Best Free 2D Character Animation Software in 2026
You can animate 2D characters professionally without paying for software. The free tools split into two groups: rigged (cut-out) animation, where you build a skeleton and pose it, and frame-by-frame animation, where you draw each pose. Pick the group first, then the tool.
We make ExodeUI, which is on this list because its free plan includes bones and IK for characters in apps. All other tools are made by other people or companies.
The best free 2D character animation software is Blender with Grease Pencil, which combines drawing with full armatures and IK. OpenToonz is the best free studio-style tool for cut-out and traditional animation, and Synfig is a free vector tool with a bone system. Krita is best for free frame-by-frame drawing. Duik is free if you already have After Effects, and Rive's free plan suits interactive characters for apps.
Quick picks by job
| If you need | Use |
|---|---|
| Best overall, with bones and IK | Blender Grease Pencil |
| Studio-style cut-out and traditional | OpenToonz |
| Vector animation with bones | Synfig Studio |
| Frame-by-frame drawing | Krita |
| Rigging inside After Effects | Duik |
| Interactive characters for apps | Rive (free plan) |
| Rigged UI mascots with open JSON files | ExodeUI (free plan) |
Side-by-side comparison
| Tool | Bones / IK | Truly free? | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blender Grease Pencil | Armatures with IK constraint | Yes, open source | Win, Mac, Linux |
| OpenToonz | Skeleton tool with IK mode | Yes, open source | Win, Mac, Linux |
| Synfig Studio | Bone system | Yes, GPL v3 | Win, Mac, Linux |
| Krita | No bones (frame-by-frame) | Yes, open source | Win, Mac, Linux |
| Duik | Bones and IK | Free, but needs After Effects | Win, Mac |
| Rive | Bones and IK constraint | Free plan; exports show a splash screen | Browser, desktop |
| ExodeUI | Bones, weights and IK constraint | Free Community plan | Browser, desktop |
How we compared them
- Free to use without a time limit or watermark on your animation
- Bone and IK support, or strong frame-by-frame tools
- Active project with current documentation
- Runs on common operating systems
The 7 best free 2D character animation tools
1. Blender (Grease Pencil)
Best for: Animators who want drawing and rigging in one free tool
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Price
- Free and open source
- Output
- Rendered video and image sequences
Grease Pencil lets you draw in Blender and bind drawings to armatures, with Blender's IK constraint for limbs. You can mix rigged parts with hand-drawn frames and add 3D cameras. It is the most capable free option, with the steepest learning curve.
Pros and cons
- Armatures, IK and drivers
- Draw and rig in one place
- Huge community and free courses
- Complex interface
- Rigging concepts come from 3D
- Needs a decent computer
2. OpenToonz
Best for: Studio-style cut-out and traditional animation
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Price
- Free and open source
- Output
- Rendered video
OpenToonz is based on software used in professional studios. Its Skeleton tool builds a hierarchy and animates it in FK or Inverse Kinematics mode, and it has strong tools for traditional drawn animation and effects.
Pros and cons
- Skeleton tool with IK mode
- Professional pipeline features
- Good for traditional animation too
- Dated interface
- Fewer beginner tutorials
- Can feel unstable on some systems
3. Synfig Studio
Best for: Vector cut-out animation with bones
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Price
- Free and open source (GPL v3)
- Output
- Rendered video and image sequences
Synfig is a vector animation tool with automatic in-betweening and a full bone system, including a Skeleton Distortion layer for deforming bitmap artwork. It suits cut-out characters with clean vector art.
Pros and cons
- Free under GPL v3
- Bones for vector and bitmap art
- Automatic tweening
- Interface feels technical
- Slower rendering on complex scenes
- Smaller community
4. Krita
Best for: Frame-by-frame character animation
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Price
- Free and open source
- Output
- Rendered video and image sequences
Krita is a painting app with an animation timeline and onion skinning. It has no bone system, so it is for drawn animation, not rigs. For artists who like to draw every pose, it is excellent and free.
Pros and cons
- Excellent brushes
- Simple timeline and onion skin
- Free and open source
- No bones or IK
- Not for long productions
- Limited compositing
5. Duik (for After Effects)
Best for: After Effects users who need character rigs
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS
- Price
- Free and open source; needs a paid After Effects subscription
- Output
- Rendered video
Duik adds bones, IK and animation automations to After Effects. The plug-in is free, but After Effects is not, so it is only "free" if you already pay for Adobe.
Pros and cons
- Free and open source
- IK, walk cycles and automations
- Industry standard for After Effects rigging
- Requires After Effects
- Expression-heavy rigs can be slow
- Video only
6. Rive (free plan)
Best for: Interactive characters for apps and websites
- Platforms
- Browser, desktop
- Price
- Free plan; exports show a Rive splash screen; paid from $9 per seat per month
- Output
- .riv files for app and web runtimes
Rive has bones and an IK constraint, plus state machines so characters react to input. The free plan is enough to learn; Rive's pricing page says free exports play a Rive splash screen, so client work usually needs a paid seat.
Pros and cons
- Bones, IK and meshes
- Characters react at runtime
- Runs in the browser
- Splash screen on free exports
- Not for long video
- State machines take practice
7. ExodeUI (free plan)
Best for: Rigged mascots and characters inside app and web UI
- Platforms
- Browser, desktop
- Price
- Free Community plan; Professional $5/month billed yearly
- Output
- Open .exode JSON file for app and web runtimes
ExodeUI has bones, weight painting, mesh skinning and an IK constraint, plus walk, run and breathing presets. Rigs work with state machines and spring physics so characters react to app state. We make ExodeUI.
Pros and cons
- Bones, weights and IK on the free plan
- Characters react at runtime
- Open JSON format
- Newer, with fewer rigging tutorials
- Not for long video
- Test bone playback on your target runtime
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
Rigged or frame-by-frame?
Rigged (cut-out) animation builds a character from parts on a skeleton. It is faster for long series and easy to reuse, and IK keeps feet planted. Frame-by-frame animation is drawn pose by pose; it is slower but more expressive. Blender, OpenToonz and Synfig do rigs; Krita does drawn animation; Blender and OpenToonz do both.