software for presentations with animation

Video & Animation

30 Best Animation Software for Beginners in 2024 [Free & Paid]

Written by: Mahnoor Sheikh

Animated visuals are a lot more engaging than plain, static images. In fact, they generate the highest number of shares on social media compared to other forms of visual content.

Some of the best animation software in the market are Visme, Adobe Animate, Adobe Character Animator, Pencil2D, Biteable and Animaker.

In this guide for beginners, we’re going to explore these options and more to help you find the best animation software for your needs.

So, if you’re (seriously) interested in animation, you’ll need this guide.

Let’s get started.

30 Best Animation Software for 2024

• Adobe Animate
• Adobe Character Animator
• Autodesk Maya
• Moho Animation Software
• SideFX (Houdini)
• VistaCreate
• Adobe Creative Cloud Express
• PosterMyWall
• Animatron Studio
• Clip Studio Paint
• CelAction2D
• Synfig Studio
• Linearity Move

Quick Comparison Guide

Made with Visme Infographic Maker

Software #1: Visme

Visme is a cloud-based, online design tool that lets anyone create animated social media images, infographics , presentations, ads, banners and other visuals.

It comes packed with animation and interactivity features to help you create eye-catching designs that do much more than just static images.

Visme’s animation software lets you access thousands of premade templates, a library of free stock photos and videos, customizable pre-animated characters, illustrations and gestures, and much more.

• Friendly and intuitive drag-and-drop editor.
• Thousands of animated templates in various categories.
• Customizable pre-animated assets: Characters, illustrations and gestures
• 20+ customizable pre-designed animated characters, including poses, body style, gender, skin tone, and more.
• 3D character creator for building customizable 3D characters
• Animation timeline feature to customize scenes and sync audio.
• 14+ different types of animated graphs, charts and maps.
• Advanced custom animation that can be applied to any object.
• Interactive links, call-to-action buttons and hover effects.
• Searchable libraries of free stock photos, videos, icons and shapes.
• Wide range of AI-powered tools including AI image generator , AI writer and AI image edit and touchup tools .
• Import your own images, videos and fonts.
• Embed videos and other online content into your designs.
• Team collaboration features: Share your projects.
• Brand kit : Save your brand colors, fonts and logos for later use.
• Insightful analytics: Access graphs and statistics for project views.
• Offline animated download formats: GIF, MP4 video and HTML5.
• Publish and share online : Use a link or generate an embed code.

Pricing: Free plan with limited features. Paid plans start at $12.25/month per user, billed annually.

Pros: All-in-one design tool packed with animation and interactivity features, great for both non-designers and designers, millions of free graphic assets inside the editor.

Cons: A variety of design and customizability options can lead to a slightly steep learning curve.

Ideal for: Marketers, corporate teams, teachers, trainers, personal use.

Spice up your designs with animated illustrations

• Animated gestures to bring your designs to life
• Add animations into any content, from presentations to infographics and more
• Customize illustrations to match your brand colors

Sign up. It’s free.

Software #2: Adobe Animate

Adobe Animate is a new and improved version of Adobe Flash Professional. The software lets you create interactive vector graphics and 2D animations for videos, ads, games, television and more. With Adobe animation software, you can animate characters, avatars, shapes and other assets using timeline controls.

• Vector brushes with size, smoothness, pressure and velocity settings.
• Intuitive timeline controls with advanced animation settings.
• Virtual camera feature that lets you add pan, zoom and other effects.
• Synchronize audio with your animations and create audio loops.
• Typekit integration gives you access to premium web fonts.
• Export in Flash, HTML5 Canvas, WebGL, SVG and more.

Pricing: Starts from $22.99/month.

Pros: Extensive export and sharing options to publish your animations in virtually any format for any platform.

Cons: Just like any other Adobe software, Animate has a steep learning curve, especially for beginners.

Ideal for: Game designers, YouTubers, cartoon makers.

Software #3: Adobe Character Animator

Adobe Character Animator is another one of Adobe’s animation software stack. But unlike Adobe Animate, Character Animator lets you use motion capture to create live animations of your 2D characters. For example, you can create a character in Illustrator or Photoshop , import it into Character Animator, set it up with tags and then animate it using your own facial movements using your webcam.

• Real-time motion capture and automatic facial tracking.
• Download characters from Creative Cloud Market.
• Integration with Photoshop and Illustrator.
• Move the character’s limbs with your mouse.
• Timeline panel for recording and editing scenes.

Pricing: Included in the Creative Cloud All-Apps Plan that costs $59.99/month.

Pros: Easy to replicate real-life movements and expressions with facial tracking. Plenty of import and export options.

Cons: This software is available as part of the all apps pack, not as a standalone product. Also, you need to have a webcam and microphone to use the motion capture feature.

Ideal for: Bloggers, marketers, entertainers, educators.

Software #4: Blender

Blender is an open-source video editing software that lets you have total control over your animations. The tool offers advanced command line and programming features for rendering, modeling and creating 3D animations. It works across different operating systems, so you can use it on Linux, Windows and Mac.

• Powerful rendering, modeling and sculpting tools.
• Advanced animation and rigging tools.
• Draw and edit in 3D mode.
• Video editing and VFX, including motion tracking, masking and compositing.
• Powerful and realistic simulation tools.
• Extensive Python API for scripting and customization.
• Customizable user interface, window layout and shortcuts.

Pricing: Free.

Pros: It doesn’t cost anything to use Blender. Also, advanced animation and rendering tools make it fit for both beginners and expert users.

Cons: Blender has a very steep learning curve as it’s packed with so many features. Beginners will be overwhelmed and might need to spend hours on tutorials before getting it right.

Ideal for: Animators, engineers, scientists, artists, students.

Software #5: Autodesk Maya

Autodesk Maya is one of the best software for making animations. It’s a robust 3D animation, modeling, rendering and simulation tool for creating expansive and immersive worlds, realistic characters and sensational effects. The graphics animation software shines due to its top-notch and complete 3D production package and models.

• Ability to create physically accurate simulations in a single visual programming environment
• Construct 3D models based on vertices, edges, faces, geometric primitives and drawn curves
• Accelerate performance with interactive workflows
• Create, view, and edit animation curves using a graphical representation of scene animation.
• Work directly with data using native tools and quickly load and modify large datasets.
• Use Integrated Arnold renderer to view scene changes in real time, including lighting, materials, and cameras.

Pricing. Maya's subscription plan starts at $235 per month. The Flex plan starts at $300 for Minimum, $1500 - Popular and the Custom plan.

Pros. This professional animated tool offers a wide range of tools and features for 3D animation and visual effects. User-friendly interface. Adaptable and scaleable for the most complex worlds, characters and workflows. Ability to iterate faster and accelerate workflows.

Cons. The tool is pricey for smaller startups and creators. It has a steep learning curve for beginners.

Ideal for: Creative designers and artist

Software #6: Cinema 4D

When it comes to animated tools for motion graphics, Cinema 4D is an industry-standard and powerful software for visual creators at all levels. The software is perfect for 3D computer animation, modeling, simulation and rendering.

As a complete program for animation, you’ll find features for motion graphics, design, VFX, AR/MR/VR, game development and all kinds of visualization.

• Quickly turn a series of images into a 3D model
• Emit smoke, fire and explosion from any Spline or object
• Comprehensive color management for stunning cinematic results
• Supports advanced features like symbols annd gradient filled shapes
• Import vector art from PDF, SVG, Illustrator into your 3D scenes
• Supports polygonal, volume, parametric modelling and character animation
• Abillity to realistic-looking and multi-threaded simulations
• Cinema 4D is available in 12 different languages
• Compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux operating systems

Pricing : Cinema 4D costs $81.91 per month, billed annually.

Pros: Cinema 4D is one of the easiest 3D packages to learn and use. Has a robust knowledgebase and other support options. Equipped with lots of amazing animation and modelling-friendly features.

Cons. The tool is super expensive for starters. The interface can be overwhelming without proper guidance.

Software #7: OpenToonz

If you’re looking for a professional animation tool without breaking the bank, OpenToonz is a great fit. Although it’s free and open-source, the software has lots of features for creating multiple animation styles . Whether you’re a beginner or expert, you can bring static objects and characters to life using 2D animation capabilities.

OpenToonz has applications in different animation projects, including amateur and professional production, commercial use, school education and more.

• Ability to create cutting-edge animation with multiple effects using the SDK plugins
• Automatic changing picture styles using the deep learning technology
• Produces affected incident light and wavy distortion effects
• Compatible with 4 types of image scanning (black & white, colored, with or without binarization)
• Compatible with Windows and macOS

Pricing. OpenToonz is free.

Pros. The tool is open-source and can be used free of charge for both commercial and non-commercial projects.

Cons. Unaesthetic and antique interface. Steep learning curve with little or no resources for learning.

