Beyond PowerDirector: The Best Mobile Video Editing Apps Of

Best PowerDirector Alternatives for Android and iOS

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Video editing was once exclusively the realm of the PC, but with the power of modern smartphones and tablets even professionals are more frequently editing on the go. This should come as no surprise as most of our photos and footage are stored on mobile devices, while apps like PowerDirector give the full functionality of a professional editing suite on mobile technology.

Currently PowerDirector is only available on Android, but if you’re using an iOS device you’re sadly missing out. Luckily there are several alternative apps that allow you to edit your footage from a mobile device; see our reviews below.

Best PowerDirector Alternatives for Android and iOS

1. Kinemaster - £2.91 per month

System: Android, iOS

Kinemaster is an impressive app that brings simplicity to complex professional editing tools, making it easy to use even on a small screen. It supports multiple layers including unlimited text, handwriting and sticker layers, as well as up to two video layers and four additional audio tracks. The precision editing features allow you edit frame by frame and it’s easy to quickly import extra footage and add additional effects. With a host of other features we haven’t mentioned it’s amazing how simple this app is. The only downside is the pricing model; instead of a one-off payment you’re saddled with £2.91 per month, an investment that could end up exceeding the value of the app.

2. LumaFX - £2.99

System: iOS

LumaFX is a treasure trove of editing effects and goodies, allowing you to completely change the look of your video. The colour and FX sections of the app have a variety of filters and presets that allow you to do anything from fixing annoying colours to transforming your video into a psychedelic cartoon. The versatility of crop tools is also incredibly impressive, allowing you to crop your clip to different aspect ratios that can then be can be flipped and rotated, slowed down, reversed, and trimmed. Even if you decide on another more powerful editing app, the low cost and range of features of LumaFX makes it ideal for using in conjunction with your app of choice to produce the ultimate video content.

3. iMovie – Free

System: iOS

Every iOS user should be familiar with iMovie as it comes bundled on every apple device. Costing nothing is a big upside, especially when the technology handles as intuitively as it does. Splicing footage becomes laughably easy. On the audio side you can add music and personalised voiceovers to your videos and if you’re in the mood for something a little silly there are plenty of over the top TV templates and movie style themes. Accessibility is a big plus for iMovie, but it’s definitely geared to more casual users – professionals will find high end features lacking and should consider a more powerful paid alternative.

4. Adobe Premiere Clip - Free

System: Android, iOS

Another free offering, Adobe Premiere Clip shares many of both the benefits and flaws of iMovie. For the casual user its ideal, offering a straightforward means of arranging clips that’s predominantly designed for speed. The creative cloud allows you to continue editing on the desktop Premiere Pro making it a handy extension for existing Adobe customers. It’s also a much more compact download than iMovie; 91 MB compared to 600. There’s a standard array of editing features including trimming and a basic title editor, as well as the option to export options to social sharing sites of your choice, but unless you already work within the creative cloud there’s limited reasons to choose this over the superior iMovie.

There really is no beating PowerDirector for Android, but iOS users should be able to find an app or combination of apps to allow them to continue editing on the move.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Video editing was once exclusively the realm of the PC, but with the power of modern smartphones and tablets even professionals are more frequently editing on the go. This should come as no surprise as most of our photos and footage are stored on mobile devices, while apps like PowerDirector give the full functionality of a professional editing suite on mobile technology.

Currently PowerDirector is only available on Android, but if you’re using an iOS device you’re sadly missing out. Luckily there are several alternative apps that allow you to edit your footage from a mobile device; see our reviews below.

Best PowerDirector Alternatives for Android and iOS

1. Kinemaster - £2.91 per month

System: Android, iOS

Kinemaster is an impressive app that brings simplicity to complex professional editing tools, making it easy to use even on a small screen. It supports multiple layers including unlimited text, handwriting and sticker layers, as well as up to two video layers and four additional audio tracks. The precision editing features allow you edit frame by frame and it’s easy to quickly import extra footage and add additional effects. With a host of other features we haven’t mentioned it’s amazing how simple this app is. The only downside is the pricing model; instead of a one-off payment you’re saddled with £2.91 per month, an investment that could end up exceeding the value of the app.

2. LumaFX - £2.99

System: iOS

LumaFX is a treasure trove of editing effects and goodies, allowing you to completely change the look of your video. The colour and FX sections of the app have a variety of filters and presets that allow you to do anything from fixing annoying colours to transforming your video into a psychedelic cartoon. The versatility of crop tools is also incredibly impressive, allowing you to crop your clip to different aspect ratios that can then be can be flipped and rotated, slowed down, reversed, and trimmed. Even if you decide on another more powerful editing app, the low cost and range of features of LumaFX makes it ideal for using in conjunction with your app of choice to produce the ultimate video content.

3. iMovie – Free

System: iOS

Every iOS user should be familiar with iMovie as it comes bundled on every apple device. Costing nothing is a big upside, especially when the technology handles as intuitively as it does. Splicing footage becomes laughably easy. On the audio side you can add music and personalised voiceovers to your videos and if you’re in the mood for something a little silly there are plenty of over the top TV templates and movie style themes. Accessibility is a big plus for iMovie, but it’s definitely geared to more casual users – professionals will find high end features lacking and should consider a more powerful paid alternative.

4. Adobe Premiere Clip - Free

System: Android, iOS

Another free offering, Adobe Premiere Clip shares many of both the benefits and flaws of iMovie. For the casual user its ideal, offering a straightforward means of arranging clips that’s predominantly designed for speed. The creative cloud allows you to continue editing on the desktop Premiere Pro making it a handy extension for existing Adobe customers. It’s also a much more compact download than iMovie; 91 MB compared to 600. There’s a standard array of editing features including trimming and a basic title editor, as well as the option to export options to social sharing sites of your choice, but unless you already work within the creative cloud there’s limited reasons to choose this over the superior iMovie.

There really is no beating PowerDirector for Android, but iOS users should be able to find an app or combination of apps to allow them to continue editing on the move.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Video editing was once exclusively the realm of the PC, but with the power of modern smartphones and tablets even professionals are more frequently editing on the go. This should come as no surprise as most of our photos and footage are stored on mobile devices, while apps like PowerDirector give the full functionality of a professional editing suite on mobile technology.

Currently PowerDirector is only available on Android, but if you’re using an iOS device you’re sadly missing out. Luckily there are several alternative apps that allow you to edit your footage from a mobile device; see our reviews below.

Best PowerDirector Alternatives for Android and iOS

1. Kinemaster - £2.91 per month

System: Android, iOS

Kinemaster is an impressive app that brings simplicity to complex professional editing tools, making it easy to use even on a small screen. It supports multiple layers including unlimited text, handwriting and sticker layers, as well as up to two video layers and four additional audio tracks. The precision editing features allow you edit frame by frame and it’s easy to quickly import extra footage and add additional effects. With a host of other features we haven’t mentioned it’s amazing how simple this app is. The only downside is the pricing model; instead of a one-off payment you’re saddled with £2.91 per month, an investment that could end up exceeding the value of the app.

2. LumaFX - £2.99

System: iOS

LumaFX is a treasure trove of editing effects and goodies, allowing you to completely change the look of your video. The colour and FX sections of the app have a variety of filters and presets that allow you to do anything from fixing annoying colours to transforming your video into a psychedelic cartoon. The versatility of crop tools is also incredibly impressive, allowing you to crop your clip to different aspect ratios that can then be can be flipped and rotated, slowed down, reversed, and trimmed. Even if you decide on another more powerful editing app, the low cost and range of features of LumaFX makes it ideal for using in conjunction with your app of choice to produce the ultimate video content.

3. iMovie – Free

System: iOS

Every iOS user should be familiar with iMovie as it comes bundled on every apple device. Costing nothing is a big upside, especially when the technology handles as intuitively as it does. Splicing footage becomes laughably easy. On the audio side you can add music and personalised voiceovers to your videos and if you’re in the mood for something a little silly there are plenty of over the top TV templates and movie style themes. Accessibility is a big plus for iMovie, but it’s definitely geared to more casual users – professionals will find high end features lacking and should consider a more powerful paid alternative.

4. Adobe Premiere Clip - Free

System: Android, iOS

Another free offering, Adobe Premiere Clip shares many of both the benefits and flaws of iMovie. For the casual user its ideal, offering a straightforward means of arranging clips that’s predominantly designed for speed. The creative cloud allows you to continue editing on the desktop Premiere Pro making it a handy extension for existing Adobe customers. It’s also a much more compact download than iMovie; 91 MB compared to 600. There’s a standard array of editing features including trimming and a basic title editor, as well as the option to export options to social sharing sites of your choice, but unless you already work within the creative cloud there’s limited reasons to choose this over the superior iMovie.

There really is no beating PowerDirector for Android, but iOS users should be able to find an app or combination of apps to allow them to continue editing on the move.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Video editing was once exclusively the realm of the PC, but with the power of modern smartphones and tablets even professionals are more frequently editing on the go. This should come as no surprise as most of our photos and footage are stored on mobile devices, while apps like PowerDirector give the full functionality of a professional editing suite on mobile technology.

Currently PowerDirector is only available on Android, but if you’re using an iOS device you’re sadly missing out. Luckily there are several alternative apps that allow you to edit your footage from a mobile device; see our reviews below.

Best PowerDirector Alternatives for Android and iOS

1. Kinemaster - £2.91 per month

System: Android, iOS

Kinemaster is an impressive app that brings simplicity to complex professional editing tools, making it easy to use even on a small screen. It supports multiple layers including unlimited text, handwriting and sticker layers, as well as up to two video layers and four additional audio tracks. The precision editing features allow you edit frame by frame and it’s easy to quickly import extra footage and add additional effects. With a host of other features we haven’t mentioned it’s amazing how simple this app is. The only downside is the pricing model; instead of a one-off payment you’re saddled with £2.91 per month, an investment that could end up exceeding the value of the app.

2. LumaFX - £2.99

System: iOS

LumaFX is a treasure trove of editing effects and goodies, allowing you to completely change the look of your video. The colour and FX sections of the app have a variety of filters and presets that allow you to do anything from fixing annoying colours to transforming your video into a psychedelic cartoon. The versatility of crop tools is also incredibly impressive, allowing you to crop your clip to different aspect ratios that can then be can be flipped and rotated, slowed down, reversed, and trimmed. Even if you decide on another more powerful editing app, the low cost and range of features of LumaFX makes it ideal for using in conjunction with your app of choice to produce the ultimate video content.

3. iMovie – Free

System: iOS

Every iOS user should be familiar with iMovie as it comes bundled on every apple device. Costing nothing is a big upside, especially when the technology handles as intuitively as it does. Splicing footage becomes laughably easy. On the audio side you can add music and personalised voiceovers to your videos and if you’re in the mood for something a little silly there are plenty of over the top TV templates and movie style themes. Accessibility is a big plus for iMovie, but it’s definitely geared to more casual users – professionals will find high end features lacking and should consider a more powerful paid alternative.

4. Adobe Premiere Clip - Free

System: Android, iOS

Another free offering, Adobe Premiere Clip shares many of both the benefits and flaws of iMovie. For the casual user its ideal, offering a straightforward means of arranging clips that’s predominantly designed for speed. The creative cloud allows you to continue editing on the desktop Premiere Pro making it a handy extension for existing Adobe customers. It’s also a much more compact download than iMovie; 91 MB compared to 600. There’s a standard array of editing features including trimming and a basic title editor, as well as the option to export options to social sharing sites of your choice, but unless you already work within the creative cloud there’s limited reasons to choose this over the superior iMovie.

There really is no beating PowerDirector for Android, but iOS users should be able to find an app or combination of apps to allow them to continue editing on the move.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Intelligent Video Editors for Effortless Reframing

The auto-frame feature is needed to edit the videos professionally. Its purpose is to adjust the video clips so that the action of a scene is never out of the frame even after reformatting the video. Specifically, the quality of your video is not affected, and no frame is lost or damaged when you reformat the video for different aspect ratios.

The smart auto-reframe feature is mainly used for posting videos on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc. This article provides you with detailed information about the best video editors that are enriched with the smart auto-reframe feature. The method of using these tools is also provided.

Top Video Editors with Auto-Reframe for Smart Crop

Following are some of the best video editors that consist of an auto-reframe feature for smart crop:

1. Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

Supported OS: Windows and macOS

Pricing: Free trial, $ 79.99 for perpetual plan

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Wondershare Filmora Video Editor is a powerful and easy video editing software that provides different methods to save and share the video. This software includes GIF support, 4K editing support, and an audio equalizer. You can remove background noise from the video. Its key features also include video stabilization , color tuning, scene detection, advanced text editor and audio mixer,

Wondershare Filmora comes with plenty of smart features, among which auto-reframe is top of the list. It saves your editing time to create or edit a professional video. This feature can detect a moving object in your video and crops it automatically to suit different aspect ratios so you can post it on various platforms. In this way, it enhances the efficiency of your video. To use the auto-reframe feature in Filmora, you can follow the steps below:

Step 1: Install and Launch Software

Download the software and launch it on your devices. From Tools, select Auto Reframe.

Step 2: Import File

Use the drag and drop feature to import the file or click on the Import button for selecting and importing it.

