Rigby2D vs Toon Boom Harmony
A free alternative to Toon Boom Harmony for cut-out animation
For rigged, cut-out characters, Rigby2D gives you bones, meshes, IK and physics, lip-sync from audio, a film camera and 4K renders, with no subscription. And the same character plays in game engines.
| Rigby2D | Toon Boom Harmony | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, forever | Subscription: Essentials $30, Advanced $77, Premium $139 per month (list prices) |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, and the full editor in your browser | Desktop app |
| Cut-out rigging | Bones, weighted meshes, IK, transform, path, physics and slider constraints, clipping, skins | Deformers, pegs and node-based rigging |
| Setup from art | AutoRig: a layered PSD becomes an editable rig in one step | Import art and rig it by hand |
| Lip-sync | Lip-sync from audio, transcribed on your computer | Lip-sync detection |
| Film output | Film workspace: camera, audio tracks, renders to PNG sequences, WebM with alpha and MP4 at 4K | Full production rendering and compositing |
| Game engines | Godot, Unity, Phaser, JavaScript and Rust, free and open source | Mainly built for TV and film production |
| Automation | Python scripting, add-ons, and a built-in MCP server for AI assistants | Scripting |
Toon Boom Harmony details from its own site, October 2026. Prices and features change; check there before you decide.
Why switch to Rigby2D
- No subscription. Rigging, animation, lip-sync and 4K rendering, free.
- Rig in one step. AutoRig turns a layered PSD into a working rig with bones, meshes and IK.
- Physics on hair, cloth and accessories, built in.
- One rig for film and games: the same character plays in Godot, Unity, Phaser and the web.
- Open source: your pipeline is never locked to a vendor.
Switching
Export your character's layers as a PSD, then use File ▸ AutoRig artwork in Rigby2D. Render in the Film workspace, or ship the same rig to a game.
Questions
Is Rigby2D a full replacement for Harmony?
For cut-out character animation, it covers rigging, animation, lip-sync and rendering for free. Harmony is a complete studio pipeline with drawing and compositing that Rigby2D does not try to replace.
Can I use Rigby2D characters in games too?
Yes. The same rig plays in Godot, Unity, Phaser, the browser and Rust with the free Rigby2D runtimes.
Questions about switching? Ask on r/rigby2d: people who made the move answer there.
Join r/rigby2dAlso: Rigby2D vs Spine · Rigby2D vs DragonBones · Rigby2D vs Moho