Best 3D Rigging Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Mixos Mold is ranked #1 of 26 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Houdini and Contour Rig Tools. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Houdini. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Uthana at $0.01/mo.
Preparing 3D characters and assets for animation means considering both how rigs are created and where they need to work. Compare auto-rigging and rig targets with supported host apps, export formats, and scripting support. Mixos Mold, Houdini, and Contour Rig Tools are among the options shown. Deployment, free-plan availability, and paid starting prices add practical points to weigh as you match a tool to your pipeline, target assets, and preferred balance of automation and scripting.
26 3D rigging software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
11 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mixos MoldWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | $8.99/mo | 6.7 | |
| 2 | HoudiniWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $7.92/mo | 6.6 | |
| 3 | Contour Rig ToolsWindows · Mac · Linux · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $40/mo | 6.5 | |
| 4 | Mesh2MotionWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 5 | dpAutoRigSystemWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 6 | Live Link FaceAndroid · iPhone | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 7 | MakeHumanWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 8 | mGear FrameworkWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 9 | RigifyWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 10 | MixamoWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 11 | Autodesk Flow StudioWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.2 | |
| 12 | AdvancedSkeletonWindows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | $125/mo | 5.4 |
| 13 | Mesh2RigWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 14 | CloudRigExtension | One bar | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 15 | Maya PulseWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 16 | UthanaWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $0.01/mo | 5.3 |
| 17 | Intra10 RiggingExtension | One bar | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 18 | AccuRIGNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 19 | BlenRigNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 20 | InstantRigNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 21 | Unity Animation RiggingNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 22 | Auto-Rig ProWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 23 | Reallusion Character CreatorWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $299/mo | 4.9 |
| 24 | Rapid Rig: ModularWindows · Mac | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
| 25 | 3ds Max CATWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.7 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Auto-rigging | Deployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mixos Mold | 6.7 | Free plan | $8.99/mo | Yes | 8.99 /mo | — | — |
| 2 | Houdini | 6.6 | Free plan | $7.92/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 3 | Contour Rig Tools | 6.5 | Free plan | $40/mo | Yes | 40 /mo | — | host_plugin |
| 4 | Mesh2Motion | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | both |
| 5 | dpAutoRigSystem | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | host_plugin |
| 6 | Live Link Face | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 7 | MakeHuman | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 8 | mGear Framework | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | host_plugin |
| 9 | Rigify | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | host_plugin |
| 10 | Mixamo | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | standalone |
| 11 | Autodesk Flow Studio | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 12 | AdvancedSkeleton | 5.4 | No | $125/mo | Yes | — | Yes | host_plugin |
| 13 | Mesh2Rig | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | host_plugin |
| 14 | CloudRig | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | host_plugin |
| 15 | Maya Pulse | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | — | host_plugin |
| 16 | Uthana | 5.3 | No | $0.01/mo | — | — | Yes | both |
| 17 | Intra10 Rigging | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | Yes | host_plugin |
| 18 | AccuRIG | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | standalone |
| 19 | BlenRig | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | host_plugin |
| 20 | InstantRig | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | host_plugin |
| 21 | Unity Animation Rigging | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | host_plugin |
| 22 | Auto-Rig Pro | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | Yes | host_plugin |
| 23 | Reallusion Character Creator | 4.9 | No | $299/mo | No | — | Yes | standalone |
| 24 | Rapid Rig: Modular | 4.8 | No | — | No | — | Yes | host_plugin |
| 25 | 3ds Max CAT | 4.7 | No | — | No | — | — | host_plugin |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which 3D rigging software is ranked first on Freedom251?
Mixos Mold is ranked #1 of 26 with a score of 6.7. Houdini is second and Contour Rig Tools third.
How many of these have a free plan?
11 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Uthana has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.01/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.