Lottie
A JSON format for lightweight vector animations that play in apps and websites.
Lottie is an open, JSON-based format for vector animations. Animations are usually designed in After Effects, exported with the Bodymovin plugin created by Hernan Torrisi, and played back by Lottie players on the web, iOS and Android.
Airbnb's engineers built the iOS and Android players and released them as Lottie in 2017. The format is now being standardised by the Lottie Animation Community, a project hosted by the Linux Foundation. Lottie plays a fixed timeline, which suits icons, illustrations and loaders.
Key characteristics
- Vector animation described as JSON, scalable and usually small.
- Typically designed in After Effects and exported with Bodymovin.
- Players for web, iOS and Android; released by Airbnb in 2017.
- Plays a set timeline; for interactive logic, tools like Rive go further.
Example
An onboarding screen uses a three-second Lottie illustration that stays crisp on every screen size and weighs far less than an equivalent video.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lottie better than GIF?
Usually. Lottie is vector, so it stays sharp at any size, supports transparency and is often much smaller. GIFs are raster images with a limited colour palette.
Who created Lottie?
The Bodymovin exporter came from Hernan Torrisi, and Airbnb built and released the Lottie players in 2017. The format is now stewarded by the Lottie Animation Community at the Linux Foundation.
Related terms