Free Software for Animation Video

Are you looking for free software for animation video because you are on a tight budget? The good news is that there are many options to consider. There are many free software programs that could be used by both beginners and advanced video editors alike. Using these tools will allow you to create your own animated videos using suitable music or sound effects.

A lot of animation video producers are looking for free software to use. Let’s go through some of the software applications that are available in the market and help you to create an animation video that is eye catching and professional looking.

Plastic Animation Paper

Platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux

Plastic Animation Paper (PAP) is a free animation software for PC, Mac, and Linux. Though its interface is outdated, the software is completely free to download and use. Beggars can’t be choosers, right?

With PAP, you can create hand-drawn 2D animations, while seeing your edits in real time. The editing experience itself can be clunky, but it’s easy for beginners to learn and become familiar with. It’s a sufficient tool for basic animated videos.

Feature highlights include basic drawing tools, zoom, rotation, cutouts, layers, and more.

Soon, PAP’s creator will release a new, more advanced program for $79, Animation Paper.

Best suited for skilled animators, Animation Paper will help animators create 2D graphics from hand-drawn illustrations, along with a long list of features:

Small and large format frames
Real-time, smooth rotation and zoom, along with multiple options for flipping
Advanced and customizable onion skinning
Layers and lasso
High-quality lines and stabilization
Coloring and paint
Real-time full frame reference on a second monitor for quick editing

When you’re done creating your animated video, export options include .mp4, .mov, and .png or .svg frame stacks.

Stykz

Platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux

Stykz is one of the easiest animation software to use.

Pretty basic, but totally free.

Stykz is frame-based, meaning you work on one individual frame at a time. It uses onionskins so you can see the previous frame and how to two flow together.

All edits are done within the “Stage” — in other words, you make your edits and view your changes within the same window. No toggling between views needed.

Edit one or multiple stick objects, fill shapes, and import your own stick figures. Everything will auto-save as you go, so you don’t need to worry about losing all your hard work.

Toontastic 3D

Platforms: Android, iOS

Google’s own free animation software for Android, Toontastic 3D is meant for kids, but brands can also use it to make animated 3D videos. Ideal for storytelling, you get started with Toontastic by creating your own characters, either from scratch or based off an uploaded photo. Then it’s time to insert your characters into a story.

Toontastic is meant to encourage budding storytellers to get create with their narratives, and brands can do the same. Plan your storyline, animate, add narration and music, and then export it to share it with the world.

Your storyline is based on Toontastic templates, each with a different number of scenes. Toontastic also has premade scenes to choose from, so the only “drawing” you need to do is when it comes to the characters.

If it sounds like a lot of steps, Google says you can create a one-minute video with up to six scenes in just a minute — though that doesn’t include the time it takes to create your characters upfront. It also works offline so you can create videos on your daily commute or when the WiFi’s out.

If you’re looking for more control and creative flexibility, Toontastic isn’t the best option. It’s best-suited for those who are very new to the world of animated videos. Soon you’ll graduate to one of the others on this list!

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 timeline is easy to use at first glance. You can add and duplicate different frames on a different track.

The frequency of releasing the new version is very fast as Pencil2D is committed to bringing the lasted features to each user. The newest version is v0.6.4 (as of August 2019). Its user guide is informative with video tutorials, FAQs, and manual material.

Features:

Lightweight and minimalistic design that makes it very easy for beginners.
Features raster and vector workflows, with easy switching between them. You can paint and sketch as you want!
Will run on all platforms – Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Completely free and open source.

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 a 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 a video game, modeling, and high-quality animation. However, it involves a steep learning curve. Luckily, there are many tutorials to guide you through the journey. You can also ask for help in the Blender community that millions of talented people like you are there.