Full review of the top free 2D and 3D animation software with features, comparisons and prices. Choose the best free or commercial animation software according to your needs:
The top free animation/moving effects software is a class of computer software programs capable of creating 2D (two-dimensional) and 3D (three-dimensional) photos with moving effects/animation. Although, the industry is increasingly moving towards 3D animation, 2D animation is still present in many places, including applications that require low bandwidth.
Also, the top free animation/effects software market is very diverse. When searching and finding for top free 2D and 3D animation software. You can find a variety of options ranging from high-end solutions used to create award-winning films to free software used by fans and those unfamiliar with moving effects/animation.
This tutorial lists the top free 2D and 3D animation software solutions including price and feature comparisons to help you make the right choice.
Table of Contents
Fact Check:
According to research conducted by Markets and Markets, the 3D animation market is experiencing noticeable growth at Eleven-point Nine percent CAGR. In fact, the market is projected to get a total value of 21,050 million by the year 2022. Also, driving this demand is the widespread adoption of visual effects in the entertainment industry, among other reasons.
Pro Tip:
Start with a free, opensource solution that lets you learn without spending any money. On the other hand, if you are already familiar with animated design, choose a tool that will remain useful in the future. After all, it just takes time to learn the ins and outs of an application.
FAQ
Q #1) What is the top animation software for starters?
Answer:
There are several animation software solutions available: some are aimed at beginners while others are designed for more advanced users. If you’re just starting out, check out Moho and FlipBook which will give you a great introduction to the fascinating world of animation.
Q #2) How much does animation software cost?
Answer:
Animation software costs range from free to thousands of dollars. If you’re just getting started with animation software, we recommend one of the many opensource solutions that can help you familiarize yourself with the mechanics of animation for free/without cost.
Q #3) Do I have to buy a new computer to run animation software?
Answer:
The answer to this question depends on two things: the computer and the software you want to run. Most companies list the minimum requirements on their websites, allowing you to see if your computer has enough power to run the software.
Some companies also offer Android and iOS versions of their software which you may want to check out.
Q#4) What is the best animation software?
Answer:
Actually, there is no exact or direct answer to this question. The best tool for the job is always the tool that gets the job done. Also, some software solutions are designed for beginners and are very capable of handling small jobs.
Other tools, such as Maya Autodesk, are capable of handling much larger jobs than tools such as Moho and FlipBook which may not.
Maya Autodesk
Best for 3D artists who need 3D animation, modeling and rendering computer software.
Price: $1545 per year.
Maya Autodesk is the industry’s leading 3D computer animation software, modeling, simulation and rendering software. Used by companies like Disney, who have won several Academy Awards with Maya Autodesk. Also, it uses technologies such as Bifrost and Arnold to create procedural effects and render complex projects, respectively.
Features
- Pipeline Integration: Write scripts and plugins using the built-in Maya language (MEL) or Python.
- Arnold: Use Arnold for previews that look closer to the final product than before. This, along with real-time rendering and efficient color management, helps you do more in less time.
Verdict: Maya Autodesk is a leader in a line of solutions used by large enterprises to create high-quality graphics for high-profile products.
Maxon Cinema 4D
Best for 3D artists who need a software package to achieve amazing results quickly and easily.
Price: From 61.49 euros per month. Free trial for 14 days.
Cinema 4D is Maxon’s 3D package that is not only easy to use, but also very effective. The interface is very intuitive and user friendly. Cinema 4D comes with tons of tutorials and an excellent help system, making it the perfect tool for beginners.
Companies chose Cinema 4D, Top free 2D and 3D animation software because of its reliability and ability to deliver results quickly and efficiently.
Features
- Many tools for 3D creation, including modeling, texturing, animation and rendering.
- The pipeline supports many import and export formats.
- Template library with high quality textures and objects.
Verdict:
Maxon Cinema 4D is an excellent choice for beginners and seasoned graphic designers alike. It’s easy to use and powerful enough to get amazing results quickly, making it perfect for small businesses alike.
Moho
Best for beginners and professionals looking for an affordable top free 2D and 3D animation software tool.
