What is rive-mcp?
rive-mcp, from the GitHub user ODU33104, gives an MCP client 35 tools for Rive animation files. It writes the .riv binary format directly, so an agent can build a file from a JSON scene spec with shapes, gradients, bones, meshes, state machines and keyframes, edit an existing file without loss, inspect its data binding, and lint it. Rendering to PNG, GIF, APNG, WebM and sprite sheets runs the official Rive WebAssembly runtime inside headless Chromium.
It also turns a character PNG into a rigged .riv with blink and idle animations in one call, imports SVG and Lottie, exports Lottie, and opens a local web Studio where you can edit what the agent built and leave it notes. Rive's own MCP server, by contrast, needs the Early Access Rive editor running.
The project started on 17 July 2026, had 32 GitHub stars when we checked, and published v0.12.0 to npm on 29 October 2026. It is written in TypeScript and is not affiliated with Rive.
How to install rive-mcp
npx -y rive-mcp-serverIs rive-mcp worth it?
rive-mcp's main trick is that it needs no Rive editor. Rive's official MCP server lives inside the Early Access desktop app and only works while that app is open with a file loaded. This server reads and writes the binary format itself, using type definitions from Rive's MIT-licensed runtime, so an agent can build an animation from nothing in CI or on a machine without a Rive account. Previews come from the official runtime, which keeps them close to what ships.
The tool list goes well past file editing. riv_rig_character cuts a character PNG into parts and assembles bones, a skinned head mesh, blinks, idle and happy animations and a state machine in one call. riv_lint flags broken references, unreachable states and robotic all-linear motion; riv_critique bundles frames and metrics so a vision model can judge its own work; riv_preflight reports which runtimes, from web to Unity, can play a file. The local Studio, on 127.0.0.1, gives a person a timeline, inspector and curve editor to correct the result.
The catch: the licence. The README and LICENSE call it source-available freeware: free to use, including commercially, but you may not modify it, fork it or redistribute it without written permission, and AI-assisted analysis of the code is forbidden. With one maintainer and 32 stars, that means no community fork if the author stops. The README also lists real gaps: GIFs have no transparency, the Canvas2D preview can show mesh seams that are not in the file, feathering is written but not previewed, and Luau scripting and the Layout engine are not generated.
Our take: for producing loaders, icons and simple character loops from a prompt, it is the most capable route we have read about, and the files it makes are yours to keep. Treat the server itself as a tool you rent for free, not a dependency you own.
Where it earns its place
A front-end developer at a small app studio
Ship an animated empty-state illustration without hiring a motion designer
Ask for a scene built from design tokens and motion presets, run riv_critique a few times, then riv_generate_code for the React wrapper. Free; budget an hour of review in the Studio.
An indie game developer
Rig a 2D mascot drawn as a single PNG
riv_slice_image cuts out ears and tail, riv_rig_character builds the bones, blink and idle loop, and riv_render_sprites exports a sheet for the engine. Check the mesh in a GPU runtime, since the Canvas2D preview can show seams.
A design-systems team with a Lottie library
Move existing Lottie animations to Rive
riv_lottie_import converts keyframes and paths and counts what it could not carry over; riv_visual_diff and riv_ab_compare show the differences for sign-off.
Before you commit
- Setup
- Needs Node.js 20+ and Chrome, Edge or Chromium. claude mcp add --scope user rive -- npx -y rive-mcp-server, or install the Claude Code plugin from the repo's marketplace; riv_setup can add the bundled design-guidelines skill.
- Integrations
- 35 tools over stdio; code generation for React, JavaScript, Vue, Svelte and Flutter; SVG and Lottie import, Lottie export; Iconify icon search; optional Figma frames with FIGMA_TOKEN.
- Data and privacy
- Runs locally. Outside calls are limited to Iconify for icon search, Figma when FIGMA_TOKEN is set, and npm on first run. The Studio binds to 127.0.0.1; share: true opens a read-only view to your LAN behind an unguessable token URL.
- Cost at scale
- Free for any number of users, commercial use included. No paid tier or support contract is published.
- Limits
- GIF output has no transparency; feathering and GPU-only audio do not preview; Luau scripting and Layout are not generated; screenshot-to-prototype detection is sensitive to small pixel noise.
What’s good
- Works without the Rive editor or a subscription
- Renders with the official Rive runtime
- One-call character rigging from a PNG
- Lint, critique and runtime preflight tools
What’s not
- Freeware licence bars forks and modification
- Single maintainer, 32 stars
- Preview differs from GPU rendering in places
- Needs Node.js 20 and a Chromium browser
Best for
Front-end developers and small product teams who want an agent to make or adjust Rive animations without owning the Rive editor.
rive-mcp alternatives
rive-mcp: common questions
- Is rive-mcp worth it?
- rive-mcp does far more with .riv files than Rive's own server, but it is one person's freeware with a restrictive licence, so build on it only what you could rebuild elsewhere. We rate it 3.5 out of 5.
- How much does rive-mcp cost?
- Free for personal and commercial use under its own freeware licence; modification and redistribution need the author's written permission. Generated .riv files and code are yours.
- What are the downsides of rive-mcp?
- Freeware licence bars forks and modification; single maintainer, 32 stars; preview differs from GPU rendering in places; needs Node.js 20 and a Chromium browser.
- Who is rive-mcp best for?
- Front-end developers and small product teams who want an agent to make or adjust Rive animations without owning the Rive editor.
- How much does rive-mcp cost for a team or in production?
- Free for any number of users, commercial use included. No paid tier or support contract is published.
- Is rive-mcp safe for company data?
- Runs locally. Outside calls are limited to Iconify for icon search, Figma when FIGMA_TOKEN is set, and npm on first run. The Studio binds to 127.0.0.1; share: true opens a read-only view to your LAN behind an unguessable token URL.
- What are the best rive-mcp alternatives?
- The closest alternatives we have reviewed are Figma MCP Server and Illustrator MCP Server.
Answers checked Nov 13, 2026.