DragonBones

At a glance

• Editor score
  6.7 / 10
• Pricing
  Free plan
• Best for
  Free skeletal animation with game-runtime export
• Free plan
  Yes
• Paid from
  Free
• Animation workflow
  Rigged
• Facts checked
  24 Sep 2026

• Where it wins

  • Rig images to bones, then animate with keyframes and motion tweens.
  • Deform meshes with FFD, vertex skinning and inverse-kinematics constraints.
  • Package texture atlases and export JSON for supported runtimes.

• Where it doesn't

  • Its focus is skeletal game animation, not a broad creative pipeline.
  • Desktop editor support is limited to Windows and Mac.
  • The official site is dated, which may concern buyers seeking current signals.

Our verdict on DragonBones

DragonBones is a desktop 2D skeletal-animation editor and runtime ecosystem for solo animators and small teams creating game or interactive content. Its workflow binds images to bones, then adds timeline keyframes, motion tweens and rig controls. Mesh deformation, inverse-kinematics constraints, pose tools and vertex skinning support character movement beyond simple frame-by-frame animation. The editor is available for Windows and Mac, and DragonBones Pro is offered as a free download.

The feature set is oriented toward preparing and playing rigged animation in a game project. Animators can package artwork into texture atlases and export JSON, including DragonBones and Egret MovieClip data. Runtime APIs support procedural bones and animation blending; the described runtimes cover JavaScript/TypeScript, ActionScript 3, C++ and C#. Integrations include Egret, Pixi, Flash, Starling, Cocos2d-x and Unity. Layered Photoshop, Spine and Cocos data import can help teams bring existing artwork or animation data into the editor. This makes DragonBones a fit when rigged characters and runtime playback are central to the workflow.

DragonBones is less suited to buyers seeking a broad illustration or animation production suite: its described capabilities center on skeletal game animation, mesh deformation and export. The official site is dated, with copyright years 2012–2017, despite an accessible download page identifying a free Windows and Mac editor. Support channels include email and community. Choose it when free rigging tools and game-runtime integration match your pipeline; consider another tool if breadth of creative production features or stronger signs of ongoing product activity are priorities.

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DragonBones pricing

All 1 DragonBones plans and prices →

DragonBones fact sheet

DragonBones integrations

DragonBones lists 6 integrations on its own site.

• Egret
• Pixi
• Flash
• Starling
• Cocos2d-x
• Unity

Alternatives to DragonBones

• Toon Boom HarmonyA broad desktop suite for teams that need both drawn and rigged 2D production.9.4
• OpenToonzA free, full-featured 2D animation suite for artists who can manage a technical workflow.9.2
• Adobe AnimateA capable desktop animator for vector workflows, web publishing, and Adobe users.9.0

See all DragonBones alternatives →

Featured on iTechGuides

DragonBones is listed in our 2D Character Animation Software directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update