What is animation software?
Animation software is used by animators to create motion graphics based on a single image. The individual images are combined to create motion graphics used in video games and animated movies.
Computer animation began in the 1940s and 1950s, but it was in 1988 with a product called Softimage that modern animation was created. For the first time, animation, modeling, and rendering were combined into a single tool, which has now been used to create hundreds of feature films and video games.
Animation is omnipresent in almost everything we do. Whether it's sending GIFs, creating presentations, video games, or feature films, animation software is at the heart of everything. Making an animation involves a series of images that you manipulate using a set of key frames.
You can either create professional animations yourself using software or hire someone to do it for you.
If you're ready to download and use a tool yourself, this article ranks and reviews the best animation software to try this year.
Let's get started.
What is the best animation software?
Here are my picks for the best animation software:
1. Adobe Animate.
Adobe Animate is a vector and 2D animation software designed for the development of web and mobile applications.
You can animate vector graphics, create interactive content, add effects, etc. This software also has built-in templates that you can customize to your liking.
Features
- Use Adobe Animate to animate vector graphics.
- Create interactive content using Adobe Animate features.
- Create content by simply dragging and dropping.
- Add effects to your animations using Adobe Animate's built-in templates, such as color and tone effects, video time effects, and more.
Rates
Adobe Animate costs $20.99 per month for the personal version.
If you want access to all of Adobe's products, you can pay $79.99 per month and get access to all of their tools.
Be that as it may, Adobe Animate offers a free trial that you can try without any risk.
Start with Adobe Animate starting today
2. Maya.
Created in 1998, maya is a 3D computer graphics and animation software that won an Academy Award (2003). Currently owned by Autodesk, it is particularly useful for creating interactive 3D applications like movies, video games, TV series, special effects, etc.
It is, without a doubt, one of the best 3D animation software on the market. It has been acclaimed for its use in notable movies such as “The Lord of the Rings,” “Spiderman,” “Star Wars,” and “Ice Age.”
The most interesting thing is that it is compatible with all operating systems, including Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Features
- Clip matching function
- Bifrost liquid creation function that creates photorealistic film simulations
- Great Adobe character animator
- Enables deep adaptive simulations of liquids
- Integrated accelerated workflows for modeling.
- Paint effect function for creating 3D shapes using freehand drawing tools and drawing software.
- Viewport 2.0 renderer and improved DX11shader (blurry reflections, shader effects, translucency transmission).
- A free approach to 3D modeling that allows you to add as many layers as you want.
- Arnold integration - this RenderView feature can be used to visualize scene changes in real time.
- Create your own scripts and plugins for better customization (in Maya integrated language or python script).
- Voice-o-matic provides lip sync technology, motion capture, and gait cycles.
Rates
maya is arguably the best 3D animation software on the market, at a reasonable cost of $1,700 per year (or $215 per month). It also offers a 30-day free trial so you can test the software before you buy it.
Maya is one of the best on the market and my No. 2 pick this year.
You can test maya free for 30 days or buy an annual plan and save 34%
Try Maya
3. Renderforest.
Renderforest is an all-in-one tool for creating videos, animations, logos, and websites. This tool is ideal for website designers, business owners, and those who are not necessarily looking for advanced 3D modeling.
If you're not a design expert but need to create a logo, animated video, music visualization, or professional intro, Renderforest is the obvious choice.
Features
- Machine learning and AI offer the best logo design options in just a few clicks.
- Over 50,000 unique graphics files to choose from
- Downloadable professional mockups and brand guidelines
- Over 100 mobile-friendly website templates
- Hundreds of animated video templates to meet your needs, including slideshows, intros, how-to videos, logo reveals, corporate presentations, and animated infographics,
- Animated blocks ready to use
- One-click web page animations
Benefits
- A super-intuitive user interface makes it easy to create animated videos with just a few clicks.
- Their advanced AI really understands how to provide you with high-quality logos and graphics.
- Simple monthly pricing based on the number of videos you need.
Rates
The plans range from free to $49.99/month, depending on how many animated videos you need. I recommend their popular $19.99/month plan, which is designed for businesses that create a lot of videos.
Try Renderforest ->
4. Pencil2D.
Pencil2D is a simple and intuitive tool that helps you create hand-drawn 2D animations.
Open-source and completely free, it can be used by anyone, even for commercial purposes. Furthermore, it is decidedly user-friendly, making it an ideal animation software for beginners who want to draw characters by hand.
His big “plus”
This tool is tailor-made for traditional artists who are trying to learn and master digital art. Pencil2D is also an easy to use platform for beginning digital artists with very basic needs.
