Rive Blog
Why importing Lotties isn't what Rive was built for
Lottie imports were meant to help teams migrate to Rive, not stay dependent on outdated pipelines.
The Lottie import feature in Rive was never meant to be a long-term workflow. It was a way for teams with large libraries of existing Lottie files to bring their work into Rive and move toward a modern production-ready system built for interactivity.
Over time, though, some have started treating it like a comparison tool or importing Lotties regularly. That’s where the problems start.
What happens when you import a Lottie
Rive Creative Lead JC Toon once compared an imported Lottie animation with the same animation rebuilt in Rive using bones, components (FKA nested artboards), and a state machine.
The results tell you everything you need to know: The Lottie import ballooned to 267 KB and filled with hundreds of baked keyframes, while the Rive-native file, built with procedural motion, came in at just 16 KB — and included multiple animations and interactivity.
Even though they looked identical, they weren’t built the same. The Lottie version was a static playback file. The Rive version was a lightweight, fully interactive system.
That’s the difference between importing motion and designing logic.
Imported Lotties cause confusion and risk
When teams evaluate Rive by importing their Lottie files, they’re not seeing Rive at its best. If a Lottie file is large or inefficient, those inefficiencies carry straight into Rive. The importer doesn’t magically optimize them, because Rive’s power comes from how graphics are built, not how they’re translated.
This has led to several issues we’ve seen firsthand:
Performance misunderstandings — Teams compare unoptimized imports to original Lottie files and assume Rive is slower, when the real issue is how the source file was constructed.
Structural mismatches — Lottie files lack Rive’s foundational concepts like bones, constraints, or components, so imported assets often can’t be made interactive without rebuilding.
Security and reliability risks — JSON-based formats can vary across exporters and may introduce corrupted or unsafe data when imported at scale.
Debugging or reworking those assets takes deep engineering guidance. This is why importing Lotties now lives exclusively in Enterprise, where teams have dedicated support for safe migration.
“But can’t I just import my Lotties?”
We get it. It’s tempting to drop your existing Lottie files into Rive and expect instant optimization. But the importer isn’t a one-click converter.
If your team still relies on Lotties, use these best practices.
Audit your library for oversized keyframes or raster layers before importing.
Import only to bootstrap assets, then rebuild rigging and motion inside Rive.
Leverage Rive’s bones, constraints, and components to replace baked motion.
We can never say it enough: Align design and dev early. Don’t treat it like a post-production export step.
What about Lottie’s new state machines?
Lottie now supports state machines in the dotLottie format. That’s a great step forward for them, but it doesn’t change the fundamentals here.
Even with state machines, most Lottie workflows still start as baked After Effects exports, not rigged procedural systems. They’re heavier, less flexible, and lack deep runtime integration across platforms. Rive’s system, by contrast, was designed for this kind of logic from day one. It’s native, optimized, and built to be consistent whether you’re shipping to web, mobile, or game engines.
So while both formats now support “states” in name, they approach interactivity from opposite ends: Lottie adds logic to playback files. Rive builds logic into the animation itself.
Why the importer exists and why it’s Enterprise-only
The importer was created to help large teams transition away from Lottie, not to make direct comparisons or everyday imports.
By moving it to Enterprise, we can work directly with teams on guided migrations, so they understand how to rebuild assets using Rive’s rigging tools, as well as protect smaller users from confusing and broken workflows.
This isn’t about gating features. We want everyone to use Rive responsibly. Enterprise customers have the support and visibility to use the importer safely, while everyone else benefits from focusing on how Rive works best.
What happens next
Existing Voyager users who already rely on Lottie import will keep access permanently. For new customers, the Lottie import feature will be retired at a future cutoff date.
If your team still uses Lottie files, now’s the time to explore Rive-native creation. It’s cleaner, faster, and fully aligned with how modern interfaces, games, and products are built today.
Why this matters
Rive’s mission has always been to merge design and development into one continuous process. Lottie imports break that loop. They keep teams in a hand-off era defined by static exports and unpredictable runtime behavior.
We hear you
We know this change may feel restrictive, especially if you’ve relied on the importer for quick tests. Our goal is to help you get the most from Rive without the frustration of partial conversions or unexpected performance drops.