Price:
Mohawk Debut 13 $59.99. It don’t has free trial.
Moho Pro13 US $399.99. Free trial for 30 days.
Moho is top free 2D and 3D animation software available in two packages: Moho Pro13 and Moho Debut13.
Moreover, moho Debut13 is a fun and easy-to-use 2D animation software, while Moho Pro 13 is an advanced version that supports 3D animation. Also, Moho is used in classrooms, professional studios and homes around the world.
Features
- All 2D and 3D animation tools in a user-friendly interface.
- Many content add-ons are available for purchase.
- Moho Pro can be personalized with script support.
Verdict:
Moho offers two products, one for beginners and one for professionals. This program has all the tools you need to create high-quality 2D and 3D animations. It is an excellent choice for individuals as well as medium to large businesses.
Synfig Studio
Best for artists looking for free and open-source top free 2D and 3D animation software for creating vector graphics and timeline-based animations.
Price: Free
Synfig Studio is free and open source 2D animation software. Also, the software allows you to create high-quality 2D animations using both bitmaps and vector images. Moreover, the 2D and 3D program is easy to use and there are many helpful tutorials on the internet.
Features
- All 2D animation tools, vector transforms, layers and filters, skeletons, and more.
- This animation is open source. You can do full customization.
- Online Tutorials
Verdict:
Synfig is a great free animation tool. It makes creating simple 2D animations fast and easy, perfect for small businesses.
Also Check:
- ANIMATE STILL PHOTOS WITH APPS OR ONLINE
- TOP 10 APPS FOR CREATING ANIMATIONS (GIFS OR ANIMATED IMAGES OR VIDEOS).
- Top Free 3D Animation Apps for Android and iPhone
Pencil 2D
Best for artists who need simple 2D animation software to create hand-drawn animations.
Price: Free
Pencil 2D is a simple and very intuitive tool for drawing 2D animations by hand. Also, it’s open source, so anyone can use it. Use both raster and vector images. Additionally, users can also embed audio and video files using Pencil 2D.
Features
- Generate both raster and vector images.
- Easy-to-use tools such as brushes, pencils and shapes.
- Open source and easy to customize.
Verdict:
Pencil 2D is a very simple top free 2D animation software. Also, best for quickly creating hand-drawn classic animations.
Blender-Top Free 2D And 3D Animation Software
Best for artists and small teams looking for a free pipeline to create open-source 3D images.
Price: Free
Blender is a free and open-source 3D imaging package. It supports animation, modeling, simulation, rigging, rendering and the rest of the 3D pipeline.
Because is open source, users can use Python scripts to customize their applications and build the tools they need. Also, custom updates are often included in new Blender releases.
Features
- Extensive tools including rendering, modeling, sculpting, tool 7 animation and bold pencil, as well as tools for video editing, modeling, and VFX.
- Pipeline – Blender supports import/export of various formats.
- Blender’s interface is fully customizable and the Python API allows for scripting and further customization.
Verdict:
Blender is ideal for freelancers and small teams. It’s free, customizable, and easy to use. It has many high-quality tools and supports various import and export formats.
Dragonframe
Ideal for studios and independent filmmakers who need industry-standard stop-motion animation software.
Price: Starting at $295, there is no free trial.
Dragon Frame is a time-lapse animation program. The software includes features that allow you to create high-quality frame-by-frame animations faster. In addition to software, Dragonframe also offers keyboard controllers, lighting, motion controls and other products that take frame-by-frame animation to the next level.
Features
- Animation tools, including timeline, drawing tools, guide layers, and more.
- Camera Control and Lightning.
- The onion skin overlaps the transparent layer from the previous shot.
Verdict:
Dragonframe is an excellent choice for medium to large businesses. Also, it can create high-quality stop-motion animations and is easy to use. Additionally, it’s very affordable, making it a great choice for individual artists or small businesses.
iStopMotion-2D And 3D Animation Software
Best for artists who want to tell a story through time-lapse animation.
Price: $21.99. Also, a free trial is available.
iStopMotion is a time-lapse animation and time-lapse program for Mac and iOS. Also, not only is it convenient and easy to use, it is also very effective. Available for Mac, iPad and iPhone computers. Moreover, iStopMotion is used by educators in all fields, as well as emerging artists and small businesses.