Step 3: Choose Aspect Ratio

To start reframing, select the aspect ratio you need. You can also define the motion speed of the reframed video clip to make it fast or slow or keep the original speed. And then click Analyze to apply changes. Here I will choose 9:16 portrait mode to take the example.

Step 4: Adjust Frame

Filmora will convert the video to the selected aspect ratio automatically. After analyzing, select the frame and adjust its position.

Step 4: Export File

Click the Export button to save the file when you are done with reframing, adjustment, and editing. Share it where you want to.

2. Adobe Premiere Rush

Supported OS: Android, iOS, Windows and macOS

Pricing: Free trial, $9.99 per month

Adobe Premiere Rush is a desktop and mobile video editing app that lets you create innovative videos from your computer or mobile phone. It enables you to control your creations with audio features and graphic templates. It allows you to capture, color-correct, change clip sequence, trim, add color filters, text overlays, and record voiceovers .

The feature of auto-reframe is also available in this software that allows you to adjust your video and do reframing. You can set the frames according to your needs and requirements through the application of Auto Reframe to your video without affecting its quality when uploaded on social media platforms.

Step 1: Download the Software

Download the software on your mobile or computer and launch it.

Step 2: Import a Video

Import a video to the software you want to edit and adjust its frames.

Step 3: Apply Auto Frame

Click Effects panel and then select Auto Reframe, which will automatically keep the most important parts of the shot in the frame, and then the process will be started.

Step 4: Adjust Frames and Add Effects

Click Adjust Frame to adjust frame size according to your needs. To add Pan and Zoom effects or other effects, click Effects, select Motion menu.

Step 4: Adjust and Export

Set the speed of the video and the clip duration, and then export your video when editing is done. Save it to your device and share it.

3. Adobe Premiere Pro

Supported OS: Windows and macOS

Pricing: $20.99 per month (annual plan monthly paid)

Adobe Premiere Pro is a video editing software that is flexible and efficient for professional videos. It consists of powerful creative tools for audio, graphics, and colors. It allows you to create simultaneous projects and use motion graphic templates to enhance your video. This software also provides the feature of VR audio editing, transitions, adding effects, etc.

Adobe has added the smart auto-reframe feature to the software, especially for the broadcasters to optimize their content for different social media platforms. Using the auto-reframe feature, they can edit video in both YouTube’s landscape interface and Instagram’s vertical format.

Step 1: Download and Launch Software

Download the software from its official website, install it and launch it to use.

Step 2: Select the Sequence

Right-click and select the Auto Reframe Sequence option. Click New Item and select Sequence to create a sequence or add an already shot sequence.

Step 3: Apply Auto Reframe Feature

Select Effects and double click Auto Reframe tab to apply its effects. Select Aspect Ratio for reframing the video.

Step 4: Export and Save

Export the file when the auto frame feature is applied. Save it and share it.

4. Final Cut Pro X

Supported OS: Mac OS

Pricing: Free trial, $299.99

Final Cut Pro X was developed by Apple. It is a video editing software that allows you to edit a simple video to a traditional one because it consists of the Object Tracker for adding dynamic text to the video.

You can also add colors to the moving footage. You can apply tracking data to other graphics and text files to enhance your work.

The smart auto-frame feature present in Final Cut Pro X allows you to adjust the aspect ratios of the video file. Smart Conform feature will enable you to Auto Reframe in this Apple’s software where it works on sequences.

Step 1: Download and Install Software

Download Final Cut Pro X from its official website, install and launch it.

Step 2: Create Project

Create a project with the aspect ratio you need, i.e., vertical, landscape, square, etc, and click Smart Conform to apply Auto Reframe, and then set frame size and set the aspect ratio to maximize image quality. In this way, Final Cut Pro will analyze all the clips, focus on the most interesting parts, and automatically conform each clip to fill the entire frame.

Step 3: Add File and Adjust

Add file to the timeline, and you will the video is auto reframed in the Preview window. You can skim through the project to check how the Smart Conform tool did on the rest of the clips.

If you find some frames are out of the edge, you can manually adjust its position with keyframing.

Step 4: Save File

After everything is finely adjusted, export the edited and adjusted video and save it to your device.

5. Kamua

Supported OS: Online tool available for all devices

Pricing: Free

Kamua is a video editing browser-based tool that does not require to be downloaded. It comes with a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to use and understand. You can add subtitles to your video using this tool. It allows you to add filters to your video to make it effective and gain the attention of your followers. Its Ai features let you crop the video efficiently.

You can change the dimensions of the video and aspect ratio from vertical to horizontal using the Auto Reframe feature. In this software, the Auto Reframe feature is enabled by the AutoCrop feature that allows you to resize and reframe your video or the clips that have movement.

Step 1: Visit the Official Website

Open the official website of Kamua to use it for reframing: https://kamua.com/ .

Step 2: Select Aspect Ratio

Open Crop Settings and set the Aspect ratio for your file

Step 3: Apply Feature

Toggle AutoCrop and click Generate AutoCrop Preview. Set the aspect ratio and video dimensions

Step 4: Export File

Export the edited file when you are done with the reframing and resizing step. Save the file and share it to your desired platform.

Note: Since 16 November, 2021, Kamua is part of Jellysmack and the services has been discontinued. If you didn’t register it before, you may can’t use the features mentioned above.

Conclusion

The modern video editing software comes with the feature of smart auto reframing. This feature allows you to upload your video according to the platform where you want to upload it. For example, if you need to upload a video on YouTube, you can set the aspect ratio in the landscape interface. And if you want to upload your video on Instagram, you can set the aspect ratio to vertical format. These tools also allow you to set video dimensions. They not only allow you to edit videos but also the images having motion.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Wondershare Filmora Video Editor is a powerful and easy video editing software that provides different methods to save and share the video. This software includes GIF support, 4K editing support, and an audio equalizer. You can remove background noise from the video. Its key features also include video stabilization , color tuning, scene detection, advanced text editor and audio mixer,

Wondershare Filmora comes with plenty of smart features, among which auto-reframe is top of the list. It saves your editing time to create or edit a professional video. This feature can detect a moving object in your video and crops it automatically to suit different aspect ratios so you can post it on various platforms. In this way, it enhances the efficiency of your video. To use the auto-reframe feature in Filmora, you can follow the steps below:

Step 1: Install and Launch Software

Download the software and launch it on your devices. From Tools, select Auto Reframe.

Step 2: Import File

Use the drag and drop feature to import the file or click on the Import button for selecting and importing it.

Step 3: Choose Aspect Ratio

To start reframing, select the aspect ratio you need. You can also define the motion speed of the reframed video clip to make it fast or slow or keep the original speed. And then click Analyze to apply changes. Here I will choose 9:16 portrait mode to take the example.

Step 4: Adjust Frame

Filmora will convert the video to the selected aspect ratio automatically. After analyzing, select the frame and adjust its position.

Step 4: Export File

Click the Export button to save the file when you are done with reframing, adjustment, and editing. Share it where you want to.

2. Adobe Premiere Rush

Supported OS: Android, iOS, Windows and macOS

Pricing: Free trial, $9.99 per month

Adobe Premiere Rush is a desktop and mobile video editing app that lets you create innovative videos from your computer or mobile phone. It enables you to control your creations with audio features and graphic templates. It allows you to capture, color-correct, change clip sequence, trim, add color filters, text overlays, and record voiceovers .

The feature of auto-reframe is also available in this software that allows you to adjust your video and do reframing. You can set the frames according to your needs and requirements through the application of Auto Reframe to your video without affecting its quality when uploaded on social media platforms.

Step 1: Download the Software

Download the software on your mobile or computer and launch it.

Step 2: Import a Video

Import a video to the software you want to edit and adjust its frames.

Step 3: Apply Auto Frame

Click Effects panel and then select Auto Reframe, which will automatically keep the most important parts of the shot in the frame, and then the process will be started.

Step 4: Adjust Frames and Add Effects

Click Adjust Frame to adjust frame size according to your needs. To add Pan and Zoom effects or other effects, click Effects, select Motion menu.

Step 4: Adjust and Export

Set the speed of the video and the clip duration, and then export your video when editing is done. Save it to your device and share it.

3. Adobe Premiere Pro

Supported OS: Windows and macOS

Pricing: $20.99 per month (annual plan monthly paid)

Adobe Premiere Pro is a video editing software that is flexible and efficient for professional videos. It consists of powerful creative tools for audio, graphics, and colors. It allows you to create simultaneous projects and use motion graphic templates to enhance your video. This software also provides the feature of VR audio editing, transitions, adding effects, etc.

Adobe has added the smart auto-reframe feature to the software, especially for the broadcasters to optimize their content for different social media platforms. Using the auto-reframe feature, they can edit video in both YouTube’s landscape interface and Instagram’s vertical format.

Step 1: Download and Launch Software

Download the software from its official website, install it and launch it to use.

Step 2: Select the Sequence

Right-click and select the Auto Reframe Sequence option. Click New Item and select Sequence to create a sequence or add an already shot sequence.

Step 3: Apply Auto Reframe Feature

Select Effects and double click Auto Reframe tab to apply its effects. Select Aspect Ratio for reframing the video.

Step 4: Export and Save

Export the file when the auto frame feature is applied. Save it and share it.

4. Final Cut Pro X

Supported OS: Mac OS

Pricing: Free trial, $299.99

Final Cut Pro X was developed by Apple. It is a video editing software that allows you to edit a simple video to a traditional one because it consists of the Object Tracker for adding dynamic text to the video.

You can also add colors to the moving footage. You can apply tracking data to other graphics and text files to enhance your work.

The smart auto-frame feature present in Final Cut Pro X allows you to adjust the aspect ratios of the video file. Smart Conform feature will enable you to Auto Reframe in this Apple’s software where it works on sequences.

Step 1: Download and Install Software

Download Final Cut Pro X from its official website, install and launch it.

Step 2: Create Project

Create a project with the aspect ratio you need, i.e., vertical, landscape, square, etc, and click Smart Conform to apply Auto Reframe, and then set frame size and set the aspect ratio to maximize image quality. In this way, Final Cut Pro will analyze all the clips, focus on the most interesting parts, and automatically conform each clip to fill the entire frame.

Step 3: Add File and Adjust

Add file to the timeline, and you will the video is auto reframed in the Preview window. You can skim through the project to check how the Smart Conform tool did on the rest of the clips.

If you find some frames are out of the edge, you can manually adjust its position with keyframing.

Step 4: Save File

After everything is finely adjusted, export the edited and adjusted video and save it to your device.

5. Kamua

Supported OS: Online tool available for all devices

Pricing: Free

Kamua is a video editing browser-based tool that does not require to be downloaded. It comes with a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to use and understand. You can add subtitles to your video using this tool. It allows you to add filters to your video to make it effective and gain the attention of your followers. Its Ai features let you crop the video efficiently.

You can change the dimensions of the video and aspect ratio from vertical to horizontal using the Auto Reframe feature. In this software, the Auto Reframe feature is enabled by the AutoCrop feature that allows you to resize and reframe your video or the clips that have movement.

Step 1: Visit the Official Website

Open the official website of Kamua to use it for reframing: https://kamua.com/ .

Step 2: Select Aspect Ratio

Open Crop Settings and set the Aspect ratio for your file

Step 3: Apply Feature

Toggle AutoCrop and click Generate AutoCrop Preview. Set the aspect ratio and video dimensions

Step 4: Export File

Export the edited file when you are done with the reframing and resizing step. Save the file and share it to your desired platform.

Note: Since 16 November, 2021, Kamua is part of Jellysmack and the services has been discontinued. If you didn’t register it before, you may can’t use the features mentioned above.

Conclusion

The modern video editing software comes with the feature of smart auto reframing. This feature allows you to upload your video according to the platform where you want to upload it. For example, if you need to upload a video on YouTube, you can set the aspect ratio in the landscape interface. And if you want to upload your video on Instagram, you can set the aspect ratio to vertical format. These tools also allow you to set video dimensions. They not only allow you to edit videos but also the images having motion.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Wondershare Filmora Video Editor is a powerful and easy video editing software that provides different methods to save and share the video. This software includes GIF support, 4K editing support, and an audio equalizer. You can remove background noise from the video. Its key features also include video stabilization , color tuning, scene detection, advanced text editor and audio mixer,

Wondershare Filmora comes with plenty of smart features, among which auto-reframe is top of the list. It saves your editing time to create or edit a professional video. This feature can detect a moving object in your video and crops it automatically to suit different aspect ratios so you can post it on various platforms. In this way, it enhances the efficiency of your video. To use the auto-reframe feature in Filmora, you can follow the steps below:

Step 1: Install and Launch Software

Download the software and launch it on your devices. From Tools, select Auto Reframe.

Step 2: Import File

Use the drag and drop feature to import the file or click on the Import button for selecting and importing it.

Step 3: Choose Aspect Ratio

To start reframing, select the aspect ratio you need. You can also define the motion speed of the reframed video clip to make it fast or slow or keep the original speed. And then click Analyze to apply changes. Here I will choose 9:16 portrait mode to take the example.

Step 4: Adjust Frame

Filmora will convert the video to the selected aspect ratio automatically. After analyzing, select the frame and adjust its position.

