Free web
Free source (opens in a new tab)
Month
For: Testing on your own characters
Limits
- 30 credits/month
- 3 active projects
1 more
- 13 bundled mocap clips
Includes
- All editor features
- Anim-check 3x3 grid
1 more
- Community support
VideoDocumented overviewLast checked Oct 1, 2026
Charios: Pricing, Features & Best Use Cases
Browser-based 2D character rigging and animation tool for game developers, with export to Unity, Godot and Unreal.
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Our take: Charios suits indie game developers who want to rig a layered 2D character in the browser, apply mocap clips and export to Unity, Godot or Unreal without learning Spine.
Main limitation: Free plan gives 30 credits per month and 3 active projects; PNG sequence and JSON export need Pro.
Is Charios right for you?
Charios suits indie game developers who want to rig a layered 2D character in the browser, apply mocap clips and export to Unity, Godot or Unreal without learning Spine. Based on the vendor's documentation, not on a hands-on test.
Best for: Indie game developers
Also a good fit for
- 2D animators
Consider another tool if free plan limited to 30 credits/month and 3 projects
Or if
- AI actions consume credits
- PNG/JSON export needs paid plan
Charios pricing and usage limits
Prices checked Oct 1, 2026 on the official US pricing page. Official pricing ↗ Prices and limits change often.
Free access and trial conditions
Free forever with 30 credits/month and 3 projects, no card.
None needed; Free plan.
Paid plans: what changes as you upgrade
Pro web
$20/mo source (opens in a new tab)
Month
For: Solo creators shipping projects
Limits
- 500 credits/month
- Unlimited projects
Includes
- PNG sequence + JSON export
- Higher upload cap
2 more
- Email support
- Early access
Studio web
$45/mo per seat per month source (opens in a new tab)
Month
For: Teams
Limits
- 2,000 credits/month per seat (pooled)
Includes
- Everything in Pro
- Seat management
2 more
- Priority support
- One invoice
Founder Lifetime web
$50 one-time source (opens in a new tab)
One-time
For: Long-term solo users
Limits
- First 1,000 seats
- 5,000 bonus credits
1 more
- 30 credits/month free drip
Includes
- Every Pro feature
- 25% off top-ups
1 more
- Founder badge
Credit top-up web
$5 source (opens in a new tab)
One-time
For: Extra AI actions
Limits
- Never expire
Includes
- Stacks on subscription
Usage caps, credits and extra costs
Top-ups $5 (100), $20 (450), $69 (1,800), $199 (6,000).
VAT/sales tax included; billed via Polar as merchant of record.
What is Charios, and how does it work?
Charios lets you drop in a character image, auto-split it into layers, rig it and apply a mocap animation library, all in the browser. Characters can be play-tested in the editor. Exports include GIF, Unity prefab, Godot scene and Unreal Paper2D sprites; the site also mentions a headless WebSocket API. AI actions use a monthly credit system.
What you provide and what you get back
You provide
- A character PNG
- Layered art
- BVH or FBX mocap files
You get back
- Rigged animated character
- GIF
- Unity prefab, Godot scene or Unreal Paper2D sprites
Where you can use it
- Platforms
- Web, API
- Account
- Required
- Export targets
- Unity prefab, Godot scene, Unreal Paper2D, GIF, PNG sequence
- Mocap input
- .bvh and .fbx humanoid
- Bundled clips
- 13
- Credit use
- Split, variant, layer regenerate
Best use cases for Charios
Scenarios are worked out by our editors from the documentation; the actual result depends on your input and plan.
