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AI
Did you know that 76% of digital creators in the US say that creative tools are the primary catalyst for enhancing creativity? On top of that, 40% believe that more or improved access to the right tools could boost their creativity.
Whether you’re a budding animator or a seasoned pro, the challenge is real.
Sifting through an ocean of options to find the best animation apps that resonate with your skill level, project demands, and creative aspirations can be a hassle. Fortunately, our guide on the top animation apps to try this year will help, and we even organized it by free versus paid options.
How exactly do you decide which app is the best animation app for your project? While there is no ultimate verdict on which software can be considered the best, you can compare your options by considering the following factors:
We take our evaluations seriously, relying on reviews, ratings, and thorough research to assess each tool. Our approach is all about honesty and authenticity; we’re never paid for placements. Instead, we dive deep into user experiences and expert insights to bring you genuine recommendations. You can trust that our selections are based on what truly works, not on who’s paying us. Your trust matters, and we’re committed to earning it by providing real, unbiased evaluations.
App name | Creating high-quality video templates | Platforms | Yes |
Renderforest | Creating high-quality video templates | Web | Yes |
Flipaclip | Frame-by-frame cartoon animation | iOS, Android | Yes, with in-app purchases |
MotionBook | Flipbook-style animations | iOS, Android | Yes, with in-app purchases |
Synfig | Vector-based animations | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes |
Blender | 3D modeling and animation | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes |
Powtoon | Professional video presentations | Web | Yes, with limited features |
Animaker | Web presentations | Web | No |
Adobe Express | Versatile creative projects | Web, iOS, Android | Yes, with limited features |
Visme | Various content types (presentations, infographics, etc.) | Web | Yes, with limited features |
Picsart Animator | Drawing and frame-by-frame animations | iOS, Android | No |
Animoto | Marketing and social media videos | iOS | No |
Cinema 4D | Advanced 3D modeling and motion graphics | Windows, macOS | No |
Animation Desk | Drawing animations and storyboarding | iOS, Android | Yes, with in-app purchases |
Stop Motion Studio | Stop motion animation | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS | No, but offers a free trial |
Adobe Character Animator | Real-time 2D character animation | Windows, macOS | No |
Moho Animation | Professional 2D animation and rigging | Windows, macOS | No, but offers a limited free version |
Renderforest pros
Renderforest cons
Renderforest’s animation maker is a versatile tool that you can use to create high-quality videos with little effort. It’s perfect for anyone, whether you’re a beginner or have some experience in animation. The interface is user-friendly, allowing you to navigate through various options effortlessly.
Key features
Renderforest pricing
The animation maker offers both free and premium plans. The free version provides access to basic features, while the premium plans unlock advanced functionalities, higher-resolution exports, and additional customization options.
FlipaClip pros
FlipaClip cons
FlipaClip is a simple, beginner-friendly 2D animation app available on Android and iOS. It helps you bring your animations to life with easy yet powerful frame-by-frame animation tools. When the app was first created, the founders didn’t anticipate it growing so fast. But FlipaClip was making animations simple and fun, so it quickly gathered a community of users who supported the project, and FlipaClip became what it is now!
Even if you’re a complete beginner, you can master FlipaClip and create videos within minutes. FlipaClip also lets you draw over your videos, add audio to your animation projects, and turn your drawings into gifs. Some of its drawing tools include brushes, lasso, paint buckets, erasers, and ruler shapes.
Key features
FlipaClip pricing
FlipaClip is one of the best animation apps free of charge. However, keep in mind that although you can use it completely for free, it comes with in-app purchases. Many users upgrade to the FlipaClip Plus subscription for more optimal usage and fewer limitations.
MotionBook pros
MotionBook cons
MotionBook is built for all of those eager to unleash their creativity through simple animation tools. With MotionBook, you can create traditional frame-by-frame animations using powerful digital tools available on your iPhone or iPad.
Key features
MotionBook pricing
MotionBook is on our list of the best free animation apps. It is a perfect tool for creating powerful animations at no charge. For more functionality options and drawing features, you can access its full feature set with an in-app purchase of just $5.
Synfig pros
Synfig cons
Another great app that deserves its place on our best free animation apps list is Synfig. The platform offers a set of powerful animation tools that include vector images, short videos, and layers. However, Synfig uses a lot of resources, and many users complain that it crashes too often. Still, if you’re looking for a free animation app to work on small projects that don’t require too much work, this software is exactly what you need. Synfig works on Windows, Linux, and Mac.