Step 4: Export File

Click the Export button to save the file when you are done with reframing, adjustment, and editing. Share it where you want to.

2. Adobe Premiere Rush

Supported OS: Android, iOS, Windows and macOS

Pricing: Free trial, $9.99 per month

Adobe Premiere Rush is a desktop and mobile video editing app that lets you create innovative videos from your computer or mobile phone. It enables you to control your creations with audio features and graphic templates. It allows you to capture, color-correct, change clip sequence, trim, add color filters, text overlays, and record voiceovers .

The feature of auto-reframe is also available in this software that allows you to adjust your video and do reframing. You can set the frames according to your needs and requirements through the application of Auto Reframe to your video without affecting its quality when uploaded on social media platforms.

Step 1: Download the Software

Download the software on your mobile or computer and launch it.

Step 2: Import a Video

Import a video to the software you want to edit and adjust its frames.

Step 3: Apply Auto Frame

Click Effects panel and then select Auto Reframe, which will automatically keep the most important parts of the shot in the frame, and then the process will be started.

Step 4: Adjust Frames and Add Effects

Click Adjust Frame to adjust frame size according to your needs. To add Pan and Zoom effects or other effects, click Effects, select Motion menu.

Step 4: Adjust and Export

Set the speed of the video and the clip duration, and then export your video when editing is done. Save it to your device and share it.

3. Adobe Premiere Pro

Supported OS: Windows and macOS

Pricing: $20.99 per month (annual plan monthly paid)

Adobe Premiere Pro is a video editing software that is flexible and efficient for professional videos. It consists of powerful creative tools for audio, graphics, and colors. It allows you to create simultaneous projects and use motion graphic templates to enhance your video. This software also provides the feature of VR audio editing, transitions, adding effects, etc.

Adobe has added the smart auto-reframe feature to the software, especially for the broadcasters to optimize their content for different social media platforms. Using the auto-reframe feature, they can edit video in both YouTube’s landscape interface and Instagram’s vertical format.

Step 1: Download and Launch Software

Download the software from its official website, install it and launch it to use.

Step 2: Select the Sequence

Right-click and select the Auto Reframe Sequence option. Click New Item and select Sequence to create a sequence or add an already shot sequence.

Step 3: Apply Auto Reframe Feature

Select Effects and double click Auto Reframe tab to apply its effects. Select Aspect Ratio for reframing the video.

Step 4: Export and Save

Export the file when the auto frame feature is applied. Save it and share it.

4. Final Cut Pro X

Supported OS: Mac OS

Pricing: Free trial, $299.99

Final Cut Pro X was developed by Apple. It is a video editing software that allows you to edit a simple video to a traditional one because it consists of the Object Tracker for adding dynamic text to the video.

You can also add colors to the moving footage. You can apply tracking data to other graphics and text files to enhance your work.

The smart auto-frame feature present in Final Cut Pro X allows you to adjust the aspect ratios of the video file. Smart Conform feature will enable you to Auto Reframe in this Apple’s software where it works on sequences.

Step 1: Download and Install Software

Download Final Cut Pro X from its official website, install and launch it.

Step 2: Create Project

Create a project with the aspect ratio you need, i.e., vertical, landscape, square, etc, and click Smart Conform to apply Auto Reframe, and then set frame size and set the aspect ratio to maximize image quality. In this way, Final Cut Pro will analyze all the clips, focus on the most interesting parts, and automatically conform each clip to fill the entire frame.

Step 3: Add File and Adjust

Add file to the timeline, and you will the video is auto reframed in the Preview window. You can skim through the project to check how the Smart Conform tool did on the rest of the clips.

If you find some frames are out of the edge, you can manually adjust its position with keyframing.

Step 4: Save File

After everything is finely adjusted, export the edited and adjusted video and save it to your device.

5. Kamua

Supported OS: Online tool available for all devices

Pricing: Free

Kamua is a video editing browser-based tool that does not require to be downloaded. It comes with a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to use and understand. You can add subtitles to your video using this tool. It allows you to add filters to your video to make it effective and gain the attention of your followers. Its Ai features let you crop the video efficiently.

You can change the dimensions of the video and aspect ratio from vertical to horizontal using the Auto Reframe feature. In this software, the Auto Reframe feature is enabled by the AutoCrop feature that allows you to resize and reframe your video or the clips that have movement.

Step 1: Visit the Official Website

Open the official website of Kamua to use it for reframing: https://kamua.com/ .

Step 2: Select Aspect Ratio

Open Crop Settings and set the Aspect ratio for your file

Step 3: Apply Feature

Toggle AutoCrop and click Generate AutoCrop Preview. Set the aspect ratio and video dimensions

Step 4: Export File

Export the edited file when you are done with the reframing and resizing step. Save the file and share it to your desired platform.

Note: Since 16 November, 2021, Kamua is part of Jellysmack and the services has been discontinued. If you didn’t register it before, you may can’t use the features mentioned above.

Conclusion

The modern video editing software comes with the feature of smart auto reframing. This feature allows you to upload your video according to the platform where you want to upload it. For example, if you need to upload a video on YouTube, you can set the aspect ratio in the landscape interface. And if you want to upload your video on Instagram, you can set the aspect ratio to vertical format. These tools also allow you to set video dimensions. They not only allow you to edit videos but also the images having motion.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Wondershare Filmora Video Editor is a powerful and easy video editing software that provides different methods to save and share the video. This software includes GIF support, 4K editing support, and an audio equalizer. You can remove background noise from the video. Its key features also include video stabilization , color tuning, scene detection, advanced text editor and audio mixer,

Wondershare Filmora comes with plenty of smart features, among which auto-reframe is top of the list. It saves your editing time to create or edit a professional video. This feature can detect a moving object in your video and crops it automatically to suit different aspect ratios so you can post it on various platforms. In this way, it enhances the efficiency of your video. To use the auto-reframe feature in Filmora, you can follow the steps below:

Step 1: Install and Launch Software

Download the software and launch it on your devices. From Tools, select Auto Reframe.

Step 2: Import File

Use the drag and drop feature to import the file or click on the Import button for selecting and importing it.

Step 3: Choose Aspect Ratio

To start reframing, select the aspect ratio you need. You can also define the motion speed of the reframed video clip to make it fast or slow or keep the original speed. And then click Analyze to apply changes. Here I will choose 9:16 portrait mode to take the example.

Step 4: Adjust Frame

Filmora will convert the video to the selected aspect ratio automatically. After analyzing, select the frame and adjust its position.

Step 4: Export File

Click the Export button to save the file when you are done with reframing, adjustment, and editing. Share it where you want to.

2. Adobe Premiere Rush

Supported OS: Android, iOS, Windows and macOS

Pricing: Free trial, $9.99 per month

Adobe Premiere Rush is a desktop and mobile video editing app that lets you create innovative videos from your computer or mobile phone. It enables you to control your creations with audio features and graphic templates. It allows you to capture, color-correct, change clip sequence, trim, add color filters, text overlays, and record voiceovers .

The feature of auto-reframe is also available in this software that allows you to adjust your video and do reframing. You can set the frames according to your needs and requirements through the application of Auto Reframe to your video without affecting its quality when uploaded on social media platforms.

Step 1: Download the Software

Download the software on your mobile or computer and launch it.

Step 2: Import a Video

Import a video to the software you want to edit and adjust its frames.

Step 3: Apply Auto Frame

Click Effects panel and then select Auto Reframe, which will automatically keep the most important parts of the shot in the frame, and then the process will be started.

Step 4: Adjust Frames and Add Effects

Click Adjust Frame to adjust frame size according to your needs. To add Pan and Zoom effects or other effects, click Effects, select Motion menu.

Step 4: Adjust and Export

Set the speed of the video and the clip duration, and then export your video when editing is done. Save it to your device and share it.

3. Adobe Premiere Pro

Supported OS: Windows and macOS

Pricing: $20.99 per month (annual plan monthly paid)

Adobe Premiere Pro is a video editing software that is flexible and efficient for professional videos. It consists of powerful creative tools for audio, graphics, and colors. It allows you to create simultaneous projects and use motion graphic templates to enhance your video. This software also provides the feature of VR audio editing, transitions, adding effects, etc.

Adobe has added the smart auto-reframe feature to the software, especially for the broadcasters to optimize their content for different social media platforms. Using the auto-reframe feature, they can edit video in both YouTube’s landscape interface and Instagram’s vertical format.

Step 1: Download and Launch Software

Download the software from its official website, install it and launch it to use.

Step 2: Select the Sequence

Right-click and select the Auto Reframe Sequence option. Click New Item and select Sequence to create a sequence or add an already shot sequence.

Step 3: Apply Auto Reframe Feature

Select Effects and double click Auto Reframe tab to apply its effects. Select Aspect Ratio for reframing the video.

Step 4: Export and Save

Export the file when the auto frame feature is applied. Save it and share it.

4. Final Cut Pro X

Supported OS: Mac OS

Pricing: Free trial, $299.99

Final Cut Pro X was developed by Apple. It is a video editing software that allows you to edit a simple video to a traditional one because it consists of the Object Tracker for adding dynamic text to the video.

You can also add colors to the moving footage. You can apply tracking data to other graphics and text files to enhance your work.

The smart auto-frame feature present in Final Cut Pro X allows you to adjust the aspect ratios of the video file. Smart Conform feature will enable you to Auto Reframe in this Apple’s software where it works on sequences.

Step 1: Download and Install Software

Download Final Cut Pro X from its official website, install and launch it.

Step 2: Create Project

Create a project with the aspect ratio you need, i.e., vertical, landscape, square, etc, and click Smart Conform to apply Auto Reframe, and then set frame size and set the aspect ratio to maximize image quality. In this way, Final Cut Pro will analyze all the clips, focus on the most interesting parts, and automatically conform each clip to fill the entire frame.

Step 3: Add File and Adjust

Add file to the timeline, and you will the video is auto reframed in the Preview window. You can skim through the project to check how the Smart Conform tool did on the rest of the clips.

If you find some frames are out of the edge, you can manually adjust its position with keyframing.

Step 4: Save File

After everything is finely adjusted, export the edited and adjusted video and save it to your device.

5. Kamua

Supported OS: Online tool available for all devices

Pricing: Free

Kamua is a video editing browser-based tool that does not require to be downloaded. It comes with a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to use and understand. You can add subtitles to your video using this tool. It allows you to add filters to your video to make it effective and gain the attention of your followers. Its Ai features let you crop the video efficiently.

You can change the dimensions of the video and aspect ratio from vertical to horizontal using the Auto Reframe feature. In this software, the Auto Reframe feature is enabled by the AutoCrop feature that allows you to resize and reframe your video or the clips that have movement.

Step 1: Visit the Official Website

Open the official website of Kamua to use it for reframing: https://kamua.com/ .

Step 2: Select Aspect Ratio

Open Crop Settings and set the Aspect ratio for your file

Step 3: Apply Feature

Toggle AutoCrop and click Generate AutoCrop Preview. Set the aspect ratio and video dimensions

Step 4: Export File

Export the edited file when you are done with the reframing and resizing step. Save the file and share it to your desired platform.

Note: Since 16 November, 2021, Kamua is part of Jellysmack and the services has been discontinued. If you didn’t register it before, you may can’t use the features mentioned above.

Conclusion

The modern video editing software comes with the feature of smart auto reframing. This feature allows you to upload your video according to the platform where you want to upload it. For example, if you need to upload a video on YouTube, you can set the aspect ratio in the landscape interface. And if you want to upload your video on Instagram, you can set the aspect ratio to vertical format. These tools also allow you to set video dimensions. They not only allow you to edit videos but also the images having motion.

Best 12 Free Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Best 12 Free Download Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money no matter it is 2D animation software or 3D animation editor. The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to make different animation types easily.

That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Whether you are a professional editor or just a beginner to start making animation, you will find the tools listed below are easy to use without watermark and won’t cost money to improve your skills.

The best part is you will find these free animation programs are also very useful for content creation on Mac and Windows. Besides, we have listed the pros and cons of each software. Keep reading!

• Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
• Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
• Part 3: FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Here we have made a table of 12 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS. Take a look.

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

5K-3DMiddleIt is a great tool for 3D artists6KritaDifficultPerfect software for 2D animation

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	Synfig Studio	Easy	Calculate vector shape to animation automatically
2	Pencil2D Animation	Easiest	Straightforward interface for beginners
3	Tupi	Middle	Its community is active to offer solutions
4	Blender	Difficult	It is a powerful animation tool to render and make modeling

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	DAZ Studio	Difficult	For professional users with the fast animation process
2	Terragen	Middle	It can make realistic CG environments
3	Anim8or	Difficult	3D animation is Anim8or’s main function
4	Seamless3d	Easy	It has many features for 3d modeling
5	OpenToonz	Middle	Make cartoon animation with plugins
6	Stykz	Easy	Quickly make animation if you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Looking for a simple while powerful Mac video editing tool ? We recommend using Wondershare Filmora. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes, or anything you like for YouTube videos.

The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.

Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try! Or learn more from Wondershare Video Community .

Key features

• Create various shapes that you like
• Add keyframing to make it move
• Fine-tuning to make it smooth
• Add visual effects/text/color before export it

You can even create photo cut animation which has been very trendy on Tiktok and Instagram. Here is a video to present you how you can do it in Filmora.