Features
- Animated GIFs allow you to create GIFs of up to 200 frames.
- Onion Skin – Shows the previous image as a transparent layer.
- Chroma Keying – lets you combine animations with real movies.
Verdict:
iStopMotion is very easy to use and very affordable. However, its lack of features makes it a viable option only for ambitious artists and small companies who don’t need high-quality, complex 2D and 3D animations.
Toon Boom Harmony-2D And 3D Animation Software
Best for students, freelancers, artists and professional animators looking for 2D animation and full production capabilities.
Price: $410 or $17 per month. The free trial is available for 21 days.
Toon Boom Harmony is an animation software that offers three packages: Essentials, Advanced and Premium. So, this makes it the perfect choice for everyone, from freelance artists to large animation studios. Also, it is mainly used for 2D games as well as movies and TV series.
Features
- Support for vector and bitmap graphics.
- Crop animations using special tools to create rigs and various shapes.
- Integration with the pipeline – work with a variety of formats including PDF, Illustrator, bitmap, and audio.
Verdict:
Toon Boom Harmony is great for 2D animation. A variety of tools ensure flexibility and functionality when creating traditional manga. Also, many animation studios and individual artists have chosen it as a goto solution.
FlipBook-2D And 3D Animation Software
Best for artists looking for easy-to-use yet powerful 2D animation software.
Price: A free demo version is available starting at $19.99.
FlipBook is an easy-to-use 2D animation program, yet powerful enough for beginners and experts alike. Also, the company behind the FlipBook offers all its users lots of tutorials and unlimited technical support. Moreover, this top free 2D and 3D animation software includes all the tools you need to create high-quality 2D animations at an affordable price.
Features
- Various tools including drawing, shooting, scanning and drawing tools.
- Import backgrounds, frames, overlays, and movies when creating 2D animations with FlipBook.
- You can also add audio tracks in various formats such as WAV, MP3 or AIF.
Verdict: FlipBook is probably an easy-to-use 2D animation program. It has all the tools you need and a user-friendly interface.
OpenToonz-2D And 3D Animation Software
Best for artists looking for open-source animation software.
Price: Free
OpenToonz – As the name suggests, it is a free and open source 2D animation software. It provides a powerful set of utilities with all the tools most animation artists need. There are also some unique features developed based on feedback from users and production staff.
One of them, GTS, is a scanning tool. Besides, OpenToonz is an open-source version of Toonz. In other words, it’s top free 2D animation software that you don’t use anywhere other than Gibli Studios.
Features
- Includes many animation tools including scanning, digital painting, video shooting, and more.
- Works with both raster and vector images.
- Open source so anyone can customize and update it.
Verdict:
Reviews suggest that OpenToonz may not be easy to use and it will take some learning to figure it out. But once done, the possibilities are endless and cost nothing.
TupiTube-2D And 3D Animation Software
Perfect for hobbyists and kids looking for a usability-focused 2D animation software tool.
Price: Free
TupiTube is a top free 2D animation software solution available for desktop and Android. TupiTube is designed for kids and teens, and TupiTube Desk is perfect for kids and hobby artists. Also, this program is perfect for classroom use or anyone who wants to start creating animations.
Features
- Animation and transition tools.
- Modeling and game creation.
- Collaboration Tools
Verdict:
TupiTube is a great free 2D animation software for kids. Because it is so simple, it lacks many features and is not used by experts.
Conclusion
Like many other software solutions, top free 2D and 3D animation software comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. However, there are clear winners, but the most important thing is to understand what you want to achieve and choose the animation software solution that best fits your needs and budget.
So, Maya Autodesk is the ultimate winner in terms of performance and features. The price is the highest of all the tools we compare, but nothing beats this program when it comes to technical features.
Also, there are top free 2D and 3D animation software solutions that are perfect for beginners. But Moho offers solutions that can grow with you. It’s also fun and easy to use, so you’ll have a great time. Don’t forget to tell others and share this article.
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