1/10/2021 Free Animation Programs
Animation has come a long way since the days of 'Steamboat Willie,' developing into a precise and scientific art.
List of 5 best free 2D animation software for Windows. 2D animation is one of the oldest form of animation, it is created when multiple drawing frames are represented one after another to create an animation. There are many different methods available for making 2D animation. Free 2D animation software is a great tool for you to create hand drawing animation. In this article, you will learn 10 best 2D animation software for beginners and professionals. Free 2D animation software is a great tool for you to create hand drawing animation.
Just look at how Pixar has changed the animation game: With 1998’s “Toy Story,” the studio introduced the world to the first-ever computer-animated feature-length film. At the time, it was revolutionary. Beforeanimation software, cartoons were created by hand, drawing or inking thousands of cells against various backgrounds in rapid sequence. Computer animation is cheaper, faster and allows animators for more flexibility.
What are the best free animation software in 2019?
However, watching “Toy Story” back more than 20 years later, its animation style looks rudimentary. Today, computer animation has become the norm and has vastly improved since the release of “Toy Story.” The improvement is thanks to animation software. Each hair on a character’s head is painstakingly animated. The correct shadowing is meticulously added in each scene to make it as realistic as possible. Animators study movement to ensure their characters are anatomically correct.
What’s more, with the advancement of animation software, those outside the entertainment industry can utilize the technology as well. Marketing teams, product teams and more leverage animation solutions to enhance their websites and content. An animated video is a great supplement for a blog or advertisement; the inclusion of animated content can bring a company’s brand to a whole new level. Take Samsung, who used animation to promote their initiative for an increased use of their technology in schools. Or Johnson & Johnson, who used animation to demonstrate how to use their bubble baby bath and wash in an engaging format.
Whether you are an expert animator or looking for animation software for beginners, there are plenty of solutions available. Best of all is that you don’t necessarily have to pay to hone your animation skills. These free animation tools will help you improve your craft.
The list we’ve outlined here includes any animation solution with an available free offering. It should be noted that this does not include products that are only free on a temporary basis, such as limited trial versions for new users. They may only support one user or one project, but they’re truly free offerings. Scaling, however, will often require full investments.
These products alone have well over 246 validated user reviews on G2 Crowd as of June 13, 2019, and only represent a small portion of the 45-plus animation software offerings listed on our platform. Whenever possible, products are ranked byuser satisfaction score.
1. KeyShot
Image courtesy of KeyShot
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KeyShot is a fast and user-friendly 3D rendering software with animation capabilities. This tool allows users to go from a simple model to a stunning visual in minutes. KeyShot is a completely free animation software.
KeyShot has a number of features to support animation and 3D rendering, including but not limited to:
What users like
“It's fast and most of the results come [out] pretty good. And today they can do animation and VR in KeyShot, [which] makes the software even more powerful than ever.” — Keyshot reviewby a user in higher education
What users dislike
“The animation configuration could be easier and also give more options of possible movements.” — Keyshot review by Julia C.
Recommendations to others considering the product
“Try it, it is very easy. I do like the animation tool, which you can [use to] make an animation rendering very easy and quick.” — Keyshot review by Chen W. 2. K-3D
Image courtesy of K-3D
K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. It combines plugins with a visualization pipeline architecture to make it a powerful and flexible tool for artists. This free animation software allows users to create unique combinations in their work.
K-3D offers a number of features to make an artist’s work as easy as possible:
What users like
“This is the tool with the features, speed and stability for you.” — K-3D review by a user in graphic design
What users dislike
The same K-3D reviewer said, “Great program all around, only complaint, just wish it had some sort of quick getting started guide, considering that's my only complaint, always have this installed on my comp.” 3. PowToon
Image courtesy of PowToon
This free animation software is intended for making short videos and presentations. Users can upload their own content or choose from PowToon’s library of royalty-free content. Animators can customize the existing templates to ensure they fit their needs.
