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ExodeUI vs Rive: a Rive alternative for product UI
Looking for a Rive alternative for app and web interfaces? ExodeUI uses the same state-machine approach and adds layout, physics, logic and live data in one open file. Here is where it fits, and where Rive is still the better tool. Comparing more than two tools? See the ranked list of Rive alternatives.
Updated November 2026 · We make ExodeUI
Direct Answer
Rive and ExodeUI work the same way at runtime: you design in a visual editor, and a runtime in your app plays the file and responds to inputs and events. The difference is what the file can hold. Rive is built for interactive graphics, characters and games, and it is still the better choice for rigging and game-engine work. ExodeUI is built for product UI, so its files also hold responsive layout, physics, node logic and API data, in an open .exode JSON source.
Stay with Rive if you animate characters with bones and meshes, ship to Unity or Unreal, or depend on a large library of .riv files.
The core difference: interactive graphics vs interactive UI
In Rive you draw, rig and animate, then wire states together. The published .riv file is a compact binary that Rive's runtimes play. Its editor now has an MCP server and a CLI that builds .riv files from a text format.
In ExodeUI you build components and screens with responsive breakpoints, add states and transitions, and connect node logic, expressions and API variables. The source is an open .exode JSON file that compiles to a small .bexode file for the runtime, and the CLI can diff, lint and audit it for accessibility.
Rive vs ExodeUI: Feature Matrix
Rive data from rive.app pricing and docs, checked October 2026.
| Feature | Rive | ExodeUI |
|---|---|---|
| What ships | .riv file played by the Rive runtime | .bexode file (from open .exode JSON) played by the ExodeUI runtime |
| State machines and logic | State machines, data binding, Luau scripting | State machines, node logic, expressions, API variables |
| Layout | Layouts for responsive graphics | Breakpoints with per-container overrides, multi-screen projects |
| Physics | Constraints (IK, distance, follow path, scroll); no physics engine in the docs | Physics engine: gravity, collisions, attractors, fluid zones |
| Character rigging | Mature bones and meshes | Bones and skinning with weight painting (newer) |
| AI tools | MCP server (desktop editor), AI Agent, CLI | MCP server, built-in AI chat with your own keys |
| Runtimes | Web, React, React Native, iOS, Android, Flutter, C++, C#; Unity and Unreal guides | React, Vue, Svelte, Angular, Solid, React Native, SwiftUI, Flutter |
| Free plan exports | Yes, with a Rive splash screen | Free Community plan |
| Paid plans | From $9 per seat per month (Cadet, billed yearly) | Professional $29 per month |
Pricing at a Glance
Rive's Free plan exports .riv files with a Rive splash screen. Cadet ($9 per seat per month, billed yearly) removes it, Voyager ($32) adds libraries and team features, and Enterprise ($120, for companies with $10M+ revenue) adds SSO and SOC 2. ExodeUI has a free Community plan, and Professional is $29 per month.
Rive is cheaper per seat. Pick on fit rather than price: what the file needs to hold and which platforms you ship to. See the full pricing comparison or the ranked list of Rive alternatives.
Free and open-source Rive alternatives
“Free” and “open source” mean different things here. Rive's editor and .riv format are proprietary, but its runtimes are open source under the MIT licence. ExodeUI is not open source: the .exode source file is open JSON you can read, diff and edit, and the runtime packages are installed from npm. The Community plan is free, and Professional is $29 per month.
For a fully open-source editor, Glaxnimate is free and exports Lottie rather than interactive state machines. For a wider list, including Lottie, Spline, Figma Motion, Jitter, GSAP and Motion, see the ranked Rive alternatives, or read Rive vs Lottie.
Shipping to a framework? Read the Rive alternative for React and web, spring animation in React Native, or physics animation in Flutter.
Still comparing? Open the editor and see for yourself.
Free Community plan. One open .exode file that runs in React, Vue, Svelte, Angular, Solid, React Native, SwiftUI and Flutter.