Key features
Synfig pricing
Synfig is an open-source software that is completely free.
Blender pros
Blender cons
Blender is one of the best free animation apps for creating 3D animations. Some of its powerful features include motion tracking, digital sculpting, and a bunch of cool visual effects. Although it might be a bit hard to figure out how to work with Blender if you’re completely new to animations, there are a bunch of tutorials available online and an active community of users to help you out.
Key features
Blender pricing
Although Blender offers advanced functionality, it is still entirely free of charge. You can use it for free for all your projects, both commercial and educational.
Powtoon pros
Powtoon cons
What are the best animation apps when it comes to paid options? We start our list with Powtoon. Powtoon is a great tool to enhance your visual communications using AI presentation and video production software. It is perfect for HR visuals, marketing presentations, and overall internal communication. It helps your business to stand out and stay consistent with its branding. In other words, if you feel outdated using PowerPoint and need a more visually appealing tool, Powtoon is a good choice.
Key features
Powtoon pricing
Powtoon offers three paid packages. The Lite version charges $15 per month, the Professional package costs $40 per month, and the Business package costs $125 per month. These packages are charged annually, but the prices are higher if you switch to a monthly plan.
Animake pros
Animaker cons
Animaker is one of the best animation apps that is entirely web-based. It mainly helps you create animated GIFs and videos from your laptop using the HTML5 engine. So, if you are looking for an animation app to use online on your computer, Animaker is a viable option. On top of the animation features, Animaker also offers a large library of music and sound effects along with quality videos to integrate with your projects. Keep in mind, however, that the free option only offers five free downloads. To benefit from the best of Animaker, you’ll need to subscribe to one of their paid plans.
Key features
Animaker pricing
Animaker offers four paid packages. You can start with the basic plan, which is $12.5 a month, get a bit advanced with the starter package at $25 a month, go pro for $35 a month, or get a customized plan for your enterprise.
Adobe Express pros
Adobe Express cons
Adobe Express is exactly what it sounds like—the express version of Adobe. If you want Adobe’s powerful toolset but a bit more simplified and beginner-friendly, Adobe Express is the software you need. It is an all-in-one AI content creation tool designed to help you create social media posts, images, videos, and flyers quickly and easily. With features powered by Adobe Firefly’s generative AI, the platform simplifies content creation using professional templates and intuitive tools.
Key features
Adobe Express pricing
Adobe Express offers a Free plan with basic tools, a Premium plan at $9.99 per month with extra tools and resources, and a team plan at $12.99 per month per user with advanced collaboration features.
Visme pros
Visme cons
Visme is one of the best animation apps for anyone who needs to create quick animated presentations, visualize data, or generate video mockups. In other words, it focuses on your day-to-day animation needs and is more about enhancing your presentations than creating, let’s say, a slow-motion animation from scratch. The platform offers a range of templates with customization options and is known for its intuitive UI. It’s like having your personal virtual designer for every project.
Key features
Visme pricing
Visme’s pricing includes a free Basic plan, a Starter plan for $12.25 per month, a Pro plan for $24.75 per month, and custom pricing for Enterprise plans.
Picsart pros
Picsart cons
You might know Picsart for its picture editing tools, but it also offers an animation maker that allows you to animate your pictures and images. The tool is perfect for optimizing and simplifying your social media content creation flow. It is also very popular for creating GIFs and offers AI avatars that are engaging and fun to work with.
Keep in mind, though, that for those of you looking for an animation app to create short 2D or 3D animated movies, this is not the best tool. It’s more tailored to marketing specialists and social media creators who need a simple yet professional-looking animation to enhance their content.
Key features
Picsart pricing
Picsart offers a free plan with limitations on features and storage. However, you can switch to Picsart Plus for $13 per month or Picsart Pro for $15 per month.
Animoto pros
Animoto cons
Animoto is one of the best apps for animations for creating professional videos with visual effects without prior experience. Their interface and features are beginner-friendly, with drag-and-drop tools and effects that allow you to add assets and VFX to your footage easily. You can also use their range of templates to avoid starting your animation from scratch and simplify the process. Again, like Picsart, Animoto is more tailored for marketing specialists, social media creators, and educators.
Key features
Animoto pricing
Animoto offers a free plan with basic functionality. For more advanced features, you can upgrade to their Basic for $8 a month, Professional for $15 a month, or Professional plan for $39 a month.