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

Listed below is free animation software on Mac. Take a look.

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: You can create many layers once a time and sync audio for your animation.

Con: This one needs much time to learn, especially for beginners.

An open-source 2D animation software that works on Macs, Synfig Studio delivers multiple players while you are creating content. Whether you want to add geometric, filters, distortions, or transformations, it is all possible! And thanks to the high-end bone system, you can create cut-out videos using bitmap images!

The thoughtful part is there are two download versions on the homepage: the stable version and the development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package gives you access to the use of the latest features.

For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipedia and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch, and French for a video course.

You can free download its latest version 1.3.11. The upcoming version is 1.4.

Features:

• It offers support for many layers within the animation.
• The program’s bone system means that you can easily create animations with bitmap images or vector artwork.
• It allows you to sync your creative work with any sound that you want. Has a full-featured audio editor.

02 Pencil2D Animation - Animation Program for 2D Pencil Lover

Difficulty Level: Easiest

Pro: Easy to start and make animation as the interface is user-friendly for many people.

Con: You need to set your preference every time to open it up, so it takes up some time

Pencil2D Animation is one of the simplest 2D hand-drawn tools available. It will work flawlessly on Mac computers. It is ideal for beginners, as the commands and interface are very easy to understand.

Whether you want to create a simple one, or you want something with many layers for videos on YouTube, you can use Pencil2D animation to get it done. Its timeline is easy to use at first glance. You can add and duplicate different frames on a different track.

The frequency of releasing the new version is very fast as Pencil2D is committed to bringing the lasted features to each user. The newest version is v0.6.4 (as of August 2019). Its user guide is informative with video tutorials, FAQs, and manual material.

Features:

• Lightweight and minimalistic design that makes it very easy for beginners.
• Features raster and vector workflows, with easy switching between them. You can paint and sketch as you want!
• Will run on all platforms - Mac, Windows, and Linux.
• Completely free and open source.

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It supports vector illustrations. Besides, various formats are available.

Con: If you want to make 3D animation, it will fail. You can only make 2D effects.

A free software application for YouTube, Tupi will allow you to create 2D animations to your heart’s content. The tool was started by animators who wanted to create something that others could use.

It is an open-source tool, which means that users can make tweaks to the program if they have some interesting ideas. The program works on both Windows and Mac. You need to use Tupi and Papagayo to make lip-sync animation with different mouth shapes.

It also offers a solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support, and ads-free, so many schools choose to use this one to teach kids how to make an animation video.

Features:

• Support for vector illustrations. You can add rectangles, lines, polygons, and other shapes as you please. To fill areas, just use the paint bucket.
• You can import raster images using this program.
• You can export all your finished images into different file formats.
• Support for tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations.

04 Blender - Need Some Time to Learn This Animation Tool

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Really powerful software that you can make for professional users.

Con: It is not easy to make image animation as it focuses on 3D.

Blender is an open-source 3D animation creation suite without a watermark. If you find that 2D is a little bit limiting, we think that you will be very happy with what this free program offers. You can take your projects to a whole new level when you can use this program on your Mac.

You can use Blender to make a video game, modeling, and high-quality animation. However, it involves a steep learning curve. Luckily, there are many tutorials to guide you through the journey. You can also ask for help in the Blender community that millions of talented people like you are there.

Features:

• Creating renders is no problem with this program.
• Modeling, such as sculpting, retopology, and creating curves is not an issue either.
• VFX and animation features are better than any option on the market.
• It offers powerful simulation tools.
• Integration with pipeline tools is easy.

05 K-3D - Best for Animation and Modeling in 3D

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: Ideal for designing simple 3D animations and models.

Con: It has an old-fashioned interface. Also, the built-render (RenderMan) feature is difficult to use by beginners.

K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. You can download this tool for free on your Mac. Besides, you can also install and run it on your Windows and Linux systems. If you look at the design, you will find that the software is quite old. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Why so? It is because K-3D is one of the strongest and most versatile tools for 3D artists with many options.

For example, K-3D offers extremely systematic and methodological workflows. You can easily adjust the properties of the features in real-time and get instant results. It has a node-oriented visualization pipeline to enjoy more freedom. That means you can create animation using a variety of combinations.

One of the best things about K-3D is that it has three subdivisions of animation. You can work on your model on one side while showing the other side in a mirrored form. Then, experience the final result combined together. And in case you need to make the changes to the end results, you can simply work on the first subdivision and savor automatic changes to the results.

K-3D has an advanced redo and undo mechanism to ensure you can go back or move forward to make corrections or amendments without limits. Additionally, the tool is developed keeping in mind all the industrial standards. For instance, it has complete support and integration of native RenderMan™ to its user interface. This is an excellent feature because most free animation software for Mac requires third-party render plugins.

Features:

• Parametric workflow.
• 2D and 3D animation tools.
• Allows Python and K3DScript scripting.

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Advanced tools with numerous animation options and online training material.

Con: Not suitable for beginners.

If you love 2D animation, then you’ll surely love Krita. It is entirely free software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Also, it offers a full platform for drawing and frame-by-frame animation.

The number one reason for adoring Krita is its brush library. There are more than 100 professional brushes to give you a wide range of effects. Moreover, the strokes are pretty amazing and similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Another great thing about Krita is the brush stabilization feature designed for shaky hands. You can add a stabilizer to your chosen brush to smoothen its flow. Besides, there’s a special Dynamic Brush tool to make animation more fun. At the same time, you can also customize your brushes through different brush engines, including filter engines, color smudge engines, and many more.

Apart from the basic brush options, the preloaded vector tools are next to admire. These tools help you make great comic panels. All you need to do is choose and drag the word bubble template on your canvas. Then, make changes with the anchor point to make new shapes. At the same time, you can also add text to your animation by using the text tool.

Last but not least, there’s a wrap-around mode to create seamless patterns and textures. That means the image or drawing makes its own references along the x-axis and y-axis. This gives you the freedom to continue painting and enjoy updates to your animation instantly.

Features:

• HDR painting.
• PSD support.
• Python scripting.
• Selection and transformation tools.
• Proper group, filter, vector, and file layer management.
• Complete color management for extraordinary results.
• Drawing assistant to help you with straight lines and vanishing points.

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

Below is free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Anireel is a simple yet powerful Video Creativity tool used to make 2D animated explainer videos. Developed by Wondershare, one of the most popular Windows software and tool developers, Anireel uses rich, ready-to-use, and diverse assets to help one effortlessly make animated videos.

Features:

• There are tons of drag and drop characters, actions, props, text, and audio assets.
• Easy Text-to-Speech conversion via deep studying technology.
• Animate integrated and imported assets.
• Tons of templates that match many script types.

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: You can make game animation for fun. It also supports GPU accelerated real-time rendering.

Con: It has a high demand for the device, but owns a steep learning curve.

Daz 3d is a powerful and completely free 3D creation tool that will let you create the short videos that you want. Whether you are using this for business or pleasure, you will find the program is very easy to understand. Within a day, you will be completely used to its interface.

3D effects are the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build a model, render, and pose animation within the skin texture level. It has a high requirement for the device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.

Features:

• Options for 3D morphing, animation, and rendering.
• GPU accelerated real-time rendering, which delivers the best results.
• Interactive tutorials to help you become a better 3D artist.
• Everything you make is yours, royalty-free!

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us make animation.

Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.

A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!

Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.

For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.

Features:

• Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
• Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
• Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
• Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.

Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.

Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.

It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.

Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.

Features:

• A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
• Features support for TrueType fonts.
• Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is an open-source 3D modeling package. The good thing is the handy infinite Undo/Redo operation.

Con: Some advanced features are missing like drawing.

Seamless3d, an open-source 3D modeling software that you can download, is among the best animation worktables if you want to create specialized images, animated videos, or 3D characters.

It supports FFmpeg video format, so you can use AVI, MP4, and more. Besides, the forum is not active compared with before, but you still can find answers from many tutorials .

Features:

• It comes with infinite undo and redo options for complete flexibility to correct mistakes.
• It allows for partitioned and seamless texture mapping for YouTube videos.
• Has a specialized tree view interface.

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.

Con: The plug-in effects are limited.

This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.

Features:

• You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
• Smooth correction without frame losing.
• Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is the best stick figure animation if you want to make this kind of video.

Con: The UI is not modern to use and needs time to adapt to using it.

Stykz is completely free to use and without a watermark. If you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator, then you will find Stykz is similar to it, but you can import the previous .stk files to animate it again. You can use it to make animation smooth frame by frame.

With its frame-based feature, Stykz is easy to customize each frame. You can change previous and current frames to get what you want. You can download it to have a try considering its easy-to-use features.

Features:

• There is some animes file on this website, so you can have a reference.
• Edit animation in the software without using another editing window.
• You can share the final work with others including information.

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

To be frank, Mac is a better choice to make animation if you want to have a smooth animation experience. For example, screen resolution is a crucial factor to make excellent animation. The good is Mac’s screen will never let you disappointed.

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

The best animation software on mac includes Synfig Studio, Pencil2D Animation, Tupi, Blender, and more. Mentioned are free-to-use. Maya is also worth considering animation software if you are a professional user. Maya offers a 1-month free trial. After it is ended, the paid plans are month, 1-year, and 3-year.

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Yes, you can make basic animation in Photoshop. However, it only supports frame-based animation making. In this case, you need to use other professional software to make animation. But, you still can use Photoshop to meet your needs if you are a beginner.

Conclusion

With any of these free animation maker programs on Mac and Windows, you will have an easy time creating your next 2D or 3D video. Ensure you choose the program that has the features and compatibility that you desire. Then it is up to your creative mind to come up with stunning animations! If you want to make animation easily, you can also find inspiration through classical animated cartoon types with examples .

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money no matter it is 2D animation software or 3D animation editor. The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to make different animation types easily.

That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Whether you are a professional editor or just a beginner to start making animation, you will find the tools listed below are easy to use without watermark and won’t cost money to improve your skills.

The best part is you will find these free animation programs are also very useful for content creation on Mac and Windows. Besides, we have listed the pros and cons of each software. Keep reading!

• Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
• Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
• Part 3: FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Here we have made a table of 12 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS. Take a look.

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

5K-3DMiddleIt is a great tool for 3D artists6KritaDifficultPerfect software for 2D animation

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	Synfig Studio	Easy	Calculate vector shape to animation automatically
2	Pencil2D Animation	Easiest	Straightforward interface for beginners
3	Tupi	Middle	Its community is active to offer solutions
4	Blender	Difficult	It is a powerful animation tool to render and make modeling

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	DAZ Studio	Difficult	For professional users with the fast animation process
2	Terragen	Middle	It can make realistic CG environments
3	Anim8or	Difficult	3D animation is Anim8or’s main function
4	Seamless3d	Easy	It has many features for 3d modeling
5	OpenToonz	Middle	Make cartoon animation with plugins
6	Stykz	Easy	Quickly make animation if you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Looking for a simple while powerful Mac video editing tool ? We recommend using Wondershare Filmora. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes, or anything you like for YouTube videos.

The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.

Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try! Or learn more from Wondershare Video Community .

Key features

• Create various shapes that you like
• Add keyframing to make it move
• Fine-tuning to make it smooth
• Add visual effects/text/color before export it

You can even create photo cut animation which has been very trendy on Tiktok and Instagram. Here is a video to present you how you can do it in Filmora.

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

Listed below is free animation software on Mac. Take a look.

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: You can create many layers once a time and sync audio for your animation.

Con: This one needs much time to learn, especially for beginners.

An open-source 2D animation software that works on Macs, Synfig Studio delivers multiple players while you are creating content. Whether you want to add geometric, filters, distortions, or transformations, it is all possible! And thanks to the high-end bone system, you can create cut-out videos using bitmap images!

The thoughtful part is there are two download versions on the homepage: the stable version and the development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package gives you access to the use of the latest features.

For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipedia and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch, and French for a video course.

You can free download its latest version 1.3.11. The upcoming version is 1.4.

Features:

• It offers support for many layers within the animation.
• The program’s bone system means that you can easily create animations with bitmap images or vector artwork.
• It allows you to sync your creative work with any sound that you want. Has a full-featured audio editor.

02 Pencil2D Animation - Animation Program for 2D Pencil Lover

Difficulty Level: Easiest

Pro: Easy to start and make animation as the interface is user-friendly for many people.

Con: You need to set your preference every time to open it up, so it takes up some time

Pencil2D Animation is one of the simplest 2D hand-drawn tools available. It will work flawlessly on Mac computers. It is ideal for beginners, as the commands and interface are very easy to understand.

Whether you want to create a simple one, or you want something with many layers for videos on YouTube, you can use Pencil2D animation to get it done. Its timeline is easy to use at first glance. You can add and duplicate different frames on a different track.

The frequency of releasing the new version is very fast as Pencil2D is committed to bringing the lasted features to each user. The newest version is v0.6.4 (as of August 2019). Its user guide is informative with video tutorials, FAQs, and manual material.

Features:

• Lightweight and minimalistic design that makes it very easy for beginners.
• Features raster and vector workflows, with easy switching between them. You can paint and sketch as you want!
• Will run on all platforms - Mac, Windows, and Linux.
• Completely free and open source.

