Rive centers on a GPU-accelerated vector rendering engine and state-machine logic that ships as native runtimes across web, mobile, and game engines, with a…
Best for Rive: Teams building interactive, resolution-independent 2D vector graphics and UI animations that need to run natively inside apps and game engines (Web, iOS, Android, Flutter, Unity, Unreal) via a single .riv file.
Best for Spline: Teams designing real-time 3D scenes with physics and interactivity for the web, who want native code export to React, Next.js, Swift, Kotlin, Webflow, Framer, or Wix Studio, plus a bundled 2D canvas tool.
At a Glance
Rive
Spline
Primary category
Design
Design
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Freemium with per-seat monthly subscription tiers plus a custom enterprise plan
freemium
Starting price
Free plan available; paid plans start at $9/seat/month (Cadet)
Free (paid plans from $12/month)
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Not documented
Not documented
Platforms
Web
Web, iOS, Android
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Yes
Public API
Not documented
Not documented
Key Differences
Rendering medium and primary use case
Rive: GPU-accelerated vector rendering engine (Rive Renderer, up to 120fps) driving interactive graphics via a State Machine.
Spline: Real-time 3D modeling with materials, physics, particles, and game-style controls.
Choosing between these tools starts with whether the deliverable is 2D interactive vector graphics/UI or 3D scenes — they are not interchangeable outputs.
Runtime and export targets
Rive: Open-source runtimes with native playback of .riv files across Web, iOS, Android, Flutter, React, React Native, Unity, and Unreal Engine.
Spline: Native export/code support for React, Next.js, Swift, Kotlin, Webflow, Framer, and Wix Studio, gated to the Professional plan and above.
Rive's game-engine runtimes (Unity, Unreal) matter for interactive/gaming use cases that Spline's export list doesn't cover; Spline's Webflow/Framer/Wix export matters for no-code site builders that Rive doesn't list.
AI feature packaging
Rive: A credit-metered AI agent for assisted editing is included on paid plans (Cadet and up), with an advanced-model option on Voyager.
Spline: AI 3D generation is a separate paid add-on (+$5/seat/month) with 2,000 monthly AI credits, not bundled into any base plan.
Rive folds AI agent access into its paid tiers by default, while Spline treats AI generation as an optional upsell on top of any plan.
Pricing ceiling and enterprise gating
Rive: Enterprise tier ($120/seat/month) requires $10M+ in annual company revenue to qualify.
Spline: Enterprise tier is custom-priced with no stated revenue requirement, adding SAML SSO, self-hosted exports, and centralized licensing.
Smaller but well-funded teams could be excluded from Rive's Enterprise tier by the revenue gate regardless of budget, whereas Spline's Enterprise appears open to negotiation regardless of company size.
Feature-by-Feature
Core Design Capabilities
Feature
Rive
Spline
2D vector/interactive graphics editor
Available
Available
3D modeling and materials
Not documented
Available
State-machine / interaction logic
Available
Available
Physics and particles
Not documented
Available
Real-time collaboration
Available
Available
Platforms & Export
Feature
Rive
Spline
Native game engine runtimes (Unity/Unreal)
Available
Not documented
Native mobile app export (iOS/Android)
Available
Available
No-code site builder export (Webflow/Framer/Wix Studio)
Not documented
Available
React/code export
Available
Available
Pricing & AI Add-ons
Feature
Rive
Spline
Free tier
Available
Available
AI features included in base paid plan
Available
Unavailable
Enterprise self-hosted exports
Not documented
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Starter — $12/month per editor (billed annually) or $15/month billed monthly Monthly or annual
Professional — $20/month per editor (billed annually) or $25/month billed monthly Monthly or annual
Enterprise — Custom pricing Annual
Pros & Cons
Rive
Pros
Interactive State Machine lets designers build logic without developer hand-coding
Produces very small, performant files compared to video-based animation exports
Real-time collaborative editing similar to Figma
Open-source runtimes across many platforms including web, mobile, and game engines
Free plan available for learning and small projects
Cons
Enterprise plan requires $10M+ annual revenue and is priced significantly higher than lower tiers
Learning curve for designers unfamiliar with state-machine-based animation logic
Seat limits on Cadet (3) and Voyager (25) plans may require jumping straight to Enterprise for larger teams
Smaller ecosystem and community compared to long-established tools like After Effects
Spline
Pros
Runs entirely in the browser with no heavy desktop 3D software required
Real-time collaboration makes it easy for design teams to work together
Flexible export options including code, video, image, and embeddable widgets
Generous free plan for exploring 3D design before upgrading
AI-assisted 3D and texture generation speeds up asset creation
Cons
Free plan exports carry a visible watermark
Advanced features like code export and APIs require the Professional tier or higher
Steeper learning curve for users with no prior 3D design experience
Complex scenes can be demanding on browser performance
Enterprise features like SSO require custom-priced plans
Use Cases
Choose Rive: Teams building interactive, resolution-independent 2D vector graphics and UI animations that need to run natively inside apps and game engines (Web, iOS, Android, Flutter, Unity, Unreal) via a single .riv file.
Choose Spline: Teams designing real-time 3D scenes with physics and interactivity for the web, who want native code export to React, Next.js, Swift, Kotlin, Webflow, Framer, or Wix Studio, plus a bundled 2D canvas tool.
Need both: Product teams building an app with both interactive 2D UI animation and embedded 3D scenes may use Rive for vector-based UI motion and Spline for 3D visual elements within the same product.
Rive
Interactive app onboarding — A mobile app team designs animated onboarding screens with state-driven transitions that respond to user taps without custom-coded animation logic.
Game character animation — A game studio builds interactive character animations with state machines that react to gameplay events in real time.
Animated product UI elements — A product team creates lightweight animated icons and micro-interactions that ship as small .riv files instead of video assets, improving app performance.
Spline
Interactive marketing and product pages — Marketing and design teams build animated 3D visuals and product showcases to increase engagement on landing pages.
Product design prototyping — Product designers create interactive 3D prototypes and UI concepts before handing them to engineering.
Developer-integrated 3D web experiences — Developers export Spline scenes as code components to embed interactive 3D directly into React and other web apps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rive free to use?
Yes, a free plan exists with 3 collaborative files, 1 project, and limited AI agent usage.
Is Spline free?
Yes, a free plan exists with limited files and watermarked web exports.