Opentoonz

Open source alternative to Toon Boom Harmony and TVPaint Animation

8.2K stars
BSD 3-Clause
Active this week
Last commit 3 days ago

Last verified Nov 15, 2026

Create 2D animations with the open-source software that powered Studio Ghibli productions. Free for commercial and personal use.

Visit website GitHub8.2K

Read the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs, the quick start and the FAQ

who it's for

Who Opentoonz is for#

Indie animators and students learning studio-style 2D production

OpenToonz runs the same x-sheet-based production workflow used in professional studios. Students who learn on OpenToonz are learning a transferable pipeline, not a simplified version of it. The Modified BSD License covers commercial use, so student and class projects can be sold or distributed commercially without restriction.

Skip if:

Skip if you need a guided learning environment with structured curriculum and official support materials. OpenToonz documentation is community-maintained and assumes basic familiarity with animation production concepts.

Small studios replacing per-seat commercial animation tools

A studio paying for Toon Boom Harmony Pro at multiple hundreds of dollars per seat per year can run the same core production pipeline in OpenToonz at no licensing cost. The x-sheet, digital paint, node compositor, and GTS scan tool cover the production workflow. File management and version control stay external, but the per-seat cost savings are immediate.

Skip if:

Skip if your production workflow depends on Harmony's cloud collaboration, its network rendering pipeline, or its linked asset management. OpenToonz handles none of those out of the box.

Animation researchers building custom compositor effects

The Effect SDK provides a public C++ plugin API for the compositor. Researchers can build new image-processing algorithms, run them in a production-grade animation context, and get feedback from animators working with real assets. DWANGO built the original plugin set (style transfer, incident-light simulation, wave glass simulation) this way and released the results alongside the open-source launch.

Skip if:

Skip if the target use is real-time rendering, 3D compositing, or interactive media. OpenToonz is a 2D cel animation tool and the effect pipeline is built for that context specifically.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Professional 2D animation software is expensive. Toon Boom Harmony's production tiers run from several hundred to over a thousand dollars per seat per year, and TVPaint Animation carries a similar price point, putting both out of reach for indie animators, students, and small studios. The tools in the free tier of most animation software leave out the production-grade features that studio pipelines depend on: a proper x-sheet timing interface, non-destructive digital paint with palette-independent color management, and compositing with node-tree effect management.

The gap between hobbyist tools and professional-grade production software has historically forced animators into one of two positions: pay the per-seat fee or accept a significant capability ceiling. For anyone who learned animation in a studio context, the workflow differences between free and commercial tools affect how you plan scenes, manage timing across cuts, and hand off deliverables.

how Opentoonz solves it

How it solves it#

X-sheet (exposure sheet) timeline interface

The x-sheet, or exposure sheet, maps frame numbers to drawing levels in a grid interface that professional studios use to plan scene timing. Each level is a named drawing set; the x-sheet controls when each frame appears in the final output. This is the same timing-control method used in traditional hand-drawn production pipelines, not a simplified version of it.

Raster and vector drawing support

Supports both raster (bitmap) and vector drawing modes in the same project. Raster mode suits traditional-style hand-drawn cel work; vector mode suits clean-line commercial animation. Palettes are stored separately from the drawings themselves, so you can reassign colors globally across all cels that share a palette entry without redrawing any of them.

GTS scan tool for traditional cel animation

GTS is the scan workflow tool Studio Ghibli developed internally to digitize hand-drawn cels. It maps sequential scan batches to animation frame numbers automatically, supports four scan modes (black-and-white, color, with and without binarization), and stores scan settings per project. When a partial rescan is needed, stored settings reproduce the same scan parameters consistently. GTS ships with the Windows installer.

Node-tree compositor with Effect SDK

Composites cels, layers, and effects through a visual node tree rather than a flat layer stack. Effects can be connected, stacked, and routed between nodes to build multi-pass compositing pipelines. The Effect SDK, released alongside the open-source launch, allows C++ developers to add custom image-processing effects. DWANGO's research team released plugins including style-transfer and incident-light simulation effects.

Cross-platform installer builds

Ships verified installer builds for Windows, macOS, and Linux. GitHub Actions runs CI build workflows for all three platforms on every pull request, so releases are tested before shipping. Installation is the standard desktop path: download the installer from the official site or GitHub Releases and run it. No server, container, or external runtime is required.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Studio Ghibli production history behind the designThe x-sheet, digital paint, and compositing pipeline comes from decades of use in Studio Ghibli productions. The original Toonz software has been used in finishing, color specification, and camera work on nearly every Ghibli film since Princess Mononoke, with internal customizations the studio developed for its own production demands. That history backs every pipeline design choice in OpenToonz.
Modified BSD License with unrestricted commercial useThe Modified BSD License permits unrestricted commercial use: studios can deliver paid client work, distribute modified builds, and run OpenToonz in a revenue-generating production without a licensing agreement. The only requirements are retaining the copyright notice and disclaimer in any redistribution of the software itself, and not using the copyright holders' names for endorsement.
Active maintenance and cross-platform CI coverageThe last commit to the main branch was in November 2026, and GitHub Actions CI covers Windows, macOS, and Linux builds on every push. With over 8,200 stars and nearly 950 forks, the project sees consistent contributor activity and cross-platform maintenance. For a free animation production tool at this scope, that level of ongoing platform coverage is not common.
Effect SDK for custom pipeline extensionsThe public C++ Effect SDK lets studios and researchers build custom image-processing plugins for the compositor. For a studio with specific visual requirements, this is a path to pipeline customization that most proprietary animation tools do not offer at any price. DWANGO built the original plugin set using the same SDK, which shows it covers production-quality effects.

