Sep 24, 2019 Best for sculpting, rigging and scripting Blender animation is a 3D animation software, open-source and free in nature. It is comprised of critical tools like simulation, modelling, video editing, motion tracking, compositing and rigging for making 3D animations. Inbuilt also are these options for animation pipelines in 2D format. Nov 08, 2012 Blender is very effective in creating beautiful renders of Minecraft, as well as great animations. If you think that blender isn't very good or easy to use, don't change to another software, because you'll have trouble either way. Keep using blender, look up some tutorials, as well as some blender MC renders to see how awesome it is. Jul 04, 2020 Create animated videos using blocks, items and the lovable characters from Minecraft. Download Mine-imator To install and start using Mine-imator, download the automatic installer (.exe) or archive (.zip) from below. 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. EXPORT AND SHARE THE EASIEST WAY. Online convert animation to MOV, MP4, FLV, WMV, RMVB, 3GP (in-app purchase). Export your animation to GIF and MP4. Share your masterpieces on a wide range of social media of your choice. Join AniZone to discover what other animators are working on SYNC & ACCESS YOUR ANIMATION ANYTIME, ANYWHERE.
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Are you looking for an Animation software for yourself? We have accumulated a selection of best animation software for beginners with great features. So, if you are starting out in animation or just looking to change your daily software for something new and more useful, we have got you covered. The list contains both premium and free animation software to meet everybody’s needs.
Table of Content:
Best Paid Animation Software for Beginners
1. Adobe Character Animator: (Premium Real Time Animation)
Adobe Character Animator is one of the premium animation makers for beginners. It holds a wide array of features and functionalities. The Software is available for both Windows and MacOS.
It features advanced painting tools to provide the required texture and color to the character. One of the most highlighted features of Adobe Character Animator is automatic lip-syncing and facial expression animation in real-time with the help of just a webcam. Users can import a puppet made for Adobe Character Animator and can continue to control its facial expression in real-time like mouth, eyebrows, etc.
Adobe Character Animator features predefined basic rules such as walking, holding things, making various hand gestures, breathing, etc. Adobe also offers live chat support for its customers.
Because it is said to be a premium animation maker, it comes at a price. Though, it has a 7-day free trial, it has three different plans for individuals, business, and students. However, users can’t buy Adobe Character Animator alone, they must opt for the whole pool of apps consisting of 20 different creative desktop applications.
Features in Brief:
- Real-Time Animation
- Pre-loaded Puppets
- Pre-loaded behavioral movements, walking, breathing, blinking, etc.
- Live-Streaming
Pricing:
- For Individuals: $52.99/month Billed Annually
- 7-Day Free Trial
- For Business: $79.99/month Billed Annually
- Students and Teachers: $19.99/month Billed Annually
Visit for more info: Adobe Character Animator
Also Read: How To Install Adobe Flash Player on Android Phone or Tablet
2. Autodesk 3Ds Max (For to be Professional Creators)
Another premium software for animation Autodesk 3Ds Max. Autodesk 3Ds Max is known for cell-shaded 3D animations. These animations have changed the trend for making hundreds of sketches for every single movement in all angles.
This animation software is for people who are not complete beginners and pretty much have the idea of what they are doing. For people trying to refine their skills, Autodesk 3Ds Max can be a great option.
3D Animation tools simplify this process because once the character is ready for use, you can use it in pretty much real time. Autodesk 3Ds Max animation maker is being used by video game creators, 3D films, etc. Like Adobe Character Animator, Autodesk 3Ds Max excels in color palettes and textures for hair and fur.
Pricing:
- Monthly Plan: $205/month for 1 user.
- Yearly Plan: $1620/month for 1 user.
- 3 Year Plan: $4,375/month for 1 user.
Features in Brief:
- 3D Rendering for Real Time Animation
- VR Support
- Refined Shape modeling
- Excels in color palettes and textures for hair.
