OpenToonz vs Cartoon Animator

OpenToonz9.2Visit Cartoon Animator8.4Visit

Higher score OpenToonz #2 in 2D Character Animation Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit OpenToonz

vs

Cartoon Animator #7 in 2D Character Animation Software 8.4/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 3 features Try Cartoon Animator

• OpenToonz fits best

  Budget-conscious full-featured animators

• Cartoon Animator fits best

  Windows-based puppet animation creators

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Side by side

Feature	OpenToonz 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Cartoon Animator 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.4
Ranking	#2 in 2D Character Animation Software	#7 in 2D Character Animation Software
Best for	Budget-conscious full-featured animators	Windows-based puppet animation creators
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	$149 one-time
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	30 days
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows
Support	Community, Docs	Tickets, Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features OpenToonz 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, linux	windows
Export formats	3GP, AVI, BMP, GIF, JPG, MOV, MP4, PNG, RGB, SGI, Spritesheet, TGA, TIF, TIFF, WebM	MOV, WMV, AVI, MP4, MPG, MPEG, popVideo, JPG, PNG, BMP, TGA, GIF, SWF, ProRes 4444
Our review
Pros	Free and open-source across Windows, macOS, and Linux Combines drawing, rigging, compositing, scanning, and rendering Supports batch rendering and network render farm workflows	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	MP4 and WebM output require FFmpeg MOV support requires 32-bit QuickTime The workflow may demand more technical setup than simpler tools	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	OpenToonz is open-source 2D animation software for commercial and non-commercial projects. It is aimed at animators who want drawing, frame-by-frame animation, digital painting, character deformation, compositing, scanning, and rendering… 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 →

Strengths and trade-offs

• OpenToonz — where it wins

  • Free and open-source across Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Combines drawing, rigging, compositing, scanning, and rendering
  • Supports batch rendering and network render farm workflows

  Where it doesn't

  • MP4 and WebM output require FFmpeg
  • MOV support requires 32-bit QuickTime
  • The workflow may demand more technical setup than simpler tools

• 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

• OpenToonz9.2/10 · Free plan

  A free, full-featured 2D animation suite for artists who can manage a technical workflow.

  Visit OpenToonzFull verdict →
• Cartoon Animator8.4/10 · 30-day trial

  A capable Windows-only toolkit for rigged 2D characters, puppeteering, and motion capture.

  Try Cartoon AnimatorFull verdict →