Cascadeur vs Pencil2D
Cascadeur
cascadeur.com
Pencil2D
pencil2d.orgSide by side
| Figure | Cascadeur | Pencil2D |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $8/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 8 | 2 |
| Spec score · Animation Software | 9.4 (#2) | 8.8 (#16) |
| Animation tools | The Free plan includes animation, rigging, physics-based, inbetweening, and animation unbaking tools. | The manual describes a timeline for keyframes, dockable tool and color windows, and an unlimited canvas with a camera field. |
| Documentation | Official help includes installation, getting started, interface, tools, animation, rigging, tutorials, videos, FAQ and release notes. | Official documentation includes a user guide, tutorials, FAQ, user manual and a reference manual described as an initial work in progress. |
| Export formats | Paid tiers export CASC, FBX, DAE, USD and GLTF, while Free is limited to CASC export. | MP4,WEBM,AVI,GIF,APNG,PNG image sequence |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Licence | Cascadeur is distributed under Nekki's proprietary end-user licence agreement rather than an open-source licence. | The GitHub repository identifies the project licence as GPL-2.0. |
| Limit: feature depth | Creative Bloq said Cascadeur still lacks the depth and breadth of Maya's tools. | Reviewers say Pencil2D has fewer features than competing animation software and needs better beginner UX. |
| Platforms | 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. | Windows,macOS,Linux |
| Purpose | Cascadeur is physics-based 3D animation software for creating character animation without motion capture. | Pencil2D is an intuitive tool for making 2D hand-drawn animations. |
| Rating on G2 | 0 out of 5 from 0 reviews | 4.1 out of 5 from 16 reviews |
| What it does | Cascadeur is software for making character animation without motion capture, using physics-based methods and machine-learning assistance. | Pencil2D is a lightweight tool for creating traditional hand-drawn 2D animations. |
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
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.
Pencil2D
Pencil2D is free, open-source software for creating hand-drawn 2D animations. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and, according to the homepage, FreeBSD. The project provides stable builds for Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.14 or later on Intel, and both 32-bit and 64-bit Linux. Artists can switch between raster and vector workflows for sketching, inking and painting. A timeline manages keyframes, while dockable tool and color windows accompany an unlimited canvas with a camera field. Onion skin displays drawings before and after the current keyframe, with controls for drawing count and transparency. Sound can be imported through a sound layer, although waveform display is still pending. Exports include MP4, WEBM, AVI, GIF, APNG and PNG image sequences. Video importing, text tools and shape tools are not implemented. Pencil2D is free for commercial use. Help is available through its forum, Discord, tutorials, FAQ and user manual.