Visit for more info: Autodesk 3Ds Max
3. Moho (Anime Studio) (2D Animation made easy)
Moho (Anime Studio) is another premium animation software available for both Windows and MacOS. It is a powerful animation maker packed with features and perks. It’s easy to use interface is aimed for kids and beginners. There are two different versions available for Moho, Moho Debut and Moho Pro.
It offers advanced bone rigging for seamless skeletal animation and smooth character movement. Pen pressure support for tablets comes in handy while designing the anime characters for use. If you are looking to create 2D animation to bring your brand anime and logos to life, Moho is the Animation Software for you.
Features in Brief:
- Different Keyframe options: Addictive cycle, stagger, bounce, etc.
- Premium Freehand tools
- 4K Video Capability
- Tablet and Pen pressure support
- Advanced masking options
Visit for more info: Moho Anime Studio
Best Free Animation Software for Beginners:
1. Blender Open-Source 3D Creation
Blender, though a free animation maker, has a pool of very powerful and useful tools to help you in bringing your favorite anime to life. With Blender you can create lively animations for video games, anime films, etc.
Blender features auto and manual tracking, real time preview, and more. To turn your imagination into a 3D model, it offers advanced modeling, sculpting, and UV tools. If you are looking for a free open-source anime creation tool, Blender is one the best animation software available in the market.
Features in Brief
- Available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux
- Intuitive UI
- Onion Skinning and layer support
- Premium modeling and sculpting tools
- Path-tracer built-in
Visit for more info: Blender
2. Pencil2D (Quick hack for amazing YouTube Video and Tutorials)
If you have been to YouTube for Tutorial or informational videos, you must have seen those 2D pencil drawn graphics to better explain the concept. If you are looking forward to creating such animations, Pencil2D can be your go to tool. Pencil2D is available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux. Pencil2D comes pre-equipped with various lighting effects. Various handy animation tools make using Pencil2D a charm.
Features in Brief:
- Supports Windows, MacOS, Linux
- Various Lightning effects
- GIF export
- Multiple useful animation tools
Visit for more info: Pencil2D
3. Synfig Studio (Breeze to work with)
Synfig Studio is a 2D animation software to help you bring your imaginations to life. The most highlighted feature of Synfig is it’s easy to use controls. Instead of creating frame by frame animation, you can create almost real time animations with Synfig Studio.
It offers extraordinary control on different animations and artwork and hence, a great tool to create 2D animations.
Features in Brief:
- Exclusive control over Vector Editing
- Variety of filters and effects
- Intuitive control to create puppets.
For more info: Synfig Studio
So, these were 6 most popular paid and free animation software available in the market. Premium/paid animation software excel in tools and editing options they offer. However, free animation software aren’t bad either, especially if you are a beginner in animations. Do let us know how you liked our list of best paid and free animation software in the market.
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Traditionally, animation software costs a lot, both in money and time. Fortunately, these tools are so user-friendly these days that even a newbie can get up to speed with the features in a few hours. Better yet, not all animation software should cost an arm and a leg. This is why in this article, we will feature the 8 best free animation software available today—and how they can benefit your organization.
What are the best animation software solutions?
Animation is most popularly linked to big studios like Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, and Studio Ghibli. With animated films being enjoyed by kids, teens, and adults alike, the industry is progressively booming. In fact, it got so big that in 2019, the global animation market value was estimated at $265 billion and further expected to haul in another five billion dollars in 2020.
However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this ended up less accurate than it could have been. In 2020, the global animation, VFX, and video games industry was valued at $261 billion. This is $9 billion short of the original estimate. Nevertheless, it is still a respectable figure. And, it is still $2 billion higher than its 2018 value.
Also, most of the segments in the animation industry are still growing at a healthy rate of 2–3% YoY. Even though the animated genre is even becoming more popular, it’s not just the big cinemas that are enjoying the latest tech in this industry; animation is popular in online communities as well. So much so that “animation and film” is the 5th most popular category on Youtube. It’s tied with gaming and beats other major categories like sports and news.
