Objective Comparison
Lottie State Machines vs Rive
Lottie state machines vs Rive: dotLottie now adds states, inputs and events on top of Lottie playback, while Rive builds interactivity into its own editor and runtime. What each can do and when to pick it.
Updated October 2026
The Fundamental Architectural Difference
Lottie is no longer playback only. The .lottie (dotLottie) format adds state machines: states that play parts of a timeline, transitions with conditions, inputs and events your app sends, built visually in Lottie Creator and supported by every official dotLottie player. Rive goes further inside one editor, with state machine layers, data binding, scripting, bones and layouts. Pick dotLottie if you already have Lottie animations and need hover, click or multi-step states. Pick Rive if the interaction is the core of the design.
Side-by-Side Matrix
Feature & Capability Breakdown
| Dimension | Lottie (dotLottie) | Rive | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| How states work | Playback states: play, loop or hold a segment of the timeline | State machine layers that mix and blend animations | Rive |
| Inputs and events | Boolean, numeric, string and event inputs; events posted from app code; click and hover interactions | Inputs, events and data binding to view models | Rive |
| Logic | Transitions with guard conditions and actions | Conditions, data binding and Luau scripting | Rive |
| Where you build it | Lottie Creator (web), or JSON in the .lottie manifest | The Rive editor (browser and desktop) | Tie |
| Existing animations | Adds states to Lottie files you already have, including After Effects exports | Animations are made in Rive | Lottie (dotLottie) |
| Players | React, JavaScript, Vue, Svelte, Web Component, React Native, Flutter, iOS, Android, C/C++ (MIT) | Web, React, React Native, iOS, Android, Flutter, C++, C# (MIT), plus Unity and Unreal guides | Tie |
| Theming | Dynamic themes for colours and styles at runtime | Through data binding | Tie |
| Character animation | Whatever the source animation contains | Bones and meshes built into the editor | Rive |
| Cost to ship | Players are free and open source; LottieFiles has free and paid plans | Free exports play a Rive splash screen; Cadet ($9 per seat per month, yearly) removes it | Lottie (dotLottie) |
When to Choose Rive
- The interaction is the design: characters, games or controls that respond continuously to input.
- You want to bind animation to live app data through view models.
- You need bones, meshes or scripted behaviour.
- Your team already works in the Rive editor.
When to Choose Lottie (dotLottie)
- You already have Lottie or After Effects animations and want to add hover, click or multi-step states.
- Your interactions are mostly "play this part, then that part" on an event.
- You want open-source players with no export fees or splash screen.
- You need runtime theming, such as dark mode or brand colours, from one file.
We make ExodeUI, a third option that adds UI layout and spring physics to state machines. For a wider list, see Rive alternatives
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