Software #8: Moho Animation Software

Moho Pro is a powerful, professional-grade animation software that can perform almost any task related to 2D vector animation. It’s a perfect work tool for amateur and expert animators, hobbyists and digital artists Unlike other animated tools, Moho blends robust animation technology and state-of-the-art animation tools.

• Includes language support for six languages (English, Spanish, French, Russian, German and Japanese)
• Comprehensive content library full of characters, props and backgrounds.
• Powerful vector drawing tools
• Complete rigging system to enable users to create easy to animate 2D puppets timeline, audio recording and sound effects
• Advanced timeline with graph mode and editable interpolation
• Photoshop’s PSD file integration
• Create personalized meshes to animate vectors and images
• Automate animation using power features like particles, gravity, dynamics and wind

Pricing: Moho Debut 14 starts at $59.99, while Moho Pro costs $399.99.

Pros: Moho is feature-rich and versatile. There are lots of tutorials, guidance and excellent resources to help users get started. Supports file import and integration with Adobe Photoshop

Cons: Steep learning curve for beginners. Most features available in Pro version.

Software #9: Unity

Unity is a 3D animation, CGI and cinematics tool for film, television and gaming. The animated tool comes in handy for collaborative iteration in real-time, rather than hours and days of rendering. Unity enables faster production with features like shared composition, accelerated rendering and multiple options to automate non-creative tasks.

• Integrate with Digital Content Creation tools of your choice
• High-definition render pipeline to render beautiful visuals and cinematic shots
• Animate and edit your project with familiar toolsets
• Orchestrate timing, angles, movements, and cues in real-time using editing and sequencing tools
• Access lightning-fast recording to speed up projects and shorten review cycles
• Unity is available in nine languages

Pricing: Unity’s student and personal plans are free. The Pro plan is $185 per seat per month, the Industry plan starts at $450 per month, billed annually, and the enterprise plan has custom pricing.

Pro: The tool is intuitive, easy to use and has a user-friendly interface. Rich library of asset for creating multiple projects

Cons: The free plan has limited features.

Ideal for: Creatives, designers and artists

Software #10. SideFX (Houdini)

Houdini is a 3D animation tool for rigging, modeling, VFX, animation, lighting, look development and rendering in gaming, film, TV and advertising. Its intuitive, user-friendly features enable artists and creators to create multiple iterations and easily share workflows with co-creators.

• Realistic, fire, smoke, fluids, particles and solid simulations that are faster and easier to set up
• Procedural modeling techniques for maintaining a robust construction history and creating complex models like cityscapes, environments and more
• Provides a complete suite of features for rigging and animating characters and creatures
• Offers layout, development and lighting tools that enable creators to make USD-based scene graphs
• Ability to integrate visual effects into live-action shots to produce high-quality results.

Pricing: Houdini has a free plan for the learning edition. The paid plans starts at $269 (1-year rental)

Pros: This animated software offers robust rendering and modeling capabilities The procedural workflow saves time by allowing changes to be made quickly in the pipeline. Offer fluid, solid, particle and other powerful simulation capabiities.

Cons: For a program for animation, SideFX has a steep learning curve and requires a lot of practice for beginners to get the hang of it.

Software #11: VistaCreate

More than just your basic animation software, VistaCreate features an extensive library of animated templates and thousands of pre-animated objects and characters. The tool lets you create animated ads, square videos and even Facebook covers with no design skills.

You can also combine videos and animated GIFs with your images, such as a moving background, to create short and eye-catching video posts for social media.

• Thousands of animated templates to use and customize.
• Access to over 50 million stock photos.
• Library of videos and animations to use in designs.
• Upload your own fonts, graphics and animations.
• Download in MP4 video format.
• Share your animated video directly to social media.

Pricing: Free plan with limited features. Pro plan starts from $10/month, billed annually.

Pros: Create animated video artworks in various formats; stories, presentations, social media. Has a mobile app to create designs on the go.

Cons: The free version gives you access to limited storage and creative assets.

Ideal for: Marketers, small business owners, freelancers.

Software #12: Adobe Creative Cloud Express

If you’re looking for a very basic animation software to create video posts for social media, Adobe Creative Cloud Express can help you do that right from your phone.

Use the Adobe Creative Cloud Express iOS app to create short videos with animated text and photos by choosing a template, and customizing it using one of the few animation styles available. As of now, you can only access the animation feature on mobile, not on the desktop app.

• Access customizable templates in various formats.
• Sync your designs across multiple devices.
• Create animated posts on the go with the iOS app.
• Thousands of free images and icons.
• Download as an MP4 video or share online.

Pricing: Adobe Creative Cloud Express has a free plan. Paid plans start at $9.99/month.

Pros: Create animated social media posts on the go with the iOS mobile app. Simple, easy-to-use interface. Sign in with your Adobe account.

Cons: Lack of advanced animation features. Animations only available in the iOS app, not in Android or Web version.

Ideal for: Freelancers, marketers, bloggers.

Software #13: PosterMyWall

This animated software is straightforward and incredibly easy to use. You don’t even need to sign up to start editing a template. PosterMyWall lets you design promotional posters, graphics and videos using a large library of templates and stock videos.

What makes PosterMyWall stand out among other tools is that it lets you download your designs as high-quality videos, including 4K and Full HD. You can also send them off for printing if you’re living in the US.

• Large collection of animated video templates.
• Thousands of stock videos to use in your designs.
• Bulk printing for your designs on various materials.
• Download your videos in 4K and Full HD quality.
• Save as high-quality MP4 and GIF files.
• Share your designs with a link or embed online.

Pricing: Free plan with free social media downloads. Premium plans start from $9.95/month.

Pros: Create animated videos in high quality; 4K and Full HD. Start editing a template in your browser without signing up.

Cons: Download options are limited in the free plan. Limited animation features.

Ideal for: Individuals, businesses.

Create engaging animated content with Visme

• Add animated icons and illustrations
• Increase interest and engagement through your design
• Add enter and exit effects to create fully animated content

Software #14: PixTeller

PixTeller’s animation software is great for both business and personal use. It’s a good alternative for a full-featured video editing tool if you’re looking for something more basic.

You can create short animated videos in PixTeller by setting frame-by-frame motions, and then editing the attributes of each frame, such as colors, rotation, opacity and more.

• Hundreds of pre-animated templates to customize.
• Customize a frame by frame timeline.
• Unique text effects to make your animations pop.
• 100,000+ shapes to add to your animated videos.
• Share the URL of your video to specific people.
• Download in MP4 video and GIF formats.

Pricing: Their basic paid plan doesn't come with animation capabilities. The paid plan with animation features starts from $12/month, billed annually.

Pros: Create animated posts and banners by editing a frame by frame timeline.

Cons: Lack of advanced animation features. Option to download as MP4 or GIF only available in the paid plan.

Ideal for: Marketers, freelancers, bloggers.

Software #15: Animatron Studio

This a great option if you’re looking for a feature-rich animation tool. Animatron Studio offers a huge gallery of pre-animated elements and templates to help you create explainer videos, HTML5 banners, ads and more.

The customization options are near endless—you can even customize the expressions of the characters. If you’re looking for a less robust version, you can also check out Animatron Lite.

• Thousands of pre-animated objects, characters and more.
• Extensive customizability options.
• Import, place and edit your own graphics.
• Built-in voiceover features to add narration.
• Real-time collaboration and comments.
• Export to HTML5, MP4, SVG and GIF formats.
• Share online with a link or use an embed code.

Pricing : Animatron has a free plan with limited features. Paid plans start from $15/month, billed annually.

Pros: Advanced customization options for all pre-animated characters and objects. Download your designs in several popular formats.

Cons: Interface can be glitchy, no free stock videos available inside the software.

Ideal for: Marketers, corporate teams, educators, freelancers.

Software #16: Biteable

If you want to create bite-sized, animated videos like promos, ads and social media videos, Biteable is a good option. This video animation software lets you share and download animated videos by editing one of their premade templates.

You can also look through thousands of stock footage clips and scenes to put together an entirely customized video. Biteable also lets you share your project with teammates with its collaboration features.

• Browse hundreds of professional video templates.
• Access thousands of stock footage clips and animations.
• Add audio tracks using a huge library or upload your own.
• Share your video project with other team members.
• Publish your video on Biteable with privacy controls.
• Download your designs in Full HD MP4 video format.
• Share directly to social media, or use a link or embed code.

Pricing : Free plan with limited features. Paid plans start from $49/month, billed annually.

Pros: Make all kinds of marketing videos, including explainers and demos. Access thousands of stock footage clips to create something unique.

Cons: You can only download in MP4 video format. Free plan exports come with a watermark.

Ideal for: Marketers, trainers, educators.

Software #17: Animaker

Animaker is ideal for businesses and educators who want to create interactive presentations and videos. This animation software comes with a large library of templates and pre-animated elements, including illustrations, characters and gestures.

