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Rive vs Toon Boom Harmony

Rive logo

Rive

Software

Create interactive animations for any platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Toon Boom Harmony logo

Toon Boom Harmony

Software

Creating worlds of Animation

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Rive has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Rive limited ecosystem of plugins and third-party templates compared to established tools like After Effects; Toon Boom Harmony licensing is subscription only across Essentials, Advanced and Premium tiers, with no perpetual license option offered on the pricing page

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Rive and Toon Boom Harmony actually diverge.

Attributes where Rive and Toon Boom Harmony differ
AttributeRiveToon Boom Harmony
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Game enginesWeb
Founded2019Unknown

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 Rive

  • Vector animation
  • State machines
  • Skeletal animation
  • Code export
  • Real-time preview
  • Flutter
  • React
  • iOS SDK

Only in Toon Boom Harmony

Nothing recorded that Rive does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Rive

  • UI animationsnot Toon Boom Harmony
  • Interactive graphicsnot Toon Boom Harmony
  • Game animationsnot Toon Boom Harmony
  • Micro-interactionsnot Toon Boom Harmony

Toon Boom Harmony

No use cases recorded yet. See the Toon Boom Harmony review.

Where each one falls short

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

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

Toon Boom Harmony

  • Licensing is subscription only across Essentials, Advanced and Premium tiers, with no perpetual license option offered on the pricing page
  • Access beyond the 14 day free trial requires purchasing a subscription through the shop

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Toon Boom Harmony

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Toon Boom Harmony review.

Which should you pick?

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.
Rive review

Choose Toon Boom Harmony if

Nothing in the data separates Toon Boom Harmony from Rive on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Toon Boom Harmony review

Questions people ask

Is Rive or Toon Boom Harmony better?
Neither clearly leads. Rive starts at Free and Toon Boom Harmony at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Rive or Toon Boom Harmony?
Rive has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Rive and On request for Toon Boom Harmony.
Does Rive or Toon Boom Harmony run on more platforms?
Rive runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Game engines. Toon Boom Harmony runs on Web.
Can I use Rive for free?
Yes. Rive has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Toon Boom Harmony starts at On request.
What is Rive best used for?
Rive is most often used for ui animations, interactive graphics, game animations, micro-interactions. Of those, ui animations and interactive graphics are not what Toon Boom Harmony is typically brought in for.
What can Rive do that Toon Boom Harmony cannot?
Rive covers Vector animation, State machines, Skeletal animation, Code export.

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.

Source
Rive: 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.

Source
Rive: 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.

Source
Rive: 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.

Source
Rive: 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.

Source
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