Spine vs Stop Motion Studio
Spine
esotericsoftware.com
Stop Motion Studio
stopmotionstudio.comSide by side
| Figure | Spine | Stop Motion Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $70.83/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 8 | 8 |
| Spec score · Animation Software | 8.6 (#23) | 9.0 (#12) |
| Export formats | JSON,binary,GIF,PNG,JPEG,AVI,QuickTime video,texture atlas | Projects can be exported as video, GIF, sticker, flipbook, MP4, MOV, 4K output, image sequences, or project files. |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Integrations | 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. | Projects can move between devices using iCloud, AirDrop, Dropbox, and the Files app, and finished videos can be shared to YouTube, Instagram, and other social networks. |
| Supported platforms | Windows,macOS,Linux | iOS,Android,macOS,Windows |
Plans
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
Stop Motion Studio
- FreeFree
- Pro (iPhone and iPad)Price not published
- Pro 2 (Mac)Price not published
- FreeFree
- Stop Motion Studio (free mobile version)Free
- Pro$5.99, paid once
- Stop Motion Studio Pro (iPhone and iPad)$5.99, paid once
- School site licensePrice not published
In their own words
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.
Stop Motion Studio
Stop Motion Studio is an app for creating stop-motion animation with frame-by-frame capture and editing. It runs on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. Camera capture can be automatic or manual, with controls for focus, exposure, ISO, and white balance; the app can create 4K video. Editing tools include a frame-by-frame editor, zoomable timeline, audio, titles, credits, and filters. Onion skinning, composition guides, a path layer, and reference images or video support planning movement and framing. The product page also describes DSLR control with Live View and in-app shutter speed, ISO, and aperture settings. Finished movies can be saved as video, GIF, sticker, or flipbook; raw images can also be exported, and projects transferred to another device. The free mobile version costs nothing and includes core classroom features such as frame-by-frame capture, onion skinning, and video export. Green screen, rotoscoping, 4K export, and other advanced tools require an upgrade. The Pro app for iPhone and iPad is listed at $5.99, paid once, with no subscription. The maker says there is no trial or free version for Windows or macOS.