• Large collection of animated templates and assets.
• Six unique video styles to edit and remix.
• Pro-level animation features like Curve, Camera In and Out.
• 200+ music tracks and sound effects to add to your videos.
• Enterprise and team management features.
• Upload directly to YouTube and Facebook or share URL.

Pricing: Free plan with limited features. Paid plans start from $12.50/month, billed annually.

Pros: Create animated videos for all kinds of business or personal uses. A variety of video styles, including several for whiteboard videos.

Cons: Only 5 watermarked downloads in the free plan. Only good for creating videos, not animated images.

Ideal for: Marketers, presenters, freelancers.

Software #18: Canva

Canva is a popular online design tool that has recently introduced a few basic animation features. It lets you download your graphic designs as a GIF or video by choosing one of the six animation styles available in the app.

• Thousands of editable templates in various categories.
• Millions of free and paid photos, icons and other assets.
• Six different animation styles to choose from.
• Invite team members and share your brand elements.
• Organize your designs into folders.
• Download your animated designs in GIF and MP4 video formats.

Pricing : Canva has a free plan with limited features. Paid plans start from $15/month.

Pros: Pay-per-use graphic assets. Good for adding basic animation to images.

Cons: No custom animation capabilities. Limited animation features in the free plan.

Ideal for: Marketers, bloggers and small business owners.

Software #19: Easil

Easil is another web-based design tool that also supports GIF downloads. However, the only way to make an animated GIF in Easil is by duplicating an image frame several times and making edits to each frame.

• Brand kit feature to save your brand colors, colors and logos.
• Creative text effects like drop shadow and masks.
• Resize templates and designs for social media or print.
• Create color schemes with the color palette generator.
• Team and sub-team sharing features.
• Download animated GIFs.

Pricing: Starts from $7.50/month per user, billed annually.

Pros: Plenty of features for team sharing and enhancing your visual brand.

Cons: The only way to create an animated GIF is to duplicate an image several times and make changes to each “frame”. No GIF download option available in the free plan.

Ideal for: Brand managers, marketers, bloggers.

Software #20: Pencil2D

Pencil2D is an open-source 2D animation software that lets you create 2D animated characters using vector drawing tools and traditional animation workflows. It works on all the popular platforms, including Windows, MacOS and Linux.

• Simplified user interface that’s easy to use for beginners.
• Customizable toolbar to fit your own creative process.
• Layers panel for bitmap, sound, camera and vector layers.
• Timeline and keyframes to add, subtract and duplicate frames.
• Versatile drawing tools to help you create vector drawings.
• Various export formats: GIF, MP4, AVI, WEBM and more.

Pros: It’s free to use and cross-platform, so it can work on any operating system. Simple and minimalistic editor to help you create traditional, hand-drawn animations.

Cons: Pencil2D is great for simple drawing animation, but lacks advanced animation and character building tools. It’s not ideal for complex or modern-style animations.

Ideal for: Digital artists, cartoon makers, game designers, basic animators.

Software #21: Powtoon

Powtoon is an online animation software that lets you create fun, interactive videos with animated characters and premade graphic assets. It’s a great tool for making video presentations, explainer videos and whiteboard animations.

• Dozens of premade templates spread across five categories.
• Thousands of built-in graphics, animated characters and more.
• Advanced animation controls and character customization.
• Choose from built-in audio, record audio or upload audio files.
• Screen and webcam recording to create tutorials and video presentations.
• Import and edit Photoshop and PowerPoint files.
• Download in various formats or share directly to social media.

Pricing : Paid plans start from $15/month, billed annually.

Pros: Easy to use tool for beginners. Plenty of built-in graphic assets. Advanced character customization.

Cons: Limited options for built-in music. Advanced features and removing the watermark are locked for free users. Working on heavy projects can slow down Powtoon’s editor.

Ideal for: Marketers, presenters, educators, trainers.

Software #22: Procreate

Procreate is one of the most powerful and intuitive animated tools that uses frame-by-frame animation techniques. It gives users all the benefits of working digitally while recreating the familiar experience of pencils, pens and paint on paper. Thus, making it an excellent tool for beginners. 

If you already have an iPad and an Apple pencil, download the app from Apple Store and start creating animations. 

• Get the perfect shape every time with the QuickShape feature.
• ColorDrop feature to quickly pick any color you want. 
• Extra special FX to add gorgeous finishing touches to your work. 
• Gaussian, motion and perspective blur. 
• Complete font control to add gorgeous typography to your design. 
• Paint with filters to add perfect finishing touches to your artwork. 

Pricing: Procreate comes with one-time pricing of $12.99 exclusively from the Apple Store. No subscription.

Pros: Simple and easy-to-use interface. Wide range of brushes and an option to import Photoshop (.abr) brushes into your app. 120hz performance to take full advantage of Apple’s ProMotion technology. 

Cons: Only works with iPad and Apple pencil. It works in pixels, so you can’t create vectors. Difficult adjustment layers. 

Ideal for: Beginners, freelancers and hobbyists.

Software #23: Clip Studio Paint

Clip Studio Paint is an all-in-one animation solution that lets you create comics, general illustration and 2D animation. The software is compatible with macOS, Windows, iOS, iPad, Android and Chrome OS. 

Thus, if you can manage to use its slightly confusing user interface, then Clip Studio Paint can be one of the best animation tools for you. 

• Adjustable pen pressure to recreate the natural, high-quality lines of pen and paper. 
• Automatically taper the beginning and end of brush strokes and reduce shaky and wavering lines. 
• Use 3D references for accurate compositions. 
• Light table function for free reference specific keyframes while inbetweening. 
• Drawing frames between keyframes

Pricing : Free trial up to 6 months. Clip Studio Paint Pro costs $54 while Clip Studio Paint EX costs $237.

Pros: Multiple export options and advanced vector toolkit. AI technology, 3D Capability, Bundles of brush options, drawing flexibility. 

Cons: Stifling Pro or Ex prices. Lack of audio support. Slightly confusing UI. No rigging tools. 

Ideal for: Beginners, hobbyists and professionals. 

Software #24: CelAction2D

CelAction 2D is another powerful animation tool that gives you all the quality of hand-crafted animation. With four editions available — Studio, Professional, Animator and Educational — the animation software has something for everyone. The tool interoperates well with other software, helping you to choose the best tools for your production pipeline. 

Furthermore, you can import 3D CGI models in CelAction2D and position them anywhere in a fully 3dimensional space. 

• The software features a dockable tool panel that allows you to work on multiple monitors and increase productivity. 
• More than 60 special effects to make your animation visually rich with minimal effort and time. Moreover, you can create special effects and save them in the library for reuse. 
• Advanced Inverse Kinematic Tool that helps you pose your character and model. 
• You can import drawing assets from other software such as Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, GIMP and others. 
• The 2D animation can be rendered in NTSC, PAL and HDTV format and at any resolution. 

Pricing: The monthly rental cost for this tool starts at $70/ month paid annually .

Pros: Supports large teams. Import your scanned sketches, photos or even 3D CGI and animate them quickly.

Cons: No cross-platform support; works only with Windows. No drawing tools. 

Ideal for: Digital artists, cartoon makers, animators. 

Software #25: Synfig Studio

Synfig Studio is a more robust tool than the other open-source and free animation software in the market. It gives you advanced controls that help you create high-quality animation exceptionally quickly. It’s a tweeness animation system designed to speed up the animation process by using sprites and digital tweening. 

If you want to experiment with newer features, Synfig Studio is best for you. Also, it’s a great alternative to Adobe Animate. 

• Transform any vector shape into another with the Vector tweening feature. Thus, eliminating the need for manual tweening. 
• 50+ layers and filters to create complex animation. 
• Additional Skeleton Distortion layer to apply complex deformations to bitmap artwork. 
• Vector animation with Lottie export. 
• Built-in feature to upgrade the animation output using automatic friction effects. 
• Supported on Mac, Windows and Linux. 
• Provides advanced controls like link parameters for various layers.

Pricing : Free and open to use by anyone. 

Pros : Free and open-source. Yet, you will get advanced animation tools that are fit for both beginners and experienced animation enthusiasts. Free video tutorials for an in-depth understanding of the software. 

Cons: Software sometimes crashes. Steep learning curve. The user interface is not very intuitive. 

Ideal for: Beginners, solo artists and experts. 

Software #26: KeyShot

KeyShot is an easy-to-use, advanced, simplified animation software that helps users create photorealistic, scientifically accurate animations. The tool is well-known for its high-quality 2D and 3D animations without an additional graphics card. 

Additionally, it supports 30+ types for rendering 3D animation and comes with interactive labeling, texture mapping, physical lighting, and more. 

• 750+ templates to help you differently style your animation.
• Real-time 3D image rendering workflow. 
• More than 30 3D file formats.
• Adjust and light your scene as per your requirement with its HDRI lighting. 
• Create interactive, touch-enabled visuals for mobile and web. 
• Still image animations, interactive web content and mobile content. 