PowToon offers paid options, but its free plan offers the following features:
What users like
“I think that what I mostly like is that creating an animation with PowToon is ridiculously easy. First, I get to pick out one from many templates. After a template is selected, I like that it’s even easier to add moving characters to every slide I have for the animation.” — PowToon reviewby Esmeralda D. ![]()
What users dislike
“I don’t really like that PowToon characters are really simplistic; if they were a bit more complex, this would also be a great tool for making quality animations.” — PowToon review by Alicia Sarah V.
Recommendations to others considering the product
“This tool provides a lots of attractive templates, which helps users to design their slides and making their presentation better. So, this tool helps me a lot and I recommend this tool for people who usually deal with presentations.” — PowToon review by Raj M. 4. Pencil2D
Image courtesy of Pencil2D
This 2D animation software allows users to create more traditional, hand-drawn scenes. This is accomplished using bitmap and vector graphics. Not only is Pencil2D free, but it is an open-source animation software.
Pencil2D offers a number of features to make animation easy, including but not limited to:
What users like
“I enjoy how easy it is to understand this right off the bat. I was able to start animating immediately! Another extreme plus is the ability to use layers.” — Pencil2D reviewby Sara C.
What users dislike
“You'll have to redo your setting preferences because the program resets to default whenever you open it up. This is especially true for if you want to use the pen tool, or if you want to use different colors to connote different parts of your animation.” — Pencil2D review by Sabrina B.
Recommendations to others considering the product
“Recommended 100 percent for the general public and people who want an efficient app.” --Pencil2D reviewby Grey P. 5. Blender
Image courtesy of Blender
Blender is a free and open-source animation software that also has capabilities for 3D modeling, game creation, motion tracking and more. This tool enables artists to turn stills into 3D animation. Iso 17000 reference standard definition. Blender also offers a fast rigging tool that allows users to turn 3D models into animated characters.
The following animation features are included in Blender:
What users like
“Blender is a free animation software, but do not let that deter you from trying it. It is a really powerful software that I use to make 3D designs. Another thing that I like about Blender is that you can easily import outside objects like textures and animations. The lighting and shadow functions also look really professional.” — Blender review by Beth A.
What users dislike
“Image-based animation becomes difficult to perform. For me personally, I tried to get an image hand created and perform animation. It kept getting difficult to animate the image.” — Blender review by Ankit A.
Recommendations to others considering the product
“Blender is so powerful and has so many features it's overwhelming. Approach with discipline. Decide what aspect you want to tackle first (modelling, animation, lighting, compositing, etc.), then work through a lot of Youtube tutorials.” --Blender reviewby Michael M. 6. Animaker
Image courtesy of Animaker
Animaker is a drag and drop, online animation and video making platform. This platform is free to register for, and is less technical than many other animation solutions. Animaker is targeted towards a content marketer persona, and includes templates for making different types of animations including infographics, motion typography, whiteboards, and 2D cartoons.
Some of the major benefits of Animaker are: Deadwood season 3 episode 1 recap.
What users like
“I really like the drag and drop interface, it really helps building animations on the go and within no time. A very helpful tool when you are in hurry but need a effective and productive presentation. It takes presentations to another level by giving more visual effect.” — Animaker reviewby Harsh P.
What users dislike
“There is free pack, but it won't allow you to create long presentations and also limits the number of such presentations you can create.” — Animaker review by Purav A.
Recommendations to others considering the product
“Using the templates provided by Animaker would reduce most of your work. Only make some minor changes as per your requirement an you are all set.” --Animaker reviewby Rayan V. 7. Synfig
Image courtesy of Synfig
Synfig Studio is a free and open-source 2D animation software for Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. While it offers many technical and advanced features, the open-source community has created a large library of documentation and video courses in multiple languages to help novice animators become professionals. The platform is also always improving, and users have a choice between downloading the stable version or a new development version.
