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Free alternatives to Adobe Animate

Top pick: Synfig Studio. Switching saves about $264 USD a year.

Adobe Animate, Animate single app, annual plan

$263.88 USDa year

$347.88 CAD

Every pick below has a free version.

Runs on
  • Windows
  • macOS
Key file formats
.fla.svg.gif.mp4

Filter alternatives

5 alternatives

Top pick

1 tool

The editor’s first choice for most people switching.

  1. Rank 1: Synfig Studio

    Best for vector tweening and cut-out rigging

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    Status: Active
    • SVG: opens only, partial fidelity. Imports SVG artwork as vector layers; it does not save SVG
    • GIF: opens and saves, full fidelity
    • MP4: saves only, full fidelity

    Free GPL software for Windows, macOS and Linux. Cannot open FLA files; move artwork over as SVG. The interface takes time to learn.

Strong

2 tools

Covers most of the same work, with trade-offs noted on each card.

  1. Rank 2: Tahoma2D

    Best for frame-by-frame and stop-motion animators

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    Status: Active
    • SVG: opens and saves, partial fidelity. The source includes SVG import and export; fidelity was not tested
    • GIF: saves only, partial fidelity. Exports GIF; import is not documented
    • MP4: saves only, full fidelity

    Free fork of OpenToonz with a simpler workspace, stop motion and automated lip sync via Rhubarb. Builds for Windows, macOS and Linux.

  2. Rank 3: OpenToonz

    Best for studio-style 2D production

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    Status: Active
    • SVG: opens and saves, partial fidelity. The source includes SVG import and export; fidelity was not tested
    • GIF: saves only, partial fidelity. Exports GIF; import is not documented
    • MP4: saves only, partial fidelity. Video export needs FFmpeg
    • PSD: opens only, partial fidelity. Opens PSD layers as images; effects and adjustments are not kept

    Free BSD-licensed software behind Studio Ghibli's pipeline. Official installers for Windows and macOS; Linux needs a build from source.

Situational

2 tools

Right for specific needs, or not yet mature enough to recommend widely.

  1. Rank 4: Pencil2D

    Best for simple hand-drawn frame-by-frame animation

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    Status: Active
    • GIF: saves only, partial fidelity. Exports GIF; import is not documented
    • MP4: saves only, partial fidelity. Video export needs FFmpeg

    Lightweight and free for Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD. Best for sketches and short hand-drawn pieces, not production pipelines.

  2. Rank 5: Wick Editor

    Best for browser-based interactive animation

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    • Web
    Status: Stalled
    • SVG: opens only, partial fidelity. SVG import was not tested; SVG export is not documented
    • GIF: saves only, partial fidelity. Exports GIF; import is not documented
    • MP4: saves only, partial fidelity. Video export was not tested

    Free and open source, in a browser or as beta desktop apps. The GitHub repo has had no pushes since March 2023, so expect no new features.

Sponsor this page: $149 for 30 days. Sponsors appear above the ranking, labeled; the ranking itself is not for sale.

Feature parity

How each alternative covers what people use Adobe Animate for. Numbers link to editor notes.

