Have you ever wondered how did the professionals get these magnificent stop motion animations? I mean have you ever thought did they just use their phones to produce movies that look that good. Of course not. The key here is the software that was used to produce them. Now, I can say with confidence that you can go on YouTube and find a number of free software for stop motion animation. But only a few are worth your time. So I have gone ahead and spent my time in researching the best ones out there for you.
Stop motion animation is an art beyond every other art forms. It’s both time consuming and costly, not to mention all the talent you need to make one film. All this requires great deal of software. But, there are some free stop motion animation softwares which can make your work easier and cost effective.
Blender
Use on: Windows, Mac OS, Linux
Best for: Everyone, beginner to pro
If you’re looking for free animation software, take a look at Blender. Blender stands out from other options in that it is an open-source 3D animation suite. That means it’s been developed by many contributors from around the world—so you can be sure that it offers robust and varied capabilities.
Blender supports the entire animation workflow from start to finish: modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, and video editing. Users also appreciate that they can import external objects, such as textures and other animations.
Did we mention it’s free?
Poser
Those who are not much into Poser should know that it is standalone 3D character animation software with inbuilt figurines and add-ons. Drag them from the rich library of props, lighting, hair, clothing and ready-to-pose figures to bring up the scene that you have always imagined. A favourite among design studios, Poser provides you endless opportunities to depict figures carrying diverse expressions now and then.
Cartoon Animator 4 (formerly CrazyTalk Animator 3)
Professional 2D creativity and animation design
The software allows you to create custom 2D characters, choose characters from the huge database, and import PSD character templates. You can easily make any static image move by applying different motion templates provided in the library, even 3D motions.
The software also comes with a bone rigging tool, supports audio lip-syncing, facial detection, and many more simple and advanced features, depending on the edition you are using. Pretty much, Cartoon Animator 4 allows you to have full control over your 2D characters and create a professional animation.
Features:
- 4K video support;
- library of pre-made character templates and motion templates;
- tools for creating 2D characters including rigging and bone tools;
- tools for animating characters including elastic and bouncy curve editing, facial free form deformation, audio lip-syncing;
- tools for creating talking heads and employing them on any character;
- easy to import PSD files as character templates, and export to PSD for graphic editing;
- live facial motion capture – from any angle;
- head driven body movements;
- up to 360 degrees head turning;
- supports many popular image and video formats;
- plus many more advanced animation features.
Pricing:
- Pro Edition – $99
- Pipeline Edition – $199
- Special bundle discounts
- Free trial – 30 days
DigiCel FlipBook
Easy to use and powerful enough to create great 2D animations
Considered as one of the easiest 2D animation software on the market, DigiCel FlipBook allows you to create traditional frame-by-frame animation. You can draw directly onto the software or scan your paper drawings – it’s completely up to your personal preferences! The software also allows you to create stop motion animations if that’s the type of animation you are looking for. Boosted with very useful features, DigiCel FlipBook is a powerful and easy-to-understand tool for traditional 2D animation.
Features:
- shoot and scan your drawings or draw right into the software;
- lipsync support;
- work on one or multiple frames at a time;
- pan, zoom, rotate, blur, dissolve;
- import/export functions, and more;
- runs on macOS and Windows.
Pricing:
- Free version with a watermark
- FlipBook Lite: $19.99*
- FlipBook Studio: $69.99*
- FlipBook Pro: $169.99*
- FlipBook ProHD: $199.99*
Toon Boom Harmony
The most powerful software for animation production.
Professional software for animation used by beginners as well as very experienced animators. Toon Boom Harmony is a product with which you can create any kind of animation, be it traditional drawn animation, Flash-style cut-out animation, particle effects, a combination of 2D and 3D animations, and more. The popular software offers advanced tools and features for drawing, rigging, animation and pretty much, all that is required from animation software.
Features:
- runs on Windows and macOS;
- advanced vector/bitmap drawing technology;
- advanced palettes and painting tools providing effective control over texture and color;
- a toolset for traditional frame-by-frame animation;
- integrating 3D elements with 2D characters;
- special effects including volume and lighting effects to characters with auto toning;
- different camera angles and control over the composition;
- cut-out animation with master controllers;
- integration with other software: multilayer PSD and PSB files, Illustrator, PDF, bitmaps, audio;
- easy export to game engines.
Pricing:
- Harmony Essentials: EUR €400/purchase or EUR €16 / month (when billed annually)
- Harmony Advanced: EUR €1,030/purchase or EUR €41 / month (when billed annually)
- Harmony Premium: EUR €2,085/purchase or EUR €78 / month (when billed annually)
- Free trial: 21 days.
Pencil2D
Light and easy to use tool for 2D hand-drawn animations
If you are into traditional hand-drawn animation, then maybe Pencil 2D is a great software to start your animation project. This free software lets you use both raster and vector graphics and you can switch easily between the two types of artwork. Pencil 2D is a cross-platform tool and lets you focus on animating even when you are on the go. Since the software is completely free and open source, users can have access to the source code and add features.
Features:
- runs on Windows, Mac OSX, Linux & Free BSD
- supports raster and vector images;
- includes various handy tools;
- includes distortion and light effects;
- import/export as a GIF is available;
Conclusion
There is a plethora of free software out there that can help with various aspects of stop motion animation. Whether you’re looking for editing software that will help you place your frame-by-frame shots into a video, or special effects to add to the final product, this post has you covered.