $12.99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LottieFiles or Procreate?
LottieFiles has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for LottieFiles and $12.99/one-time for Procreate.
Does LottieFiles or Procreate run on more platforms?
LottieFiles runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. Procreate runs on iPad.
Can I use LottieFiles for free?
Yes. LottieFiles has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Procreate starts at $12.99/one-time.
What is LottieFiles best used for?
LottieFiles is most often used for replacing a heavy gif or mp4 loading state with a vector animation that costs a few kilobytes, shipping the identical animated brand asset to a website, an ios app and an android app from one source file, handing motion work from a designer to engineers without exporting frames or writing animation code, auditing and version-controlling a library of micro-interactions across a design system. Of those, replacing a heavy gif or mp4 loading state with a vector animation that costs a few kilobytes and shipping the identical animated brand asset to a website, an ios app and an android app from one source file are not what Procreate is typically brought in for.
What can LottieFiles do that Procreate cannot?
LottieFiles covers Lottie Creator, After Effects plugin, Figma plugin, dotLottie. Procreate covers Digital painting, Brush library, Layer management, Selection tools.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

LottieFiles: Do I need After Effects to produce Lottie files?

No. Lottie Creator and the Figma plugin both output Lottie directly. Character animation and anything using complex effects still goes through After Effects.

Procreate: Does Procreate work on desktop or only iPad?

Procreate is iPad-only. There is no desktop version for Windows or macOS, requiring users to purchase iPad hardware and Apple Pencil for use.

Source
LottieFiles: Is the format proprietary?

No. The Lottie JSON schema and the player libraries are open source under permissive licences and dotLottie is an open container, so files keep working after you stop paying.

Procreate: What companion apps are available for Procreate?

Procreate Pocket is an iPhone version at $5.99, and Procreate Dreams is an animation tool at $19.99, both one-time purchases.

Source
LottieFiles: Why does the same file look different on Android?

Each platform ships its own renderer with its own level of feature support. Test the exact file on every target rather than trusting the After Effects preview.

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