Cinema 4D pros
Cinema 4D cons
Let’s get one thing clear: Cinema 4D isn’t for everyone. Not only is it not beginner-friendly, you also need to be pretty advanced in your animation skills to use it. But don’t get us wrong. We’re not discouraging you from using this interesting and powerful tool. All we’re saying is that if you’re looking for more simple and quick animation software, Cinema 4D is not the best animation app for you.
That being said, it is exactly what you need if you want to improve your animation skills, learn 3D modeling and simulation, and create quality VFX that can easily be used in film production. With enough time on your plate, you can learn and master this tool with a variety of online tutorials, courses, and other helpful resources created by its large community of users.
Key features
Cinema 4D pricing
Combine the packages and get the Maxon One bundle for €112.64 per month, or select individual plans like C4D + Redshift starting at €84.25 per month.
Animation Desk pros
Animation Desk cons
Animation Desk is a powerful 2D animation software designed for beginners and professionals. The interface is intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy to get started. You can master the app entirely within three to four hours—perfect for anyone who doesn’t want to take weeks learning the new software. One of the most popular features of Animation Desk is the storyboarding tool, which you can use to create storyboards for your animations and other types of visual content.
Key features
Animation Desk pricing
Animation Desk offers a Freemium model. You get access to basic tools and features, enough to start creating simple animations. However, the advanced functionality comes for a fee. You can get the Pro package for $2.49 per month or the entire toolset of Creativity 365, including the Animation Desk, for just $4.99 per month.
Stop Motion Studio pros
Stop Motion Studio cons
Our list of the best animation apps wouldn’t be complete without stop-motion animation software like Stop Motion Studio. This is the go-to platform for all those who want to create fun and engaging stop-motion movies without much effort. You can use it for your next art project or a quick Lego clip to post on your YouTube channel.
Key features
Stop Motion Studio pricing
Stop Motion Studio offers its basic features for free. You can buy the Pro version for advanced features like higher resolution exports, advanced camera controls, and pro editing. The price of the Pro version will vary depending on the device you’re using and the specific features you choose.
Adobe Character Animator pros
Adobe Character Animator cons
Adobe Character Animator is recognized in the industry as a leading animation software, so if you’re more on the professional side of animation games, giving Adobe Character Animator a try is worth it. It allows you to use your webcam and microphone and create a live-performance animation automatically synchronized with your lips, face, and body movements. While some of its features require animation knowledge, you can start with the starter mode and create animations within seconds.
Key features
Adobe Character Animator pricing
Character Animator offers a free Starter mode, which includes animation basics, predesigned puppets, and real-time face tracking. To access all professional features, you’ll need to subscribe to the Creative Cloud plan, which costs $89.99 per month.
Moho pros
Moho cons
Moho Animation Software is a powerful tool perfect for creating high-quality 2D animations. Initially developed in 1982, Moho has always continued evolving and now offers one of the industry’s most sophisticated bone rigging systems. As we’ve already mentioned, the main Moho app is not for beginners, but it provides a Moho Debut version for all those who just started to explore the animation world and want something easier to grasp. Available on both Windows and macOS, Moho has all the tools you need to bring your creative visions to life.
Key features
Moho pricing
Moho offers two main versions of the software: Moho Debut and Moho Pro. Moho Debut is priced at $59.99 and is more suited for beginners and hobbyists, while Moho Pro is available for $399.99 and includes advanced features best for professional animators.
The best app for creating animated videos will ultimately depend on your skill level, budget, and project needs. But if we were to sum up and pick the two best animation apps for 2024, these would be our answers:
Renderforest for beginner-friendly features
Choose Renderforest if you want an animation app that is beginner-friendly, affordable to use, and easy to work with. With many AI-powered features and templates, this browser-based animation app is your go-to animation tool if you’re just starting out but still want to produce captivating animations.
Cinema 4D for more professional animators
On the other hand, if you have some budget to spare and want to become more advanced in your animation skills, consider going for Cinema 4D. It is one of the leading animation apps in the industry and will even secure you an animation job once you become skilled at it.
Related reading:
Although there is no definite answer to this question, Renderforest is perfect if you’re looking for a beginner-friendly app, while Cinema 4D is ideal for more advanced users. The best app for animation will depend on your video editing needs. You’ll want to weigh the pros and cons of each software and choose the one that best meets your expectations.
To make your own animation, start by choosing an application that suits your needs and find a quick tutorial to guide you on how to use it. Some software programs are so intuitive and straightforward that you won’t even need a guide to help you around the animation process.
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