Rive

What is Rive?

Rive is a collaborative vector animation tool that runs in your browser. You draw with vector tools, animate on a timeline, and then go one step further than classic animation software: you build state machines that let the animation react to user input, like a button that springs when pressed or an avatar that blinks when the app loads.

The output is a single compact file played by open source runtimes. There are runtimes for Flutter, React, Unity, Unreal, iOS, Android and the web, and the file is so small it is designed for loading screens, icons and UI states where every kilobyte counts.

Rive grew out of 2Dimensions, a Swedish tool company founded in 2016, and relaunched under the Rive name in 2021. Since then it has become a favorite for product teams and game studios that want buttery UI animation without shipping heavy video files.

Key Features

• Full vector editor and animation timeline in the browser
• State machines that make animations respond to input
• Responsive layout features that adapt to screen size
• Real-time collaboration with your team
• Tiny runtime files ideal for UI, loading screens and icons
• Open source runtimes for Flutter, React, Unity, Unreal and more
• Mix animation with logic, so one file drives interactive experiences

How to get started

Sign up for a free account on rive.app and start a new file in the browser editor. The editor feels familiar if you have used other animation tools: a canvas, layers, and a timeline for keyframes.

To try interactivity, add a state machine, create a couple of states and transitions, and wire them to a trigger. Then grab the runtime for your platform, drop the file into your project, and the animation comes alive with just a few lines of code.

• Create a free account at rive.app
• Open the editor and design a simple vector shape
• Animate it on the timeline
• Add a state machine and connect transitions
• Download the runtime for your platform
• Load the file in your app or game and interact with it

Use cases

• Game UI, menus and HUD elements that animate on input
• Loading screens and splash animations
• Animated avatars and profile effects
• Interactive product demos and marketing pages
• Web and app icons with micro-interactions

Pricing and licensing

Rive is freemium. The free plan covers personal projects with a set of limits, and paid plans add collaboration seats, versioning, private files and higher limits. Current plan details and prices are on the official website and can change.

The runtimes are open source, so shipping Rive animations in your app or game does not require a license fee on top of your plan. Check the pricing page for the exact feature split between free and paid tiers.

Pros and cons

Rive's superpower is interactivity plus tiny files. Nothing else lets you ship a stateful vector animation this small into so many platforms, and the browser editor means no installs and easy collaboration.

The trade-offs are scope and lock-in. It is not built for long-form film-style animation, and complex rigs still trail dedicated 2D tools in some areas. Teams that need frame-by-frame drawing or heavy skeletal features may want a complementary tool.

Alternatives

• Spine: skeletal animation built for game sprites
• DragonBones: free skeletal animation tool for 2D games
• Adobe Animate: frame and rig animation for web, games and video
• Lottie: exports After Effects animations as lightweight JSON