Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Animation Software

Autodesk Maya vs OpenToonz

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Autodesk Maya #4 in Animation Software 9.0/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 5 features Visit Autodesk Maya
OpenToonz #5 in Animation Software 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit OpenToonz

Autodesk Maya leads on 0 checks, OpenToonz on 1, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAutodesk Maya · 9.0/10
  • Free planonly OpenToonz
  • Free trialonly Autodesk Maya
  • Most featuresOpenToonz · 2 of 5

Autodesk Maya scores higher on our rubric for animation software: 9.0 against 8.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #5.

OpenToonz offers free plan; Autodesk Maya doesn't.

Autodesk Maya is the better fit for established studios needing full 3D animation tools. OpenToonz is the better fit for free, capable 2D animation production.

  • Autodesk Maya fits best

    Established studios needing full 3D animation tools

  • OpenToonz fits best

    Free, capable 2D animation production

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.

Side by side

Feature Autodesk Maya 9.0/10 Visit ↗ OpenToonz 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.0 8.9
Ranking #4 in Animation Software #5 in Animation Software
Best for Established studios needing full 3D animation tools Free, capable 2D animation production
Pricing model Paid Free
Starting price $2,010/user/yr Free plan
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial 30 days —
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Docs · 24/7 Community, Docs
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Autodesk Maya 0/5 · OpenToonz 2/5
2D animation tools Not checked yet ✓ (best)
3D modeling Not checked yet —
Character rigging Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Motion graphics Not checked yet Not checked yet
Cloud collaboration Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms Not checked yet windows, macos, linux
Export formats Not checked yet 3GP, AVI, BMP, GIF, JPG, MOV, MP4, PNG, RGB, SGI, Spritesheet, TGA, TIF, TIFF, WebM
Our review
Pros
  • Covers modeling, rigging, animation, simulations, look development, and rendering
  • Supports Arnold, OpenUSD, Unreal Engine, After Effects, and Flow Production Tracking
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with Python 3 scripting and plug-in customization
  • Free and open source across Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Covers drawing, scanning, compositing, rigging, and rendering
  • Supports batch rendering and network render farms
Cons
  • Requires a paid subscription beyond the 30-day trial
  • Desktop-only access limits use to supported Windows, macOS, and Linux installations
  • Its broad professional scope is more than lightweight animation projects may need
  • MP4 and WebM output require FFmpeg
  • MOV support requires 32-bit QuickTime
  • Listed Windows and macOS requirements are older versions
Our verdict

Autodesk Maya is a desktop 3D content-creation application for modeling, rigging, animation, visual effects, look development, and rendering. Autodesk positions it for artists and technical directors working in film, television, games, and…

Read the review →

OpenToonz is open-source 2D animation software published by DWANGO Co., Ltd. It is designed for commercial and non-commercial projects, with tools spanning drawing, frame-by-frame animation, digital painting, scanning, compositing,…

Read the review →
  1. Autodesk MayaAnimation Software 9.030-day trial
  2. OpenToonzAnimation Software 8.9Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Autodesk Maya — where it wins

    • Covers modeling, rigging, animation, simulations, look development, and rendering
    • Supports Arnold, OpenUSD, Unreal Engine, After Effects, and Flow Production Tracking
    • Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with Python 3 scripting and plug-in customization

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires a paid subscription beyond the 30-day trial
    • Desktop-only access limits use to supported Windows, macOS, and Linux installations
    • Its broad professional scope is more than lightweight animation projects may need

  • OpenToonz — where it wins

    • Free and open source across Windows, macOS, and Linux
    • Covers drawing, scanning, compositing, rigging, and rendering
    • Supports batch rendering and network render farms

    Where it doesn't

    • MP4 and WebM output require FFmpeg
    • MOV support requires 32-bit QuickTime
    • Listed Windows and macOS requirements are older versions

More comparisons

All animation software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update