The short answer. Synfig Studio is the open-source 2D animation tool built around vector tweening, which means shapes interpolate rather than being redrawn frame by frame. Natron is the node-based compositor — a different job, closer to visual effects than to character animation. Blender includes a 2D animation workspace that shares the timeline and the renderer with its 3D pipeline, which is the reason to use it for a 2D project. Mottie is the Lottie player: it does not animate, it plays and previews the JSON that an animation tool exports. The dividing question is whether you are making the animation or playing it, because a player in an animation list is a category error that the file extension hides.
This guide covers 4 2d animation software for macOS. Every fact below is drawn from the same verified records that back each app’s own page. The recommendations are our editorial judgment, not payment. Last verified 2026-10-04.
Quick comparison
| App | What it is | Pricing | Licence | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blender | 3D modelling app | Open source | GPL-2.0-or-later | 5.2.2 LTS |
| Mottie | design tool | Free | not published | 1.1.0 |
| Natron | media app | Open source | GPL-2.0 | 2.5.0 |
| Synfig Studio | media app | Open source | GPL-3.0 | 1.4.4 |
What actually decides this
- Animate or composite. Animation is a timeline with keyframes and interpolation. Compositing is a node graph combining layers. A 2D project often needs both and they are separate tools in every serious pipeline.
- Vector tweening or frame by frame. Tweening interpolates between two shapes and keeps the file small and editable. Frame-by-frame drawing gives control and multiplies the work. The tool you choose decides which of those you can do at all.
- What the export format is. A video file, an image sequence, a GIF and a Lottie JSON are four outputs for four destinations. A tool that exports only video cannot feed a web animation, and one that exports only Lottie cannot feed a render farm.
- Whether it shares a pipeline with 3D. A tool inside a 3D suite can use the same camera, materials and renderer, which matters for a project that mixes the two. A standalone 2D tool is simpler and cannot.
- What the playback preview is worth. Animation is judged in motion, so the preview has to be honest about timing. A viewport that drops frames and a player that plays the exported file are two different truths, and the second is the one the audience sees.
Our picks
- Synfig Studio — Its record describes free, open-source 2D animation software, which is the tweening case. Choose it when you want open-source vector tweening for 2D.
- Natron — Its record describes open-source node-based compositing software, which is the compositing case. Choose it when the job is node-based compositing.
- Blender — Its record describes a 3D creation suite, which is the shared-pipeline case. Choose it when the 2D work has to share a pipeline with 3D.
- Mottie — Its record describes a native Lottie animation player with a Quick Look extension, which is the playback case. Choose it when you need to preview a Lottie file rather than make one.
The apps
Blender
Blender is a 3D modelling app for macOS. Free and open-source 3D creation software covering modelling, sculpting, animation, VFX, rendering and video editing in one application. It is released under GPL-2.0-or-later.
Strengths. Free software under the GPL with no licence fee, registration or internet connection required. According to the developer, covers modelling, sculpting, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering and video editing in one application. Content you create with Blender remains your property and may be used commercially.
Trade-offs. Blender 5.0 and later require Apple Silicon and macOS 13 Ventura or newer; Intel Macs must remain on Blender 4.5 LTS. The macOS download is an Apple Silicon build only — there is no Intel macOS package for the current version. According to the developer, recommended specifications are substantial: 32 GB of RAM, 8 GB of VRAM and a 1920x1080 display.
Not for. Intel Mac users on the current version — Blender 5.0 and later require Apple Silicon, and Intel Macs must stay on Blender 4.5 LTS. Anyone on macOS 12 or earlier — Blender 5.0 and later require macOS 13 Ventura. Users who want to publish closed-source add-ons — add-ons written against the Python API must be GPL-compatible if shared.
What it does. Polygon modelling and sculpting. UV unwrapping and texturing. Rigging and animation with a timeline. Physics simulation for cloth, fluids, smoke and particles.
Blender is listed with current version 5.2.2 LTS.
Full profile and verified facts for Blender →
Mottie
Mottie is a design tool for macOS. A native Lottie animation player with Quick Look extension for dotLottie files. It is free.
What it does. Native Lottie animation player for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Open dotLottie (.lottie), .lot, and JSON animation files with ease. Fast, lightweight, and free.
Mottie is listed with current version 1.1.0.
Full profile and verified facts for Mottie →
Natron
Natron is a media app for macOS. Open-source node-based compositing software. It is released under GPL-2.0.
What it does. Open Source VFX Compositing Software.
Natron is listed with current version 2.5.0.
Full profile and verified facts for Natron →
Synfig Studio
Synfig Studio is a media app for macOS. Synfig Studio is free, open-source 2D animation software. It is released under GPL-3.0.
What it does. Free and open-source animation software.
Synfig Studio is listed with current version 1.4.4.
Full profile and verified facts for Synfig Studio →
How to choose
- Free of charge. Mottie — no payment is required.
- No licence fee, source available. Blender, Natron and Synfig Studio — the source can be read and, under the terms of each licence, reused.
Open source: Blender, Natron and Synfig Studio (3 of 4).
Common mistakes
- Exporting a Lottie file and expecting a video editor to open it.
- Judging timing from a viewport that drops frames.
- Compositing in an animation tool and animating in a compositor.
- Choosing frame-by-frame for a project with a deadline and a small team.
How this guide was put together
Each app’s facts come from its own record: the developer’s own pages and repository, the App Store listing where one exists, and the documentation, each with a source grade and an access date. Where a fact rests on the developer’s own statement rather than on something we verified independently, the sentence says so. Where our data has no value for something, the guide says “not published” instead of guessing.
A price appears here only where the record carries one from a stated source; the guide never estimates one, and it records the pricing model alongside so the two can be read together. Prices change and vary by region, so each app links to its own page for the current detail.
The facts and the recommendations are kept apart on purpose. Everything in the app entries, the comparison table and the answers above is composed from the records. The short answer, the criteria and the picks are our editorial judgment: they reflect what we would choose and why, and they are not paid for. Where we make a recommendation we name the condition it applies under, because we do not call anything “the best” without explaining the criteria.
Verified 2026-10-04.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose between these 2d animation software?
There is no single answer — it depends on what you need. This guide covers 4 2d animation software: Blender, Mottie, Natron and Synfig Studio. They differ mainly in pricing model, licence and the trade-offs each one carries. Pick by the trade-off you care about rather than by rank.
Are these 2d animation software free?
Pricing across this group: open source (Blender, Natron and Synfig Studio) and free (Mottie). We quote a price only where the record carries one from a stated source, and we never estimate one. Prices change and vary by region and by store, so always check the developer’s own page for the current figure.
Which of these 2d animation software are open source?
Blender (GPL-2.0-or-later), Natron (GPL-2.0) and Synfig Studio (GPL-3.0) are open source.
Do these 2d animation software support Apple Silicon?
Apple Silicon support is explicitly stated for Blender. For the others our data does not carry an explicit statement either way, so we do not infer one.
How do I choose between them?
Start with how you pay: the guide groups these apps by pricing model, because the budget is the constraint most people actually have. Then check the trade-offs listed for each app: the limitations are the part that decides most people’s choice, because they describe what the app will not do for you.
Who should not use these apps?
Blender each list an audience they are explicitly not aimed at. Those notes come from the same verified records as the rest of this guide, and they are worth reading before you install anything.
When was this data last verified?
The facts in this guide were last confirmed on 2026-10-04. Every app page carries its own verification dates and source list, so you can check any individual claim.