Feature parity with Adobe Animate
FeatureSynfig StudioTahoma2DOpenToonzPencil2DWick Editor
Animation
Frame-by-frame drawing on a timelinePartialNote 1YesNote 2YesNote 3YesNote 4YesNote 5
Motion and shape tweensYesNote 6PartialNote 7PartialNote 8NoNote 9PartialNote 10
Character rigging with bonesYesNote 11PartialNote 12PartialNote 13NoNote 14NoNote 15
Drawing
Vector drawing and shape toolsYesNote 16PartialNote 17PartialNote 18PartialNote 19PartialNote 20
Output
Interactive content with scriptingNoNote 21NoNote 22NoNote 23NoNote 24YesNote 25
Export to video, GIF and sprite sheetsYesNote 26YesNote 27PartialNote 28PartialNote 29PartialNote 30
Assets
Reusable symbols and librariesPartialNote 31PartialNote 32PartialNote 33NoNote 34PartialNote 35
Parity score71%57%50%29%57%
  1. Synfig Studio, Frame-by-frame drawing on a timeline: Bitmap layers allow it, but the tool is built around tweening
  2. Tahoma2D, Frame-by-frame drawing on a timeline: Frame-by-frame work with implicit holds
  3. OpenToonz, Frame-by-frame drawing on a timeline: Xsheet and timeline interfaces
  4. Pencil2D, Frame-by-frame drawing on a timeline: Core workflow with bitmap and vector layers
  5. Wick Editor, Frame-by-frame drawing on a timeline: Timeline with frame-by-frame editing
  6. Synfig Studio, Motion and shape tweens: Set key positions and Synfig fills the in-betweens
  7. Tahoma2D, Motion and shape tweens: Keyframe animation on levels; shape tweens are not documented
  8. OpenToonz, Motion and shape tweens: Keyframe animation of levels; no shape tweens
  9. Pencil2D, Motion and shape tweens: No tweening
  10. Wick Editor, Motion and shape tweens: Frame tweens with fewer controls than Animate
  11. Synfig Studio, Character rigging with bones: Bone system and Skeleton Distortion layer
  12. Tahoma2D, Character rigging with bones: Cut-out animation is listed on the site
  13. OpenToonz, Character rigging with bones: Plastic tool for skeletal deformation of drawings
  14. Pencil2D, Character rigging with bones: No rigging
  15. Wick Editor, Character rigging with bones: No rigging
  16. Synfig Studio, Vector drawing and shape tools: Vector layers, gradients and 50+ layer types
  17. Tahoma2D, Vector drawing and shape tools: Brushes and drawing aids; the site does not document vector shape tools
  18. OpenToonz, Vector drawing and shape tools: Raster and vector levels; its own level types rather than Flash-style shapes
  19. Pencil2D, Vector drawing and shape tools: Basic vector layer tools
  20. Wick Editor, Vector drawing and shape tools: Basic vector and raster tools
  21. Synfig Studio, Interactive content with scripting: No interactive or scripted output
  22. Tahoma2D, Interactive content with scripting: No interactive or scripted output
  23. OpenToonz, Interactive content with scripting: No interactive or scripted output
  24. Pencil2D, Interactive content with scripting: No interactive or scripted output
  25. Wick Editor, Interactive content with scripting: JavaScript scripting for games and interactive animations
  26. Synfig Studio, Export to video, GIF and sprite sheets: Renders video, GIF and image sequences
  27. Tahoma2D, Export to video, GIF and sprite sheets: MP4 and GIF without extra libraries
  28. OpenToonz, Export to video, GIF and sprite sheets: Image sequences, GIF and video; some formats need FFmpeg
  29. Pencil2D, Export to video, GIF and sprite sheets: Image sequences, GIF and video; video export needs FFmpeg
  30. Wick Editor, Export to video, GIF and sprite sheets: GIF, video and HTML export; formats not tested
  31. Synfig Studio, Reusable symbols and libraries: Exported canvases can be reused; no symbol library as in Animate
  32. Tahoma2D, Reusable symbols and libraries: Sub-xsheets group and reuse content
  33. OpenToonz, Reusable symbols and libraries: Sub-xsheets group and reuse content
  34. Pencil2D, Reusable symbols and libraries: No symbol library
  35. Wick Editor, Reusable symbols and libraries: Clips can be reused

Not covered by any free alternative yet: Reusable symbols and libraries. See all feature gaps

File formats

Can each alternative open and save Adobe Animate files?

Opening and saving Adobe Animate files
FormatSynfig StudioTahoma2DOpenToonzPencil2DWick Editor
.flaNoNoNoNoNo
.svgOpens onlyNote 1Partial fidelityOpens and savesNote 2Partial fidelityOpens and savesNote 3Partial fidelityNoNote 4Opens onlyNote 5Partial fidelity
.gifOpens and savesFull fidelitySaves onlyNote 6Partial fidelitySaves onlyNote 7Partial fidelitySaves onlyNote 8Partial fidelitySaves onlyNote 9Partial fidelity
.mp4Saves onlyFull fidelitySaves onlyFull fidelitySaves onlyNote 10Partial fidelitySaves onlyNote 11Partial fidelitySaves onlyNote 12Partial fidelity
  1. Synfig Studio, .svg: Imports SVG artwork as vector layers; it does not save SVG
  2. Tahoma2D, .svg: The source includes SVG import and export; fidelity was not tested
  3. OpenToonz, .svg: The source includes SVG import and export; fidelity was not tested
  4. Pencil2D, .svg: SVG import is not documented
  5. Wick Editor, .svg: SVG import was not tested; SVG export is not documented
  6. Tahoma2D, .gif: Exports GIF; import is not documented
  7. OpenToonz, .gif: Exports GIF; import is not documented
  8. Pencil2D, .gif: Exports GIF; import is not documented
  9. Wick Editor, .gif: Exports GIF; import is not documented
  10. OpenToonz, .mp4: Video export needs FFmpeg
  11. Pencil2D, .mp4: Video export needs FFmpeg
  12. Wick Editor, .mp4: Video export was not tested

What switching saves

Switching saves about $264 USD / $348 CAD a year. Prices checked .

Based on Animate single app, annual plan. Price source.

About this page

Last verified . Ranking: tier first, then the published score.

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Adobe Animate is a product of Adobe, named here for comparison only. Platforms listed for Adobe Animate: Windows, macOS.