Cartoon Animator review

Cartoon Animator from Reallusion is aimed at producing character animation quickly rather than drawing every frame. Any vector or bitmap image, including layered PSD files, can be imported, rigged and animated, and characters can get 360 heads that turn convincingly. Lip sync is generated from audio, and the Facial Mocap Plugin in Cartoon Animator 365 Pro drives facial animation from your own expressions through a webcam. Reallusion also lets you convert 3D motion, including in-browser mocap animations, into 2D movement and build 3D parallax scenes and 2D effects. More than 1,700 free resources ship for testing and production. Cartoon Animator 365 is listed at $4.92 per month billed annually, the Pro plan at $8.25, and a 30-day trial is offered. Hand-drawn animators will find little here: it is a rigging and puppet tool, so frame-by-frame work belongs in Krita, Clip Studio Paint EX or TVPaint Animation.

Who it is for

Explainer and YouTube creators who want fast rigged characters

Price

Cartoon Animator 365 from $4.92 per month billed annually; Cartoon Animator 365 Pro $8.25 per month billed annually.

Cartoon Animator 365 $4.92
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• Imports vector, bitmap and PSD layered images to rig and animate
• Lip-sync animation generated from audio
• Facial animation driven by your own expressions with the Facial Mocap Plugin (in 365 Pro)
• 360 head creation for characters that turn
• 3D motion converted to 2D animation, plus 3D parallax scenes

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Fastest route from a still image to a talking character
• Strength: 1,700+ free resources including characters, props and motions
• Strength: 30-day free trial
• Weakness: Built for rigged characters, not frame-by-frame drawing
• Weakness: Subscription pricing for the 365 plans
• Weakness: Facial mocap and Power Tools require the Pro plan

Key facts

• Plans: Cartoon Animator 365, Cartoon Animator 365 Pro
• Free trial: 30 days
• Bundled assets: 1,700+ free resources

Where it ranks

Cartoon Animator is No. 7 in our Best 2D Animation Software verdict.