Pricing: Plans start from $99/month billed annually. 

Pros: Works with both Mac and Windows. Import and export a wide range of model formats. Detailing, accuracy and realism in visualization are unmatched.

Cons: Not a friendly user interface for beginners. Framing, sizing and resizing the window sometimes get complicated. 3D animation is difficult to grasp for a novice. 

Software #27: Linearity Move

Linearity Move is a user-friendly, cloud-based animation software that simplifies the creation of high-quality vector animations.

It is ideal for both beginners and professionals, and offers seamless integration with Linearity Curve and other graphic design tools like Figma and Adobe Illustrator.

• Auto Animate for easy, one-click animations.
• Real-time collaboration (coming soon).
• Supports 8K resolution exports.
• Free templates and animation presets.
• Compatible with MacOS and iOS, with Apple Pencil support.
• Upload your brand elements and assets.

Pricing : Linearity offers a free plan with limited features. Paid plans start from $14.99/month billed annually.

Pros: Affordable, works in your browser, cross-platform compatible, integrates well with Linearity Curve and other vector design software, easy to use for beginners.

Cons: Limited advanced features for professional animators, primarily used for simpler animations like social media graphics and videos.

Software #28: Toon Boom Harmony

Toon Boom Harmony is a professional-grade animation software widely used in the TV and film industry. It offers a range of tools for end-to-end 2D animation, including rigging, compositing and special effects.

Harmony is known for its powerful capabilities and high-quality output, which makes it a top choice for professional animators.

• Advanced rigging and deformers for character animation.
• Comprehensive compositing tools.
• Support for bitmap and vector graphics.
• Integration with Storyboard Pro for seamless storytelling.
• Extensive export options including various video formats and image sequences.
• Specialized tools for cut-out animation, paperless animation and traditional animation.

Pricing: Plans start at $28.50/month. You can take advantage of a free trial to check out the software before you buy.

Pros: Versatile animation software for various types of animation styles and purposes, professional-grade tools.

Cons: Unintuitive interface, steep learning curve, expensive, requires powerful hardware.

Software #29: Krita

Krita is a free, open-source digital painting and animation software. It is known for its wide range of painting tools and capabilities for creating frame-by-frame 2D animations.

The platform is used widely in the digital VFX industry and is a favorite of illustrators, comic book and concept artists.

• Extensive brush engine with customizable brushes.
• Support for frame-by-frame 2D animation.
• Onion skinning for smooth transitions between frames.
• Animation timeline for precise control.
• Export in various video formats and image sequences.
• Layer management and blending modes for complex animations.

Pricing: Free

Pros: Free and open-source, powerful painting tools, suitable for both beginners and professionals.

Cons: Limited support for complex animations, requires a good understanding of digital painting and art skills.

Software #30: Steve AI

Steve AI is an easy-to-use online animation software for making videos—specifically text-to-animation and voice-to-animation videos for social media and marketing purposes.

It’s a very simple software and ideal for those looking for a straightforward tool for creating animations for websites and social platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

• AI-driven video creation with minimal effort.
• Large library of pre-made templates and assets.
• Support for both 2D and 3D animations.
• Real-time collaboration for team projects.
• Export in various video formats and GIFs.
• Customizable character animations and voiceover integration.

Pricing: Steve AI has a free plan with limited features. Paid plans start from $15/month.

Pros: Easy to use, affordable, AI-powered video creation.

Cons: Limited advanced features for professional animators, lack of customization.

Animation Software FAQs

Q. which software is best for animation.

Visme stands out as an all-in-one visual content creation platform that empowers users to create stunning and engaging animations, animated presentations, infographics, documents and more. With Visme’s intuitive interface and robust features, anyone—beginner or professional—can make captivating animations in a matter of minutes.

Visme has a rich library of assets, templates, graphics, images, icons and animations. You can animate each of these design elements to provide an immersive experience for your audience.

Access a wide range of animation options, including entrance, emphasis, exit, and motion path animations, animated icons, illustrations and special effects. Enhance audience engagement with interactive elements such as clickable buttons, links, hotspots, pop-ups, and hover effects.

Q. Do you need coding for animation?

No, you do not necessarily need coding skills to create animations, especially with the advent of user-friendly animation software and tools available today. Many animation platforms, like Visme, Adobe Animate, Toon Boom Harmony, and others, offer intuitive interfaces and drag-and-drop functionality that allow users to create animations without writing a single line of code.

These platforms provide pre-built assets, templates, and animation effects that users can customize and combine to create engaging animations. The process typically involves arranging visual elements on a timeline, adjusting their properties, and specifying how they move and interact with each other.

Q. Is there a free animation software?

Yes, there are several animation software options available for free. These software for creating animation provide basic features and are excellent for beginners, students, or individuals looking to explore animation without investing in expensive software.

Animation companies like Visme, Blender, OpenToonz, and Synfig Studio provide free access to animation tools. However, you need to purchase or upgrade to a paid version of the software to access advanced features and additional assets.

Q. What animation software should beginners use?

When searching for animation tools for beginners, it's crucial to start with user-friendly software that offers a gentle learning curve. Visme stands out as an excellent choice for beginners due to beginner-friendly features like

• Intuitive drag-and-drop interface. Beginners can easily navigate the platform, add elements, and create animations without getting overwhelmed by complex menus or tools.
• Vast selection of pre-designed templates suitable for various animation purposes. These templates serve as a starting point, allowing beginners to customize and personalize their animations without starting from scratch.
• Visme supports various formats, including animated presentations, videos, GIFs, and social media posts. This versatility enables beginners to explore different types of animations and choose the format that best suits their projects.
• A diverse library of graphics, icons, characters, and animations: This extensive library simplifies the process of finding the right visuals for their projects.
• Animation Presets. Visme includes animation presets and effects that beginners can apply to their elements with a single click
• Interactive Tutorials and Support. Visme offers interactive tutorials and guides that help beginners learn the basics of animation. Additionally, the platform provides excellent customer support, ensuring beginners can seek assistance whenever they encounter challenges.

Visme’s shallow learning curve allows aspiring animators to dive into the world of animation without feeling overwhelmed. The tool makes the creative process enjoyable and rewarding for beginners.

Q. How to make an animation with Visme

Creating interactive content doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

Whether you're creating presentations, marketing materials, or educational content, Visme empowers users to bring their ideas to life with captivating and professional animations. Follow these steps to create animations with Visme:

1. Find a template you love or start with a blank canvas. Fully customize the template or canvas to include your branding and messaging using the design features in Visme

2. Incorporate animations and interactive elements. 

• Create a clickable menu, table of contents or navigation bar to easily navigate between pages.
• Link slides, pages or content blocks to objects to make them actionable and create an interactive experience.
• Make your content come alive with interactive hover effects and pop-ups that offer your audience a deeper and more engaging experience.
• Incorporate animated enter and exit effects into your design elements to turn your content into a dynamic masterpiece that grabs the attention of your audience from start to finish.
• Create personalized interactive content by embedding YouTube videos, Loom recordings, surveys, polls, quizzes and more.
• Animate your design elements so they pop off the page and create a more dynamic look and feel for your content.
• Connect with third-party integrations like GIPHY, Typeform, Loom, Google Maps and more to create more dynamic and personalized content.

3. Download and share your animation: Share your interactive content with your audience by sharing an online link, downloading it as a GIF, MP4 or HTML5 file, or embedding it on a web page.

What is the Best Animation Software?

Choosing the best animation software can be confusing, especially if you’re a beginner and you’re looking for an easy, affordable option that scales with your needs.

For beginners who want to create animated content for marketing and internal communication purposes, we recommend Visme.

With Visme, you can create animated GIFs, marketing videos , explainers, animated charts and graphs, interactive documents with live data and more.

The best part? You don’t need to be a designer or animation expert to use Visme — the drag-and-drop editor works in your browser and makes animation a breeze!

If you’re ready to create animated and interactive content of your own, sign up for a free Visme account and test it out for yourself.

Create beautiful and interactive visual content with Visme

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About the Author

Mahnoor Sheikh is the content marketing manager at Visme. She has years of experience in content strategy and execution, SEO copywriting and graphic design. She is also the founder of MASH Content and is passionate about tea, kittens and traveling with her husband. Get in touch with her on LinkedIn .

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Make a lasting impression on your audience with avatars, animations, gifs and more, animaker is trusted by some of the world’s leading brands, a presentation software that’s loaded to the brim with cool features, go beyond the obvious and spice up your online presentations up with countless industry leading features.

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16 Best Animation Software Picks for October 2024 (Free and Paid)

Here's our compiled a list of the best paid and free animation software out there to help you make the right decision for your animation needs!

