LivePortrait
LivePortrait: A local tool for animating portraits with transferred expressions, pose, and retargeting controls. Ranked #3 of 26 in Photo Animation Software by our editors (8.6/10); pricing: Open source; best for local open-source portrait animation.
At a glance
- Editor score8.6 / 10
- PricingOpen source
- Best forLocal open-source portrait animation
- Paid fromFree
- Depth animationNo
- Facts checked21 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Transfers facial expressions and head pose from driving video
- Includes stitching, eye-opening, and lip-opening retargeting controls
- Runs locally on Windows, macOS, and Linux with a Gradio interface
Where it doesn't
- Requires local installation and supported hardware
- Driving-video workflows add source-material requirements
- Bundled InsightFace models are limited to non-commercial research use
Our verdict on LivePortrait
LivePortrait is an open-source PyTorch implementation for animating a portrait from a single source image. It is aimed at developers, researchers, and creators who want to run portrait animation locally on Windows, macOS, or Linux rather than use a vendor-hosted subscription product. The core workflow transfers facial expressions and head pose from a driving video, while the project also supports source video editing and motion from audio, text, or generated sources. Its category focus is face animation, with AI motion effects and MP4 export.
The feature set extends beyond basic expression transfer. Stitching is designed to improve portrait animation results, and retargeting controls provide separate eye-opening and lip-opening adjustments. Driving-video auto-cropping can help prepare motion sources, while motion template generation supports faster inference and privacy-focused workflows. A local Gradio interface provides a browser-based way to interact with the project, and animal animation adds support for cats, dogs, and pandas. These capabilities make LivePortrait more suitable for users who want control over the animation pipeline than for buyers seeking a simple hosted editor.
The main trade-off is local operation. Users need to install and run the models on supported hardware, and driving-video animation depends on suitable motion input. Commercial projects also need careful model licensing review: the bundled InsightFace detection models are limited to non-commercial research use, and commercial use may require replacing them. Choose LivePortrait for local, open-source portrait animation with adjustable facial controls, video editing, motion templates, and animal support. Choose an alternative if you need a hosted workflow, minimal setup, or straightforward commercial usage without model replacement considerations.
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LivePortrait pricing
LivePortrait fact sheet
| Free plan | Not verified |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Depth animation | No |
| Face animation | Yes |
| AI motion effects | Yes |
| Photo limit | Not verified |
| Mobile apps | Not verified |
| Export formats | MP4 |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Support | Community, Docs |
| Pricing | Open source |
| Website | liveportrait.github.io |
| Facts checked | 21 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to LivePortrait
- Deep NostalgiaA focused tool for turning detected faces in old photos into shareable MP4 animations.9.2
- Nero AI Face AnimationA focused face-animation tool with batch workflows and API automation.8.9
- Immersity AIA focused 2D-to-3D platform for immersive photos, videos, and camera motion.8.5
See all LivePortrait alternatives →
LivePortrait vs the competition
- LivePortrait vs Deep Nostalgia
- LivePortrait vs Nero AI Face Animation
- LivePortrait vs Immersity AI
- LivePortrait vs Viggle
- LivePortrait vs D-ID
- LivePortrait vs CrazyTalk
Compare LivePortrait with any tool side by side →
Also Ranked In
LivePortrait is ranked in 3 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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