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Head-to-head · 2D Character Animation Software

Adobe Animate vs Cartoon Animator

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 1 check side by side
Higher score Adobe Animate #3 in 2D Character Animation Software 9.0/10 7-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Adobe Animate
Cartoon Animator #7 in 2D Character Animation Software 8.4/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 3 features Try Cartoon Animator

Adobe Animate leads on 0 checks, Cartoon Animator on 0, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 1 yes/no, price and count check where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAdobe Animate · 9.0/10
  • Free trialboth

Adobe Animate scores higher on our rubric for 2d character animation software: 9.0 against 8.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #7.

Adobe Animate is the better fit for vector and web-focused animators. Cartoon Animator is the better fit for windows-based puppet animation creators.

  • Adobe Animate fits best

    Vector and web-focused animators

  • Cartoon Animator fits best

    Windows-based puppet animation creators

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Side by side

Feature Adobe Animate 9.0/10 Visit ↗ Cartoon Animator 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.0 8.4
Ranking #3 in 2D Character Animation Software #7 in 2D Character Animation Software
Best for Vector and web-focused animators Windows-based puppet animation creators
Pricing model Paid Paid
Starting price — $149 one-time
Free plan — —
Free trial 7 days 30 days
Free trial length 7 days 30 days
Deployment Cloud, Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS Windows
Support Community, Docs Tickets, Community, Docs
Integrations 4 integrations 13 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Adobe Animate 0/3 · Cartoon Animator 0/3
Bone rigging Not checked yet Not checked yet
Mesh deformation Not checked yet Not checked yet
Lip sync Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Animation workflow Not checked yet Not checked yet
Supported platforms windows, macos windows
Export formats HTML5 Canvas, WebGL, Flash/Adobe AIR, SVG, GIF, BMP, SWF, JPG, PICT, PNG, MOV, WAV, AVI MOV, WMV, AVI, MP4, MPG, MPEG, popVideo, JPG, PNG, BMP, TGA, GIF, SWF, ProRes 4444
Our review
Pros
  • Frame-by-frame animation, motion tweens, and shape tweens
  • Inverse-kinematics bones plus vector drawing tools
  • HTML5 Canvas, WebGL, SVG, and interactive content publishing
  • Rigging, 360 heads, facial animation, and audio lip-sync
  • Facial and body motion capture with 3D-motion-to-2D conversion
  • Perpetual license includes commercial use and After Effects export
Cons
  • Available only on Windows and macOS
  • No free plan is offered
  • Maintenance mode means no new feature development
  • Windows-only coverage limits platform flexibility
  • No free plan; the full edition costs $149 one-time
  • Its broad feature set may exceed simple animation needs
Our verdict

Adobe Animate is a paid desktop animation application for creating vector animations, cartoons, banner ads, games, interactive web content, educational material, and multimedia experiences. Its timeline-based workspace combines…

Read the review →

Cartoon Animator is Reallusion’s Windows software for creating 2D character animations and animated graphics. It is aimed at animators, video makers, educators, marketers, and creators producing cartoons, explainers, presentations, and…

Read the review →
  1. Adobe Animate2D Character Animation Software 9.07-day trial
  2. Cartoon Animator2D Character Animation Software 8.430-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Adobe Animate — where it wins

    • Frame-by-frame animation, motion tweens, and shape tweens
    • Inverse-kinematics bones plus vector drawing tools
    • HTML5 Canvas, WebGL, SVG, and interactive content publishing

    Where it doesn't

    • Available only on Windows and macOS
    • No free plan is offered
    • Maintenance mode means no new feature development

  • Cartoon Animator — where it wins

    • Rigging, 360 heads, facial animation, and audio lip-sync
    • Facial and body motion capture with 3D-motion-to-2D conversion
    • Perpetual license includes commercial use and After Effects export

    Where it doesn't

    • Windows-only coverage limits platform flexibility
    • No free plan; the full edition costs $149 one-time
    • Its broad feature set may exceed simple animation needs

More comparisons

All 2D character animation software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update