How Much Does a PNGTuber Cost?

A PNGTuber is a stream avatar made of a few still pictures: one with the mouth closed, one with it open, and the app switches between them when you talk. Because there's no rig and no 3D model, it costs a fraction of a Live2D or 3D VTuber. Here's what artists actually charge.

How much do artists charge for a PNGTuber?

Most charge $20 to $80 for a basic PNGTuber, and up to $150 or more for a large, detailed one. On the 12 sheets priced in US dollars, the cheapest PNGTuber each artist offered ranged from $20 to $150, with a median of $42.50. Their priciest PNGTuber (full body, layered or a bundle) ranged from $20 to $250, with a median of $80. The three sheets in euros fit the same range: €25 to €80 to start.

What's included in a PNGTuber commission?

A basic commission is two to four pictures: mouth closed, mouth open, and often the same two with eyes closed so the avatar blinks. Some include an extra expression or two; one bundled five. Higher tiers add a setup file for a specific app (veadotube mini or PNGtuber Plus are the two named most), layered files so the hair or body can bounce, or extra outfits as toggles.

• Turnaround: the five sheets that said ranged from about a week to about 30 days.
• Payment: on the sheets that said, up front, or half up front and half after the sketch.
• Streaming use: some include it, one adds 20% to 100% depending on how many followers you have, and a few say personal use only. If you stream for money, ask before you pay.

Is a PNGTuber cheaper than a VTuber model?

Much cheaper. A PNGTuber needs only drawings; a Live2D VTuber needs a drawing split into dozens of layers plus rigging, which is a separate, larger job. Our VTuber model cost calculator has the ranges for those. A PNGTuber is the usual first step: it moves when you talk and costs about what a single illustration does.

Can you make a PNGTuber yourself for free?

Yes. All you need is two pictures, one with your mouth closed and one with it open, and a PNGTuber app. PNGTuber Maker is a free browser tool that animates a PNG avatar from your microphone and outputs it as a virtual camera in Chrome. If you can draw, the whole thing costs nothing.

1. 1

   Make the two pictures

   Draw them yourself, or let AI Avatar Maker draw them from a photo or a description. It makes the closed-mouth frame, the open-mouth frame and transparent cut-outs of both.

2. 2

   Open PNGTuber Maker

   Press Start, allow the microphone, and pick Your own under Character.

3. 3

   Upload the frames

   Idle (mouth closed) is required; Talking (mouth open) is next. Blink frames are optional.

4. 4

   Set the talk threshold

   Speak normally and drag Threshold until the mouth opens on words but not on background noise.

5. 5

   Use it

   Add it to OBS with a green background, or with the Facecam extension pick it as your camera in Google Meet, Zoom on the web or Discord in Chrome.

We timed the AI route. AI Avatar Maker drew the closed-mouth chibi frame in 19.7 seconds, the open-mouth frame in 2.9 seconds and both cut-outs in 2 seconds. PNGTuber Maker on facecam.ai was running 3.4 seconds after the page opened, with both frames loaded and the mouth moving to our voice sample. The drawing step needs a paid plan (from $10 a month); PNGTuber Maker is free.

Should you commission an artist or make your own?

Commission an artist if you want a one-of-a-kind character, a specific art style, layered parts that bounce, or a design that grows with your channel (emotes, a banner, outfits) from the same hand. Make your own if you're trying streaming out, want something today, or plan to change your look often. Plenty of streamers do both: start with a free one, and commission an artist once they know what they want.

What didn't we check?

15 sheets found through search lean toward artists who publish prices; many popular artists quote privately or sell through marketplaces like VGen, which we didn't survey. Prices are in the currency each artist listed, as shown on October 11, 2026, with no conversion, and open or closed status changes often. We didn't commission anyone, so we can't speak to quality or how long work really took.