Features
- Very light and easy to use
- Easily switch between workflows (raster and vector), allowing you to streamline and speed up your work.
- Cross-platform software (works on Windows, Mac, and Linux)
- A unique “timeline” function that allows you to choose the pace of the animation.
Rates
Pencil2D is completely free because it is free software. You can access and download it online easily. Pencil 2D is the best free animation software for anyone new to animation.
5. Animaker.
Launched in 2014, Animaker is a 2D animation software and a do-it-yourself (DIY) video editor. It offers a wide range of services, including helping users create animated videos using embedded videos and infographics.
In 2017, it launched a tool for creating vertical (animated) videos, the first animation company to do so.
Features
- It is a cloud-based animation and video creation software for editing GIFs, short videos, and live videos.
- Uses HTML and Adobe Flash
- Possibility to directly download animated videos to platforms such as Facebook and YouTube (videos can also be downloaded as an mp4 extension)
- Google Chrome Extension Deals
- Has one of the largest collections of animated characters, properties, icons, charts, and maps.
- Offers the ability to create videos in six different and unique video styles and layouts.
- Video infographics offer
- Allows you to edit and personalize explanatory videos (speech synthesis, background music, more than 100 sound effects).
Rates
For starters, it offers a freemium version with basic and limited features.
Then, Animaker offers three paid packages, including the following:
- The “Basic” plan is $10 per month (payable annually).
- The “Starter” plan costs $19 per month (payable annually).
- The “Pro” plan is offered at a price of $49 per month (payable annually).
- The company price, which is customized according to your specific needs.
6. OpenTooz.
Originally released in 2016, OpenToonz is a free animation software. As it is an open-source software tool, any developer can edit and modify their code to improve and customize it according to their needs.
Its main objective is to link academic research and animation in order to facilitate ideas and research.
Features
- Offers a GTS analysis tool that you can use for sequence analysis (only available for Windows)
- Compatible with TWAIN (and an animation program interface)
- Comes with an impressive variety of animation effects, including changing image styles, affected incident light, and more.
- Offers a wide range of keyboard shortcuts so you don't have to use the mouse all the time
- It is compatible with four types of scanning (black and white, color, and with or without binarization)
- Create efficient and transparent cutting animations.
- Offers the FX schema function
- It can develop wave-like distortions and change image style
- Offers a built-in particle effect function (create rain, snow, sparks, smoke, and more).
Pricing
OpenToonz is a free animation tool. It is accessible online and can be used freely.
7. Synfig.
Also known as Synfig Studio, Synfig is one of the most recent animation tools on the market. It is a free animation software for 2D animation and character animation. In addition, he specializes in vector graphics solutions.sss
Features
- Supported on Mac, Windows, and Linux
- Provides two versions with different attributes for a different set of people (stable version and development version)
- Provides vector interpolation and thus eliminates the need for manual interpolation.
- Offers a plethora of layers and filters to choose from (over 50 layers to create artwork and animations)
- Store your own files in XML format
- Support for animated graphics formats such as GIF and MNG
- Offers advanced controls (link the parameters of the different layers, directly or mathematically)
- Integration of HDRI (High Dynamic Range Imaging) technology
Pricing
Synfig Studio is free, free and open to use by anyone. It relies mainly on donations from sponsors to provide quality solutions.
8. KeyShot.
KeyShot is a standalone animation program using ray tracing and global illumination. It is specifically used to create high quality 2D and 3D animations. With KeyShot, you don't even need to put an additional graphics card in your PC.
Additionally, it supports over 30 file types for rendering 3D animations and comes with attributes including interactive labeling, texture mapping, and physical lighting.
His big “plus”
This software is particularly useful for concept modeling, where the benefits of 3D are needed. You can also use it to design jewelry, toys, and automobiles.
Features
- Provides a real-time 3D image rendering workflow
- Native support for over 30 3D file formats
- Includes over 750 predefined materials to help you style your videos differently
- The core's strength lies in its speed and flexibility.
- Animation and VR available
- HDRI lighting allows you to adjust and light your scene according to your needs.
- KeyShot XR allows us to create interactive, tactile visuals for mobile and web.
- Real-time ray tracing (gradual global illumination with dynamic flashes)
- Can provide still image animations, interactive web content, and mobile content.
- Media broadcast function (adds particle diffusion)
Pricing
KeyShot offers three rates:
- The price of the “KeyShot HD” is $995.
- The “KeyShot Pro” costs $1995.
- The “KeyShot Pro Floating” costs $2995.
- The “Keyshot Enterprise” costs $3995.
All pricing plans come with a free 15-day trial period.
