Animationssoftware und Motion-Tools für Deutschland (2026)
German teams tend to care about three things that rarely appear in English tool comparisons: a proper invoice with VAT, clear data processing terms, and whether the tool can be billed to the company without a personal card. Those are practical filters before the feature list even starts.
We make ExodeUI. The Professional plan costs $29 per month in US dollars; VAT and invoicing notes below apply to us too.
For design-led UI motion, Figma Motion is the lowest-friction choice because the design already lives there. For interactive product UI, ExodeUI or Rive produce a file that ships. After Effects remains the standard for motion graphics and video, and Cavalry is the modern procedural alternative for 2D. Check VAT and invoice handling before you subscribe, and prefer vendors that can issue a proper Rechnung with a VAT ID.
Quick picks by job
| If you need | Use |
|---|---|
| UI motion inside the design file | Figma Motion |
| Interactive UI that ships | ExodeUI |
| Characters, games and interactive graphics | Rive |
| Motion graphics and video | After Effects |
| Procedural 2D motion design | Cavalry |
How we compared them
- Whether the vendor can invoice a German company correctly
- Fit with a design team that works in Figma
- What the tool produces: code, video or a runtime file
Die 5 besten Animations-Tools für deutsche Teams
1. Figma Motion
Best for: UI-Animation direkt im Designfile
- Platforms
- In Figma
- Price
- Included with Figma seats during beta; check current availability
- Output
- MP4, GIF, SVG and WebM, plus CSS, JSON or React code
Figma Motion adds a timeline to the Figma canvas, so the design and the animation stay in one file. For German product teams already standardised on Figma, it avoids a second tool and a second invoice. It is still in beta, and developers still rebuild the motion unless they copy the generated code.
Pros and cons
- No additional tool to procure
- Springs and easing on real layers
- Copyable CSS, JSON or React code
- Beta status
- No runtime file or state machine
2. ExodeUI
Best for: Interaktive Produkt-UI, die ausgeliefert wird
- Platforms
- Browser und Desktop
- Price
- Free Community plan; Professional $29/month
- Output
- An open .exode file played by runtimes for web, iOS and Android
ExodeUI is the option when the motion belongs to the product rather than to a video. States, springs and inputs live in an open JSON file that runtimes play in React, Vue, Svelte and on mobile. For teams with a design system, the important part is that motion values can follow the same tokens as the rest of the interface.
Pros and cons
- States and physics in the file
- One file across web and mobile
- Open format that can be reviewed in a diff
- Requires a runtime dependency
- Not a video or 3D tool
3. Rive
Best for: Charaktere, Spiele und interaktive Grafiken
- Platforms
- Browser und Desktop
- Price
- Free plan; production exports need a paid plan
- Output
- .riv file played by Rive runtimes
Rive is the strongest tool for interactive vector graphics: state machines, bones, meshes and runtimes for web, mobile and game engines. German game studios and app teams use it for characters and complex controls. It is not a design canvas for product screens.
Pros and cons
- State machines and bones
- Runtimes for many platforms
- Good for games and mascots
- Paid plan for production exports
- Full rebuild of the design
4. After Effects
Best for: Motion Graphics, Compositing und Video
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS
- Price
- Creative Cloud subscription
- Output
- Rendered video; Lottie via plugins
After Effects is still the reference for motion graphics in agencies: effects, expressions, tracking, 3D layers and a large plugin market. It is a per-seat subscription and a separate invoice line, so smaller teams often pair it with one shared licence and free tools for the rest.
Pros and cons
- Deepest effects and compositing toolset
- Standard in agencies and post-production
- Large plugin ecosystem
- Subscription cost per seat
- Slow for small UI loops
5. Cavalry
Best for: Procedural 2D motion design
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS
- Price
- Free for individuals; paid plans for teams
- Output
- Rendered video; Lottie export
Cavalry brings procedural animation to 2D: duplicators and behaviours make charts, lists and repeated layouts fast to change. It is a good fit for German studios doing data-heavy brand work, and the free tier for individuals makes it easy to evaluate before procurement.
Pros and cons
- Procedural tools for repeated layouts
- Free for individual artists
- Lottie export
- 2D only
- Smaller talent pool than After Effects
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
Rechnungen, Umsatzsteuer und Beschaffung
Ask three questions before subscribing: can the vendor issue an invoice with your company name and VAT ID, is VAT charged at checkout or handled by reverse charge, and can the plan be paid by company card or bank transfer instead of a personal card. Tools that only accept a personal card create expense-reporting work for every seat.
Datenschutz und Zusammenarbeit
Design files often contain customer data in screenshots and prototypes. Check where files are stored, whether a data processing agreement is available, and whether the vendor supports EU data residency if that is required. These questions are easier to answer before a tool is part of the workflow than after.