Trade-offs

-No cloud collaboration or network renderingOpenToonz has no built-in network collaboration, cloud asset storage, or project-sharing service. Studios working across multiple machines need to manage file sharing, version control, and render distribution externally. This is a meaningful gap versus Toon Boom Harmony's cloud features, which are built for distributed studio workflows and included in its higher-tier subscriptions.
-187 open GitHub issuesThe GitHub tracker carries 187 open issues. For a tool at this scope and complexity, that is consistent with ongoing production use, but users do encounter bugs and workflow gaps that are known and unfixed. Checking the issue tracker for the specific platform and workflow you plan to use is a reasonable precaution before committing to a production timeline.
-C++ build toolchain required for source contributionsContributing code requires a C++ build environment with platform-specific prerequisites. The repository documents build procedures for Windows, macOS, Linux, and BSD separately. For animators without C++ development experience, this is not a barrier to using OpenToonz, but it limits the pool of potential contributors compared to tools built on interpreted languages.

versus alternatives

Opentoonz vs alternatives#

OpenToonz vs Toon Boom Harmony

Toon Boom Harmony is the dominant paid tool in professional 2D animation studios. Both cover the same core pipeline: x-sheet timeline, digital paint, raster and vector drawing, and node-tree compositing. The choice comes down to collaboration features and licensing cost.

Feature	OpenToonz	Toon Boom Harmony
License	Modified BSD (free)	Proprietary
Cost	Free	Paid per seat per year
X-sheet timeline	Yes	Yes
Raster and vector drawing	Yes	Yes
Node compositor	Yes	Yes
Cloud collaboration	No	Yes (higher tiers)
Network rendering	No	Yes

For indie animators and small studios working locally, OpenToonz is the stronger choice: it delivers the same core production pipeline at no cost and adds the GTS scan tool and Effect SDK that Harmony does not include. The Modified BSD License covers commercial use without restriction.

Toon Boom Harmony is worth the per-seat cost when a production depends on its cloud collaboration, its network rendering pipeline, or when studio staff are already trained extensively on Harmony and retraining would affect production timelines.

OpenToonz vs TVPaint Animation

TVPaint Animation is a raster-only tool focused on traditional frame-by-frame hand-drawn animation. OpenToonz covers the same core territory and adds vector mode and a node-tree compositor.

Feature	OpenToonz	TVPaint Animation
License	Modified BSD (free)	Proprietary
Cost	Free	One-time purchase
Drawing modes	Raster and vector	Raster only
Node compositor	Yes	No
Effect plugins	Yes (SDK)	No
Scan tool (GTS)	Yes	No

OpenToonz is the better choice for animators who need both raster and vector drawing, compositing, and the scan pipeline in a single free tool. TVPaint's raster tools are refined and purpose-built for traditional animation, and its one-time purchase model suits smaller budgets.

TVPaint Animation remains a reasonable choice for artists whose workflow is exclusively frame-by-frame raster drawing and who prefer a focused traditional-drawing tool without the complexity of a full production pipeline.

install · quick start

Quick start#

bash

Download the Windows, macOS, or Linux installer from GitHub Releases: https://github.com/opentoonz/opentoonz/releases/latest

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages: CC++

frequently asked

FAQ#

Is OpenToonz free for commercial animation projects?

Yes. OpenToonz is released under the Modified BSD License, which permits commercial use with no fees. You can produce and sell animated content made with OpenToonz, modify the source code for your workflow, and distribute results commercially. There is no restriction on running OpenToonz as part of a paid service or animation studio pipeline. The only requirements in a redistribution of the software itself are retaining the copyright notices and disclaimer.

What platforms does OpenToonz run on?

Windows, macOS, and Linux. The project ships CI-verified installer builds for all three platforms. The minimum macOS version is 10.14 (Mojave). The GTS scan tool is included with the Windows installer only.

How does OpenToonz compare to Toon Boom Harmony for professional work?

OpenToonz covers the core 2D production pipeline that Harmony also supports: x-sheet timeline, digital paint, raster and vector drawing, and a node-tree compositor. The main gaps are Harmony's cloud collaboration, network rendering, and managed asset library. For studios that work locally on a standard cel animation production, OpenToonz handles the same core workflow at no cost. Harmony is worth its per-seat cost when a production depends on its cloud features or when staff already trained on Harmony would need significant retraining.

Can I build OpenToonz from source?

Yes. The repository provides separate build guides for Windows, macOS, Linux, and BSD. Building from source requires a C++ development environment with platform-specific prerequisites. For most users, the official installer from the project site or GitHub Releases is the simpler path. The source build is primarily for contributors, researchers, or studios that need to modify the tool directly.

What is the OpenToonz Effect SDK?

The Effect SDK is a C++ plugin API that allows developers to add custom image-processing effects to the OpenToonz compositor. DWANGO released it alongside the open-source launch of the project. The SDK is used by DWANGO's own research effects (style transfer, incident-light simulation, wave glass simulation), and documentation is available on the project website.

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OpenToonz vs Toon Boom Harmony

Feature	OpenToonz	Toon Boom Harmony
License	Modified BSD (free)	Proprietary
Cost	Free	Paid per seat per year
X-sheet timeline	Yes	Yes
Raster and vector drawing	Yes	Yes
Node compositor	Yes	Yes
Cloud collaboration	No	Yes (higher tiers)
Network rendering	No	Yes

OpenToonz vs TVPaint Animation

TVPaint Animation is a raster-only tool focused on traditional frame-by-frame hand-drawn animation. OpenToonz covers the same core territory and adds vector mode and a node-tree compositor.

Feature	OpenToonz	TVPaint Animation
License	Modified BSD (free)	Proprietary
Cost	Free	One-time purchase
Drawing modes	Raster and vector	Raster only
Node compositor	Yes	No
Effect plugins	Yes (SDK)	No
Scan tool (GTS)	Yes	No