What It Does
Handy Particles Pro generates particle systems inside After Effects with a live preview powered by Rive technology. You control particle count, direction, size variability, and speed using sliders and dropdowns in a custom UI. Unlike standard particle generators, it supports both primitive shapes (ellipses, rectangles, stars, polygons, triangles, bars) and custom vector shapes. The built-in effects (Twirl, Ripple, Blobby) add motion dynamics, and you can export the entire particle system to Rive as a JSON file for use in web or interactive projects.
Key Features
Live preview. The extension UI displays real-time particle behavior using Rive’s animation engine, so you see results before applying them to your composition.
Custom and primitive shapes. Use pre-defined shapes or load your own vector artwork for unique particle designs.
Effect suite. Twirl, Ripple, and Blobby effects integrate into the Effect Controls Panel where you adjust particle size, vertical and horizontal speed, frequency, angle, source position, and fill/stroke colors.
Burst controls. Explosions and implosions are accessible through dedicated controls.
Rive export. One-click export to JSON for incorporating particle animations into web-based motion design tools or interactive installations. Version 1.0.3 adds helper markers for creating loops and improved export handling.
Lottie export support. Version 1.0.1 introduced burst options compatible with both Rive and Lottie workflows.
Who It’s For
Motion designers building title sequences, social media content, or web animations. Anyone working across After Effects and interactive platforms (websites, digital installations) who needs particle effects that export cleanly. Particularly useful if you prototype in After Effects but deploy animations in Rive.
Pricing
Handy Particles Pro uses a pay-what-you-want model (minimum not specified). The developer suggests a standard price of $20. If you bought the older “Name Your Own Price” Handy Particles version, you qualify for upgrade credit: full credit if purchased within the last year, half credit if older. Upgrade pricing appears automatically when you log in to the same account.