If you are looking for the best software for animation 2d, you probably want to achieve high-quality output and professional results. ImagineFX is a good place to start your search because there are honest opinions from industry pros and we will guide you towards the right solution for your needs.
Working for a business or company that designs animation 2d can be fun and rewarding. To be successful at any job, you need to have the experience and training necessary to do the work. Sometimes this means updating your education to incorporate new technology that is being used in the workplace or getting an internship at an animation studio that uses specific animation 2d software.
Best Free 2D Animation Software
Synfig
First up we have Synfig, a program first released for free in 2005. This software is great because beginners can just hit the ground running.
It allows for both front-end and back-end design, meaning that you can design the actual content at the appearance level, not being constrained to just code behind the scenes.
Price: Free and open-source
Moderate Recommend
TubiTube
TupiTube is a software project focusing on the younger children’s market of animation. This is a much more casual program for animation. But sometimes, the more casual the better I say. It has great ease of access, with users being able to download it easily and get started making some videos.
Its versatility is great as well, as it can be seamlessly used between different platforms.
Its casualness may rub some more serious-minded animators the wrong way, and that’s why I’m lowering its score a bit. But if you have no idea what you’re doing at all, this software can’t steer you wrong.
Price: Free
Light Recommend
Pencil2D
This free program uses a great little design where it gets rid of all the complicated mumbo jumbo that might intimidate animation amateurs. Its simple design is simple yet serves a great purpose.
It’s a no-frills kind of experience, but one where even the most newbie animator can draw and create videos. Pencil2D also has a great cross-platform capability.
Price: Free
Moderate Recommend
Opentoonz
Opentoonz has a range of cool in-house effects that can be seamlessly used while making your animations. Opentoonz allows for extensive editing of the code, too. So, once you get good enough at animation, you can bend the toons to your whim! However, that could be difficult for some users.
Price: Free
Moderate Recommend
SketchBook
SketchBook is a 2D animation application that enables you to animate your ideas with minimal effort. It offers more than 140 brushes to design your art. This program allows you to add unlimited layers that can be blend together.
Features:
- Enables you to draw basic shapes like circle, rectangle, triangle, etc.
- You can adjust the rules as per your desire.
- Allows you to fill color into your artwork.
- It enables you to import or export the layer as PSD (Photoshop Document).
Synfig
Synfig is an open-source 2D vector graphics and animation program. This software works on three OS platforms Windows, OSX, and Linux.
Features:
- It allows you to transform any image containing a vector shape into another.
- You can link parameters of layers through mathematical expressions.
- This free 2D animation software provides more than 50 layers to create animation.
- You can create a cutout animation effect using bitmap images.
Download Link: https://www.synfig.org
Animaker
Animaker is an online 2D animation tool that provides numerous animated characters, icons, properties, BGs, maps, and charts. It is one of the best 2D animation software that helps you to create an ideal video for your organization, presentation, freelancing projects, as well as personal projects.
Features:
- You can create animated videos in 6 unique video styles like 2D, handcraft, whiteboard, infographics, 2.5 D, and typography.
- Beginners can make videos and use them as both animation and animated presentations.
- It is one of the best free 2D animation software that has 200 sound effects to choose.
- This tool provides 100 background music tracks.
- It enables you to record direct voice recordings.
- Animaker allows the team to collaborate.
- You can export video in full HD quality.
Krita
Krita is a simple 2D animation tool that allows you to customize your workflow. This free animation software offers more than 100 professionally made brushes.
Features:
- This animation maker software enables you to add a stabilizer to brush to smooth it.
- Customize brush with 9 unique brush engines.
- You can create comic panels using built-in vector drawing tools.
- Create seamless textures and patterns by making image reference on the x and y-axis.
- It allows you to import texture and brush packs from other artists.
- You can combine, flatten, or order layers to organize your artwork.
- You can highlight the drawing portion.
- Krita helps you to incorporate it into your current color management pipeline.
Download Link: https://krita.org/en/features/highlights/
Pencil2d
Pencil2d is a 2D hand-drawn animation software. It is easy to use and lightweight. It is a 2D animation software for free which allows you to sketch ink and paint on the go.
Features:
- Pencil2D is a cross-platform tool that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.
- It can be used freely for commercial business.
- You can quickly review work using flipping or rolling techniques.
- This free 2D animation software provides support for TIFF format (Tagged Image File Format).
- You can import image as new layers on particular frames.
Download Link: https://www.pencil2d.org
Opentoonz
Opentoonz is an open-source animation production application. It is compatible with 4 types of scanning. It allows you to save settings of scanning.
Features:
- It is compatible with TWAIN (Technology Without an Interesting Name) standards.
- It allows you to use anti-aliased lines.
- This tool provides an easy way to paint with provisional colors.
- You can synthesize effects with the Graphic User Interface (GUI) via the node tree.
- Images can be managed with the actual scale resolution.
- This 2D animation software for free is compatible with both raster and vector images.
- You can use more effects using plug-ins.
Download Link: https://opentoonz.github.io/e/
Stop Motion Studio
Stop Motion Studio is a powerful 2D animation editor that is available for iPhone, iPad, and macOS. It supports cameras from the most famous camera makers, including Canon, Nikon, and Sony.
Features:
- It has a frame-by-frame view that shows you all the images in chronological order.
- Stop Motion Studio allows you to set in and out points to mark a specific portion of your movie for playback and looping.
- It comes with dozens of music clips and sound effects.
- It has various painting tools to paint as you would on a traditional canvas.
- This tool has a magic eraser to remove unwanted objects in the movie.
- It helps you to design title and credit screens.
- It provides a wide varieties of effects to change the look of your movie.
Download Link: https://www.cateater.com
Conclusions
There’s no question that animation 2d business is picking up. It seems like every day you hear of a new release by an animation studio aimed at reaching new markets or increasing profits. Whether it’s for computer game or children’s entertainment, the world of animation is continuously growing with technology and trends growing at an exponential rate.