Live2D Cubism vs Stick Nodes

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.

Stick Nodes is an Android and iOS app for creating stickfigure animations and exporting them as GIFs or videos. Its tools include automatic frame tweening, onion skinning, undo and redo, and camera controls for panning, zooming, and rotating. Users can import and animate images, add textfields, and save, open, or share projects, stickfigures, and movieclips. The app supports pre-3.0 Pivot files and importing Minecraft skins. The website offers more than 30,000 downloadable stickfigures. Free users can export GIFs. Stick Nodes Pro adds MP4 export, removes export watermarks, adds sound effects and additional filters, and removes the startup ad. The Stick Nodes plan is free and may show ads; Stick Nodes Pro costs $3.99, paid once. A 2026 update says free users may see an additional ad after a cooldown. The maker was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.