Best Animation Software is a software collection going over the best animation software for computer. With these reviews, you can find the latest and greatest animation software to help you get your work done.
You are about to discover the best animation software for artists and beginners. These amazing tools will help you animate your artwork like a pro. Now you can make professional quality animations with the ability to animate 2D and 3D designs such as cartoons, manga, comics, drawings, models, toys and much more.
Blender
Despite the fact that Blender is a free animation software, you can do a lot with this 3D animation tool. Its features include visual effects, digital sculpting, video editing, and motion tracking. While tutorials are available, you may find them limited for some tasks. However, it has an active community, with frequent updates on the software, which are constantly improving its performance. The documentation is also well done.
Blender supports a wide range of graphic formats, making it user-friendly. It also has an integrated 3D game engine if you want to take your skills to the next level. And like Houdini, the film industry has used it, too. It does take some time to become proficient in the program, but at least it won’t cost you anything to try. It gives you everything you need for creation — including modeling, simulations, and postproduction.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
Pros:
- Free, open-source program
- Excellent feature set
- Outstanding community support
- Audio capture capability
- Portable USB version available
- Keyboard shortcuts
Cons:
- Confusing interface, especially for beginners
- Resource hog
- 3D videos more difficult to create
Pencil2D
Pencil2D is another free, open-source program for getting started with 2D animation. It works with both raster and vector workflows, giving you optimal flexibility. It has a decent feature set, especially when you consider that it doesn’t cost anything. Top features include pixel tracker, sound scrubbing, and movie import. Its community is also active, offering lots of support.
Pencil2D’s value lies with its user-friendly interface and intuitive design. That makes it an excellent choice for beginners who want a basic program for the job. The software has a dedicated group of contributors who continually improve the software and add new features. The one downside is ongoing security protocol issues with the operating systems themselves that they’ll hopefully solve soon.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
Pros:
- Free, open-source program
- Community support
- Powerful 2D animation tools
- Drag-and-drop editing
- Lightweight
- User-friendly
- Raster and vector graphic support
Cons:
- Not robust enough for advanced users
- Some permission issues with operating systems
- Not widely used in the industry
Animaker
Animaker differs from the other animation software apps we’ve reviewed because it’s web-based with a subscription model. Its primary function is making videos and animated GIFs using an HTML5 engine. That’s an excellent option if you don’t want to — or can’t — download software on your computer. The app makes it easy for beginners with templates, auto lip-sync, and a library of facial expressions.
It doesn’t stop there. The site also has an extensive image library with music and sound effects to create high-quality videos. You can even do voiceovers with your choice of voice. Animaker offers five pricing tiers, including a free option with five free downloads. Unfortunately, the five-download limit includes watermarks. Nevertheless, it’s an excellent way to try out Animaker without fronting any cash or credit card info.
Platforms: Web-based
Pros:
- Web-based
- Audio capture
- Extensive template and image library
- Character builder interface with auto lip-sync
- Sound effects and royalty-free music tracks
- Collaboration tools
- Social media integration
Cons:
- Watermarks with free plan downloads
- Internet connection required
- Video upload unavailable
Adobe Animate
Adobe Animate is one of the leading 2D animation software in this animation industry that many designers use. For better results, it is suggested that you combine it with Capture so that you can capture various interesting color schemes or transforming the image into vector and other things before starting animation with Adobe Animate. This will create an effective hand drawn animation.
Pros:
- Always working on new features regularly.
- Contains powerful timeline showing time and frame numbers.
Cons:
- The software requires a higher technical skillset to learn.
SketchBook Motion
SketchBook Motion is for iPad users to make their animations.With the help of this app, you can drag and drop into a document easily. You can instantly share your animation drawings as iMessage stickers, animated GIFs or MP4s.
Pros:
- Available in multiple languages including English, French, German.
- Can make characters live with applying simple gestures.
Cons:
- Many in-app purchases.
- Up to 3 scenes can be saved without subscription.
- Full version is free only for 7 days.
Animation & Drawing by Do Ink
It is an easy to use and one of the best hand drawn animation apps for iPad users. This app has a large number of features and drawing editing options. For example, you can make frame-by-frame or single frame animations, create motion paths just by dragging fingers, and enjoy custom color palette and more.
Pros:
- Offers up to 30 FPS.
- Show support to HD (16×9), square (1×1) and standard definition (4×3) aspect ratios.
Cons:
- Doesn’t work with devices having iOS less than 9.0.
Moho Pro
The best animation software for Mac is a powerful rigging tool
SPECIFICATIONS
Platform: Windows and MacPrice: $399Best for: Mid-level, hobbyists and professionalsTODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Powerful rigging system+Content library
REASONS TO AVOID
-Confusing UI-Steep learning curve
This award-winning animation software for Mac has everything you need to create professional 2D animations. With its powerful rigging system, you’ll have your characters jumping off the screen in no time. Use Smart Bones for better facial expressions and body turns – and in Moho 13.5, you can use the new intuitive V-bones system to help with foreshortening and complex actions.
Moho has been used to create plenty of Oscar nominated films, like The Breadwinner, Song of the Sea, Secret of the Kells, and Wolfwalkers, and is one of the industry standards for professional 2D animation.
Conclusion
For kids or professionals, budding animators and film students, this is the perfect tool for creating everything from simple drawings or cartoons to super awesome videos. Make your own movies with several features like drawing tools, video editing, special effects and unlimited fun.