Live2D Cubism vs Spine
Live2D Cubism
live2d.com
Spine
esotericsoftware.comSide by side
| Figure | Live2D Cubism | Spine |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $5.65/mo | $70.83/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 | 20 | 8 |
| Spec score · 2D Game Animation Software | 8.9 (#2) | 8.1 (#10) |
| Spec score · Animation Software | 9.0 (#11) | 8.6 (#23) |
| Spec score · 2D Character Animation Software | 8.8 (#6) | 8.1 (#17) |
| Spec score · Game Animation Software | 8.8 (#4) | 8.0 (#17) |
| Spec score · Cartoon Maker Software | 8.8 (#8) | 8.0 (#17) |
| Export formats | PNG,JPEG,GIF,MP4,WebM,MOV,MOC3,model3.json,motion3.json | JSON,binary,GIF,PNG,JPEG,AVI,QuickTime video,texture atlas |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Integrations | Editor files are supported by nizima LIVE and various third-party applications, and Live2D provides an After Effects plug-in and Photoshop scripts. | Official runtimes support toolkits including Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, iOS, Android, Flutter, Phaser, PixiJS, and libgdx; the maker also lists generic runtimes for C, C++, C#, Haxe, and TypeScript. |
| Supported platforms | Windows,macOS | Windows,macOS,Linux |
| Purpose | Cubism Editor models and animates drawn illustrations to create dynamic 2D expressions. | Spine is an animation tool focused specifically on 2D animation for games, with an editor and runtimes for using animations in games. |
| Support and learning | Live2D provides manuals, tutorials, free sample data, and Live2D Help for users. | The maker provides a user guide, example projects, a forum, and weekly Twitch streams where viewers can ask a rigging expert questions live. |
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
Spine
- Essential$99 a month
- Professional$449 a month
- Enterprise$2,499 a year
- Education — 10 computers$850 a year
- Education — 25 computers$1,700 a year
- Education — 50 computers$2,900 a year
- Essential$69, paid once
- Professional$379, paid once
In their own words
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.
Spine
Spine is a 2D animation tool focused on making animations for games, with an editor and runtimes for using the results in games. It builds skeletal or cutout animation by attaching images to bones and animating those bones. Rigging and animation tools include inverse kinematics, paths, skins, meshes, free-form deformation, weights, a dopesheet, a graph editor, and runtime preview. Exports include JSON and binary animation data, animated GIFs, PNG or JPEG image sequences, AVI or QuickTime video, and texture atlases or spritesheets. Official runtimes support Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, iOS, Android, Flutter, Phaser, PixiJS, and libgdx; generic runtimes are also listed for C, C++, C#, Haxe, and TypeScript. Spine runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Its free trial includes Professional features but cannot save projects, pack textures, or export animation data, images, or video. Essential is listed at $99 a month; Professional is $449 a month.