How to Animate a Figma Design in 2026 (5 Ways)
You have a Figma design and you want it to move. The right method depends entirely on where the animation has to end up: a prototype for review, a video for a launch, a Lottie file for a developer, or a component that ships. Pick the destination first and the workflow becomes obvious.
We make ExodeUI, which is one of the five workflows here. If you need a quick video or a prototype for review, Jitter and Figma Motion are faster and we say so.
For motion inside the design file, use Figma Motion: animate the frames directly and export video or copy code. For a quick clip without learning Figma s timeline, import the frame into Jitter. For a fixed animation a developer will ship, export Lottie from After Effects. For interactive graphics with state machines, rebuild the design in Rive. For product UI that ships and reacts to data, use ExodeUI, which imports the Figma design and produces a runtime file.
Quick picks by job
| If you need | Use |
|---|---|
| Animating inside Figma | Figma Motion |
| A quick video or social clip | Jitter |
| A Lottie file for developers | After Effects and Lottie |
| Interactive vector graphics | Rive |
| UI that ships and reacts to data | ExodeUI |
How we compared them
- What the animation has to become: video, prototype, Lottie or a shipped component
- How much of the original design survives the transfer
- The time it takes a designer who already knows Figma
The 5 ways to animate a Figma design
1. Figma Motion
Best for: Animating the design where it already lives
- Platforms
- Inside Figma
- Price
- Included with Figma seats during beta; check current availability
- Output
- MP4, GIF, SVG and WebM, plus CSS, JSON or React code from Dev Mode
Figma Motion adds a timeline to the canvas. You keyframe the real layers, use easing or springs, and preview without exporting anything. It is the least disruptive way to animate a design, and it is still a design deliverable: a developer rebuilds the motion unless they copy the generated code.
Pros and cons
- No import or export step
- Springs and easing on the real layers
- Copyable CSS, JSON or React code
- Beta, so behaviour may change
- No state machine or runtime file
2. Jitter
Best for: A finished clip in under an hour
- Platforms
- Browser
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans for teams and higher-quality exports
- Output
- Video, GIF and Lottie on supported plans
Jitter imports Figma frames and gives you a simple timeline with presets. It is the fastest path to a video for a launch post or a product page, and the least intimidating if you have never animated before. It is not the tool for interactive UI.
Pros and cons
- Imports Figma frames directly
- Very quick to learn
- No install
- Output is video, not a component
- Limited for long sequences
3. After Effects and Lottie
Best for: A polished animation a developer will play with a Lottie player
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS
- Price
- Creative Cloud subscription; Lottie plugins are separate
- Output
- Rendered video and Lottie JSON via plugins
The classic workflow is still common: rebuild the design in After Effects, animate with full control, export Lottie with a plugin, and let the app play it. It produces high-quality motion, but it is a rebuild, and Lottie is playback only, so hover and data-driven states still need app code.
Pros and cons
- The deepest motion toolset
- Mature Lottie export workflow
- Designers can work visually
- The design is rebuilt by hand
- Lottie cannot react on its own
4. Rive
Best for: Interactive graphics, characters and game-style UI
- Platforms
- Browser and desktop
- Price
- Free plan; production exports need a paid plan
- Output
- .riv file played by Rive runtimes
Rive is a rebuild too, but the result is interactive: state machines, inputs and events inside the file, played by a runtime. For a mascot, an illustrated control or game UI, it is the best answer. For a standard product screen, it is a lot of work for something a UI-focused tool handles better.
Pros and cons
- State machines and interactive inputs
- Strong vector and character tools
- Runs on web, mobile and game engines
- Full rebuild of the design
- Steeper learning curve
5. ExodeUI
Best for: Product UI that ships with real states and data
- Platforms
- Browser and desktop
- Price
- Free Community plan; Professional $29/month
- Output
- An open .exode file played by runtimes for web, iOS, Android and more
ExodeUI imports from Figma and keeps layout, then adds states, springs and inputs. The file runs in the app, so the motion is not rebuilt after approval. It suits the case where the animation is part of the product rather than a video about the product.
Pros and cons
- Figma import as a starting point
- States and physics instead of one timeline
- One file for web and mobile
- Not a video or prototype tool
- Requires a runtime in the app
You have read the list. The one we make is one click away.
Free Community plan. One open .exode file that runs in React, Vue, Svelte, Angular, Solid, React Native, SwiftUI and Flutter.
Also worth a look
Prepare the Figma file before you animate
Name the layers you will animate, group what moves together, and replace detached copies with components. Animation exposes structure: a layer called Rectangle 47 will cost you time on every keyframe. If the file is messy, spend ten minutes tidying before you start, not after.
Match the method to the output
Video for a launch, prototype for a review, Lottie for a fixed playback animation, runtime file for a component that ships. Choosing the output first avoids the common mistake of building a beautiful timeline that cannot become the thing the team needs.