Further reading:
The Lottie import feature in Rive was never meant to be a long-term workflow. It was a way for teams with large libraries of existing Lottie files to bring their work into Rive and move toward a modern production-ready system built for interactivity.
Over time, though, some have started treating it like a comparison tool or importing Lotties regularly. That’s where the problems start.
What happens when you import a Lottie
Rive Creative Lead JC Toon once compared an imported Lottie animation with the same animation rebuilt in Rive using bones, components (FKA nested artboards), and a state machine.
The results tell you everything you need to know: The Lottie import ballooned to 267 KB and filled with hundreds of baked keyframes, while the Rive-native file, built with procedural motion, came in at just 16 KB — and included multiple animations and interactivity.
Even though they looked identical, they weren’t built the same. The Lottie version was a static playback file. The Rive version was a lightweight, fully interactive system.
That’s the difference between importing motion and designing logic.
Imported Lotties cause confusion and risk
When teams evaluate Rive by importing their Lottie files, they’re not seeing Rive at its best. If a Lottie file is large or inefficient, those inefficiencies carry straight into Rive. The importer doesn’t magically optimize them, because Rive’s power comes from how graphics are built, not how they’re translated.
This has led to several issues we’ve seen firsthand:
Performance misunderstandings — Teams compare unoptimized imports to original Lottie files and assume Rive is slower, when the real issue is how the source file was constructed.
Structural mismatches — Lottie files lack Rive’s foundational concepts like bones, constraints, or components, so imported assets often can’t be made interactive without rebuilding.
Security and reliability risks — JSON-based formats can vary across exporters and may introduce corrupted or unsafe data when imported at scale.
Debugging or reworking those assets takes deep engineering guidance. This is why importing Lotties now lives exclusively in Enterprise, where teams have dedicated support for safe migration.
“But can’t I just import my Lotties?”
We get it. It’s tempting to drop your existing Lottie files into Rive and expect instant optimization. But the importer isn’t a one-click converter.
If your team still relies on Lotties, use these best practices.
Audit your library for oversized keyframes or raster layers before importing.
Import only to bootstrap assets, then rebuild rigging and motion inside Rive.
Leverage Rive’s bones, constraints, and components to replace baked motion.
We can never say it enough: Align design and dev early. Don’t treat it like a post-production export step.
What about Lottie’s new state machines?
Lottie now supports state machines in the dotLottie format. That’s a great step forward for them, but it doesn’t change the fundamentals here.
Even with state machines, most Lottie workflows still start as baked After Effects exports, not rigged procedural systems. They’re heavier, less flexible, and lack deep runtime integration across platforms. Rive’s system, by contrast, was designed for this kind of logic from day one. It’s native, optimized, and built to be consistent whether you’re shipping to web, mobile, or game engines.
So while both formats now support “states” in name, they approach interactivity from opposite ends: Lottie adds logic to playback files. Rive builds logic into the animation itself.
Why the importer exists and why it’s Enterprise-only
The importer was created to help large teams transition away from Lottie, not to make direct comparisons or everyday imports.
By moving it to Enterprise, we can work directly with teams on guided migrations, so they understand how to rebuild assets using Rive’s rigging tools, as well as protect smaller users from confusing and broken workflows.
This isn’t about gating features. We want everyone to use Rive responsibly. Enterprise customers have the support and visibility to use the importer safely, while everyone else benefits from focusing on how Rive works best.
What happens next
Existing Voyager users who already rely on Lottie import will keep access permanently. For new customers, the Lottie import feature will be retired at a future cutoff date.
If your team still uses Lottie files, now’s the time to explore Rive-native creation. It’s cleaner, faster, and fully aligned with how modern interfaces, games, and products are built today.
Why this matters
Rive’s mission has always been to merge design and development into one continuous process. Lottie imports break that loop. They keep teams in a hand-off era defined by static exports and unpredictable runtime behavior.
We hear you
We know this change may feel restrictive, especially if you’ve relied on the importer for quick tests. Our goal is to help you get the most from Rive without the frustration of partial conversions or unexpected performance drops.