Computer animation has come a long way since inception in the year 1960. The fundamentals of animation software or animation tool can be traced back to the time when William Fetter, a computer graphics designer made a diagram of a human body inside an airplane cockpit. Although the intention was to maximize the efficiency of Boeing’s cockpits, it paved the way towards more sophisticated process flows and thus, towards animation generated by computers. The credit for the first animation software, however, goes to Ivan Sutherland, an MIT graduate. His program Sketchpad (developed in 1963) drew lines that looked like recognizable figures. Little did he know that his idea would become a multibillion-dollar industry in the years to come.

Slowly and steadily, more progress was made in the field. The movie Tron which was released in the year 1982, was one of the first movies to use computer-generated graphics . Movies like the Terminator, Jurassic Park, Toy Story, the Matrix, and Avatar further refined the process, adding more details and sophistication to computer animation. The animation software industry grew to great heights within this period. 

Fast forward to 2024, we have a plethora of examples to celebrate the genius of CGI or computer-generated imagery. There are a variety of animation software available in the market, widely used by professionals at animation studios. Depending on the medium you choose —hand-drawn or 2D, 3D, or stop-motion and the price range, there are plenty of options to get started. A well-built animation software provides intuitive controls and flexibility that can be easily understood by a beginner but also has vastly superior tools for an experienced user. 

Browse through this list of quality animation software, and select the one that best suits your requirement. We hope it will help you hone your foundation skills, practice animation styles, and help you get professional results.

How we reviewed the list of best animation software's

In our selection of the best animation software, we emphasize tools that balance ease of use with powerful capabilities, perfect for aspiring animators and seasoned professionals alike. These programs offer intuitive interfaces, extensive animation features, and flexibility across various styles, from traditional frame-by-frame animation to cutting-edge 3D modeling. Our list is continually updated to ensure you're equipped with the latest advancements in animation technology, enabling you to bring your creative visions to life with efficiency and flair.

Here is a list of the 16 Best Animation Softwares (2D & 3D)

Top paid animation softwares.

• Adobe Character Animator
• Toon Boom Harmony
• DigiCel Flipbook
• Cartoon Animator 5
• Stop Motion Studio

Top Open Source & Free Animation Softwares

• Synfig Studio

What are the Best Animation Softwares of 2024?

1.  adobe character animator.

This animation software comes from one of the biggest development companies in the world and serves up to the hyped expectations. One of the recent additions to the Adobe family, this simple animation software uses facial recognition, gesture recognition , etc. to animate cartoon characters. 

The Character Animator is a real-time animator that uses various inputs to animate characters. It is extremely smooth and fast, making it ideal for live streaming your development process to share work with team members or your audience.

Key features of the Character Animator include:

• Facial Expressions: Uses your facial expressions to animate characters.
• Hand Movements: Captures hand movements to add realism to character animations.
• Full-Body Motion Capture: Utilizes full-body motion capture for comprehensive character animation.
• Live Streaming: Allows you to live stream your development process for real-time collaboration and audience engagement.

Just plug in your microphone, web camera and start animating! You can also create a character from your artworks in a few mouse clicks using the built-in Adobe Sensei . 

System Requirements 🖥️

To run Adobe Character Animator, you'll need Windows 10 or macOS 11.0 or later, at least 8GB RAM, and a GPU with 2GB VRAM.

Recent Updates 🔄

The recent update of Adobe Character Animator, version 24.6 (August 2024 release), includes improvements and stability updates with no new features, building upon the previous version 23.6 which introduced editable replays and custom background images for Starter mode users

Adobe Character Animator is one of the best animation software and is used by many Hollywood film houses. The software offers a huge variety of options for animating. You can also use the built-in puppets to begin animating as soon as you open the software. Animation options include breathing, walking, blinking, behaviors, etc. It is a great animation software for beginners as well as experienced professionals.

• Creative Cloud All Apps: $59.99/mo - Includes Character Animator and the entire collection of creative apps.
• Students and Teachers: $19.99/mo - Save over 60% on the entire collection of creative apps, including Character Animator.
• Business: $89.99/mo - For businesses requiring a comprehensive suite of creative apps, including Character Animator

2.  Toon Boom Harmony

Toon Boom by Harmony is a cartoon animation software for beginners as well as for professionals. The software allows the user the flexibility, fluidity, and the smoothness of traditional animation. The learning curve is moderate since the software is meant for newbies as well as for professionals. The software has been used by leading animation studios for more than 25 years.

 GitHub illustrator and animator, Tony Jaramillo writes in his testimonial, “Harmony makes it possible to level up our animation productivity without sacrificing quality...we're big fans”.

Some of the most famous users of Toon Boom are Universal Studios, Fox Studios, Cartoon Network, Ubisoft, and Lucas Film.  

To run Toon Boom Harmony, you'll need Windows 10 or macOS 10.13 or later, 8GB RAM, and a modern OpenGL graphics card.

Toon Boom Harmony has been updated to version 24.0.1, build 23019, featuring improvements in 3D model handling, Python scripting, and JavaScript functionality, as well as numerous bug fixes addressing issues in rendering, drawing, effects, and more

Toon Boom Harmony's latest update introduces several new features, including a stabilizer for lines, stylus pressure responsiveness, and tilt and angle responsiveness. These additions enhance the overall user experience and provide more control over the animation process.

Key features of Toon Boom Harmony include:

• Brush Engine: A robust tool for creating and customizing brushes.
• Traditional Paperless Animation: Allows for traditional animation techniques in a digital environment.
• Deformers and Cut-Out Animation: Enables the manipulation and animation of 2D objects.
• 2D/3D Integration: Seamlessly integrates 2D and 3D elements.
• Export to Game Engines: Facilitates the export of animations to various game engines.
• Pipeline Integration: Supports integration with other software and tools, such as Adobe Illustrator, and supports various file formats including PSD, PSB, PDF, and Bitmaps.

Toon Boom Harmony offers three subscription plans with varying features tailored to different user needs:

• Harmony Essentials: Designed for enthusiasts, it provides fundamental drawing, painting, and animation tools. Pricing is $28.50/month or $230.50/year.
• Harmony Advanced: Suitable for students and professional animators, it includes features for traditional and paperless animation. Pricing is $71.00/month or $551.50/year.
• Harmony Premium: Created for professional studios and freelancers, it offers advanced features for sophisticated cut-out rigs, realistic character movement, and unlimited special effects. Pricing is $129.50/month or $1,051.50/year.

Ready to create your animation portfolio website? Get Started

3.  digicel flipbook.

This 2D animation software is easy-to-use but don’t let the simplicity fool you. You can do a lot of things with this animation software although it is intended for beginners. Developed by DigiCel, FlipBook runs on both Windows and macOS. You can also call this a frame by frame animation software since the method it employs deals with designing one frame at a time. Since the learning curve is smooth, you can directly dive into animating. The software lets you easily scan your artworks from paper directly onto the software. You can also make stop motion videos if you want. 

To run DigiCel FlipBook, you'll need Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.10 or later, and a graphics card with 512MB VRAM.

Some of the features of FlipBook include a multiple-frame work desk , lip-sync support , pan, zoom, rotate, blur options, import and export capabilities, and scanning options. The software is efficient and super-smooth. The speed is amazing as well. You can make changes while the animation is running and the changes are visible the next time the loop runs! As aforementioned, the animation software is simple to use. However, some big names have complimented the software and recommended it to their followers. Disney’s Animation Director, Eric Goldberg calls it a great program and praises the draw tool provided by the software.

DigiCel FlipBook offers three pricing plans:

• FlipBook Lite: $19.99 - Basic features with 2 layers, 300 frames, and 800x600 resolution.
• FlipBook Studio: $49.99 - Enhanced features with 6 layers, 1,000 frames, and 800x600 resolution.
• FlipBook ProHD: $99.99 - Advanced features with 100 layers, 1,500 frames, and 1920x1080 resolution, including special FX layers, automatic shadows, and highlights

4.  Moho Debut 13.5

The Moho Debut is an animation software suitable for beginners interested in learning the art of animation. The interface is easy to understand and allows you to animate real fast. The simplicity does not, however, undermine the strength and the robustness of this software. The tools offered by Moho Debut are powerful and can be used to convert your strangest imaginations into an animated story. The software comes with multilingual support and has the capability to handle English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and Japanese.

To run Moho Debut 13.5, you'll need Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.13 or later, 4GB RAM, and OpenGL 2.0 graphics.

Moho Debut 13.5 has been updated to version 13.5.5, which includes various improvements such as stability enhancements, workflow updates, support for macOS Big Sur, architectural updates, export/import advancements, and new features like Vitruvian Bones, Quad Meshes, Wind Dynamics, Pin Bones, and an updated GUI, among others

The software runs on both macOS and Windows and offers advanced and sophisticated freehand tools. Features such as bone rigging, pen pressure support for tablets, animated effects for shapes and layers, brushes that can be used to easily edit and animate, PSD support, and keyframe options are available. Advanced masking options and an auto freeze tool are also available. 

