The Ultimate Guide to Creating Stunning Motion Blur Effects in FCP

Wondershare Filmora

Create stunning effects with simple clicks.

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Motion blur is the visual smearing or streaking caught on camera from the subject’s movement, camera, or both. The human eye notices motion blur in real life naturally. So, a subtle blur in movies and videos makes them look more reality based.

Final Cut Pro does not have a built-in Motion Blur Effect. But there are several software and websites that allow you to add a blur effect. You need to buy the plugins and templates that will help you create this effect. In this article, we have talked about how to add the Motion Blur Effect to Final Cut Pro with the help of different templates. Without further ado, let’s hop into it!

In this article

01 How to Add Motion Blur in FCPX?

02 How to Do Motion Blur in Easy Way?

03 Motion Blur Plugins or Templates for FCPX [Free＆Paid]

04 Motion Blur Effect in Filmmaking

Part1: How to Add Motion Blur in FCPX?

Usually most people would use several software and websites to add Motion Blur, but there’s also a way to add the blur effect in FCPX. Follow the steps below to add motion blur in FCPX.

Step1Add an Adjustment Layer

Select Title from the above menu, a drop-down with several options will appear. Find the one with the adjustment layer’s name and click on it. Drag the Adjustment Layer to timeline and expand it to the whole length or the specific part of the video. Adjust the settings from the menu at the left of the view.

Note: You must download the adjustment layer first. Generally, you will find the recently added adjustment layer in the Custom option.

Step2Apply Transformation Effect

Select Transformation from the bottom left of the view, a drop-down menu will appear. Now, select Transform from it. You will see a white with several blue dots surrounding the view. You can use these blue dots to Flip, Rotate, and Adjust the position of the view screen.

Step3Apply Keyframing and Motion Blur

While you are in the Transformation window, you will see a menu on the right of your view. From that menu, you can apply keyframing by adjusting Position, Rotate, and Scale under the Transform tab.

Note: Select the part of the video you want to apply keyframing on first.

Select the Title option from the above menu. Another menu will appear; select Motion Blur from it and apply the motion blur on video by dragging the effect to the timeline. To smooth it out, select Modify from the top and pick Random Selection from it.

Speed up your video first by selecting the third option from the left bottom of the view. A drop-down menu will appear; choose Reset Speed. A Green bar will appear on the top of the timeline; click on it and select Fast to speed up the video. Moreover, you will have to download the Motion Blur plugin.

Part2: How to Do Motion Blur in Easy Way?

The motion needs a sufficient amount of blur. It happens with our natural perception as well. For example, if something moves too quickly, it appears blur to our eyes. So, it must be the right amount of blur.

To tackle this problem, we add motion blur to make it look more natural and reality based. It provides the natural smearing we see when something moves too quickly but not when shooting the video. To add this effect, you can use powerful editing software such as Wondershare Filmora. Follow the below steps to add a blur effect to your video on Filmora.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step1Launch Filmora

Launch Filmora on your device and import it. Now, click on the video and drag it to Fimora’s Timeline and play it.

Step2Split the Video

Split the video by stopping it from where you want the motion blur to start. Play it again. Now, stop and split the video from where you want the effect to stop.

Step3Search Blur

Now, select the video portion you have split and click on the Effects option from the above menu—search Blur on it. You will see multiple blur effects, select one from there and Drag it to the middle part of the video. Play the video to see the motion blur.

**Note:**Select the part of the video you want to apply keyframing on first.

Step4Apply Transition

Now, select the video portion you have split and click on the Effects option from the above menu—search Blur on it. You will see multiple blur effects, select one from there and Drag it to the middle part of the video. Play the video to see the motion blur.

Part3: Motion Blur Plugins or Templates for FCPX [Free＆Paid]

Many people believe that Final Cut Pro X lacks a little when it comes to editing tools. However, if you know the perfect plugin for your requirement, Final Cut Pro X can prove to be an entirely different tool. So, we have compiled some of the best plugins for it.

Name	Fearture	Free/paid
Color Finale 2.0	Color Grading	Free
Motion Blur Plugin	Add Motion Blur	Free
Distortion Effects	Add distortions to the image	Free
Alex 4D Wide Angle Fix	Removes Distortion	Free
Final Cut Pro Plugins & Templates by Motion Array	Contains Hundreds of Templates	Paid
Track X by Mocha	Tracks the motion of subjects	Paid
Loudness Meter bu Youlean	Make the loudest parts audible	Paid
Easy Tracker by CrumblePop	Add texts, graphics, and titles with the subject	Paid

Color Finale 2.0 [Free]

Color Finale 2.0 is a color grading software that is specially designed for FCPX. It has opened up a gateway for professionals and starters to color grade their videos quickly and efficiently.