Further reading:
The Lottie import feature in Rive was never meant to be a long-term workflow. It was a way for teams with large libraries of existing Lottie files to bring their work into Rive and move toward a modern production-ready system built for interactivity.
Over time, though, some have started treating it like a comparison tool or importing Lotties regularly. That’s where the problems start.
What happens when you import a Lottie
Rive Creative Lead JC Toon once compared an imported Lottie animation with the same animation rebuilt in Rive using bones, components (FKA nested artboards), and a state machine.
The results tell you everything you need to know: The Lottie import ballooned to 267 KB and filled with hundreds of baked keyframes, while the Rive-native file, built with procedural motion, came in at just 16 KB — and included multiple animations and interactivity.
Even though they looked identical, they weren’t built the same. The Lottie version was a static playback file. The Rive version was a lightweight, fully interactive system.
That’s the difference between importing motion and designing logic.
Imported Lotties cause confusion and risk
When teams evaluate Rive by importing their Lottie files, they’re not seeing Rive at its best. If a Lottie file is large or inefficient, those inefficiencies carry straight into Rive. The importer doesn’t magically optimize them, because Rive’s power comes from how graphics are built, not how they’re translated.
This has led to several issues we’ve seen firsthand:
Performance misunderstandings — Teams compare unoptimized imports to original Lottie files and assume Rive is slower, when the real issue is how the source file was constructed.
Structural mismatches — Lottie files lack Rive’s foundational concepts like bones, constraints, or components, so imported assets often can’t be made interactive without rebuilding.
Security and reliability risks — JSON-based formats can vary across exporters and may introduce corrupted or unsafe data when imported at scale.
Debugging or reworking those assets takes deep engineering guidance. This is why importing Lotties now lives exclusively in Enterprise, where teams have dedicated support for safe migration.
“But can’t I just import my Lotties?”
We get it. It’s tempting to drop your existing Lottie files into Rive and expect instant optimization. But the importer isn’t a one-click converter.
If your team still relies on Lotties, use these best practices.
Audit your library for oversized keyframes or raster layers before importing.
Import only to bootstrap assets, then rebuild rigging and motion inside Rive.
Leverage Rive’s bones, constraints, and components to replace baked motion.
We can never say it enough: Align design and dev early. Don’t treat it like a post-production export step.
What about Lottie’s new state machines?
Lottie now supports state machines in the dotLottie format. That’s a great step forward for them, but it doesn’t change the fundamentals here.
Even with state machines, most Lottie workflows still start as baked After Effects exports, not rigged procedural systems. They’re heavier, less flexible, and lack deep runtime integration across platforms. Rive’s system, by contrast, was designed for this kind of logic from day one. It’s native, optimized, and built to be consistent whether you’re shipping to web, mobile, or game engines.
So while both formats now support “states” in name, they approach interactivity from opposite ends: Lottie adds logic to playback files. Rive builds logic into the animation itself.
Why the importer exists and why it’s Enterprise-only
The importer was created to help large teams transition away from Lottie, not to make direct comparisons or everyday imports.
By moving it to Enterprise, we can work directly with teams on guided migrations, so they understand how to rebuild assets using Rive’s rigging tools, as well as protect smaller users from confusing and broken workflows.
This isn’t about gating features. We want everyone to use Rive responsibly. Enterprise customers have the support and visibility to use the importer safely, while everyone else benefits from focusing on how Rive works best.
What happens next
Existing Voyager users who already rely on Lottie import will keep access permanently. For new customers, the Lottie import feature will be retired at a future cutoff date.
If your team still uses Lottie files, now’s the time to explore Rive-native creation. It’s cleaner, faster, and fully aligned with how modern interfaces, games, and products are built today.
Why this matters
Rive’s mission has always been to merge design and development into one continuous process. Lottie imports break that loop. They keep teams in a hand-off era defined by static exports and unpredictable runtime behavior.
We hear you
We know this change may feel restrictive, especially if you’ve relied on the importer for quick tests. Our goal is to help you get the most from Rive without the frustration of partial conversions or unexpected performance drops.
Further reading:
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