Moho Debut and Pro 14 Pricing and Plans:

• Moho Debut 14: $59.99 (One-time purchase, Windows/macOS) - Ideal for first-time animators, hobbyists, and digital artists.
• Moho Pro 14: $399.99 (One-time purchase, Windows/macOS) - All-in-one animation tool for professionals and digital artists.
• Upgrade from Moho Debut 14 to Pro 14: $339.99 - For users upgrading from Moho Debut 14 to Moho Pro 141. Free Update for Moho 14 Owners: Current installer version is Moho 14.2, available for free to all Moho 14 or newer owners

5.  Movavi

Movavi Video Editor & Animation tool is great software for novice editors and enthusiastic video content creators. It features a simple UI with short tutorial hints to help you get started quickly. It also supports drag and drop, which is perfect for quickly blending multiple video clips into a comprehensive work. You can create everything from gaming videos for YouTube to video tutorials and slideshows.

To run Movavi Video Editor, you'll need Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.13.6 or later, 2 GB RAM and a 1.5 GHz dual-core Intel, AMD, or compatible processor.

Movavi Video Editor has been updated to version 24, featuring a revamped timeline for easier editing, frame-precise cuts with the new Blade tool, AI motion tracking, 13 new blending modes for overlay effects, and pro-quality color correction tools.

The animation tool offers more than just basic video editing tools. Users can take advantage of advanced tools like panning and zooming, animating an object , creating stop motion , applying slow motion, and tracking moving objects. The program also provides plenty of creative transitions and animated titles, which can be used to create eye-catching videos.

Movavi Video Editor:

• 1-month subscription: $17.95 (includes cutting, trimming, joining, effects, transitions, and fast 4K video processing).
• 1-year subscription: $57.95 (includes all features plus 3 effects packs for a quick start)1. Lifetime: $129.95 (55% off, includes all features and future updates).

Movavi Video Suite:

• 1-month subscription: $30.95 (includes Video Editor, Video Converter, and Screen Recorder).
• 1-year subscription: $75.95 (60% off, includes all video-processing apps and 3 effects packs).
• Lifetime: $190.95 (includes all video-processing apps and future updates).

Movavi Video Suite + Photo Editor:

• 1-year subscription: $80.95 (includes Video Editor, Video Converter, Screen Recorder, and Photo Editor with AI features).
• Lifetime: $180.95 (includes all video and photo editing apps and future updates)

6.  Moho Pro 4

The Moho Pro is the advanced version of its lighter version, the Moho Debut. The user base is more professional and advanced. The software is costlier but has more features that can be used to create better animations. This 2D animation software includes all the features of Moho Debut. The latest version Moho Pro 14 integrates the best animation technology with the most sophisticated tools. 

To run Moho Pro 14, you'll need Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.13 or later, 4GB RAM, and a modern OpenGL graphics card.

The latest update, Moho 14.2, includes significant improvements such as enhanced lip sync at lower frame rates, UI compatibility with multiple languages, new features like animated curve profiles and 'smart boil' for vector noise, additional blending modes, and performance boosts for complex projects

Moho Pro offers a bone rigging system, physics engine, dynamic bones, and smart bones to control complex movements, frame by frame capabilities, vector tools with Bezier handles, accurate SVG, AI, and EPS import, 4K video export, vector export, motion blur, and multilayer and multi-channel control. The newest update adds bitmap frame by frame capabilities, bitmap freehand drawing tools, custom bitmap brush creation, 3D objects light manipulation, 3D objects material properties support.

Moho Pricing and Plans:

• Moho Pro 14: The all-in-one animation tool for professionals and digital artists, available for a one-time purchase of $399.99.
• Moho Debut 14: Create your own cartoons and animations in minutes, available for a one-time purchase of $59.99.

Upgrade Options:

• Upgrade from Moho Pro 13 to Moho Pro 14: $119.99 (Save 40%, Limited Time Offer).
• Upgrade from Moho Pro 12 to Moho Pro 14: $199.99 (Save 33%, Limited Time Offer).
• Upgrade from Moho Debut 14 to Moho Pro 14: $339.99.

Academic Discounts:

• 40% Discount for single license purchases of Moho Pro or Moho Debut for students, teachers, and faculty.
• 50% Discount for educational volume pricing on 25+ units.

7.  Flipsnack

Flipsnack is a web based flipbook animation software that allows users to create and share publications with a realistic page flip effect. With this tool, you can transform your static documents into all sorts of animated publications such as magazines, catalogs, presentations, portfolios, brochures, you name it, without any effort whatsoever. This software comes equipped with an intuitive drag-and-drop editor and a plethora of fully customizable templates, therefore it is suitable for every type of user, whether you’re tech-savvy or not. Flipsnack is constantly updating and developing new assets but when it comes to interactivity, some of its key features at the moment are the following: photo slide-shows; GIFs; audio and video elements; map embedding, and social media buttons integration.

If you want to share your animated content, there are various ways in which you can do it, be it publicly, unlisted, or private, with Flipsnack you can select and manage your audience according to your needs. Moreover, if you want to track the performance of your animated flipbooks, you can do that using Flipsnack’s integrated option, which offers insights about every impression, view, share, and average reading duration for each publication. However, for a deeper understanding of your audience and content performance, you can also connect your account to Google Analytics.

In terms of pricing options, Flipsnack offers a free trial that allows you to create up to 3 catalogs of 30 pages each, a Starter plan for 14$/month; a Professional 35$/month; a Business plan for 79$/month, a Business plan for 207$/month and an Enterprise plan for 355$/month.

Do check out these topics

• 12+ Best Animation Website Examples for Animators
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• Best Product Design Portfolio Website Examples

8.  Cartoon Animator 5

Cartoon Animator 5 is a 2D animation software intended for both beginners as well as for professionals. You can design characters and digitally animate them via expressions and lip-sync capabilities. The Cartoon Animator 5 community is a strong one and materials for learning the software are easily available. Much like Adobe’s Character Animator, you can use your facial expressions and your voice to make animations. A few examples of videos made using this animation software are given here; The Curious Child , a TV series by Eon De Bruin , and an Animated comic by Fransesco .

To run Cartoon Animator 5, you'll need Windows 10 or later, 2GB RAM, a modern CPU, and a graphics card with 1GB VRAM.

The latest update for Cartoon Animator 5, version 5.31.3324.1, released on September 25, 2024, includes new features, bug fixes, and enhancements, and is available for download with a file size of 180 MB

Key features of this amazing animation software include webcam and iPhone facial mocap, hand tracking and digital puppets, full-body motion capture, sprite-based facial system, audio lip-syncing, precise FK/IK system, smart motion retargeting, stretch animation, and so much more. If you want to explore all the features of this superb software, head to this link for a detailed view. The software also lets you integrate your work with Adobe Photoshop and allows you to use PSD templates for designing. Pipeline features include capabilities to import 3D motions into 2D artworks and to create custom and unique elastic motion libraries. Finally, you can work with a huge number of file extensions without any trouble. It supports up to 4K resolution monitors.

• Perpetual License: The full version of Cartoon Animator 5 is available for a one-time purchase of USD $149.
• Trial Version: A free trial is available for 30 days, with limitations such as a watermark and a limit of 5 project saves.

9.  Stop Motion Studio

An animation software for beginners, Stop Motion Studio helps to create high-quality stop motion videos. Adopting the frame by frame animation technique, this software can help you make 4k stop motion videos with ease. The software is cross-platform and cross-device and can run on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. Your projects are accessible from all the devices where you have your account.

To run Stop Motion Studio, you'll need Windows 10 or macOS 10.15 or later, 1GB RAM, and a graphics card with 512MB VRAM.

The recent update of Stop Motion Studio, versioned as 24.07, introduces a new version numbering system based on a year.month format and includes enhanced features and smoother performance, particularly for the Windows platform

You can use your phone camera to click the single frames or you can even hook up your digital camera to your device. You also have the option to use a second phone to add more perspective to your videos. Editing these images is also easy and just requires a few touches or clicks. You can add audio clips, titles, credits, and filter effects to your videos as you click the frames. There is also the option to add looping to your videos using in and out set points. The software has built-in sound clips that you can use in your videos and you can directly record our voice and apply it on the video as you work your way through the project. Other features include grid and onion skinning options, paint tools, magic eraser, and import of images, audio, video files, etc.

Educational Institutions:

Bulk Purchase Discounts: Available for educational institutions with a 50% discount for purchasing 21+ licenses.  Apple School Manager: The full version of Stop Motion Studio Pro is available at a significant discount through the Educational Volume Purchase Program (VPP), now known as Apple School Manager. Android and Chromebook: A special EDU version of the app is available without in-app purchases, which can be pushed directly to devices with a Mobile Device Management (MDM) system. Windows: The Windows version is available as an installer package with all features and no in-app purchases, also eligible for bulk purchase discounts. School Site Licenses: Available for Windows and Chromebook platforms, offering comprehensive coverage for educational institutions.