Alex 4D Wide Angle Fix [Free]

One of the significant issues in wide-angle shots is distortion. It can occur as the edges of the frame are bending. So, this Alex 4D Wide Angle Fix helps to remove this distortion from wide-angle shots.

Motion Blur Plugin [Free]

This plugin helps you to add varying motion blur to moving subjects in a video. This makes it perfect for quick-moving graphics, time-lapses, etc. Once FCPX got the plugin, it is easy to use it.

Distortion Effects [Free]

Distortion Effects help you in adding distortions such as twirling, zigzagging, or bulging to your image. This plugin is specific and used for creating an experimental film or a scene in which distortion is necessary. It can also be creatively applied in transitions.

Final Cut Pro Plugins & Templates by Motion Array [Paid]

Motion Array is a website that contains hundreds of plugins and templates for Final Cut Pro. The range of templates has everything that you need. So, download the motion blur template, and you are all set.

Track X by Mocha [Paid]

It is an excellent plugin with tracking functionality one might otherwise rely on Motion or After Effects to produce. It allows you to track the subject’s motion with graphics, texts, or even by the green screen in six ways.

Loudness Meter bu Youlean [Paid]

Youlean Meter recognizes the audio’s loudest parts and brings them within an acceptable limit for streaming and broadcasting. It prevents the loss of ineligibility and quality for platforms because of various regulations and legal standards.

Easy Tracker by CrumblePop [Paid]

It is a simple plugin that helps you track the subject’s motion with the help of titles, graphics, or texts. This plugin works the same as Track X, but it does not support a green screen in the same way. It is ideal if you want to add text tags.

Part4: Motion Blur Effect in Filmmaking

Motion Blur is one of the essential effects to add when you are making a movie. It exaggerates the motion in a perfect way which is necessary for most action movies. This blur effect is usually the result of something moving quicker than the camera. The more significant the speed difference between the camera filming and the moving object, the more pronounced motion blur will be.

In the majority of the cases, it is best to apply motion blur on background objects than the subjects. For example, motion blur is perfect for the shots in which the camera moves at the same speed as the subject. Although, if the subject is moving faster than the camera, you would want a minimal blur.

Technically speaking, more excellent motion blur can be obtained through a lower shutter speed or vice versa. Ensure that your shutter speed is always twice your framerate because anything lower can result in unnatural-looking footage. The famous bike chase of Star Wars Episode VI is a perfect example of the productive application of motion blur. The scene was captured by walking in the forest and shooting a single frame per time.

Conclusion

Most of the videos need a significant amount of blur to make them look realistic. FCPX is excellent editing software, but it does not have blurring effects. However, there’s a way to add blur effect in FCPX, but many people are unaware of it.

To tackle this problem, we came up with different plugins for Motion Blur and its effects in filmmaking. So, now you have in-depth knowledge of how you can add blur effects in FCPX.

Wondershare Filmora

Do motion blur effect easily with Filmora!

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Learn More >

Try It Free Try It Free

Motion blur is the visual smearing or streaking caught on camera from the subject’s movement, camera, or both. The human eye notices motion blur in real life naturally. So, a subtle blur in movies and videos makes them look more reality based.

Final Cut Pro does not have a built-in Motion Blur Effect. But there are several software and websites that allow you to add a blur effect. You need to buy the plugins and templates that will help you create this effect. In this article, we have talked about how to add the Motion Blur Effect to Final Cut Pro with the help of different templates. Without further ado, let’s hop into it!

In this article

01 How to Add Motion Blur in FCPX?

02 How to Do Motion Blur in Easy Way?

03 Motion Blur Plugins or Templates for FCPX [Free＆Paid]

04 Motion Blur Effect in Filmmaking

Part1: How to Add Motion Blur in FCPX?

Usually most people would use several software and websites to add Motion Blur, but there’s also a way to add the blur effect in FCPX. Follow the steps below to add motion blur in FCPX.

Step1Add an Adjustment Layer

Select Title from the above menu, a drop-down with several options will appear. Find the one with the adjustment layer’s name and click on it. Drag the Adjustment Layer to timeline and expand it to the whole length or the specific part of the video. Adjust the settings from the menu at the left of the view.

Note: You must download the adjustment layer first. Generally, you will find the recently added adjustment layer in the Custom option.