Animating 2D game characters
- Who
- Indie developers without a rigging background
- You provide
- Single character image
- Expected result
- Auto-split layers, rigged and animated with a mocap clip within minutes
- Plan needed
- Free for 3 projects
- Limitation
- Credits limit AI splits (about 3 per month on Free) source (opens in a new tab)
Rigging layered sprites
- Who
- Game-jam teams
- You provide
- Several enemy sprites
- Expected result
- Multiple posed, animated characters ready for engine import
- Plan needed
- Pro or Studio for unlimited projects
- Limitation
- Editor is desktop-first source (opens in a new tab)
Prototyping game animations
- Who
- Artists making devlog content
- You provide
- Character sheet
- Expected result
- GIF or PNG sequence animations for itch.io and social posts
- Plan needed
- Pro for PNG sequence
- Limitation
- Not a full Spine replacement; fewer animation tools source (opens in a new tab)
What Charios does, and where it stops
Auto layering
Splits one image into Spine-ready layers using AI Avoids manual cutting
Joint snapping rigging
Snaps joints onto the skeleton for rigging Speeds up setup of the humanoid skeleton
Mocap animation library
Retargets bundled or uploaded mocap clips to the character Gives walks and attacks without keyframing
Browser play-test
Plays the animation in the editor Lets you check motion before export
Export to engines
Exports GIF, Unity prefab, Godot scene and Unreal Paper2D sprites Moves results into game projects
Charios: strengths and limits
Reasons to choose Charios
- Runs in the browser with no install or build step Start rigging within seconds documented source (opens in a new tab)
- Free plan with 3 projects and every editor feature Full workflow can be tested before paying documented source (opens in a new tab)
- Failed generations are auto-refunded You only pay for AI output that lands documented source (opens in a new tab)
- Top-up credits never expire and stack on the subscription Credits are not wasted when a month is quiet documented source (opens in a new tab)
- Drag in your own .bvh or .fbx mocap Not limited to bundled clips documented source (opens in a new tab)
Check before paying for Charios
- Free plan: 30 credits per month and 3 projects Only about 3 character splits a month documented source (opens in a new tab)
- AI actions consume credits Heavy iteration needs top-ups from $5 documented source (opens in a new tab)
- PNG sequence and JSON export need a paid plan Free users lose some pipeline formats documented source (opens in a new tab)
- Account required (Google sign-in per privacy policy) No anonymous use documented source (opens in a new tab)
- Site copy is inconsistent (Pro $12 in FAQ, $20 on pricing; Godot export status differs) Details should be rechecked before buying documented source (opens in a new tab)
How to use Charios for rigging and animating a 2D game character
Set up Charios
- Open the Charios editor and sign in with Google
- Create a project (up to 3 on Free)
- Drop your character PNG into the editor
- Run the character split and review the layers
Example: rigging and animating a 2D game character
- Snap the joints to the skeleton
- Pick a bundled walk clip from the animation library
- Fix draw order, such as a sword behind the body
- Export a Unity prefab or GIF
Review and export the result
- Play-test the walk cycle in the editor
- Open the prefab in your engine and compare the pose
Charios integrations and API
Native integrations and export formats
Export: GIF, PNG sequence, JSON skeleton, Unity prefab
API access and separate billing
Charios has no public API in its official documentation. Homepage mentions a headless WebSocket API; details not in fetched pages API documentation ↗
Privacy, data use and commercial rights
Summarized from the vendor's current policies; this is not legal advice and a vendor's badge is not an independent audit.
How your inputs and outputs are handled
Stores project names, layer transforms and your uploaded PNGs.
Not stated; policy says data is not sold or shared.
Kept until you delete your account; deletion removes projects and assets.
Commercial use and plan restrictions
Not stated.
Not stated.
Controls for business users
- Row-level security per user
Policies: charios.com/privacy
Charios alternatives by need
"Better suited" is based on documented features and pricing, not on a head-to-head test.
Runway: better suited to
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Charios FAQ
What does a character split cost?
About 8 credits: 500 credits is roughly 62 splits, so Free's 30 credits cover about 3. source (opens in a new tab)
Do failed generations cost credits?
No. They are refunded automatically into your top-up bucket. source (opens in a new tab)
Can I use my own mocap?
Yes, drag in humanoid .bvh or .fbx files; the retargeter normalises bone lengths. source (opens in a new tab)
What does the Founder Lifetime deal include?
$50 once for the first 1,000 seats: Pro features, 5,000 bonus credits and 25% off top-ups, not an unlimited monthly AI bucket. source (opens in a new tab)
Does the editor work on mobile?
The editor is desktop-first; viewing projects and managing your account works on any device. source (opens in a new tab)
Sources and review methodology
Official sources and verification dates
- Charios home homepage · checked Oct 1, 2026
- Charios pricing homepage · checked Oct 1, 2026
- Charios privacy policy · checked Oct 1, 2026
- Charios docs docs · checked Oct 1, 2026
Not verified: Godot export status (roadmap vs listed); Pro price conflict ($12 homepage vs $20 pricing); API details; US availability.
How we documented and maintain this page
Every fact about Charios above comes from the 4 official pages listed here, last compared on Oct 1, 2026; we have not run Charios ourselves, so it has no editorial score. How we check and re-check pages.
Article updated Oct 10, 2026; prices checked Oct 1, 2026. Outbound links to vendors are plain links; we do not earn commissions. How we review · Report an error