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It supports vector illustrations. Besides, various formats are available.

Con: If you want to make 3D animation, it will fail. You can only make 2D effects.

A free software application for YouTube, Tupi will allow you to create 2D animations to your heart’s content. The tool was started by animators who wanted to create something that others could use.

It is an open-source tool, which means that users can make tweaks to the program if they have some interesting ideas. The program works on both Windows and Mac. You need to use Tupi and Papagayo to make lip-sync animation with different mouth shapes.

It also offers a solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support, and ads-free, so many schools choose to use this one to teach kids how to make an animation video.

Features:

• Support for vector illustrations. You can add rectangles, lines, polygons, and other shapes as you please. To fill areas, just use the paint bucket.
• You can import raster images using this program.
• You can export all your finished images into different file formats.
• Support for tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations.

04 Blender - Need Some Time to Learn This Animation Tool

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Really powerful software that you can make for professional users.

Con: It is not easy to make image animation as it focuses on 3D.

Blender is an open-source 3D animation creation suite without a watermark. If you find that 2D is a little bit limiting, we think that you will be very happy with what this free program offers. You can take your projects to a whole new level when you can use this program on your Mac.

You can use Blender to make a video game, modeling, and high-quality animation. However, it involves a steep learning curve. Luckily, there are many tutorials to guide you through the journey. You can also ask for help in the Blender community that millions of talented people like you are there.

Features:

• Creating renders is no problem with this program.
• Modeling, such as sculpting, retopology, and creating curves is not an issue either.
• VFX and animation features are better than any option on the market.
• It offers powerful simulation tools.
• Integration with pipeline tools is easy.

05 K-3D - Best for Animation and Modeling in 3D

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: Ideal for designing simple 3D animations and models.

Con: It has an old-fashioned interface. Also, the built-render (RenderMan) feature is difficult to use by beginners.

K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. You can download this tool for free on your Mac. Besides, you can also install and run it on your Windows and Linux systems. If you look at the design, you will find that the software is quite old. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Why so? It is because K-3D is one of the strongest and most versatile tools for 3D artists with many options.

For example, K-3D offers extremely systematic and methodological workflows. You can easily adjust the properties of the features in real-time and get instant results. It has a node-oriented visualization pipeline to enjoy more freedom. That means you can create animation using a variety of combinations.

One of the best things about K-3D is that it has three subdivisions of animation. You can work on your model on one side while showing the other side in a mirrored form. Then, experience the final result combined together. And in case you need to make the changes to the end results, you can simply work on the first subdivision and savor automatic changes to the results.

K-3D has an advanced redo and undo mechanism to ensure you can go back or move forward to make corrections or amendments without limits. Additionally, the tool is developed keeping in mind all the industrial standards. For instance, it has complete support and integration of native RenderMan™ to its user interface. This is an excellent feature because most free animation software for Mac requires third-party render plugins.

Features:

• Parametric workflow.
• 2D and 3D animation tools.
• Allows Python and K3DScript scripting.

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Advanced tools with numerous animation options and online training material.

Con: Not suitable for beginners.

If you love 2D animation, then you’ll surely love Krita. It is entirely free software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Also, it offers a full platform for drawing and frame-by-frame animation.

The number one reason for adoring Krita is its brush library. There are more than 100 professional brushes to give you a wide range of effects. Moreover, the strokes are pretty amazing and similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Another great thing about Krita is the brush stabilization feature designed for shaky hands. You can add a stabilizer to your chosen brush to smoothen its flow. Besides, there’s a special Dynamic Brush tool to make animation more fun. At the same time, you can also customize your brushes through different brush engines, including filter engines, color smudge engines, and many more.

Apart from the basic brush options, the preloaded vector tools are next to admire. These tools help you make great comic panels. All you need to do is choose and drag the word bubble template on your canvas. Then, make changes with the anchor point to make new shapes. At the same time, you can also add text to your animation by using the text tool.

Last but not least, there’s a wrap-around mode to create seamless patterns and textures. That means the image or drawing makes its own references along the x-axis and y-axis. This gives you the freedom to continue painting and enjoy updates to your animation instantly.

Features:

• HDR painting.
• PSD support.
• Python scripting.
• Selection and transformation tools.
• Proper group, filter, vector, and file layer management.
• Complete color management for extraordinary results.
• Drawing assistant to help you with straight lines and vanishing points.

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

Below is free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Anireel is a simple yet powerful Video Creativity tool used to make 2D animated explainer videos. Developed by Wondershare, one of the most popular Windows software and tool developers, Anireel uses rich, ready-to-use, and diverse assets to help one effortlessly make animated videos.

Features:

• There are tons of drag and drop characters, actions, props, text, and audio assets.
• Easy Text-to-Speech conversion via deep studying technology.
• Animate integrated and imported assets.
• Tons of templates that match many script types.

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: You can make game animation for fun. It also supports GPU accelerated real-time rendering.

Con: It has a high demand for the device, but owns a steep learning curve.

Daz 3d is a powerful and completely free 3D creation tool that will let you create the short videos that you want. Whether you are using this for business or pleasure, you will find the program is very easy to understand. Within a day, you will be completely used to its interface.

3D effects are the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build a model, render, and pose animation within the skin texture level. It has a high requirement for the device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.

Features:

• Options for 3D morphing, animation, and rendering.
• GPU accelerated real-time rendering, which delivers the best results.
• Interactive tutorials to help you become a better 3D artist.
• Everything you make is yours, royalty-free!

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us make animation.

Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.

A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!

Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.

For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.

Features:

• Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
• Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
• Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
• Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.

Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.

Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.

It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.

Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.

Features:

• A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
• Features support for TrueType fonts.
• Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is an open-source 3D modeling package. The good thing is the handy infinite Undo/Redo operation.

Con: Some advanced features are missing like drawing.

Seamless3d, an open-source 3D modeling software that you can download, is among the best animation worktables if you want to create specialized images, animated videos, or 3D characters.

It supports FFmpeg video format, so you can use AVI, MP4, and more. Besides, the forum is not active compared with before, but you still can find answers from many tutorials .

Features:

• It comes with infinite undo and redo options for complete flexibility to correct mistakes.
• It allows for partitioned and seamless texture mapping for YouTube videos.
• Has a specialized tree view interface.

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.

Con: The plug-in effects are limited.

This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.

Features:

• You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
• Smooth correction without frame losing.
• Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is the best stick figure animation if you want to make this kind of video.

Con: The UI is not modern to use and needs time to adapt to using it.

Stykz is completely free to use and without a watermark. If you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator, then you will find Stykz is similar to it, but you can import the previous .stk files to animate it again. You can use it to make animation smooth frame by frame.

With its frame-based feature, Stykz is easy to customize each frame. You can change previous and current frames to get what you want. You can download it to have a try considering its easy-to-use features.

Features:

• There is some animes file on this website, so you can have a reference.
• Edit animation in the software without using another editing window.
• You can share the final work with others including information.

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

To be frank, Mac is a better choice to make animation if you want to have a smooth animation experience. For example, screen resolution is a crucial factor to make excellent animation. The good is Mac’s screen will never let you disappointed.

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

The best animation software on mac includes Synfig Studio, Pencil2D Animation, Tupi, Blender, and more. Mentioned are free-to-use. Maya is also worth considering animation software if you are a professional user. Maya offers a 1-month free trial. After it is ended, the paid plans are month, 1-year, and 3-year.

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Yes, you can make basic animation in Photoshop. However, it only supports frame-based animation making. In this case, you need to use other professional software to make animation. But, you still can use Photoshop to meet your needs if you are a beginner.

Conclusion

With any of these free animation maker programs on Mac and Windows, you will have an easy time creating your next 2D or 3D video. Ensure you choose the program that has the features and compatibility that you desire. Then it is up to your creative mind to come up with stunning animations! If you want to make animation easily, you can also find inspiration through classical animated cartoon types with examples .

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money no matter it is 2D animation software or 3D animation editor. The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to make different animation types easily.

That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Whether you are a professional editor or just a beginner to start making animation, you will find the tools listed below are easy to use without watermark and won’t cost money to improve your skills.

The best part is you will find these free animation programs are also very useful for content creation on Mac and Windows. Besides, we have listed the pros and cons of each software. Keep reading!

• Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
• Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
• Part 3: FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Here we have made a table of 12 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS. Take a look.

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

5K-3DMiddleIt is a great tool for 3D artists6KritaDifficultPerfect software for 2D animation

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	Synfig Studio	Easy	Calculate vector shape to animation automatically
2	Pencil2D Animation	Easiest	Straightforward interface for beginners
3	Tupi	Middle	Its community is active to offer solutions
4	Blender	Difficult	It is a powerful animation tool to render and make modeling

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	DAZ Studio	Difficult	For professional users with the fast animation process
2	Terragen	Middle	It can make realistic CG environments
3	Anim8or	Difficult	3D animation is Anim8or’s main function
4	Seamless3d	Easy	It has many features for 3d modeling
5	OpenToonz	Middle	Make cartoon animation with plugins
6	Stykz	Easy	Quickly make animation if you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Looking for a simple while powerful Mac video editing tool ? We recommend using Wondershare Filmora. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes, or anything you like for YouTube videos.

The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.

Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try! Or learn more from Wondershare Video Community .

Key features

• Create various shapes that you like
• Add keyframing to make it move
• Fine-tuning to make it smooth
• Add visual effects/text/color before export it

You can even create photo cut animation which has been very trendy on Tiktok and Instagram. Here is a video to present you how you can do it in Filmora.

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

Listed below is free animation software on Mac. Take a look.

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: You can create many layers once a time and sync audio for your animation.

Con: This one needs much time to learn, especially for beginners.

An open-source 2D animation software that works on Macs, Synfig Studio delivers multiple players while you are creating content. Whether you want to add geometric, filters, distortions, or transformations, it is all possible! And thanks to the high-end bone system, you can create cut-out videos using bitmap images!

The thoughtful part is there are two download versions on the homepage: the stable version and the development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package gives you access to the use of the latest features.

For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipedia and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch, and French for a video course.

You can free download its latest version 1.3.11. The upcoming version is 1.4.

Features:

• It offers support for many layers within the animation.
• The program’s bone system means that you can easily create animations with bitmap images or vector artwork.
• It allows you to sync your creative work with any sound that you want. Has a full-featured audio editor.

02 Pencil2D Animation - Animation Program for 2D Pencil Lover

Difficulty Level: Easiest

Pro: Easy to start and make animation as the interface is user-friendly for many people.

Con: You need to set your preference every time to open it up, so it takes up some time

Pencil2D Animation is one of the simplest 2D hand-drawn tools available. It will work flawlessly on Mac computers. It is ideal for beginners, as the commands and interface are very easy to understand.

Whether you want to create a simple one, or you want something with many layers for videos on YouTube, you can use Pencil2D animation to get it done. Its timeline is easy to use at first glance. You can add and duplicate different frames on a different track.

The frequency of releasing the new version is very fast as Pencil2D is committed to bringing the lasted features to each user. The newest version is v0.6.4 (as of August 2019). Its user guide is informative with video tutorials, FAQs, and manual material.

Features:

• Lightweight and minimalistic design that makes it very easy for beginners.
• Features raster and vector workflows, with easy switching between them. You can paint and sketch as you want!
• Will run on all platforms - Mac, Windows, and Linux.
• Completely free and open source.

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It supports vector illustrations. Besides, various formats are available.

Con: If you want to make 3D animation, it will fail. You can only make 2D effects.

A free software application for YouTube, Tupi will allow you to create 2D animations to your heart’s content. The tool was started by animators who wanted to create something that others could use.

It is an open-source tool, which means that users can make tweaks to the program if they have some interesting ideas. The program works on both Windows and Mac. You need to use Tupi and Papagayo to make lip-sync animation with different mouth shapes.

It also offers a solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support, and ads-free, so many schools choose to use this one to teach kids how to make an animation video.

Features:

• Support for vector illustrations. You can add rectangles, lines, polygons, and other shapes as you please. To fill areas, just use the paint bucket.
• You can import raster images using this program.
• You can export all your finished images into different file formats.
• Support for tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations.

04 Blender - Need Some Time to Learn This Animation Tool

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Really powerful software that you can make for professional users.

Con: It is not easy to make image animation as it focuses on 3D.

Blender is an open-source 3D animation creation suite without a watermark. If you find that 2D is a little bit limiting, we think that you will be very happy with what this free program offers. You can take your projects to a whole new level when you can use this program on your Mac.

You can use Blender to make a video game, modeling, and high-quality animation. However, it involves a steep learning curve. Luckily, there are many tutorials to guide you through the journey. You can also ask for help in the Blender community that millions of talented people like you are there.

Features:

• Creating renders is no problem with this program.
• Modeling, such as sculpting, retopology, and creating curves is not an issue either.
• VFX and animation features are better than any option on the market.
• It offers powerful simulation tools.
• Integration with pipeline tools is easy.

05 K-3D - Best for Animation and Modeling in 3D

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: Ideal for designing simple 3D animations and models.

Con: It has an old-fashioned interface. Also, the built-render (RenderMan) feature is difficult to use by beginners.

