How to Make a VTuber Model in 2026 — Four Ways, Compared

What you'll need

• A clear, front-facing selfie (your only input).
• A free VTuber app — VSeeFace, Warudo, 3tene, and others all work.
• A webcam (an iPhone improves tracking but isn't required).
• OBS Studio (free) to capture your avatar and stream.

The selfie route, step by step

1. 1

   Take or pick a good selfie

   Use a clear, front-facing photo with even lighting and a neutral expression — like a passport photo. No hats or heavy shadows. This is the only input you need; the better the photo, the closer the likeness.

2. 2

   Generate your 3D model

   Upload the selfie to VTubeMe. An AI builds a photorealistic 3D model that resembles you, usually in under a minute — no 3D modeling, no rigging, no waiting weeks for a commission.

3. 3

   Customize your look

   Tweak hairstyles, outfits, skin tone, and accessories in the browser editor until the model matches your persona. You can re-edit anytime.

4. 4

   Download the VRM (and GLB)

   Unlock the download for a one-time $7.99. You get a standard .vrm file (the format VTuber apps use) plus a .glb for general 3D tools. Lifetime access — re-download whenever you want.

5. 5

   Choose a VTuber app

   Pick a free app that runs VRM avatars: VSeeFace (webcam/iPhone tracking), Warudo (face + hand + body), 3tene, VNyan, VMagicMirror, or Animaze. Each has a short setup guide linked below.

6. 6

   Load your model and set up tracking

   Open the app, load your .vrm, and point it at your webcam (or an iPhone for ARKit tracking). Calibrate your face so the avatar mirrors your expressions in real time.

7. 7

   Capture in OBS and go live

   Add the VTuber app's window as a source in OBS (or use it as a virtual camera), arrange your scene, and start streaming on Twitch, YouTube, or anywhere else.

The free route: VRoid Studio in an afternoon

If you want an anime-style model and don't mind the time, VRoid Studio is the free way. The result is a real VRM that works in the same apps.

1. 1Install VRoid Studio (free, Windows/macOS/iPad) and start from a preset body.
2. 2Shape the face and body with sliders; pick hair, eyes and outfit from presets or draw textures over them.
3. 3Open Export → VRM. Reduce polygons and materials if the app you will use is picky about size.
4. 4Choose the format: VRM0.0 for VSeeFace, 3tene and most trackers; VRM1.0 for Desktop Mate and newer apps. Only the Dress-up (XAvatar) export is locked to 1.0.
5. 5Load the .vrm in your VTuber app. If you exported the wrong version, the free VRM version converter switches it without Unity.

Exported the wrong version for your app? Convert VRM 1.0 ↔ 0.x in the browser. Want to see how the two compare before you start? VRoid Studio vs VTubeMe.

How to make a 2D VTuber model (Live2D)

A 2D model is a layered illustration that a rig moves: eyes, mouth, hair, head turn. The pipeline has two halves and most people hire out at least one of them.

1. Draw the character in layers. Clip Studio Paint, Photoshop or Krita — every part that should move (each eye, eyelid, mouth shape, hair strand) on its own layer, exported as a PSD. This is the art half: days to weeks, and the part most people commission.
2. Rig it in Live2D Cubism. Import the PSD, build deformers and parameters for head angle, eyes, mouth and breathing. Cubism Free covers learning; commercial use needs Pro. Expect a week of evenings for a first rig.
3. Load it into VTube Studio. Export the .moc3 model, open it in VTube Studio and map your webcam or iPhone tracking to the parameters.

One thing this route cannot do: turn into a 3D model later. A drawing and a mesh are different objects, which is why there is no Live2D-to-VRM converter. Decide 2D or 3D first.

How to make a VTuber model from scratch in Blender

The long way, and the only one with no ceiling: model the character, UV-unwrap and texture it, rig it to a humanoid skeleton, add face shape keys, then export. Plan on weeks if you are learning Blender at the same time; the VRM add-on for Blender writes the final file.

Already have a rigged character in a .blend? You do not need the add-on for that step — the converter reads .blend files directly and hands back a VRM, textures included when they travel in the zip.

How to make a VTuber model on your phone

The selfie route works from a phone browser end to end: take the photo, customize, download the VRM. VRoid Studio has an iPad version but not a phone one, and Live2D Cubism is desktop-only — so on a phone, the choice today is the selfie route or a PNGtuber.

Which VTuber app should you use?

Your VRM works in every major VTuber app. Pick one and follow its setup guide:

FAQ