Synfig offers many technical animation features, including:
What users like
“I like it a lot because it is an open source software. It is accessible to all audiences. It is not necessary to be a mirror or have a step by step to perform all the activities that can be done with it. Your presentations in 2D are made using few resources and tools - since it has so many useful tools that with only one you can do many things. Your presentations are made in a way for metric. And the best thing is that if there is a change in resolution, this does not affect your results” — Synfig Studio reviewby Genesis M
What users dislike
“I dislike a little the idea that has some imperfections the program, in question of the interface. Since it tends to close itself and tends to get a little slow to use it. In the same way it has a problem when installing it since it does not accept being installed in some 32-bit programs, as it was my case. I had many problems to install it.” — Synfig Studio review by Victor M.
Recommendations to others considering the product
“I recommend this software to all those people who have small companies and are in charge of the design area - since even though it is not more innovative, it fulfills all the necessary functions to make a good animation and its tools give you the opportunity to do a lot and in a short time.” --Synfig Studio review byVictor M. 8. Plastic Animation Paper
Image courtesy of Plastic Animation Paper
Plastic Animation is the free and original version of Animation Paper. This option is a great animation software for beginners, as the product offers tutorials on how to use the software. The tutorials in this free 2D animation tool allow users to work at their own speed.
Plastic Animation Paper offers tutorials on many of its features, including but not limited to:
Be the first to leave a Plastic Animation Paper review!
9. OpenToonz
Image courtesy of OpenToonz
This free (and open-source) animation software enables users to produce 2D animation. Thanks to its open-source nature, developers can modify this free animation software to fit their needs.
Using OpenToonz, users have the ability to:
Next steps for selecting the best free animation software
Decide which features are important to you in a product. For example, it is important to decide whether you need open-source animation software or animation software for beginners. The features in the product you pick should allow you to effectively reach your end goal, such as educating your audience or promoting your brand in an exciting new way. Once you have chosen, read through some more verified user reviews to allow you to make the best decision for your business.
Are you ready to for your animations to go viral? Learn how to make a YouTube channel to host your best creations.
* Please note: Reviews may have been edited for spelling and grammar.
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Sep 17,2019• Proven solutions
In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money.
It is not ideal if you need to pay so much for animated application, and price should not be the reason that stops you from making animation video.
The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to start the journey in the market.
That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Some of them are excellent to use, even compared with some paid package.
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!
Best Animation Software on Mac and Windows - FilmoraPro
Looking for some simple while powerful video editing tools? We recommend using Wondershare FilmoraPro. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes or anything you like for YouTube video.
The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.
Super multi dvd rewriter driver. Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try!
Simple steps to make animation easily
Here we have listed 10 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS.
Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
Listed below are free animation software on Mac. Take a look.
1.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 version on the homepage: stable version and development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package give you access to use the latest features.
For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipeida and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch and French for video course.
Features:
2.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 time is easy to use at the first glance. You can add and duplicate different frames on different track.
The frequency of releasing new version is very fast as Pencil2D is committed to bring the lasted features to each users. The newest version is v0.6.4 (as of August, 2019). Its user guide is informative with video tutorial, FAQ and manual material.
Features: Free appointment booking system meaning.
3.Tupi - 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 their 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 shape.
It offers solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support and ads-free, so many schools choose use this one to teach kids on how to make an animation video.
Features:
4.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 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 video game, modeling and high quality animation. However, it involves steep learning curve. Luckily, there are many tutorial to guide you through the journey. You can also ask for help in Blender community that millions of talented people like you are there.
Features:
Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
Below are free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.
5.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 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 is the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build model, render and pose animation within skin texture level. It has a high requirement for device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.
Features:
6.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 making 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 about the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.
Features:
7.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:
8.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 worktable 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:
9.OpenToonz - support plug in to make animation freely
Difficulty Level: Middle
Pro: It is an open source software, so you can change the code freely.
Con: The plug-in effects are limited.
Free Animation Programs For Windows
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:
10.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 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 cutomize 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:
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, download FilmoraPro to have a try.
Easy-to-use and powerful video editor for all creators.
Animation software, free download Windows
Bring up your video to a professional level with straightforward tools.
Free Animation Programs Like Flash
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