Show HN: SVG Animation Software

160 msarca 74 5/25/2025, 11:21:22 AM expressive.app ↗

Expressive Animator is an SVG vector animation software that helps users create and export animated icons, logos, and illustrations. Users can import SVG, PDF, Adobe Illustrator files, and Figma designs, and animate them using easing controls, motion paths, masking, and other techniques. Expressive Animator also allow users to export their animations in other formats as Lottie, GIF, PNG, and video.

Comments (74)

dceddia · 2h ago

So many comments in here interpreting “lifetime license” as “lifetime updates”. Ugh. As a person with a one-time purchase product I feel the pain of trying to succinctly explain the idea of “one time purchase, comes with updates for 1 year / 1 major version”.

msarca - it might be worth looking at the wording on CleanShot’s pricing page. I notice they avoid the word “lifetime” entirely. I wonder how much confusion they still get.

gman83 · 1h ago

It's confusing because the pricing page literally states "Enjoy the benefits of our lifetime license and get access to all features and upcoming updates with a one-off payment."

msarca · 1h ago

What is confusing? Since the launch, we have released 10 updates, and we'll continue to release new updates until v1 reaches its EOL. Then, the updates will stop, but you will still be able to use the software. It seems pretty straightforward to me.

lemming · 26m ago

I sell software with a similar licence. I'd say that get access to all features and upcoming updates is incompatible with Then, the updates will stop. At a very minimum it's confusing, but it sounds fairly deceptive to me. I think being really clear about what users will receive is paramount, even if it ends up making the messaging confusing.

msarca · 2h ago

TBH, I'm a bit surprised by this interpretation, as we don't have this problem with customers. Maybe it's an HN thing. I think we were only asked once or twice about how updates work. I'll take a look at CleanShot though. Thanks!

dceddia · 1h ago

Have you hit the point where they have to pay again, yet?

My product was originally offered as “one time purchase, one year of updates”, and the customer confusion/anger didn’t show up until I offered a discounted early renewal over Black Friday a few years back.

msarca · 1h ago

No, not yet, but I'm confident our customers will not be confused. We'll see.

mortsnort · 8h ago

This looks like a great product filling a gap in the marketplace. You mention a Affinity a lot in these comments, but not in your marketing. If people who like the Affinity model is your target consumer, maybe you should mention compatibility on the site. Affinity also offers a free trial, and perhaps you should too since you don't have a reputation. This product is also about the same price as an Affinity product, which feels too expensive.

msarca · 8h ago

Thanks for your suggestion! We provide a free trial https://expressive.app/expressive-animator/download/

mortsnort · 7h ago

Missed the free trial. Definitely make it clear there is free trial on the pricing page.

msarca · 7h ago

Will do, thanks!

lovegrenoble · 9h ago

Expressive Animator gives you the right to use the current version of the software (v1) in perpetuity and entitles you to receive free updates until version 2 becomes available (no planned release date currently).

So... is it the real lifetime license? What about the next versions?

msarca · 9h ago

When version 2 is out, you will have the option to upgrade for a fee or to continue to use version 1 for free for as long as you like.

vunderba · 4h ago

That's a fine business model (similar to Jetbrains) but your ad copy is a bit misleading:

From the pricing page:

"Enjoy the benefits of our lifetime license and get access to all features and upcoming updates with a one-off payment"

ktallett · 2h ago

It's not misleading, it's simply not factually correct or their intention.

Hard_Space · 5h ago

I think that this is a disingenuous use of the (legacy) term 'Lifetime license'. No-one who hasn't recently been screwed over by a software house like 4K Video Downloader [1] would think that 'lifetime' only covered the current lead version number.

A new term such as 'All version [n] updates included' (or something less clunky) needs to be found. At least one could Google it and understand the proposition, if its meaning was not clear - but 'lifetime license' is massively deceptive.

[1] https://reddit.com/r/4kdownloadapps/comments/1hbmdpn/really_...

ThePinion · 47m ago

The fact that every single person that brings this up is met with a form of "we don't see a problem, you're just reading it wrong" is a bad sign for the future of this project.

msarca · 33m ago

The product's value is not given by its pricing model, and the future is bright.

msarca · 5h ago

It is not, because you do get a lifetime license. Of course you don't get free "lifetime updates", but you can keep using the version you have paid for as long as you want.

robofanatic · 9h ago

So apparently it’s not your lifetime, it’s the lifetime of the software version. If you never upgrade then it could be your lifetime.

m-p-3 · 8h ago

It's always the lifetime of the version or the lifetime of the software, never your lifetime.

robofanatic · 7h ago

By lifetime I mean you can use it as long as you like without having to pay again. So it depends on how you get the software, if it’s web based then yes there may be a lifetime of the software but if you install it on your machine then you will stop getting bug fixes or security updates at some point but software itself won’t stop working until your hardware dies.

