Toon Boom Harmony vs Live2D Cubism

Toon Boom Harmony9.4Visit Live2D Cubism8.6Visit

Higher score Toon Boom Harmony #1 in 2D Character Animation Software 9.4/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Toon Boom

vs

Live2D Cubism #6 in 2D Character Animation Software 8.6/10 Free plan · 42-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Live2D Cubism

• Toon Boom Harmony fits best

  Professional 2D animation teams

• Live2D Cubism fits best

  2D puppet and avatar creators

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Side by side

Feature	Toon Boom Harmony 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Live2D Cubism 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.6
Ranking	#1 in 2D Character Animation Software	#6 in 2D Character Animation Software
Best for	Professional 2D animation teams	2D puppet and avatar creators
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$55.50/user/yr	$68.07/yr
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	14 days	42 days
Free trial length	14 days	42 days
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS
Support	Community, Docs, Tickets · 24/7	Docs
Integrations	4 integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Toon Boom Harmony 0/3 · Live2D Cubism 2/3
Bone rigging	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Mesh deformation	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Lip sync	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Animation workflow	Not checked yet	Puppet
Supported platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS
Export formats	MOV, WMV, BMP, DPX, DTEX, JPG, EXR, PAL, PSD, PDF, PNG, SGI, SVG, TIFF, OPT, SCAN, VAR, TGA, YUV, GIF, SWF, JSX, WAV, XML, JSON, ATOM, USDA, USDZ	PNG, JPEG, GIF, MP4, WebM, MOV, MOC3, model3.json, motion3.json
Our review
Pros	Supports hand-drawn, rigged, composited, and effects-based 2D work Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux Exports movies and images in formats including MOV, PSD, PNG, and TIFF	Mesh-based modeling with ArtMeshes, parameters, and deformers Built-in physics, automatic lip-sync, and timeline editing Exports for images, video, applications, games, and major engines
Cons	No free plan; access is paid, with a 14-day free trial Edition capabilities vary, so selecting the right tier requires care Its broad scope may exceed the needs of simple 2D projects	Desktop support is limited to Windows and macOS Puppet-style workflows depend on prepared artwork Business pricing is substantially higher than indie plans
Our verdict	Toon Boom Harmony is a desktop 2D animation suite for professional studios, freelancers, students, and enthusiasts. It brings hand-drawn and paperless animation, character rigging, cut-out workflows, drawing, painting, compositing, and… Read the review →	Live2D Cubism is a desktop application for turning original illustrations into animated 2D models. It is aimed at illustrators, animators, VTuber creators, game developers, and teams building mobile, console, or other interactive content.… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Toon Boom Harmony — where it wins

  • Supports hand-drawn, rigged, composited, and effects-based 2D work
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Exports movies and images in formats including MOV, PSD, PNG, and TIFF

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan; access is paid, with a 14-day free trial
  • Edition capabilities vary, so selecting the right tier requires care
  • Its broad scope may exceed the needs of simple 2D projects

• Live2D Cubism — where it wins

  • Mesh-based modeling with ArtMeshes, parameters, and deformers
  • Built-in physics, automatic lip-sync, and timeline editing
  • Exports for images, video, applications, games, and major engines

  Where it doesn't

  • Desktop support is limited to Windows and macOS
  • Puppet-style workflows depend on prepared artwork
  • Business pricing is substantially higher than indie plans

• Toon Boom Harmony9.4/10 · 14-day trial

  A broad desktop suite for teams that need both drawn and rigged 2D production.

  Visit Toon BoomFull verdict →
• Live2D Cubism8.6/10 · Free plan · 42-day trial

  A focused puppet-animation tool for expressive avatars, games, and interactive content.

  Visit Live2D CubismFull verdict →