K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. You can download this tool for free on your Mac. Besides, you can also install and run it on your Windows and Linux systems. If you look at the design, you will find that the software is quite old. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Why so? It is because K-3D is one of the strongest and most versatile tools for 3D artists with many options.

For example, K-3D offers extremely systematic and methodological workflows. You can easily adjust the properties of the features in real-time and get instant results. It has a node-oriented visualization pipeline to enjoy more freedom. That means you can create animation using a variety of combinations.

One of the best things about K-3D is that it has three subdivisions of animation. You can work on your model on one side while showing the other side in a mirrored form. Then, experience the final result combined together. And in case you need to make the changes to the end results, you can simply work on the first subdivision and savor automatic changes to the results.

K-3D has an advanced redo and undo mechanism to ensure you can go back or move forward to make corrections or amendments without limits. Additionally, the tool is developed keeping in mind all the industrial standards. For instance, it has complete support and integration of native RenderMan™ to its user interface. This is an excellent feature because most free animation software for Mac requires third-party render plugins.

Features:

• Parametric workflow.
• 2D and 3D animation tools.
• Allows Python and K3DScript scripting.

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Advanced tools with numerous animation options and online training material.

Con: Not suitable for beginners.

If you love 2D animation, then you’ll surely love Krita. It is entirely free software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Also, it offers a full platform for drawing and frame-by-frame animation.

The number one reason for adoring Krita is its brush library. There are more than 100 professional brushes to give you a wide range of effects. Moreover, the strokes are pretty amazing and similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Another great thing about Krita is the brush stabilization feature designed for shaky hands. You can add a stabilizer to your chosen brush to smoothen its flow. Besides, there’s a special Dynamic Brush tool to make animation more fun. At the same time, you can also customize your brushes through different brush engines, including filter engines, color smudge engines, and many more.

Apart from the basic brush options, the preloaded vector tools are next to admire. These tools help you make great comic panels. All you need to do is choose and drag the word bubble template on your canvas. Then, make changes with the anchor point to make new shapes. At the same time, you can also add text to your animation by using the text tool.

Last but not least, there’s a wrap-around mode to create seamless patterns and textures. That means the image or drawing makes its own references along the x-axis and y-axis. This gives you the freedom to continue painting and enjoy updates to your animation instantly.

Features:

• HDR painting.
• PSD support.
• Python scripting.
• Selection and transformation tools.
• Proper group, filter, vector, and file layer management.
• Complete color management for extraordinary results.
• Drawing assistant to help you with straight lines and vanishing points.

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

Below is free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Anireel is a simple yet powerful Video Creativity tool used to make 2D animated explainer videos. Developed by Wondershare, one of the most popular Windows software and tool developers, Anireel uses rich, ready-to-use, and diverse assets to help one effortlessly make animated videos.

Features:

• There are tons of drag and drop characters, actions, props, text, and audio assets.
• Easy Text-to-Speech conversion via deep studying technology.
• Animate integrated and imported assets.
• Tons of templates that match many script types.

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: You can make game animation for fun. It also supports GPU accelerated real-time rendering.

Con: It has a high demand for the device, but owns a steep learning curve.

Daz 3d is a powerful and completely free 3D creation tool that will let you create the short videos that you want. Whether you are using this for business or pleasure, you will find the program is very easy to understand. Within a day, you will be completely used to its interface.

3D effects are the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build a model, render, and pose animation within the skin texture level. It has a high requirement for the device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.

Features:

• Options for 3D morphing, animation, and rendering.
• GPU accelerated real-time rendering, which delivers the best results.
• Interactive tutorials to help you become a better 3D artist.
• Everything you make is yours, royalty-free!

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us make animation.

Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.

A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!

Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.

For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.

Features:

• Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
• Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
• Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
• Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.

Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.

Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.

It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.

Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.

Features:

• A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
• Features support for TrueType fonts.
• Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is an open-source 3D modeling package. The good thing is the handy infinite Undo/Redo operation.

Con: Some advanced features are missing like drawing.

Seamless3d, an open-source 3D modeling software that you can download, is among the best animation worktables if you want to create specialized images, animated videos, or 3D characters.

It supports FFmpeg video format, so you can use AVI, MP4, and more. Besides, the forum is not active compared with before, but you still can find answers from many tutorials .

Features:

• It comes with infinite undo and redo options for complete flexibility to correct mistakes.
• It allows for partitioned and seamless texture mapping for YouTube videos.
• Has a specialized tree view interface.

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.

Con: The plug-in effects are limited.

This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.

Features:

• You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
• Smooth correction without frame losing.
• Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is the best stick figure animation if you want to make this kind of video.

Con: The UI is not modern to use and needs time to adapt to using it.

Stykz is completely free to use and without a watermark. If you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator, then you will find Stykz is similar to it, but you can import the previous .stk files to animate it again. You can use it to make animation smooth frame by frame.

With its frame-based feature, Stykz is easy to customize each frame. You can change previous and current frames to get what you want. You can download it to have a try considering its easy-to-use features.

Features:

• There is some animes file on this website, so you can have a reference.
• Edit animation in the software without using another editing window.
• You can share the final work with others including information.

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

To be frank, Mac is a better choice to make animation if you want to have a smooth animation experience. For example, screen resolution is a crucial factor to make excellent animation. The good is Mac’s screen will never let you disappointed.

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

The best animation software on mac includes Synfig Studio, Pencil2D Animation, Tupi, Blender, and more. Mentioned are free-to-use. Maya is also worth considering animation software if you are a professional user. Maya offers a 1-month free trial. After it is ended, the paid plans are month, 1-year, and 3-year.

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Yes, you can make basic animation in Photoshop. However, it only supports frame-based animation making. In this case, you need to use other professional software to make animation. But, you still can use Photoshop to meet your needs if you are a beginner.

Conclusion

With any of these free animation maker programs on Mac and Windows, you will have an easy time creating your next 2D or 3D video. Ensure you choose the program that has the features and compatibility that you desire. Then it is up to your creative mind to come up with stunning animations! If you want to make animation easily, you can also find inspiration through classical animated cartoon types with examples .

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money no matter it is 2D animation software or 3D animation editor. The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to make different animation types easily.

That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Whether you are a professional editor or just a beginner to start making animation, you will find the tools listed below are easy to use without watermark and won’t cost money to improve your skills.

The best part is you will find these free animation programs are also very useful for content creation on Mac and Windows. Besides, we have listed the pros and cons of each software. Keep reading!

• Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
• Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
• Part 3: FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Here we have made a table of 12 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS. Take a look.

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

5K-3DMiddleIt is a great tool for 3D artists6KritaDifficultPerfect software for 2D animation

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	Synfig Studio	Easy	Calculate vector shape to animation automatically
2	Pencil2D Animation	Easiest	Straightforward interface for beginners
3	Tupi	Middle	Its community is active to offer solutions
4	Blender	Difficult	It is a powerful animation tool to render and make modeling

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	DAZ Studio	Difficult	For professional users with the fast animation process
2	Terragen	Middle	It can make realistic CG environments
3	Anim8or	Difficult	3D animation is Anim8or’s main function
4	Seamless3d	Easy	It has many features for 3d modeling
5	OpenToonz	Middle	Make cartoon animation with plugins
6	Stykz	Easy	Quickly make animation if you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Looking for a simple while powerful Mac video editing tool ? We recommend using Wondershare Filmora. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes, or anything you like for YouTube videos.

The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.

Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try! Or learn more from Wondershare Video Community .

Key features

• Create various shapes that you like
• Add keyframing to make it move
• Fine-tuning to make it smooth
• Add visual effects/text/color before export it

You can even create photo cut animation which has been very trendy on Tiktok and Instagram. Here is a video to present you how you can do it in Filmora.

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

Listed below is free animation software on Mac. Take a look.

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: You can create many layers once a time and sync audio for your animation.

Con: This one needs much time to learn, especially for beginners.

An open-source 2D animation software that works on Macs, Synfig Studio delivers multiple players while you are creating content. Whether you want to add geometric, filters, distortions, or transformations, it is all possible! And thanks to the high-end bone system, you can create cut-out videos using bitmap images!

The thoughtful part is there are two download versions on the homepage: the stable version and the development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package gives you access to the use of the latest features.

For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipedia and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch, and French for a video course.

You can free download its latest version 1.3.11. The upcoming version is 1.4.

Features:

• It offers support for many layers within the animation.
• The program’s bone system means that you can easily create animations with bitmap images or vector artwork.
• It allows you to sync your creative work with any sound that you want. Has a full-featured audio editor.

02 Pencil2D Animation - Animation Program for 2D Pencil Lover

Difficulty Level: Easiest

Pro: Easy to start and make animation as the interface is user-friendly for many people.

Con: You need to set your preference every time to open it up, so it takes up some time

Pencil2D Animation is one of the simplest 2D hand-drawn tools available. It will work flawlessly on Mac computers. It is ideal for beginners, as the commands and interface are very easy to understand.

Whether you want to create a simple one, or you want something with many layers for videos on YouTube, you can use Pencil2D animation to get it done. Its timeline is easy to use at first glance. You can add and duplicate different frames on a different track.

The frequency of releasing the new version is very fast as Pencil2D is committed to bringing the lasted features to each user. The newest version is v0.6.4 (as of August 2019). Its user guide is informative with video tutorials, FAQs, and manual material.

Features:

• Lightweight and minimalistic design that makes it very easy for beginners.
• Features raster and vector workflows, with easy switching between them. You can paint and sketch as you want!
• Will run on all platforms - Mac, Windows, and Linux.
• Completely free and open source.

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It supports vector illustrations. Besides, various formats are available.

Con: If you want to make 3D animation, it will fail. You can only make 2D effects.

A free software application for YouTube, Tupi will allow you to create 2D animations to your heart’s content. The tool was started by animators who wanted to create something that others could use.

It is an open-source tool, which means that users can make tweaks to the program if they have some interesting ideas. The program works on both Windows and Mac. You need to use Tupi and Papagayo to make lip-sync animation with different mouth shapes.

It also offers a solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support, and ads-free, so many schools choose to use this one to teach kids how to make an animation video.

Features:

• Support for vector illustrations. You can add rectangles, lines, polygons, and other shapes as you please. To fill areas, just use the paint bucket.
• You can import raster images using this program.
• You can export all your finished images into different file formats.
• Support for tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations.

04 Blender - Need Some Time to Learn This Animation Tool

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Really powerful software that you can make for professional users.

Con: It is not easy to make image animation as it focuses on 3D.

Blender is an open-source 3D animation creation suite without a watermark. If you find that 2D is a little bit limiting, we think that you will be very happy with what this free program offers. You can take your projects to a whole new level when you can use this program on your Mac.

You can use Blender to make a video game, modeling, and high-quality animation. However, it involves a steep learning curve. Luckily, there are many tutorials to guide you through the journey. You can also ask for help in the Blender community that millions of talented people like you are there.

Features:

• Creating renders is no problem with this program.
• Modeling, such as sculpting, retopology, and creating curves is not an issue either.
• VFX and animation features are better than any option on the market.
• It offers powerful simulation tools.
• Integration with pipeline tools is easy.

05 K-3D - Best for Animation and Modeling in 3D

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: Ideal for designing simple 3D animations and models.

Con: It has an old-fashioned interface. Also, the built-render (RenderMan) feature is difficult to use by beginners.

K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. You can download this tool for free on your Mac. Besides, you can also install and run it on your Windows and Linux systems. If you look at the design, you will find that the software is quite old. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Why so? It is because K-3D is one of the strongest and most versatile tools for 3D artists with many options.

For example, K-3D offers extremely systematic and methodological workflows. You can easily adjust the properties of the features in real-time and get instant results. It has a node-oriented visualization pipeline to enjoy more freedom. That means you can create animation using a variety of combinations.

One of the best things about K-3D is that it has three subdivisions of animation. You can work on your model on one side while showing the other side in a mirrored form. Then, experience the final result combined together. And in case you need to make the changes to the end results, you can simply work on the first subdivision and savor automatic changes to the results.

K-3D has an advanced redo and undo mechanism to ensure you can go back or move forward to make corrections or amendments without limits. Additionally, the tool is developed keeping in mind all the industrial standards. For instance, it has complete support and integration of native RenderMan™ to its user interface. This is an excellent feature because most free animation software for Mac requires third-party render plugins.

Features:

• Parametric workflow.
• 2D and 3D animation tools.
• Allows Python and K3DScript scripting.

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Advanced tools with numerous animation options and online training material.

Con: Not suitable for beginners.

If you love 2D animation, then you’ll surely love Krita. It is entirely free software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Also, it offers a full platform for drawing and frame-by-frame animation.

The number one reason for adoring Krita is its brush library. There are more than 100 professional brushes to give you a wide range of effects. Moreover, the strokes are pretty amazing and similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Another great thing about Krita is the brush stabilization feature designed for shaky hands. You can add a stabilizer to your chosen brush to smoothen its flow. Besides, there’s a special Dynamic Brush tool to make animation more fun. At the same time, you can also customize your brushes through different brush engines, including filter engines, color smudge engines, and many more.

