UI designers usually pick animation software by output. A prototype needs to be fast to change. A marketing video needs a full timeline. A button that reacts to app state needs a runtime. Those are different jobs, which is why one tool rarely covers all three well.
Figma is the default for interface design, components and handoff, and Smart Animate can tween between frames for a quick prototype. It is the fastest way to show a team how a transition should feel. It is not a full motion editor, and a Figma prototype is not the production runtime for an interactive component.
After Effects remains the standard for timeline-heavy work: illustration, title sequences, marketing motion and detailed easing. Designers often export playback assets from After Effects as Lottie through Bodymovin. That pipeline is strong for animation that only plays. It is a heavy way to build a button with several states, and the exported file does not contain app logic.
Rive is the established choice for interactive vector animation. You author artwork and a state machine in one editor, then play the file through runtimes for web, mobile and Flutter. Rive's free plan exports files with a Rive splash screen; paid plans remove it.
ExodeUI is a browser and desktop tool for interactive UI and animation. It combines a visual editor with state machines, spring physics, inputs and events, and stores the work in one open .exode JSON file. Runtime packages cover React, Vue, Svelte, Angular, Solid, React Native, SwiftUI and Flutter, and an MCP server lets AI coding tools create and edit animations from prompts. ExodeUI is newer than the established tools, so test the runtime you need. The Community plan is free; Professional is $29 per month.
Lottie sits beside these tools rather than replacing them. It is a file format and a set of players, and LottieFiles is a common place to preview and hand off the files. If the animation must respond to state, the designer needs a tool that authors that state, not just a player.