The Best Cartoon Maker Software in 2026
We researched cartoon maker software through official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables, and product documentation. Products are ranked on their core job, value for money, and verified features for creating cartoon characters, scenes, and animated stories.
Our top picks
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Top ranked
Toon Boom Harmony#1 of 319.3/10A deep 2D production suite with strong rigging, effects, and studio workflows.
14-day trial
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Runner-up
Moho#2 of 319.1/10A broad 2D animation toolkit for professionals who need rigging, physics and export flexibility.
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Top-ranked free plan
Adobe Character Animator#4 of 318.9/10A focused choice for live 2D character animation, with deeper controls in Creative Cloud Pro.
Free plan · 7-day trial
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 31 tools, best first
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Best forStudio-grade cartoon pipelines
A deep 2D production suite with strong rigging, effects, and studio workflows.
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Toon Boom -
Best forProfessional 2D cartoon animation
A broad 2D animation toolkit for professionals who need rigging, physics and export flexibility.
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Moho -
Best forRigged 2D cartoon production
A focused 2D character animation tool with strong rigging and motion features.
9.0/10★★★★☆Try Cartoon Animator -
Best forLive character cartoon creators
A focused choice for live 2D character animation, with deeper controls in Creative Cloud Pro.
Free plan · 7-day trial Our Adobe Character Animator verdict → Visit AdobeFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #4 · $69/mo →8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Adobe -
Best forFree open-source animation production
A broad free toolkit for 2D animation, from frame-by-frame drawing to render-farm output.
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit OpenToonz -
Best forFree hybrid 2D cartoon animation
A free hybrid toolkit for frame-by-frame, rigged, mesh-based, and stop-motion animation.
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Tahoma2D -
Best forTraditional hand-drawn cartoon animation
A deep frame-by-frame toolkit for animators who prefer hand-drawn bitmap workflows.
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit TVPaint -
Best forFree vector cutout animation
A feature-rich free option for 2D cutout animation without broad platform integrations.
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Synfig Studio -
Best forInteractive and web cartoon animation
A capable desktop tool for frame-by-frame cartoons and interactive web animation.
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Adobe Animate -
Best forIndividuals and teams creating animated videos online
A flexible cartoon video maker with AI tools, collaboration, and 4K exports.
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Animaker -
Best forTeams making polished cartoon videos
A versatile web-based cartoon maker with strong templates, AI tools, and team features.
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Powtoon -
Best forEnterprise cartoon communications
A feature-rich business animation platform with paid plans aimed at enterprise communications.
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Vyond -
Best forGame-ready character animation
A specialized game-animation tool with deep rigging and engine integrations.
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Spine -
Best forDeformed characters for games
A specialized Windows tool for deformable 2D characters and game-ready animation exports.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Creature -
Best forLive2D-style puppet cartoons
A focused puppet-animation tool with strong deformation, lip-sync, physics, and export support.
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Live2D -
Best forSimple free 2D animation
A focused free tool for frame-by-frame cartoon animation across three desktop platforms.
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Pencil2D -
Best forAffordable hand-drawn animation
A low-cost, cross-platform animation tool with both traditional and keyframe workflows.
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Callipeg -
Best forAI-generated 3D cartoon videos
A focused web editor for AI-generated 3D cartoon videos with useful export options.
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Krikey AI -
Best forBudget frame-by-frame animation
A $7.99 one-time tool for frame-by-frame animation across four platforms.
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit RoughAnimator -
Best forFree mobile hand-drawn cartoons
A capable free cartoon maker for hand-drawn animation across mobile and Mac.
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit FlipaClip -
Best forLow-cost mobile and desktop drawing animation
A low-cost animation app with a capable frame-by-frame workflow across three platforms.
- Scene templates
- Voiceover tools
- Custom characters
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit Animation Desk -
Best foriPad hybrid cartoon animation
A capable iPad animation app combining hand-drawn and keyframe workflows.
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit ToonSquid -
Best forTemplate-driven cartoon videos
A template-led web editor with characters, AI dubbing, subtitles, and video export.
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit Doratoon -
Best forFree browser-based cartoon experiments
A capable free choice for browser-based 2D animation, scripting, and export.
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit Wick Editor -
Best forFree simple rigged cartoons
A focused free tool for simple rigged cartoons, with Windows-only access.
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Pivot Animator -
Best forStory-based cartoon videos
A story-focused cartoon maker with free creation tools and affordable published plans.
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit Plotagon -
Best forFree 3D cartoon production
A capable free 3D animation suite for Windows, with exports capped in the Personal plan.
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit iClone -
Best forSimple 3D cartoon scenes
A focused Windows tool for simple 3D cartoon scenes with automatic lip-sync.
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit Muvizu -
Best forDrag-and-drop explainer cartoons
A focused drag-and-drop cartoon maker with useful voice and animation controls.
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit Toonly -
Best forIllustrated cartoons on iPad
A capable iPad illustration app with strong animation tools, but no desktop version.
6.3/10★★★☆☆Visit Procreate -
Best forAnyone needing a free, static cartoon avatar
A free web tool for customizable static avatars, not animated cartoons.
- Custom characters
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit Cartoonify
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toon Boom Harmony | No | $55.50/user/yr | 9.3 |
| 2 | Moho | No | $59.99 one-time | 9.1 |
| 3 | Cartoon Animator | No | $149 one-time | 9.0 |
| 4 | Adobe Character Animator | Yes | 8.9 | |
| 5 | OpenToonz | Yes | Free | 8.8 |
| 6 | Tahoma2D | Yes | Free | 8.7 |
| 7 | TVPaint Animation | No | 8.6 | |
| 8 | Synfig Studio | Yes | Free | 8.5 |
| 9 | Adobe Animate | No | 8.4 | |
| 10 | Animaker | Yes | 8.3 | |
| 11 | Powtoon | Yes | $8/mo | 8.2 |
| 12 | Vyond | No | 8.1 | |
| 13 | Spine | No | $850/device/yr | 8.0 |
| 14 | Creature | No | $50 one-time | 7.9 |
| 15 | Live2D Cubism | Yes | $68.07/yr | 7.8 |
| 16 | Pencil2D | Yes | Free | 7.7 |
| 17 | Callipeg | No | $5 one-time | 7.6 |
| 18 | Krikey AI | Yes | $10/user/mo | 7.5 |
| 19 | RoughAnimator | No | $7.99 one-time | 7.4 |
| 20 | FlipaClip | Yes | 7.3 | |
| 21 | Animation Desk | Yes | 7.2 | |
| 22 | ToonSquid | No | 7.1 | |
| 23 | Doratoon | Yes | 7.0 | |
| 24 | Wick Editor | Yes | Free | 6.9 |
| 25 | Pivot Animator | Yes | Free | 6.8 |
| 26 | Plotagon | Yes | 6.7 | |
| 27 | iClone | Yes | 6.6 | |
| 28 | Muvizu | No | 6.5 | |
| 29 | Toonly | No | $490/yr | 6.4 |
| 30 | Procreate | No | 6.3 | |
| 31 | Cartoonify | Yes | Free | 6.0 |
Head-to-head All 18 comparisons →
- Toon Boom Harmony vs Moho
- Toon Boom Harmony vs Tahoma2D
- Toon Boom Harmony vs Synfig Studio
- Moho vs Cartoon Animator
- Moho vs Adobe Character Animator
- Moho vs OpenToonz
- Moho vs Tahoma2D
- Moho vs TVPaint Animation
- Moho vs Synfig Studio
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How we rank cartoon maker software
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update