Adobe Character Animator vs Cascadeur
Adobe Character Animator
adobe.com
Cascadeur
cascadeur.comSide by side
| Figure | Adobe Character Animator | Cascadeur |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $8/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 9 | 8 |
| Spec score · Animation Software | 9.1 (#8) | 9.4 (#2) |
| Character rigging | Yes | Yes |
| Company headquarters | Adobe's LinkedIn profile lists San Jose, California as headquarters. | LinkedIn lists Cascadeur headquarters in Limassol, Cyprus. |
| Company size | Adobe's LinkedIn profile lists company size as 10,001+ employees. | LinkedIn lists Cascadeur as privately held with 11-50 employees. |
| Documentation | The help center covers setup, projects, puppet creation, rigging, behaviors, recording, keyframes, export and streaming, plus known issues and release notes. | Official help includes installation, getting started, interface, tools, animation, rigging, tutorials, videos, FAQ and release notes. |
| Export formats | Exports include H.264 video, Adobe Media Encoder output, PNG sequences and WAV audio. | Paid tiers export CASC, FBX, DAE, USD and GLTF, while Free is limited to CASC export. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Licence | Adobe lists Character Animator under Creative Cloud software governed by Adobe's general terms; it is proprietary commercial software rather than open source. | Cascadeur is distributed under Nekki's proprietary end-user licence agreement rather than an open-source licence. |
| Supported platforms | Windows,macOS | The download page lists Windows, Mac, and Linux installers; system requirements specify Windows 10 version 1809 or later or Windows 11, Ubuntu 20.04–22.04.1, and macOS 13.3 or later. |
| Rating on G2 | 4.2 out of 5 from 33 reviews | 0 out of 5 from 0 reviews |
| What it does | Adobe Character Animator is a performance-based 2D animation application that brings layered characters to life in real time. | Cascadeur is software for making character animation without motion capture, using physics-based methods and machine-learning assistance. |
Plans
Adobe Character Animator
- Character Animator StarterPrice not published
- Character Animator StarterPriced on request
- Creative Cloud Pro for students and teachersPriced on request
- Creative Cloud Pro for students and teachersPrice not published
- Creative Cloud Pro for teamsPrice not published
- Creative Cloud Pro for teamsPriced on request
- StarterFree
- Creative Cloud Pro annual billed monthly$34.99 a month
- Creative Cloud Pro$69.99 a month
Cascadeur
- FreeFree
- Indie$19 a month
- Pro$49 a month
- Teams$49 a month
- Educational$49, paid once
- Indie$96 a year
- Pro$396 a year
- Teams$396 a year
In their own words
Adobe Character Animator
Adobe Character Animator has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Cascadeur
Cascadeur is physics-based 3D animation software for creating character animation without motion capture. Its Free plan includes animation, rigging, physics-based tools, inbetweening, and animation unbaking, but exports only to CASC. Paid plan comparisons list FBX, DAE, USD, and GLTF/GLB exports. The software is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and iOS, and its documentation covers workflows with Blender, Unity, Unreal Engine, and Daz Studio. Unreal Engine Live Link streams animation from Cascadeur in real time; its plugin requires a separate manual download and installation. Cascadeur 2026.1 introduced an AI-powered Root Motion Tool that transfers motion style using signatures from reference animation. Minimum requirements include 4 GB memory and OpenGL 4.1, plus a 64-bit multi-core Intel or AMD processor on Windows or Linux, or an M-series processor on macOS. Users must sign in after installation with Google or a Cascadeur account. Plans include a free option and paid tiers, with the listed annual starting rate at $8 per month; Pro and Teams include a 14-day trial.