GlacierFox · 9h ago

Is this one of those lifetime purchases where I have to pay again in 5 years when the developers realise they regretted offering a lifetime licence?

shreddit · 9h ago

Their faq states that the license is valid for the current version (v1) and not for any future versions. So all they have to do is increase the version number when money is tight.

tonyhart7 · 6h ago

wow, that's a lot of life for "lifetime" license right?

ttd · 9h ago

I have no affiliation with this product or company. I'm curious about the options here from a business perspective.

A business has continual costs, which at the minimum may just be the ability to support a single developer's adult life. This app is selling itself once per major version, which judging by some comments here is somewhat unappealing. Many people are justifiably sick of subscription payments. I am also assuming many people would not appreciate e.g. an ad-supported version of something like this app.

So, what does that leave in terms of realistic business options? Are there any examples out there of a software business that succeeds in supporting its own development while helping its customers feel like they are getting their money's worth?

correa_brian · 2h ago

You have to charge for upgrades. It's not reasonable to pay once and expect lifetime updates. Subscriptions are annoying, but if you want ongoing support of course you have to pay.

ktallett · 2h ago

It can work if the updates are significant enough to warrant a new version.

mminer237 · 2h ago

I think selling by version is arguably the most ethical way to do it, maybe with a SaaS license option. I think the main thing is just be honest that that is what you are doing.

devman0 · 1h ago

I think JetBrains model is best with thier IDE. You purchase, and get one year of updates, if you don't renew you get a perpetual license at whatever update level your update license ended at, and you can restart at anytime.

This avoids games about what is or is not a "new version" or shipping minor updates as versions or any of that nonsense, it's just updates generally.

lemming · 22m ago

This isn't true for JetBrains any more, and hasn't been for ~10 years. They run on what is essentially a pure subscription now, with the caveat that if you stop paying, you can continue to use a version of the software. However, it's not the version you're using at the end of your subscription period, it's the version from 1 year prior to that. So if you stop paying, you will probably have to downgrade. See: https://sales.jetbrains.com/hc/en-gb/articles/207240845-What....

msarca · 9h ago

We have exactly the same business model as Affinity.

jdiff · 9h ago

Probably. Isn't Expressive also the people that touted being Open Source til that didn't live up to their unrealistic expectations?

leptons · 2h ago

If Adobe buys them, then all bets are off.

astro1138 · 8h ago

There's a Github link but there are no repos. How do I package this for my favourite Linux distro?

msarca · 8h ago

You can't, we don't support Linux, but someone here suggested Synfig as an alternative.

eliaspro · 1h ago

Alternatively, you might want to give KDE's Glaxnimate a try: https://glaxnimate.org/

connecteev · 56m ago

Great work, but I have to ask. How is this different from Rive?

msarca · 39m ago

Thanks! We primarily focus on SVG animations, while Rive has its proprietary format and player. SVG animations run natively in the browser and don't require a player. By having their own format and player, they are not limited by standards and can, naturally, provide more features. Of course, this comes with disadvantages too, as users get vendor-locked. Also, they have a subscription-based model, while we offer perpetual licenses for a one-off payment.

brandensilva · 1h ago

Does this support animating with line offset dashes?

msarca · 1h ago

Yes, it does

lukan · 10h ago

Is it a bit flash like in the sense, that I can script the whole thing easily?

alejoar · 9h ago

Looks really cool. I appreciate all the videos on youtube too!

mulitet4 · 9h ago

Hey, didn't know where else to say this, but your logo breaks on dark mode. Pretty sick software!

msarca · 9h ago

Thanks for the heads up! I'll fix it

jdiff · 5h ago

You'll also want to remove the GitHub link. It's been a long time since 2021.

msarca · 4h ago

Nope, I like that link!

jdiff · 2h ago

I'd be interested to understand why. From my perspective, it'll only get peoples hopes up before letting them down, which does not associate good emotions with your product.

storus · 9h ago

Cool! How does it differ from Animatron that had SVG animations for ~10 years already?

gervwyk · 6h ago

I like it! Will give this a try, any free trail?

msarca · 5h ago

Sure thing https://expressive.app/expressive-animator/download/

iddan · 10h ago

So awesomeeee I always wanted something like this

msarca · 9h ago

Thanks! I'm glad you like it

schnebbau · 7h ago

Lots of bitter nerds in the comments here for some reason. Who hurt you?

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Show HN: SVG Animation Software

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