On the other hand, while animation is mostly known as a tool of entertainment, its use goes well beyond that. From education to manufacturing, marketing, and even medicine, animation has plenty of uses.
Thus, the animation tools we have listed here aren’t only available for big production studios or professionals animators. There is a good selection of animation and video editing software that even common folks can get their hands on. These are competitive but free animation tools you can immediately give a try. Here’s a list of them:
1. Blender
Blender includes object tracking features as well. You can pan, tilt, track and rotate the camera around your objects in 360 degrees. Also, it comes with a Python API so advanced users can customize its user interface.
Another nice thing about Blender is that it integrates well with Pipeline Tools. A powerful software, Blender is the go-to animation software of professionals. It has been instrumental in creating award-winning animations. The Netflix animation ‘Next Gen,’ for example, was created with the help of Blender.
Blender easily caters to the needs of advanced users. It is not that friendly to novices although many tutorials are up online. You can download Blender here for free and learn as you go if interested. If you are looking for simpler tools, then please read on.
Key Features of Blender:
- High-end production path tracer for realistic rendering
- Designed for powerful animation
- Industry-standard realistic simulation
- Customizable user interface
2. PowToon
If you are here looking for free animation software to use for simpler but eye-catching presentations or videos, PowToon may just be the best free software for you. You will find it is basically an online presentation and animation video maker. Thus, it is perfect for idea pitches, product introduction, company profiles, how-to videos, infographics, and online advertising.
As a user-friendly animation platform, it empowers anyone to make professional-looking presentations for free (with its free plan). Of course, it is not as feature-rich as others.
With PowToon, you can create, post, and share your creations online. You can share them through emails or on your virtual workspaces like project management software. PowToon integrates well with Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube, and Slideshare. With a touch of well-directed creativity, you can take your corporate presentations to another level.
The only downside with it is that video exports will contain PowToon branding. Also, the maximum length of your HD-quality videos will be set at 3 minutes. Free accounts only get 100 MB of storage. The Starter plan costs $16 per month billed annually.
Key Features of PowToon:
- Easy-to-use interface
- Access to PowToon video library
- Royalty-free content
- Export straight to sharing platforms (Facebook, Vimeo and others)
3. Animaker
Animaker may be the most user-friendly of our list of the top 8 free animation software solutions. If you are looking for a platform that has a predominantly drag-and-drop interface, Animaker is the best free animation software for you. It is as easy as operating PowerPoint but only for animation. In fact, it looks a bit like PowerPoint or Google Slides. There are many types of videos that Animaker is designed to help you create. It has different specialized modules ranging from explainer videos to advertisements.
If you want to level up your content marketing quick, Animaker will help you achieve this for close to nothing. With a large library of animated characters and templates, you can put cartoon faces and let them move around to add human elements to your videos. You can also make whiteboards, 2D cartoons, and infographics using Animaker.
There are also Animaker paid plans should you wish to add more features. The Free plan only affords you two minutes of videos while the popular Business account will let you create 30-minute long of videos.
Key Features of Animaker
- Whiteboard video maker
- Infographic maker
- Massive library of characters and templates
- Drag-and-drop user interface
4. Pencil2D
Pencil2D is an animation software that stays true to its name. It allows you to create traditional hand-drawn animations. The application lets your turn traditional 2D hand-drawn animations digital. It is also offered in macOS, Windows, and Linux. It stays completely free and open source. There are no paid plans and you can use it commercially.
Because it is a digital version of traditional animation workflow, the best way to leverage it for business is to have someone with traditional art skills to handle it. If you have that yourself, the animation will be easy. The interface is straightforward and user-friendly.
