Mixamo has been the default free auto rigger for years: upload a humanoid, place a few markers, download an FBX. But it only rigs the body, it wants a desktop browser and an Adobe account, and it struggles with anything that isn’t a standard human.
If you need a face that blinks and talks, hair or tails that move, a cartoon or creature, or you just want to rig on your phone, here are the alternatives worth using in 2026.
Disclosure: JollyAI 3D Rigger is my own tool. I’ve included free options too, and I say where they’re the better pick.
- Face, fingers and hair in one go, in the browser or on a phone: JollyAI 3D Rigger.
- Free desktop body rig for humans: AccuRIG.
- Full control inside Blender: Rigify (free) or Auto-Rig Pro (paid add-on).
- Physics-correct animation after rigging: Cascadeur.
- Body-only humanoid, zero cost, and you already use it: stay on Mixamo.
Why People Look for a Mixamo Alternative
- No face rig: no blink, smile or mouth shapes for lip sync.
- No hair, ear or tail bones.
- Humanoids only: cartoons with odd proportions and creatures often fail.
- Desktop only and an Adobe account required.
Comparison Table
| Tool | Where it runs | Fingers | Face expressions | Hair / tail bones | Creatures / cartoons | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixamo | Desktop browser | Yes | No | No | Humanoids | Free (Adobe account) |
| JollyAI 3D Rigger | Any browser, phones too | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, adjust the dots | Free preview; $3.99 Day Pass or PRO to download |
| AccuRIG | Desktop app | Yes | No | No | Humanoids | Free |
| Blender Rigify | Blender | Yes | Yes, with manual work | Manual | Yes, with skill | Free |
| Auto-Rig Pro | Blender add-on | Yes | Yes, with setup | Yes, with setup | Yes, with skill | Paid add-on |
1. JollyAI 3D Rigger: Best for Face, Hair and Phones
Upload a GLB, FBX or OBJ (up to 100 MB). AI places the joint dots on the body and face; you drag only the wrong ones, with mirror on. Then pick extras: blink, smile, angry, surprised and talk shapes, 3 bones per finger, and bone chains for hair, ponytails, ears or tails. My test character rigged in 88 seconds, and the preview plays idle, wave, talk, walk and expressions so you can check it before paying.
Export is FBX or GLB set up for Unity, Unreal or Blender, with standard humanoid bone names so Unity Humanoid and Unreal retargeting map it. It doesn’t include Mixamo’s animation library; bring your own clips, mocap or CC0 packs.
Pick it if: you need a face, hair or a non-standard character, or you want to rig without installing anything. Full walkthrough: How to auto rig a 3D model online.
Try it on the model Mixamo couldn’t rig. Free preview, no account needed to test.
Open 3D Rigger →
2. AccuRIG: Best Free Desktop Body Rig
A free desktop auto rigger from Reallusion. Good body and finger rigs for standard humanoids, with exports for the major engines. No face expressions or hair bones, and you need a Windows desktop.
Pick it if: you rig realistic humans on a PC and only need body and fingers.
3. Blender Rigify: Best Free Full-Control Option
Built into Blender. You place a meta-rig, generate a full control rig with IK/FK switching and face controls. Powerful and free, but it’s a manual process with a real learning curve, and weight painting problems are yours to fix.
Pick it if: you’re comfortable in Blender and want animator-grade controls.
4. Auto-Rig Pro: Best Paid Blender Add-on
A popular paid Blender add-on that speeds up rigging with smart marker placement, plus strong retargeting and game-engine export tools. Still a Blender workflow, so expect setup time.
Pick it if: you rig often in Blender and want a faster, pro-level pipeline.
5. Cascadeur: Best for Animating After Rigging
Cascadeur is an animation tool with AI-assisted posing and physics. It isn’t a pure auto rigger, but it pairs well with any of the riggers above when you want believable motion instead of canned clips.
Which One Should You Use?
| Your situation | Best pick |
|---|---|
| VTuber avatar or talking character | JollyAI 3D Rigger (face shapes + hair) |
| Cartoon, chibi, robot or two-legged creature | JollyAI 3D Rigger |
| Rigging on a phone or Chromebook | JollyAI 3D Rigger |
| Realistic human, body only, free | Mixamo or AccuRIG |
| Animator-grade controls in Blender | Rigify or Auto-Rig Pro |
| No 3D model yet | Image to 3D first, then rig |
What You Get With JollyAI PRO (and the Cheaper Options)
3D Rigger comes with every other JollyAI tool on the same plan.
| Free | Day Pass | PRO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $3.99 for 24 hours | $14.99/month for the first 50 members, locked for 12 months (then $19.99) |
| Generations | 1 per day | 25 | 50 per day |
| AI video (MiniMax H3: text, image and reference to video, with sound) | – | Up to 3 | Up to 10 per day |
| AI images (Krea 2, Qwen 2.1) and image editing | – | Yes | Yes |
| Image to 3D (with Animate it and Blocky / voxel) | Watermarked 360° preview | GLB download | GLB download |
| 3D Rigger (body, fingers, face, hair) | Free preview | FBX + GLB download | FBX + GLB download, 10 rigs a day |
| Text to voice | Generate and listen | Generate and listen | Generate and download |
Why the bundle is good value: instead of separate subscriptions for an image generator, a video generator, an image-to-3D tool, a rigger and a voice app, PRO is one $14.99 plan for the whole character pipeline. Rigging one character? A $3.99 Day Pass is enough.
FAQ
Is there a free Mixamo alternative?
Yes: AccuRIG and Blender Rigify are free. JollyAI 3D Rigger lets you preview the rig free and charges only to download.
Can I use Mixamo animations on a rig from another tool?
Check Adobe’s terms for Mixamo content before reusing its animations outside Mixamo. Safer options are your own animations, motion capture or CC0 animation packs, retargeted in your engine.
Which Mixamo alternative does face rigging?
JollyAI 3D Rigger adds face expression shapes automatically. Rigify and Auto-Rig Pro can do faces with manual setup.
Is Mixamo going away?
There’s no official end date at the time of writing, but it has seen few updates for years, which is why many people keep a backup option.
Final Thoughts
Mixamo is still fine for a plain human body. The moment you need a face, hair, a creature or a phone-friendly workflow, a newer rigger saves hours.
Rig body, fingers, face and hair in about 90 seconds. Free preview, works on your phone.
Open JollyAI 3D Rigger →
JollyAI is my own tool. Download with a Day Pass ($3.99) or PRO ($14.99/mo for the first 50 members).