Rive is an animation editor plus a runtime: you build a state machine that reacts to input, and the result renders on web, mobile, and game engines at a fraction of the size of a video or a Lottie file. That makes it the right tool for animated icons, onboarding characters, and interface elements that respond to hover, scroll, or a tap.
Who it is for
Product teams shipping animated interface elements that respond to the user.
Key features
- State machines for input-driven animation
- Runtimes for web, iOS, Android, and Unity
- Bone rigging for vector and raster art
- Live preview inside the editor
- Exports a compact binary file
Where it falls short
State machines are a genuine mental model to learn, and the runtime is a proprietary format, so your animations depend on Rive keeping its player maintained for your framework.
Pricing
Free for individuals with limits on editors and file size; paid per editor, with enterprise pricing for runtime support.
Prices move; the tier structure is the part that stays true. Check current pricing on Rive.
Alternatives to Rive
Frequently asked
Is Rive free?
Partly. Free for individuals with limits on editors and file size; paid per editor, with enterprise pricing for runtime support.
What is Rive best for?
Product teams shipping animated interface elements that respond to the user.
What are the best alternatives to Rive?
The closest substitutes we list are Framer, LottieFiles and Spline. They sit in a similar price bracket but make a different trade-off, so read the weaknesses section of each review before switching.
Which platforms does Rive run on?
Rive is available on Web, macOS and Windows.