Key Features of Pencil2D
- Functional for popular OS
- Easy user interface
- Lightweight program
- Switch between vector and raster files easily
5. Synfig Studio
Synfig Studio is open-sourced and free animation software. Its user interface is timeline-based. Just like Pencil2D, how it works is predicated on traditional animation workflow. It is not as user-friendly as others but video courses are available online to get you on your way to use Synfig. You will most likely need an artistic mentality to make the program work for intended commercial use. If you are familiar PowerPoint, then the application looks like it in many ways.
For those of you who are not animation novices, it is relatively easy to work with. It is a little time consuming as there are no templates or huge content libraries to work with. If you can afford to invest significant man-hours mixed with good technical skills, then this might be easy for you.
If you are a budding advertising company or a lean-and-mean content department, this may be the perfect free animation software to level up your work.
Key Features for Synfig Studio
- Animate bitmap images with bone system
- Filtering features
- Layering features
- Vector tweening and advanced capabilities for advanced users
6. OpenToonz
OpenToonz is a 2D animation software. It is open-source and free of charge, which means anyone in the world can use it for commercial purposes or for personal use. Advanced users can modify the software to fit their uses. The user interface is pretty much straightforward but there are advanced tools and capabilities that allow you to make more technically complex animations.
It is a mid-level animation software where both experts and novices can use it for their particular projects. If you are an individual business professional with no leisure time to put up customized animations, maybe this is not for you. But for professionals in content departments, this is a free animation software worth considering. You can exercise your creativity without being bounded by a cumbersome user interface or workflow. It also has a paid version called Toonz.
Key Features of OpenToonz
- Change picture styles easily
- Create wavy distortions
- Affected incident lighting available
7. Plastic Animation Paper
Plastic Animation Paper (PAP) is widely considered to be one of the go-to free animation software for animators. It is a 2D animation tool that enables you to intuitively switch from analog animation into its digital cousin. This is intuitive if you already are an animator or have the necessary art skills and understanding of such tools. If you are new at animation yet are reading this list to boost the visuals of your corporate presentations, this may not be for you. This is unless you really have the passion to learn and be good at animation.
PAP is actually the old version of Animation Paper, the paid version. While many digital artists consider PAP to be outdated, it still works well if you can get used to it. The creator is not sold on the old version’s user interface yet it is highly functional and free. The paid version is definitely an update. It has a newer UI and packs more features. It will set you back for $79. Both versions, though, are fit for hand-drawn animation artists.
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Again, PAP still works well when you get the hang of it. You can always take it for a spin.
Key Features of Plastic Animation Paper
- Layering ability
- Basic drawing tools
- Light table
- Walk cycle and clone timing
8. K-3D
K-3D is a totally free animation and 3D modeling platform. It offers artists a digital platform with a comprehensive set of tools complete with plugins. K-3D uses a pipeline architecture that enhances its usability and flexibility. The platform allows you to create different combinations. The user interface is quite straightforward. It allows you to make 3D models easily.
If you want to animate logos or texts, K-3D may be the perfect free application for you. It is easy to use and will always be free from the looks of it. It makes use of ‘undo trees’ so you don’t have to be afraid of making mistakes. Also, because of the pipeline architecture, you can modify your workflow from the beginning portion and witness as changes come about automatically to your work’s end.
Key Features of K-3D
- Node-based visualization pipeline for flexibility
- Intuitive user interface
- Powerful with procedural and parametric workflows
The Choice: Take your Intent and Skills into Consideration
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Which of the eight above is the best for you depends on the needs of your company or your long-term strategy. They all have different functionalities. We suggest that you pick several that you think fit your current requirements and skill level and then try them. The good thing is that they are all free so you can have a real go if you have the time.
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For example, for digital, hand-drawn animation software, you can try Pencil2D and Plastic Animation Paper. If you need quick and easy animated graphics for presentations, PowToon or Animaker can be great choices. As for powerful simulations and realistic graphics, Blender may be better for you.
Note that you can use animation software in tandem with other graphic design tools like Adobe Photoshop CC. There are also free ones such as GIMP. Also, there are other also web-based graphic design tools such as Pixlr and Inkscape.