Apart from the basic brush options, the preloaded vector tools are next to admire. These tools help you make great comic panels. All you need to do is choose and drag the word bubble template on your canvas. Then, make changes with the anchor point to make new shapes. At the same time, you can also add text to your animation by using the text tool.

Last but not least, there’s a wrap-around mode to create seamless patterns and textures. That means the image or drawing makes its own references along the x-axis and y-axis. This gives you the freedom to continue painting and enjoy updates to your animation instantly.

Features:

• HDR painting.
• PSD support.
• Python scripting.
• Selection and transformation tools.
• Proper group, filter, vector, and file layer management.
• Complete color management for extraordinary results.
• Drawing assistant to help you with straight lines and vanishing points.

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

Below is free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Anireel is a simple yet powerful Video Creativity tool used to make 2D animated explainer videos. Developed by Wondershare, one of the most popular Windows software and tool developers, Anireel uses rich, ready-to-use, and diverse assets to help one effortlessly make animated videos.

Features:

• There are tons of drag and drop characters, actions, props, text, and audio assets.
• Easy Text-to-Speech conversion via deep studying technology.
• Animate integrated and imported assets.
• Tons of templates that match many script types.

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: You can make game animation for fun. It also supports GPU accelerated real-time rendering.

Con: It has a high demand for the device, but owns a steep learning curve.

Daz 3d is a powerful and completely free 3D creation tool that will let you create the short videos that you want. Whether you are using this for business or pleasure, you will find the program is very easy to understand. Within a day, you will be completely used to its interface.

3D effects are the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build a model, render, and pose animation within the skin texture level. It has a high requirement for the device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.

Features:

• Options for 3D morphing, animation, and rendering.
• GPU accelerated real-time rendering, which delivers the best results.
• Interactive tutorials to help you become a better 3D artist.
• Everything you make is yours, royalty-free!

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us make animation.

Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.

A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!

Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.

For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.

Features:

• Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
• Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
• Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
• Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.

Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.

Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.

It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.

Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.

Features:

• A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
• Features support for TrueType fonts.
• Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is an open-source 3D modeling package. The good thing is the handy infinite Undo/Redo operation.

Con: Some advanced features are missing like drawing.

Seamless3d, an open-source 3D modeling software that you can download, is among the best animation worktables if you want to create specialized images, animated videos, or 3D characters.

It supports FFmpeg video format, so you can use AVI, MP4, and more. Besides, the forum is not active compared with before, but you still can find answers from many tutorials .

Features:

• It comes with infinite undo and redo options for complete flexibility to correct mistakes.
• It allows for partitioned and seamless texture mapping for YouTube videos.
• Has a specialized tree view interface.

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.

Con: The plug-in effects are limited.

This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.

Features:

• You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
• Smooth correction without frame losing.
• Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is the best stick figure animation if you want to make this kind of video.

Con: The UI is not modern to use and needs time to adapt to using it.

Stykz is completely free to use and without a watermark. If you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator, then you will find Stykz is similar to it, but you can import the previous .stk files to animate it again. You can use it to make animation smooth frame by frame.

With its frame-based feature, Stykz is easy to customize each frame. You can change previous and current frames to get what you want. You can download it to have a try considering its easy-to-use features.

Features:

• There is some animes file on this website, so you can have a reference.
• Edit animation in the software without using another editing window.
• You can share the final work with others including information.

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

To be frank, Mac is a better choice to make animation if you want to have a smooth animation experience. For example, screen resolution is a crucial factor to make excellent animation. The good is Mac’s screen will never let you disappointed.

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

The best animation software on mac includes Synfig Studio, Pencil2D Animation, Tupi, Blender, and more. Mentioned are free-to-use. Maya is also worth considering animation software if you are a professional user. Maya offers a 1-month free trial. After it is ended, the paid plans are month, 1-year, and 3-year.

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Yes, you can make basic animation in Photoshop. However, it only supports frame-based animation making. In this case, you need to use other professional software to make animation. But, you still can use Photoshop to meet your needs if you are a beginner.

Conclusion

With any of these free animation maker programs on Mac and Windows, you will have an easy time creating your next 2D or 3D video. Ensure you choose the program that has the features and compatibility that you desire. Then it is up to your creative mind to come up with stunning animations! If you want to make animation easily, you can also find inspiration through classical animated cartoon types with examples .

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Get Creative with FCPX: Top 10 Free Plugin Essentials

Top 10 Free Plugins You Should Know for Final Cut Pro X

Benjamin Arango

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

“How do I get plugins for Final Cut Pro X?”

Let’s explain to you first that each plugin for an application expands its capability. Thus, we are here to discuss awesome FCPX plugins. You probably know already that Final Cut Pro X is on plugins if you wish to do some cool stuff over there. For instance, Final Cut Pro plugins can improve color grading or add some cool effects into the video as the editor itself doesn’t contain many tools to do efficient work.

So, let’s dive deep into the article and know the best free Final Cut Pro plugins as follows!

In case your plugins not working, you may want to see How to Fix Plugins Not Working in Final Cut Pro X?

Part 1: Top 10 Free Plugins for Final Cut Pro X

As we all know, Final Cut Pro X or Final Cut Pro is an incredible motion graphics or video editing platform by Apple Inc., based upon the usage of extra plugins. And, the best Final Cut Pro plugins are available for free, as discussed below.

1 Alex 4D

Let’s keep the Alex 4D as one of the top free Final Cut Pro plugins that will offer you some cool tools, including Feature Overlays, cropping tools, and so on. It is an ideal plugin if you are more in overlay film production. The Switch Channel is one of their noticeable functions, and the transition effect simulates analog TV channels.

2 Stupid Raisins

You should once check out Stupid Raisins to experience the top and free Final Cut Pro Plugins. However, the site also offers some premium plugins worth considering. The Stupid Raisins provides three sample packs, including the Template Pop, Sign Pop, and Panel Pop. The Template Pop offers animated titles, Sign Pop offers animated icons, and Panel Pop offers custom Final Cut Pro X transitions.

3 Color Finale 2.0

Want to improve color grading? Check out this free Color Finale 2.0 Final Cut Pro X plugin. The plugin offers a whole new preset of color grading tools to make your video look genuinely cinematic. You can make the retro look, add emulations, or use integrated masks to apply color grading at different parts into your video. Click the Free Trial tab to enjoy this free plugin.

4 Movie Pop

The Movie Pop is there to recreate title sequences of footage in a more efficient manner. Thus, you can easily choose some of your favorite movie clips and add them as title sequences with this plugin’s help. However, this free plugin is only significant for adding title sequences and doesn’t contain other tools. Well, you can easily create movie titles like Harry Potter, Assassin’s Creed, and Star Wars with this free Final Cut Pro plugin.

5 Adjustment Layers

The Adjustment Layers is among other best free FCPX plugins. It is the must-have plugin if you use the feature of adjustment layers as in Photoshop or After Effects. It attempts to experience this feature with the help of a title generator. With this plugin, you can change the position, scale, and tons of other effects in your footage.

6 mLut

mLut is also a great tool for color grading essentials. However, this awesome plugin is for free use by Motion VFX with features that are especially accessible for beginners. So, you can easily download LUT files with this plugin and use them further in your video projects. And, the results will come out as cinematic color grading without any hassle.

7 Neat Video’s Noise Removal

Neat Video’s Noise Removal plugin will remove those unwanted film grains and image noise from the footage. This free Final Cut Pro plugin effectively removes the color aberrations and noise from the footage.

8 mCamRig

The Automatic Camera Animation plugin, i.e., mCamRig, is another excellent FCPX plugin. This plugin eliminates the difficult keyframing concept that you have to follow to adjust different camera angles and movements. On the other hand, the use of a plugin helps add these movements to an intuitive workflow.

9 Shutterstock

You can add Shutterstock’s plugin to use royalty-free videos and images from the platform. Using a plugin facilitates the user to automate adding images via a simple drag and drop feature. Thus, it’s highly ideal if you want to go for automation.

10 mVertical Video Adjustment

Have you taken any vertical shots? If yes, you can use them in your video footage without including that blank space. You can even select up to three backgrounds with the plugin, namely the mirror, scale, and copy. Also, it is super convenient to adjust the size of footage and other background parameters.

Not enough? Ok, maybe you should try Filmora, a popular editor for beginners as well as pros. You can always find up-to-date effects you want! Click to have a try.

Part 2: How to Add Plugins to Final Cut Pro X

The first step for installing any plugin is to get out of Final Cut Pro X if you have it open. You can refer to the steps below to install various kinds of Final Cut Pro X plugins.

Step 1: Download the Plugin

Go to your favorite site of plugins and search for tools. Here, we are referring to download the transition tools. Click the Add to Cart tab as shown in the image below.

You will get its download in the form of a zip folder, which you have to unzip for sure.

Here, we have downloaded two transitions contained within one folder.

Step 2: Copy and Paste the Plugin

Now, you need to copy the plugin by right-clicking the entire folder, as shown below.

Afterward, find the Final Cut Pro X in Applications folder from the Finder tab. Right-click the Final Cut Pro X and hit the Show Package Content option.

Then go to Contents > Plugins > Media Providers > Motion Effects.fxp > Contents > Resources > Templates > Transitions.

Paste the item in the Transition folder as shown below.

Finally, there is one last step you need to do with the original files of the transition plugin.

Hit the first transition from the folder that you have just pasted. And, rename the white file that is the actual transition plugin with extension .motr. You are required to do the same thing with other transitions’ folders.

Step 3: Find Your Transitions Plugin in Final Cut Pro X

Now, open the Final Cut Pro X and head to the Transitions folder. Here, you can see your installed plugin - SRG Luma Fade in both black and white transitions.

You’re good to go now with your installed plugin and enjoy unique transitions.

Conclusion

Thus, these were the steps of plugin installation and top 10 free Final Cut Pro X plugins with their respective uses. Let us know your favorite plugin and read an astonishing fact about that plugin from us!

See more free luts for FCPX here.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

“How do I get plugins for Final Cut Pro X?”

Let’s explain to you first that each plugin for an application expands its capability. Thus, we are here to discuss awesome FCPX plugins. You probably know already that Final Cut Pro X is on plugins if you wish to do some cool stuff over there. For instance, Final Cut Pro plugins can improve color grading or add some cool effects into the video as the editor itself doesn’t contain many tools to do efficient work.

So, let’s dive deep into the article and know the best free Final Cut Pro plugins as follows!

In case your plugins not working, you may want to see How to Fix Plugins Not Working in Final Cut Pro X?

Part 1: Top 10 Free Plugins for Final Cut Pro X

As we all know, Final Cut Pro X or Final Cut Pro is an incredible motion graphics or video editing platform by Apple Inc., based upon the usage of extra plugins. And, the best Final Cut Pro plugins are available for free, as discussed below.

1 Alex 4D

Let’s keep the Alex 4D as one of the top free Final Cut Pro plugins that will offer you some cool tools, including Feature Overlays, cropping tools, and so on. It is an ideal plugin if you are more in overlay film production. The Switch Channel is one of their noticeable functions, and the transition effect simulates analog TV channels.

2 Stupid Raisins

You should once check out Stupid Raisins to experience the top and free Final Cut Pro Plugins. However, the site also offers some premium plugins worth considering. The Stupid Raisins provides three sample packs, including the Template Pop, Sign Pop, and Panel Pop. The Template Pop offers animated titles, Sign Pop offers animated icons, and Panel Pop offers custom Final Cut Pro X transitions.

3 Color Finale 2.0

Want to improve color grading? Check out this free Color Finale 2.0 Final Cut Pro X plugin. The plugin offers a whole new preset of color grading tools to make your video look genuinely cinematic. You can make the retro look, add emulations, or use integrated masks to apply color grading at different parts into your video. Click the Free Trial tab to enjoy this free plugin.

4 Movie Pop

The Movie Pop is there to recreate title sequences of footage in a more efficient manner. Thus, you can easily choose some of your favorite movie clips and add them as title sequences with this plugin’s help. However, this free plugin is only significant for adding title sequences and doesn’t contain other tools. Well, you can easily create movie titles like Harry Potter, Assassin’s Creed, and Star Wars with this free Final Cut Pro plugin.

5 Adjustment Layers

The Adjustment Layers is among other best free FCPX plugins. It is the must-have plugin if you use the feature of adjustment layers as in Photoshop or After Effects. It attempts to experience this feature with the help of a title generator. With this plugin, you can change the position, scale, and tons of other effects in your footage.

6 mLut

mLut is also a great tool for color grading essentials. However, this awesome plugin is for free use by Motion VFX with features that are especially accessible for beginners. So, you can easily download LUT files with this plugin and use them further in your video projects. And, the results will come out as cinematic color grading without any hassle.

7 Neat Video’s Noise Removal

Neat Video’s Noise Removal plugin will remove those unwanted film grains and image noise from the footage. This free Final Cut Pro plugin effectively removes the color aberrations and noise from the footage.

8 mCamRig

The Automatic Camera Animation plugin, i.e., mCamRig, is another excellent FCPX plugin. This plugin eliminates the difficult keyframing concept that you have to follow to adjust different camera angles and movements. On the other hand, the use of a plugin helps add these movements to an intuitive workflow.

