Software · head to head
Paymo vs Rive
The short version
- Only Rive has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Paymo every advertised price rises after 3 months, with Plus going from $10.90 to $15.90 per user and Pro from $16.90 to $23.90; Rive limited ecosystem of plugins and third-party templates compared to established tools like After Effects
- They diverge on capability: Paymo covers Task management, Rive covers Vector animation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Paymo and Rive actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Paymo
- Task management
- Time tracking
- Invoicing
- Gantt charts
- Resource scheduling
- Slack
- Google Workspace
- Zapier
Only in Rive
- Vector animation
- State machines
- Skeletal animation
- Code export
- Real-time preview
- Flutter
- React
- iOS SDK
Both cover
- SSL encryption
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Paymo
- Project management with time tracking and invoicing for agenciesnot Rive
- Tracking billable hours and project profitabilitynot Rive
Rive
- UI animationsnot Paymo
- Interactive graphicsnot Paymo
- Game animationsnot Paymo
- Micro-interactionsnot Paymo
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Paymo
- Every advertised price rises after 3 months, with Plus going from $10.90 to $15.90 per user and Pro from $16.90 to $23.90
- The free plan allows 1 user, 1 client and 2 projects
- The Solo plan is still capped at 3 clients and 5 projects
- Gantt charts, task dependencies and scheduling require the Plus plan
- Integrations are excluded from both the free and Solo plans
Rive
- Limited ecosystem of plugins and third-party templates compared to established tools like After Effects
- Not ideal for simple looping animations or static graphics that do not require interactivity
- Production use can expose bugs and rough edges in the editor and runtime
- No support for 3D animations; limited to 2D vector-based graphics
Pricing, plan by plan
Paymo
On request- FreeFree
- 1 user
- Basic features
- Starter$4.95/month
- Time tracking
- Kanban
- Invoicing
Rive
Free- FreeFree
- Design and animate
- Team collaboration
- Cannot export or ship
- Cadet$9/month
- Export and ship animations
- Up to 1 team member seat
- Voyager$32/month
- Multiple team member seats
- Advanced features
- Priority support
- Enterprise$120/month
- Custom solutions
- Dedicated support
Which should you pick?
Choose Paymo if
- You need task management.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
- You also want time tracking.
Choose Rive if
- You need vector animation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Game engines.
- You also want state machines.
Questions people ask
- Is Paymo or Rive better?
- Neither clearly leads. Paymo starts at On request and Rive at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Paymo or Rive?
- Rive has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Paymo and Free for Rive.
- Does Paymo or Rive run on more platforms?
- Paymo runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop. Rive runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Game engines.
- Can I use Rive for free?
- Yes. Rive has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paymo starts at On request.
- What is Paymo best used for?
- Paymo is most often used for project management with time tracking and invoicing for agencies, tracking billable hours and project profitability. Of those, project management with time tracking and invoicing for agencies and tracking billable hours and project profitability are not what Rive is typically brought in for.
- What can Paymo do that Rive cannot?
- Paymo covers Task management, Time tracking, Invoicing, Gantt charts. Rive covers Vector animation, State machines, Skeletal animation, Code export. Both handle SSL encryption, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Rive: Does Rive replace Adobe After Effects?
No. After Effects creates video files ideal for broadcast, explainers, and YouTube content. Rive creates interactive runtime files that respond to user input in real-time. Use After Effects for video production and Rive for app UI, micro-interactions, and responsive animations in web and mobile products.
SourceRive: What platforms can I export Rive animations to?
Rive exports to Web, iOS, Android, macOS, and game engines (Unity, Unreal, Defold). It also integrates with frameworks like React, React Native, Flutter, and no-code builders like Framer, Webflow, and Wix Studio.
SourceRive: Is Rive free to use?
Yes, Rive offers a free plan that allows you to design, animate, and collaborate for free. Paid plans (Cadet $9/mo, Voyager $32/mo, Enterprise $120/mo) are required to export animations and ship them to production environments.
SourceRive: Does Rive work with React, Vue, and other web frameworks?
Yes. Rive provides official runtimes and libraries for React, React Native, and Flutter. The Rive Renderer is GPU-accelerated and runs at 120fps with MIT-licensed runtimes you can contribute to and modify.
SourceRive: Can I create 3D animations with Rive?
Rive is a 2D vector animation tool focused on interactive vector graphics. For 3D design and animation, consider Spline or Blender. Rive excels at UI animations, micro-interactions, and responsive 2D graphics.
SourceRelated pages
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