Step2Apply Transformation Effect

Select Transformation from the bottom left of the view, a drop-down menu will appear. Now, select Transform from it. You will see a white with several blue dots surrounding the view. You can use these blue dots to Flip, Rotate, and Adjust the position of the view screen.

Step3Apply Keyframing and Motion Blur

While you are in the Transformation window, you will see a menu on the right of your view. From that menu, you can apply keyframing by adjusting Position, Rotate, and Scale under the Transform tab.

Note: Select the part of the video you want to apply keyframing on first.

Select the Title option from the above menu. Another menu will appear; select Motion Blur from it and apply the motion blur on video by dragging the effect to the timeline. To smooth it out, select Modify from the top and pick Random Selection from it.

Speed up your video first by selecting the third option from the left bottom of the view. A drop-down menu will appear; choose Reset Speed. A Green bar will appear on the top of the timeline; click on it and select Fast to speed up the video. Moreover, you will have to download the Motion Blur plugin.

Part2: How to Do Motion Blur in Easy Way?

The motion needs a sufficient amount of blur. It happens with our natural perception as well. For example, if something moves too quickly, it appears blur to our eyes. So, it must be the right amount of blur.

To tackle this problem, we add motion blur to make it look more natural and reality based. It provides the natural smearing we see when something moves too quickly but not when shooting the video. To add this effect, you can use powerful editing software such as Wondershare Filmora. Follow the below steps to add a blur effect to your video on Filmora.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step1Launch Filmora

Launch Filmora on your device and import it. Now, click on the video and drag it to Fimora’s Timeline and play it.

Step2Split the Video

Split the video by stopping it from where you want the motion blur to start. Play it again. Now, stop and split the video from where you want the effect to stop.

Step3Search Blur

Now, select the video portion you have split and click on the Effects option from the above menu—search Blur on it. You will see multiple blur effects, select one from there and Drag it to the middle part of the video. Play the video to see the motion blur.

**Note:**Select the part of the video you want to apply keyframing on first.

Step4Apply Transition

Now, select the video portion you have split and click on the Effects option from the above menu—search Blur on it. You will see multiple blur effects, select one from there and Drag it to the middle part of the video. Play the video to see the motion blur.

Part3: Motion Blur Plugins or Templates for FCPX [Free＆Paid]

Many people believe that Final Cut Pro X lacks a little when it comes to editing tools. However, if you know the perfect plugin for your requirement, Final Cut Pro X can prove to be an entirely different tool. So, we have compiled some of the best plugins for it.

Name	Fearture	Free/paid
Color Finale 2.0	Color Grading	Free
Motion Blur Plugin	Add Motion Blur	Free
Distortion Effects	Add distortions to the image	Free
Alex 4D Wide Angle Fix	Removes Distortion	Free
Final Cut Pro Plugins & Templates by Motion Array	Contains Hundreds of Templates	Paid
Track X by Mocha	Tracks the motion of subjects	Paid
Loudness Meter bu Youlean	Make the loudest parts audible	Paid
Easy Tracker by CrumblePop	Add texts, graphics, and titles with the subject	Paid

Color Finale 2.0 [Free]

Color Finale 2.0 is a color grading software that is specially designed for FCPX. It has opened up a gateway for professionals and starters to color grade their videos quickly and efficiently.

Alex 4D Wide Angle Fix [Free]

One of the significant issues in wide-angle shots is distortion. It can occur as the edges of the frame are bending. So, this Alex 4D Wide Angle Fix helps to remove this distortion from wide-angle shots.

Motion Blur Plugin [Free]

This plugin helps you to add varying motion blur to moving subjects in a video. This makes it perfect for quick-moving graphics, time-lapses, etc. Once FCPX got the plugin, it is easy to use it.

Distortion Effects [Free]

Distortion Effects help you in adding distortions such as twirling, zigzagging, or bulging to your image. This plugin is specific and used for creating an experimental film or a scene in which distortion is necessary. It can also be creatively applied in transitions.

Final Cut Pro Plugins & Templates by Motion Array [Paid]

Motion Array is a website that contains hundreds of plugins and templates for Final Cut Pro. The range of templates has everything that you need. So, download the motion blur template, and you are all set.

Track X by Mocha [Paid]

It is an excellent plugin with tracking functionality one might otherwise rely on Motion or After Effects to produce. It allows you to track the subject’s motion with graphics, texts, or even by the green screen in six ways.

Loudness Meter bu Youlean [Paid]

Youlean Meter recognizes the audio’s loudest parts and brings them within an acceptable limit for streaming and broadcasting. It prevents the loss of ineligibility and quality for platforms because of various regulations and legal standards.

