Playbook by MediaBistro | Tools & Software for Creative Professionals
iClone and Lottie serve completely different animation needs. iClone is a professional 3D animation software for character work and scene building, while Lottie is an open-source library that brings After Effects animations to web and mobile platforms at minimal file sizes.
iClone positions itself as a real-time 3D animation platform built for character animators and motion designers who need to move quickly from concept to rendered output. The software handles the full pipeline from scene construction to character rigging and animation, with particular strength in exporting projects as video sequences or image files ready for compositing. The real-time preview engine lets animators see lighting, camera moves, and character performances without waiting for renders.
The platform bridges 3D animation and post-production workflows through its support for alpha channels and transparent video exports. Character animators use iClone to create performances that integrate into live-action footage or motion graphics compositions. VFX professionals rely on it for rapid prototyping of character movements and scene layouts before committing to longer render times in other 3D packages. The software targets professionals who need production-ready 3D animation without the technical overhead of general-purpose 3D suites.
Lottie emerged from Airbnb as an open-source solution to a persistent web and mobile problem: animations that look good but load slowly. The library parses After Effects animations exported as JSON files and renders them natively on iOS, Android, and web platforms. Designers create animations in the familiar After Effects environment, then Lottie handles the translation to code without requiring frame-by-frame video files or heavy GIF formats.
The library has become standard infrastructure for product designers and front-end developers who want interactive, scalable animations that respond to user input and screen sizes. Lottie animations maintain vector crispness at any resolution while keeping file sizes remarkably small compared to traditional video formats. The open-source nature means the community continually adds features and platform support. Major tech companies and startups alike use Lottie to add polish to interfaces without sacrificing performance or loading speed.
Dedicated 3D software with real-time character animation and scene building tools
Uses After Effects as creation environment, Lottie handles rendering and playback
Video files and image sequences with alpha channel support for compositing
JSON files rendered natively in web browsers and mobile apps at runtime
Exports rendered video files, file size depends on resolution and length
Extremely small JSON files that scale without quality loss or size increase
Full 3D environment with character rigging, lighting, camera controls, and scene composition
Limited to 2D and 2.5D animations created in After Effects
Exports static video files for playback in other applications
Animations can respond to user input, scroll position, or programmatic triggers
Creates video files playable anywhere video is supported
Native libraries for iOS, Android, Web, React Native, and other platforms
The pricing structures reflect fundamentally different product models. iClone sells professional software as a traditional commercial product, while Lottie operates as open-source infrastructure that costs nothing to implement. Budget considerations here depend entirely on whether you need dedicated 3D animation software or a lightweight animation playback system.
These tools solve different problems in the animation world. iClone creates 3D animation from scratch with character rigging, scene building, and rendering capabilities. Lottie takes existing After Effects animations and makes them deployable on digital platforms at tiny file sizes with interactive capabilities. Comparing them directly misses the point because they serve separate stages of different workflows.
Choose iClone when you need to produce 3D character animation and scene work as finished video or as elements for compositing. Choose Lottie when you have After Effects animations that need to live on websites or in mobile apps with minimal file size and maximum interactivity. Many studios actually use both: iClone for 3D animation production, and Lottie for deploying 2D motion graphics to digital products. The decision depends on whether you're creating 3D animation content or implementing lightweight animations in digital interfaces.