9 Shutterstock

You can add Shutterstock’s plugin to use royalty-free videos and images from the platform. Using a plugin facilitates the user to automate adding images via a simple drag and drop feature. Thus, it’s highly ideal if you want to go for automation.

10 mVertical Video Adjustment

Have you taken any vertical shots? If yes, you can use them in your video footage without including that blank space. You can even select up to three backgrounds with the plugin, namely the mirror, scale, and copy. Also, it is super convenient to adjust the size of footage and other background parameters.

Not enough? Ok, maybe you should try Filmora, a popular editor for beginners as well as pros. You can always find up-to-date effects you want! Click to have a try.

Part 2: How to Add Plugins to Final Cut Pro X

The first step for installing any plugin is to get out of Final Cut Pro X if you have it open. You can refer to the steps below to install various kinds of Final Cut Pro X plugins.

Step 1: Download the Plugin

Go to your favorite site of plugins and search for tools. Here, we are referring to download the transition tools. Click the Add to Cart tab as shown in the image below.

You will get its download in the form of a zip folder, which you have to unzip for sure.

Here, we have downloaded two transitions contained within one folder.

Step 2: Copy and Paste the Plugin

Now, you need to copy the plugin by right-clicking the entire folder, as shown below.

Afterward, find the Final Cut Pro X in Applications folder from the Finder tab. Right-click the Final Cut Pro X and hit the Show Package Content option.

Then go to Contents > Plugins > Media Providers > Motion Effects.fxp > Contents > Resources > Templates > Transitions.

Paste the item in the Transition folder as shown below.

Finally, there is one last step you need to do with the original files of the transition plugin.

Hit the first transition from the folder that you have just pasted. And, rename the white file that is the actual transition plugin with extension .motr. You are required to do the same thing with other transitions’ folders.

Step 3: Find Your Transitions Plugin in Final Cut Pro X

Now, open the Final Cut Pro X and head to the Transitions folder. Here, you can see your installed plugin - SRG Luma Fade in both black and white transitions.

You’re good to go now with your installed plugin and enjoy unique transitions.

Conclusion

Thus, these were the steps of plugin installation and top 10 free Final Cut Pro X plugins with their respective uses. Let us know your favorite plugin and read an astonishing fact about that plugin from us!

See more free luts for FCPX here.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

“How do I get plugins for Final Cut Pro X?”

Let’s explain to you first that each plugin for an application expands its capability. Thus, we are here to discuss awesome FCPX plugins. You probably know already that Final Cut Pro X is on plugins if you wish to do some cool stuff over there. For instance, Final Cut Pro plugins can improve color grading or add some cool effects into the video as the editor itself doesn’t contain many tools to do efficient work.

So, let’s dive deep into the article and know the best free Final Cut Pro plugins as follows!

In case your plugins not working, you may want to see How to Fix Plugins Not Working in Final Cut Pro X?

Part 1: Top 10 Free Plugins for Final Cut Pro X

As we all know, Final Cut Pro X or Final Cut Pro is an incredible motion graphics or video editing platform by Apple Inc., based upon the usage of extra plugins. And, the best Final Cut Pro plugins are available for free, as discussed below.

1 Alex 4D

Let’s keep the Alex 4D as one of the top free Final Cut Pro plugins that will offer you some cool tools, including Feature Overlays, cropping tools, and so on. It is an ideal plugin if you are more in overlay film production. The Switch Channel is one of their noticeable functions, and the transition effect simulates analog TV channels.

2 Stupid Raisins

You should once check out Stupid Raisins to experience the top and free Final Cut Pro Plugins. However, the site also offers some premium plugins worth considering. The Stupid Raisins provides three sample packs, including the Template Pop, Sign Pop, and Panel Pop. The Template Pop offers animated titles, Sign Pop offers animated icons, and Panel Pop offers custom Final Cut Pro X transitions.

3 Color Finale 2.0

Want to improve color grading? Check out this free Color Finale 2.0 Final Cut Pro X plugin. The plugin offers a whole new preset of color grading tools to make your video look genuinely cinematic. You can make the retro look, add emulations, or use integrated masks to apply color grading at different parts into your video. Click the Free Trial tab to enjoy this free plugin.

4 Movie Pop

The Movie Pop is there to recreate title sequences of footage in a more efficient manner. Thus, you can easily choose some of your favorite movie clips and add them as title sequences with this plugin’s help. However, this free plugin is only significant for adding title sequences and doesn’t contain other tools. Well, you can easily create movie titles like Harry Potter, Assassin’s Creed, and Star Wars with this free Final Cut Pro plugin.

5 Adjustment Layers

The Adjustment Layers is among other best free FCPX plugins. It is the must-have plugin if you use the feature of adjustment layers as in Photoshop or After Effects. It attempts to experience this feature with the help of a title generator. With this plugin, you can change the position, scale, and tons of other effects in your footage.

6 mLut

mLut is also a great tool for color grading essentials. However, this awesome plugin is for free use by Motion VFX with features that are especially accessible for beginners. So, you can easily download LUT files with this plugin and use them further in your video projects. And, the results will come out as cinematic color grading without any hassle.

7 Neat Video’s Noise Removal

Neat Video’s Noise Removal plugin will remove those unwanted film grains and image noise from the footage. This free Final Cut Pro plugin effectively removes the color aberrations and noise from the footage.

8 mCamRig

The Automatic Camera Animation plugin, i.e., mCamRig, is another excellent FCPX plugin. This plugin eliminates the difficult keyframing concept that you have to follow to adjust different camera angles and movements. On the other hand, the use of a plugin helps add these movements to an intuitive workflow.

9 Shutterstock

You can add Shutterstock’s plugin to use royalty-free videos and images from the platform. Using a plugin facilitates the user to automate adding images via a simple drag and drop feature. Thus, it’s highly ideal if you want to go for automation.

10 mVertical Video Adjustment

Have you taken any vertical shots? If yes, you can use them in your video footage without including that blank space. You can even select up to three backgrounds with the plugin, namely the mirror, scale, and copy. Also, it is super convenient to adjust the size of footage and other background parameters.

Not enough? Ok, maybe you should try Filmora, a popular editor for beginners as well as pros. You can always find up-to-date effects you want! Click to have a try.

Part 2: How to Add Plugins to Final Cut Pro X

The first step for installing any plugin is to get out of Final Cut Pro X if you have it open. You can refer to the steps below to install various kinds of Final Cut Pro X plugins.

Step 1: Download the Plugin

Go to your favorite site of plugins and search for tools. Here, we are referring to download the transition tools. Click the Add to Cart tab as shown in the image below.

You will get its download in the form of a zip folder, which you have to unzip for sure.

Here, we have downloaded two transitions contained within one folder.

Step 2: Copy and Paste the Plugin

Now, you need to copy the plugin by right-clicking the entire folder, as shown below.

Afterward, find the Final Cut Pro X in Applications folder from the Finder tab. Right-click the Final Cut Pro X and hit the Show Package Content option.

Then go to Contents > Plugins > Media Providers > Motion Effects.fxp > Contents > Resources > Templates > Transitions.

Paste the item in the Transition folder as shown below.

Finally, there is one last step you need to do with the original files of the transition plugin.

Hit the first transition from the folder that you have just pasted. And, rename the white file that is the actual transition plugin with extension .motr. You are required to do the same thing with other transitions’ folders.

Step 3: Find Your Transitions Plugin in Final Cut Pro X

Now, open the Final Cut Pro X and head to the Transitions folder. Here, you can see your installed plugin - SRG Luma Fade in both black and white transitions.

You’re good to go now with your installed plugin and enjoy unique transitions.

Conclusion

Thus, these were the steps of plugin installation and top 10 free Final Cut Pro X plugins with their respective uses. Let us know your favorite plugin and read an astonishing fact about that plugin from us!

See more free luts for FCPX here.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

“How do I get plugins for Final Cut Pro X?”

Let’s explain to you first that each plugin for an application expands its capability. Thus, we are here to discuss awesome FCPX plugins. You probably know already that Final Cut Pro X is on plugins if you wish to do some cool stuff over there. For instance, Final Cut Pro plugins can improve color grading or add some cool effects into the video as the editor itself doesn’t contain many tools to do efficient work.

So, let’s dive deep into the article and know the best free Final Cut Pro plugins as follows!

In case your plugins not working, you may want to see How to Fix Plugins Not Working in Final Cut Pro X?

Part 1: Top 10 Free Plugins for Final Cut Pro X

As we all know, Final Cut Pro X or Final Cut Pro is an incredible motion graphics or video editing platform by Apple Inc., based upon the usage of extra plugins. And, the best Final Cut Pro plugins are available for free, as discussed below.

1 Alex 4D

Let’s keep the Alex 4D as one of the top free Final Cut Pro plugins that will offer you some cool tools, including Feature Overlays, cropping tools, and so on. It is an ideal plugin if you are more in overlay film production. The Switch Channel is one of their noticeable functions, and the transition effect simulates analog TV channels.

2 Stupid Raisins

You should once check out Stupid Raisins to experience the top and free Final Cut Pro Plugins. However, the site also offers some premium plugins worth considering. The Stupid Raisins provides three sample packs, including the Template Pop, Sign Pop, and Panel Pop. The Template Pop offers animated titles, Sign Pop offers animated icons, and Panel Pop offers custom Final Cut Pro X transitions.

3 Color Finale 2.0

Want to improve color grading? Check out this free Color Finale 2.0 Final Cut Pro X plugin. The plugin offers a whole new preset of color grading tools to make your video look genuinely cinematic. You can make the retro look, add emulations, or use integrated masks to apply color grading at different parts into your video. Click the Free Trial tab to enjoy this free plugin.

4 Movie Pop

The Movie Pop is there to recreate title sequences of footage in a more efficient manner. Thus, you can easily choose some of your favorite movie clips and add them as title sequences with this plugin’s help. However, this free plugin is only significant for adding title sequences and doesn’t contain other tools. Well, you can easily create movie titles like Harry Potter, Assassin’s Creed, and Star Wars with this free Final Cut Pro plugin.

5 Adjustment Layers

The Adjustment Layers is among other best free FCPX plugins. It is the must-have plugin if you use the feature of adjustment layers as in Photoshop or After Effects. It attempts to experience this feature with the help of a title generator. With this plugin, you can change the position, scale, and tons of other effects in your footage.

6 mLut

mLut is also a great tool for color grading essentials. However, this awesome plugin is for free use by Motion VFX with features that are especially accessible for beginners. So, you can easily download LUT files with this plugin and use them further in your video projects. And, the results will come out as cinematic color grading without any hassle.

7 Neat Video’s Noise Removal

Neat Video’s Noise Removal plugin will remove those unwanted film grains and image noise from the footage. This free Final Cut Pro plugin effectively removes the color aberrations and noise from the footage.

8 mCamRig

The Automatic Camera Animation plugin, i.e., mCamRig, is another excellent FCPX plugin. This plugin eliminates the difficult keyframing concept that you have to follow to adjust different camera angles and movements. On the other hand, the use of a plugin helps add these movements to an intuitive workflow.

9 Shutterstock

You can add Shutterstock’s plugin to use royalty-free videos and images from the platform. Using a plugin facilitates the user to automate adding images via a simple drag and drop feature. Thus, it’s highly ideal if you want to go for automation.

10 mVertical Video Adjustment

Have you taken any vertical shots? If yes, you can use them in your video footage without including that blank space. You can even select up to three backgrounds with the plugin, namely the mirror, scale, and copy. Also, it is super convenient to adjust the size of footage and other background parameters.

Not enough? Ok, maybe you should try Filmora, a popular editor for beginners as well as pros. You can always find up-to-date effects you want! Click to have a try.

Part 2: How to Add Plugins to Final Cut Pro X

The first step for installing any plugin is to get out of Final Cut Pro X if you have it open. You can refer to the steps below to install various kinds of Final Cut Pro X plugins.

Step 1: Download the Plugin

Go to your favorite site of plugins and search for tools. Here, we are referring to download the transition tools. Click the Add to Cart tab as shown in the image below.

You will get its download in the form of a zip folder, which you have to unzip for sure.

Here, we have downloaded two transitions contained within one folder.

Step 2: Copy and Paste the Plugin

Now, you need to copy the plugin by right-clicking the entire folder, as shown below.

Afterward, find the Final Cut Pro X in Applications folder from the Finder tab. Right-click the Final Cut Pro X and hit the Show Package Content option.

Then go to Contents > Plugins > Media Providers > Motion Effects.fxp > Contents > Resources > Templates > Transitions.

Paste the item in the Transition folder as shown below.

Finally, there is one last step you need to do with the original files of the transition plugin.

Hit the first transition from the folder that you have just pasted. And, rename the white file that is the actual transition plugin with extension .motr. You are required to do the same thing with other transitions’ folders.

Step 3: Find Your Transitions Plugin in Final Cut Pro X

Now, open the Final Cut Pro X and head to the Transitions folder. Here, you can see your installed plugin - SRG Luma Fade in both black and white transitions.

You’re good to go now with your installed plugin and enjoy unique transitions.

Conclusion

Thus, these were the steps of plugin installation and top 10 free Final Cut Pro X plugins with their respective uses. Let us know your favorite plugin and read an astonishing fact about that plugin from us!

See more free luts for FCPX here.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

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