10.  Animaker

Animaker is a browser-based animation software that can be used by beginners, professionals, and animation enthusiasts. It is a great tool for making handcraft videos, whiteboard videos, short marketing bits, animated infographic videos, and educational videos. Used by huge brands such as Amazon, Nokia, Siemens, and Dell, Animaker’s buffed-up client base speaks for itself. With Animaker, you can make 2D and 2.5D videos via a variety of tools and features. You can choose from different plans based on your needs.

To run Animaker, you'll need a modern web browser with WebGL support, 512 MB of RAM and Windows 7 or higher OS.

Version 1.57 Update: The latest update for Animaker resolves the Library Music Search issue, improves the New Music Library implementation, updates cell layouts in the iPad library, enhances the new flow and Dashboard, and fixes the character animation action loop level issue.

Animaker supports full HD and both horizontal and vertical layouts. Animaker provides great features for animation such as record, curve, camera in/out, multimove, transition effects, and enter/exit effects. Along with these, the animation software also has a deck feature that allows users to use animations as videos or presentations. The software also has some amazing audio features such as text-to-speech, preloaded background tracks, sound effects, voice recording, etc. You can also use libraries for pre-defined templates.

Basic: $15/user/month (billed annually), includes 5 mins video length, 5 Premium Downloads/mo, HD quality videos, and 2 GB Storage. Starter: $25/user/month (billed monthly), includes 15 mins video length, 10 Premium Downloads/mo, Full HD quality videos, and 10 GB Storage. Pro: $43/user/month (billed monthly), includes 30 mins video length, 30 Premium Downloads/mo, 2K quality videos, and 100 GB Storage. Enterprise: Custom pricing for teams, includes unlimited video length, unlimited Premium Downloads, 4K Quality Videos, and additional features like Live Collaboration and Brand Kit.

Note: The free plan is no longer available, and users must subscribe to a premium plan to access features

11.  Powtoon

Another browser animation software that is free to use, Powtoon is intended for beginners but can also be used by more advanced animators. It can be used to make dynamic video presentations. Used by brands such as Microsoft, IBM, Google, Adobe, Coca Cola, eBay, Cisco, and Starbucks, Powtoon is a trusted software that can be used to develop engaging infographic videos and marketing bits. 

The official website describes Powtoon as a platform for visual communicatio n. Hopping on the visual communication description, the animation software is a great means to talent acquisition, change management, internal communications, and marketing. Schools and universities can also use Powtoon to make infographic videos and educational tutorials to teach their students. In fact, during times such as these when the world is fighting against COVID-19, such a tool can come in handy to reach out to colleagues and team members.

Powtoon has recently updated its platform to an HTML5-based studio, introducing new features such as multiple aspect ratios, Storyblocks integration for video backgrounds, overlays, voiceover per slide, and improved video production capabilities, marking a significant departure from its previous Flash-based architecture

With Powtoon’s free version, you can export YouTube videos, Facebook videos, Vimeo videos, and PDFs, and Powerpoints. The version also offers customs styles and you can change the aspect ratio as well as sizes. You can implement image files and animate and make GIFs. Once you get past the beginner level, you can choose from the various packages based on your requirements. Powtoon is one of the best animation software that you can use to learn about animation. You can import themes from Microsoft Powerpoint as well in case you don’t want to start working from scratch.

Powtoon's pricing plans include Free, Lite, Professional, and Agency options, offering features like branding removal, MP4 downloads, HD video, and storage ranging from 100 MB to 100 GB, with varying video lengths and support levels.

12.  Terragen

Terragen is a free animation software for Windows. You can use it to make CG animation. It is meant for moderate level users but can be used by beginners who are interested in learning animation. The learning curve is moderate and it requires some time to get the hang of it. The newest feature, the ray-traced preview is great for animation. It can be installed on all Windows devices and is an amazing animation software for 3D animation. Developed by Planetside Software, Terragen 4.4, the latest update is feature-rich.

To run Terragen, you'll need Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.12 or later, 4GB RAM and a 2Ghz Dual Core CPU.

Terragen 4.7 introduces key updates including improved export of volumetric clouds and terrain, streamlined node graph workflow, and support for exporting HDR files and multi-layer and multi-part EXR files, along with a new five-tier price structure making the Professional edition available to indie artists from $199.

Besides ray-traced preview, some of the other features include photo-real clouds, ozone simulation, faster rendering (almost double), lens effects, and new shaders and enhancements, etc. Terragen Pro comes with FBX, render layers and AOVs, spherical cameras, full 3D motion blur, and stereo cameras. The drawback of this animation software is that its interface looks very complicated. However, with use and understanding, you can work on it effortlessly.

Terragen 4 Professional offers a tiered pricing structure: INDIE 50 at $199 or $10/month, INDIE 100 at $299 or $16/month, SMALL CO at $480 or $27/month, MID CO at $740, and LARGE CO at $980.

Open Source & Free to Use Animation Softwares

1.  pencil 2d  (open source animation software).

This is a great free animation software for people who are into traditional hand-drawn animation. The software allows you to work with both raster as well as with vector graphics. The minimal design of the interface makes it easy and smooth to work with. The clutter-free UI/UX experience is one of the selling points of this free software. 

Pencil2D is a cross-platform software that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The software is open-source which has allowed a great and helpful community to develop around this product.

To run Pencil 2D, you'll need Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.12 or later, and ICore-5 (3rd Generation or Above) or comparable CPU. 4GB of RAM

Pencil2D has released version 0.7.0 RC1, a release candidate that includes various updates and fixes, and is now available for testing and feedback from users

The software has a variety of handy animation tools and options. You can also upload your Pencil 2D project to aid in the development of the software; one of the plus points of being open-source. You can import GIFs and export them as well. The latest version, v0.6.6 released on year 2021 with several new tweaks and adjustments. Bug fixes and patches were also part of the update. 

The biggest disadvantage of using Pencil2D is that the software requires you to fill in your preferences every time you open it.

2.  Synfig Studio  (Open-source 2D Animation Software)

Another open-source 2D animation software that comes free of cost. If you are not comfortable with a frame by frame animation software, this is the perfect tool for you. You can run this free animation software on Windows, Linux, and macOS. Since the software is open-source, you can make changes to the source code and submit enhancements and upgrades.

To run Synfig Studio, you'll need Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.13 or later, or a Linux system with a modern OpenGL graphics card.

Synfig Studio version 1.4.5 has been released, delivering important bugfixes for all platforms, including fixes for line end distortions, image import errors, program crashes, and memory leaks, among other critical issues.

One of the main features of Synfig Studio is vector tweening; you can convert any vector graphic into another form easily . The software offers powerful tools to help you achieve that. Synfig also provides more than 50 layers to make artworks and animations. Some of the layer types are geometric, transformations, gradients, filters, distortions, fractals, etc. The bone system is also full of options and is a powerful tool on its own. The software also provides an additional skeleton distortion layer. Finally, you can connect different layers via mathematical expressions. With the help of this, you can make characters, puppets, and complex dynamic structures. The software has a steeper learning curve for beginners.

3.  Blender  (Free and Open Source 3D creation suite)

Probably the best free animation software on this list and one of the most recommended software for animation by professionals, Blender is an open-source software that runs on different platforms with ease. It is one of the few 3D modeling and animation software that is free of cost, yet it does not lack any power or robustness of its paid counterparts. In fact, it might just have a slight edge over them. This animation software is suitable for beginners as well as for professionals. With the help of Blender, you can develop animations, games, animated models, animated movies,  renders, and other types of 3D prints . It is available on macOS, Linux, and Windows. 

To run Blender, you'll need Windows 8 or later, macOS 10.13 or later, or a Linux distribution, with 8GB RAM and a graphics card that supports OpenGL 4.3 or higher.

The recent update of Blender, version 4.2 LTS, released on July 16, 2024, includes significant changes across various modules, including Animation & Rigging, Color Management, Compositor, Core, Cycles, EEVEE, Extensions, Geometry Nodes, Import & Export, Modeling & UV, Physics, Python API, Sculpt, User Interface, and Video Sequencer, with notable updates to hardware requirements, compositor behavior, and add-on management.

Blender is a pretty good animation software when it comes to the features it offers. Blender provides real-time viewport review as well as CPU and GPU rendering. With Blender, you have PBR shaders and HDR lighting support. Other features include VR rendering support, advanced modeling, sculpting, and UV tools, advanced rigging and animation tools, powerful visual effects, auto-tracking, manual tracking, camera reconstruction, drawing in 2D mode оnto the 3D viewport, onion skinning, etc.