9. K-3D.
K-3D is another amazing 3D animation and modeling software on this list. Equipped with flexible plugins, it is a powerful tool for designers and artists. Additionally, it has been described as intuitive, easy to use, and easy to learn.
Compatible with Mac and Windows, it also offers a wide range of additional visualization options compared to traditional modifier stacks. It also provides 2D animation for basic user needs. However, it is not a free software tool.
Features
- Highly flexible and equipped with the power of a node-based visualization pipeline.
- Create multiple combinations of your choice
- Advanced cancellation/reinstatement system
- Can combine flexible plugins to provide you with numerous solutions (robust and object oriented plugin architecture)
- Designed to provide cinema-quality animation from the ground up (renderers).
- Procedural and parametric workflows
- Changing the start of a workflow propagates to the end (intuitive)
Pricing
It is completely free and can be used by anyone. All you need is an internet connection.
10. Blender.
Blender is one of the most popular free animation tools used to create 3D animations. Initially launched in 1998, it is widely used in many sectors. It is particularly suitable for animating most movies, 3D printed templates, motion graphics, and cinematic visual effects.
Features
- Render and create renderings using high-end production trajectory tracers
- Modeling; offers a comprehensive set of tools for carrying out activities such as sculpting, Retology, and modeling.
- Robust simulation using standard libraries like Bullet and MantaFlow.
- Offers an effective built-in video editor
- Its new “game engine” function allows you to create games.
- Offers modifiers to apply a non-destructive effect.
- “Grease Pencil” tool for 2D concept design and 3D modeling
- Support for a wide range of geometric primitives such as metaballs, icospheres, and Bezier curves.
Pricing
It is a free animation software.
11. Powtoon.
Founded in 2012, PowToon creates and sells SaaS software to create animations. It is a web-based animation software that offers a wide range of services, specializing in 2D.
From creating educational tutorials to personal interaction — PowToon is useful for anything animation-related.<
Features
- No watermark
- Downloadable in mp4
- Full HD video (1080p)
- You have total control over the confidentiality of your account.
- Direct export to various social media sites like YouTube (YouTube playlists)
- In-depth videos and tutorials are available to help you get started.
- Several character animations and cartoons to choose from
PowToon comes with four pricing plans:
- The “Pro” plan costs $19 per month.
- The “Pro+” plan is also $19 per month at the moment.
- The “Agency” plan costs $29 per month and is only offered as an annual subscription.
12. Animation Paper.
Animation Paper is one of the best animation software on the market today and offers a variety of 2D animations for multiple uses. Compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac, this software is useful for professional animators, movie makers, students, and game developers.
In addition, its ease of use and its speed of work are considerable differentiating factors when it comes to insuring customers. It is widely used for hand-drawn animations and character creation. The most interesting thing is that it is offered with a freemium plan.
Features
- High quality lines (you don't need to worry about resolution degradation during transformation).
- “Light table” function
- Customizable toolbar
- Color coding of layers in animation
- Efficient coloring and editing after painting
- It offers a free version called “Plastic Animation Paper” (usable for commercial and non-commercial purposes).
- Numerous flip options, such as buttons, wheels, flips, etc.
- Offers smooth rotation and zooming in real time
- Can play video scenes in sequence to check continuity
Pricing
There is a free version called “Plastic Animation Paper.” However, the paid version will cost $79 per month and will be available in the future.
FAQs
What is the best animation software?
Adobe Animate is the best animation software for developing web and mobile applications. Why? With Adobe, you can animate vector graphics, create interactive content, add effects, and more.
What is a good free animation software for beginners?
A good free 2D animation program for beginners is Animate CC, which comes with pre-designed templates and effects. Having a significant amount of animation tools also means that you won't need to use third-party plugins to get additional features.
Is Adobe Animate free?
No, Adobe Animate is not free. The price is either $20.99 per month for the product alone or $52.99 per month for the entire Adobe package.
Conclusion
The market is full of different types of animation software. However, every business is different, and each individual has different requirements. You should therefore determine the exact nature and purpose of your work when choosing your software. In other words, you need to determine what you want to achieve with your animation.
For example, if you are looking to create complex and high-quality animations, you can opt for software like Maya or Animation Paper. On the other hand, if you need basic animations for your website or your online activity, you can opt for one of the free software tools.
If you want advanced 3D modeling for video games and movies, go for maya.
If you're looking for commercial animations, like logos or how-to videos, I'd go for Renderforest.
Finally, you can also consider other things, like price, complexity, ease of use, and the customer support you need.
Other recommended reading: If you're looking for more software reviews, you can check out my guides to the best whiteboard animation software, of best video editing software And the best photo editing software to be used this year.
