Cinema 4D vs Live2D Cubism
Cinema 4D
maxon.net
Live2D Cubism
live2d.comSide by side
| Figure | Cinema 4D | Live2D Cubism |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $5.65/mo |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 20 |
| Spec score · Animation Software | 8.3 (#28) | 9.0 (#11) |
| Founded | 1986 | 2006 |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Headquarters | Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany | Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan |
| Integrations | Cinema 4D supports workflows with Adobe After Effects and Unreal Engine through Cineware. | Editor files are supported by nizima LIVE and various third-party applications, and Live2D provides an After Effects plug-in and Photoshop scripts. |
| Platforms | Cinema 4D runs on Windows, including Windows on Arm, and macOS; the product page says iPad availability is planned for late 2026. | Windows,macOS |
| Purpose | Cinema 4D combines 3D modeling, animation, simulation, and rendering in one application. | Cubism Editor models and animates drawn illustrations to create dynamic 2D expressions. |
| Support and learning | Subscriptions include access to Cineversity training, and Maxon provides tutorials and documentation. | Live2D provides manuals, tutorials, free sample data, and Live2D Help for users. |
Plans
Live2D Cubism
- Cubism PRO for indie — Monthly$13.26 a month
- Cubism PRO for indie — Annual, year one$91.02 a year
- Cubism PRO for indie — Annual, year two$74.96 a year
- Cubism PRO for indie — Annual, year three and later$68.07 a year
- Cubism PRO for indie — 3-year plan$234.05 a month
- Cubism PRO for business — Monthly$61.32 a month
- Cubism PRO for business — Annual, year one$420.68 a year
- Cubism PRO for business — Annual, year two$380.91 a year
- Cubism PRO for business — Annual, year three and later$350.32 a year
- Cubism PRO for indie Monthly Plan$13.21 a month
In their own words
Cinema 4D
Cinema 4D combines 3D modeling, animation, simulation, and rendering in a desktop application. Modeling options include parametric and polygonal workflows, sculpting, generators, deformers, and spline-based tools. MoGraph provides cloners, effectors, fields, and distributions for procedural motion design. Its simulation system supports cloth, rigid and soft bodies, particles, hair, smoke, flames, and liquids. Animation features include keyframes, character rigging templates, motion tracking, and motion capture support. Every subscription includes GPU-accelerated Redshift rendering, and Cineware supports workflows with Adobe After Effects and Unreal Engine. Listed formats include OBJ, FBX, Alembic, USD, glTF, STEP, CATIA, and Solidworks. The application supports 3D print export and runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Cinema 4D was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany. There is no free plan, but a 14-day Maxon One trial includes Cinema 4D and Redshift; only the latest releases are available for trial. A CPU with AVX2 support is required for Cinema 4D 2025 and newer.
Live2D Cubism
Live2D Cubism Editor turns drawn illustrations into animated 2D models, with tools for shaping expressions through mesh deformation, physics, and lip sync. Live2D says its technology is used in mobile apps, console games, VTuber streaming, and animation. The editor runs on Windows and macOS, including Apple Silicon and Intel Mac versions, and exports PNG, JPEG, GIF, MP4, WebM, MOV, MOC3, model3.json, and motion3.json files. Editor files are supported by nizima LIVE and other third-party applications; Live2D also provides an After Effects plug-in and Photoshop scripts. The PRO trial lasts 42 days, after which the Editor continues as the FREE version. FREE is limited to one 2048 px texture file, 100 ArtMesh, 30 motion parameters, 50 deformers, and 30 parts; exceeding those limits prevents saving. FREE commercial use is restricted to General Users and Small-Scale Enterprises with annual sales under 10 million yen. Cubism PRO for indie is listed at $13.26 a month.