Comparison
Lottie vs APNG
APNG is a better GIF (true color and alpha) but still raster. Lottie stays vector, so it’s smaller, scalable, and controllable.
| Lottie | APNG | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Vector | Raster (animated PNG) |
| File size | Small | Large |
| Scaling | Infinite | Fixed resolution |
| Transparency | Full alpha | Full alpha |
| Interactivity | Yes | No |
| Native <img> support | Needs a player | Yes |
Which should you use?
Pick Lottie
Use Lottie for scalable, lightweight, interactive motion. The default for UI and icons.
Pick APNG
Use APNG only for short raster clips where dropping in a plain <img> with no player matters.
Make a Lottie, free
Design it in the studio and export .json or .lottie.
FAQ
- Is APNG smaller than Lottie?
- Rarely. As raster frames, APNG is typically much heavier than an equivalent vector Lottie.
- Why pick APNG at all?
- It plays in a plain <img> tag with zero JavaScript, which can matter in locked-down environments.