Cartoon Animator
Cartoon Animator: A capable Windows-only 2D animation tool with rigging, puppeteering, and motion capture. Ranked #20 of 106 in Animation Software by our editors (7.4/10); pricing: 30-day trial; best for accessible 2D character puppeteering.
At a glance
- Editor score7.4 / 10
- Pricing30-day trial
- Best forAccessible 2D character puppeteering
- Free planNo
- Paid from$149 one-time
- Founded1993 · Silicon Valley, United States
- Facts checked21 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Bone rigging, facial animation, lip sync, and body puppeteering
- Motion capture and 3D-motion-to-2D conversion support
- Perpetual license includes commercial use in the full edition
Where it doesn't
- Windows 64-bit only
- No free plan
- Advanced character workflows may require multiple asset pipelines
Our verdict on Cartoon Animator
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 social content. Its feature set covers image-based character creation, bone rigging, 360 head creation, facial animation, audio lip sync, talking heads, puppeteering, motion capture, animated props, effects, cameras, and timeline editing. It supports Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7 SP1 in 64-bit form.
Pricing is straightforward. The Cartoon Animator 5 Perpetual License is listed at $149 one-time, and the full edition includes commercial use. The published product information also describes a 30-day trial. That structure suits creators who prefer a perpetual license over an ongoing plan, while the absence of a free plan makes the trial the main route for evaluating the software before purchase. Buyers should also account for the Windows requirement when comparing it with animation tools designed for other platforms.
Character-focused workflows are the product’s main strength. Users can combine PSD and SVG asset pipelines with free-form deformation, spring dynamics, motion paths, Motion Pilot, facial and body motion capture, and 3D motion conversion for 2D characters. Integrations with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, iClone, and SVG-compatible graphics tools extend the workflow, while exports include image sequences, video, GIF, and other media formats. Cartoon Animator is a strong fit for Windows-based creators who need accessible 2D character puppeteering and production features in one application. It is less suitable for teams that require Mac support or a free plan.
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Cartoon Animator pricing
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Cartoon Animator fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | $149 one-time |
| 2D animation tools | Yes |
| 3D modeling | Not verified |
| Character rigging | Yes |
| Motion graphics | Not verified |
| Cloud collaboration | Not verified |
| Supported platforms | windows |
| Export formats | MOV, WMV, AVI, MP4, MPG, MPEG, popVideo, JPG, PNG, BMP, TGA, GIF, SWF, ProRes 4444 |
| Free trial | 30 days |
| Money-back guarantee | 14 days |
| Deployment | Desktop |
| Platforms | Windows |
| Support | Tickets, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 13 integrations: Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, VEGAS Pro, HitFilm, Apple Motion, Final Cut Pro … |
| Pricing | 30-day trial (source) |
| Website | reallusion.com |
| Facts checked | 21 Sep 2026 |
Cartoon Animator integrations
Cartoon Animator lists 13 integrations on its own site.
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- VEGAS Pro
- HitFilm
- Apple Motion
- Final Cut Pro
- iMovie
- PowerDirector
- Video Pro X7
- Keynote
- PowerPoint
- Google Slides
- Dreamweaver
Alternatives to Cartoon Animator
- Toon Boom HarmonyA focused 2D suite for hand-drawn, rigged, composited, and effects-driven animation.9.3
- BlenderA broad 3D suite for professional animation without software licensing costs.9.2
- Cinema 4DA broad desktop toolkit for motion design, 3D production, simulation, and rendering.9.1
See all Cartoon Animator alternatives →
Also Ranked In
Cartoon Animator is ranked in 4 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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