akeytsu vs Cascadeur
akeytsu
nukeygara.com
Cascadeur
cascadeur.comSide by side
| Figure | akeytsu | 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 | 2 | 8 |
| Spec score · Game Animation Software | 8.2 (#9) | 9.4 (#1) |
| Spec score · 3D Animation Software | 8.2 (#11) | 9.2 (#1) |
| Purpose | akeytsu is a 3D character rigging, skinning and keyframe animation tool designed for animators. | Cascadeur is physics-based 3D animation software for creating character animation without motion capture. |
| Rigging | Its rigging tools include a hybrid IK-FK solver, reverse-foot controller, space switching, interactive blendshapes and mirroring. | The product includes tools for creating and editing character rigs. |
| Security and privacy | The maker’s privacy policy describes personal-data handling and GDPR rights, but the reviewed maker pages do not state a security certification or compliance audit. | Nekki's privacy policy says it follows GDPR principles and uses safeguards including firewalls, antivirus controls and SSL encryption. |
| Support | Support resources include documentation, forums, tutorials and Discord, and the FAQ says the team usually replies within 48 hours. | Support is offered through Discord, email, documentation and plan-specific priority or dedicated chat channels. |
Plans
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
akeytsu
akeytsu is a 3D character rigging, skinning and keyframe animation tool for animators, available on Windows and macOS. Its Auto-Rig creates a biped skeleton, skin weights and controls after the user places five hot points and selects spine and finger joints. A circular Spinner handles transforms and IK, alongside a hybrid IK-FK solver, reverse-foot controls, space switching, blendshapes and mirroring. Skin Bind uses two passes, including rigid zones and a delta-mush-powered algorithm; skin painting tools are also included. Projects use the native.AKT format, and the software interoperates through FBX while importing BVH and OBJ files. Integrations include game engines and 3D packages such as Unreal Engine 4, Unity, Godot, Maya and Blender. The maker recommends baking animation before export because other software cannot interpret its proprietary IK and RF controllers. A full-featured free trial lasts 30 days and is limited to one trial period per user; a free personal license is listed as renewable annually.
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.