Rive
An interactive animation editor plus the runtimes that play it in your app. You draw and animate in the editor, then you set up a state machine: which state follows which, on a hover, a click, a scroll or a value coming from your code. The exported `.riv` file is read by open source runtimes (MIT) for the web, React, React Native, Flutter, iOS, Android, Unity and Unreal. The editor itself is a paid service past the free plan.
Strengths
- The state machine lives in the file: your code sends an event or a value, the animation picks its state
- Data binding: the animation's text, colours and numbers plug into your app (`useViewModel` hooks on the React side)
- MIT-licensed runtimes, from the web to Unity and Unreal: the same file serves the site and the mobile app
Limitations
- Free plan: exports carry a Rive splash screen, 3 files and 1 project. The Cadet plan, $9 per seat per month, removes it
- The editor is a motion designer tool: states, transitions and bones are tuned by hand, count days before feeling at home
- The `.riv` file only opens in Rive: your animation depends on their editor for any change
Best for
- A mascot or illustration that must react to the cursor, the scroll or a state of your app
- A team that wants the same interactive animation on the site, iOS and Android