Blender is one of the best free animation software that you can use at all levels. Blender has some amazing open projects where you can contribute. Ever since the year 2005, the Blender Foundation has tried to invite developers and animators to contribute to open projects to promote creativity and innovation in Blender. The first such project was called ‘Elephants Dream’, which won the best short film award. Here is the official link to all open projects started by the Blender Foundation. If you are an advanced animator, make sure to check these out. 

Some of the drawbacks are that the learning curve is very steep and it would take beginners a lot of time to learn to use this software. It is also not easy to make image animations since the software aims more at 3D animation.

4.  OpenToonz  (Open Source)

OpenToonz is a free animation software that you can use to make cartoon animations. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. OpenToonz was customized by Studio Ghibli and is in use by the same for many years. It was first used in the making of the famous film, ‘Princess Mononoke’ by Studio Ghibli. Since it is open-source, you can contribute to its source code as well.

To run OpenToonz, you'll need Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.14 or later, and a 64-bit CPU with at least 4GB RAM.

OpenToonz has been updated to version 1.7.1, which includes an urgent patch fixing the "Import / Load Dialogue not working" bug, following the release of version 1.7 that introduced new features such as pasting external clipboard images, a Preproduction Board panel, Custom Panels, Main Window See Through Mode, and various enhancements in audio, tools, and camera capture functionalities.

OpenToonz has all the features required to make a great animated film. Its unique features have been specifically customised to meet those requirements of the production staff. The scanning tool or 'GTS’ for instance, that specializes in animation. OpenToonz also comes with an effects development kit developed by Dwango. The SDK is a plug-in effect for image processing. Other features include digital drawing tools such as vector and bitmap drawing tools, indexed color palettes, animated special effects, and composite scene, scripting, motion tracking, frame-by-frame animation, motion tweening, bones character animation, particle systems for dust, rain, and similar effects, etc.

It can be used free of charge for both commercial and non-commercial videos. In case you face any issues, you can post your query in the developers’ forum or any community blog. The plug-in effects of this animation software are, however, very limited.

5.  TupiTube  (Free animation tool for children and teenagers)

Here’s a treat for Mac users; a free animation software with amazing features and lots of content. The software was developed by animators who wanted to allow people to make and edit videos without having to pay for them. The learning curve of this software is moderate and you can create quality 2D videos once you get the hang of it. You can contribute to the Tupi source code as well and tweak it in case you require specific customizations or would like to help the community.

To run TupiTube, you'll need Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.9 or later, or Ubuntu 18.04, and OpenGL 2.0 compatible graphics.

The recent update of TupiTube includes several UX improvements and bug fixes, as part of its ongoing evolution, with the latest version available for download on the official website and Google Play Store.

Features of TupiTube include support for vector illustrations, adding shapes, filling areas, import raster images, export all your finished images into different file formats, support for tweeting positions, etc. You can also make lip-sync animations using TupiTube. The software also supports vector illustrations and different file formats. The official website contains lots of resources for animators of all levels. It features an extensive resource base of examples and tutorials. One of the drawbacks of Tupi is that it cannot be used to make 3D videos.   

Although the list of animation software is exhaustive, we have tried to put together the best intuitive software programs, and we hope it'll give you a good start.

You might want to check out our list of the best graphic design software . For Tech-savvy creatives read our review on the best drawing and art apps .

As you get creative with your animation portfolios, do remember to create your portfolio website to showcase your work. Your design portfolio represents a window for the world to view your work and judge your talent, skills, and experience. 

So, if you haven’t built a website to showcase your design portfolio, start today with Pixpa. Here are some great examples of graphic design portfolios created on Pixpa for your inspiration. Explore all features that make Pixpa the perfect choice for creative professionals. Get ready to express yourself in stunning new ways and create awesome animation clips with ease and efficiency!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. where can i animate for free.

You can use open source or free to use software like Pencil 2D, Synfig Studio, Blender or OpenToonz to animate for free. Of these Blender is a highly recommended free to use software while OpenToonz is an open source program developed by Studio Ghibli.

2. What is an example of an animation software?

Adobe Character Animator is an example of a popular animation software used to create computer based animations. 

3. What is the best 2D animation software?

The best 2D animation software can vary depending on budget and skill level. For professionals, Autodesk Maya is highly recommended, though it's expensive and more suited to 3D work. For 2D animation specifically, Cartoon Animator 5 is versatile and offers a perpetual license for a one-off fee, making it a good choice for those who prefer to own their software.

4. What animation software does Disney use?

Disney uses a variety of software, including proprietary tools developed in-house. They also contribute to open-source projects and share data sets to advance technology in animation. Specific software used by Disney includes tools like Meander (for drawing and animation) and Hyperion (for rendering), though these are not commercially available for public use.

5. What animation software does Pixar use?

Pixar primarily uses its own proprietary software, Presto, for animation and rendering. However, this information is not provided in the given search results. It's worth noting that Pixar also uses other industry-standard tools and collaborates with software developers to create and refine animation technologies.

6. What occurs when you drag an animation in the animations pane of your presentation software?

When you drag an animation in the animations pane of your presentation software, such as PowerPoint or Google Slides, you are reordering the sequence of animations. This allows you to control the order in which animations are triggered and played during your presentation. By dragging an animation up or down in the list, you can make it start earlier or later in the sequence. This feature helps in creating complex animations and ensuring that effects are triggered in the desired order.

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Because Genially is online, you can relax knowing that your slides are always up-to-date. There’s no risk of forgetting to save changes or accessing the wrong file. Log in from anywhere, collaborate with your team, and make edits in real time.

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Every Genially slide deck has its own unique url, just like a website! Share the link so that others can explore at their own pace, or download an MP4 video slideshow or PDF.

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Embed the slides on your website or post them on social media. Upload to Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, Moodle or any other platform.

The benefits of interactive slides

🗣️ Active participation An interactive slide deck gives your audience cool things to click on and discover, boosting learning and engagement.

👂 Multi-sensory experience Audio, video, animations, and mouse interactions make your content immersive, entertaining and accessible.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 People-friendly format Pop-ups and embeds condense more material into fewer slides so you can break information down into digestible chunks.


🎮 Gamification Games, quizzes and puzzles make information more memorable and enable you to gather feedback and check understanding.

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How do I make a presentation interactive and how does Genially work? Find the answers to all of your slide-related questions here!

What’s an interactive presentation?

Interactive slides contain clickable hotspots, links, buttons, and animations that are activated at the touch of a button. Instead of reading or watching passively, your audience can actively interact with the content.  

Genially’s interaction presentation software allows you to combine text, photos, video clips, audio and other content in one deck. It’s a great way to condense more information into fewer slides. 

If you’re a teacher, you can share multiple materials in one single learning resource. Students can create their own projects using digital media and online maps. For business or training, try embedding spreadsheet data, PDFs, and online content directly in your slides. 

An interactive slide deck is more user-friendly than a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation or Google Slides document. That’s because you can break information down into chunks with pop-ups, labels, voiceovers and annotated infographics.  

The other benefit of interactive content is increased engagement. It’s easier to keep your audience’s attention when they’re actively participating. Try Genially’s presentation software and free slideshow maker to see how it’s better than other presentation websites. You won’t go back to standard presentation apps!

How do you make a clickable slide?

The best way to make slides clickable is to use Genially’s free interactive presentation program. Design your slide then apply an interaction. In a couple of clicks, you can add popup windows, hyperlinks, close-up images, games, animations, multimedia and other content. 

Choose from the library of hotspot buttons and icons to show people what to click on. Go to Presenter View to get a preview and see how your content will appear to your audience.

How do I create presentations that look professional?

You’ve got a deadline looming and you’re staring at the screen with a blank presentation. We’ve all been there! Starting a presentation design from scratch is tricky, especially if you’re short on time. 

Genially’s free online presentation maker has over 2000 ready-to-use templates for professional slide presentations, photos slideshows, and more. Each slide design has been created by our team of top graphic designers. No need to worry about fonts, centering images, or designing a matching color scheme. It’s all done for you. 

Start by browsing our layouts and themes for education, business and then customize with your own text and images.

How do I share or download my slides?

Because Genially is a cloud based presentation software, you can simply share the link to your slides. Like other online presentation tools, there are no files to download or store on your computer. Everything is saved online.  

When you publish your slide deck, it gets its own unique url, just like a website. Share the link with others to let them explore the content in their own time. If you’re presenting live, just click the Present button. 

You can also embed your presentation on your website, company wiki, or social media. Genially is compatible with WordPress, Moodle, Google Classroom, and other platforms. If you use an LMS, you can also download your interactive design slides in SCORM format.

For slideshow videos and slideshows with music, share online or download as an MP4 video. Check out our free slideshow templates for ideas.

Can I make a free presentation in Genially?

You bet! Genially is an easy-to-use slide maker, with a free version and paid plans. The free plan allows you to create unlimited slides with interactions and animations. Subscribe to one of our paid plans for more advanced features.

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