Easy Tracker by CrumblePop [Paid]

It is a simple plugin that helps you track the subject’s motion with the help of titles, graphics, or texts. This plugin works the same as Track X, but it does not support a green screen in the same way. It is ideal if you want to add text tags.

Part4: Motion Blur Effect in Filmmaking

Motion Blur is one of the essential effects to add when you are making a movie. It exaggerates the motion in a perfect way which is necessary for most action movies. This blur effect is usually the result of something moving quicker than the camera. The more significant the speed difference between the camera filming and the moving object, the more pronounced motion blur will be.

In the majority of the cases, it is best to apply motion blur on background objects than the subjects. For example, motion blur is perfect for the shots in which the camera moves at the same speed as the subject. Although, if the subject is moving faster than the camera, you would want a minimal blur.

Technically speaking, more excellent motion blur can be obtained through a lower shutter speed or vice versa. Ensure that your shutter speed is always twice your framerate because anything lower can result in unnatural-looking footage. The famous bike chase of Star Wars Episode VI is a perfect example of the productive application of motion blur. The scene was captured by walking in the forest and shooting a single frame per time.

Conclusion

Most of the videos need a significant amount of blur to make them look realistic. FCPX is excellent editing software, but it does not have blurring effects. However, there’s a way to add blur effect in FCPX, but many people are unaware of it.

To tackle this problem, we came up with different plugins for Motion Blur and its effects in filmmaking. So, now you have in-depth knowledge of how you can add blur effects in FCPX.

Wondershare Filmora

Do motion blur effect easily with Filmora!

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Learn More >

Try It Free Try It Free

Motion blur is the visual smearing or streaking caught on camera from the subject’s movement, camera, or both. The human eye notices motion blur in real life naturally. So, a subtle blur in movies and videos makes them look more reality based.

Final Cut Pro does not have a built-in Motion Blur Effect. But there are several software and websites that allow you to add a blur effect. You need to buy the plugins and templates that will help you create this effect. In this article, we have talked about how to add the Motion Blur Effect to Final Cut Pro with the help of different templates. Without further ado, let’s hop into it!

In this article

01 How to Add Motion Blur in FCPX?

02 How to Do Motion Blur in Easy Way?

03 Motion Blur Plugins or Templates for FCPX [Free＆Paid]

04 Motion Blur Effect in Filmmaking

Part1: How to Add Motion Blur in FCPX?

Usually most people would use several software and websites to add Motion Blur, but there’s also a way to add the blur effect in FCPX. Follow the steps below to add motion blur in FCPX.

Step1Add an Adjustment Layer

Select Title from the above menu, a drop-down with several options will appear. Find the one with the adjustment layer’s name and click on it. Drag the Adjustment Layer to timeline and expand it to the whole length or the specific part of the video. Adjust the settings from the menu at the left of the view.

Note: You must download the adjustment layer first. Generally, you will find the recently added adjustment layer in the Custom option.

Step2Apply Transformation Effect

Select Transformation from the bottom left of the view, a drop-down menu will appear. Now, select Transform from it. You will see a white with several blue dots surrounding the view. You can use these blue dots to Flip, Rotate, and Adjust the position of the view screen.

Step3Apply Keyframing and Motion Blur

While you are in the Transformation window, you will see a menu on the right of your view. From that menu, you can apply keyframing by adjusting Position, Rotate, and Scale under the Transform tab.

Note: Select the part of the video you want to apply keyframing on first.

Select the Title option from the above menu. Another menu will appear; select Motion Blur from it and apply the motion blur on video by dragging the effect to the timeline. To smooth it out, select Modify from the top and pick Random Selection from it.

Speed up your video first by selecting the third option from the left bottom of the view. A drop-down menu will appear; choose Reset Speed. A Green bar will appear on the top of the timeline; click on it and select Fast to speed up the video. Moreover, you will have to download the Motion Blur plugin.

Part2: How to Do Motion Blur in Easy Way?

The motion needs a sufficient amount of blur. It happens with our natural perception as well. For example, if something moves too quickly, it appears blur to our eyes. So, it must be the right amount of blur.

To tackle this problem, we add motion blur to make it look more natural and reality based. It provides the natural smearing we see when something moves too quickly but not when shooting the video. To add this effect, you can use powerful editing software such as Wondershare Filmora. Follow the below steps to add a blur effect to your video on Filmora.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step1Launch Filmora

Launch Filmora on your device and import it. Now, click on the video and drag it to Fimora’s Timeline and play it.

Step2Split the Video

Split the video by stopping it from where you want the motion blur to start. Play it again. Now, stop and split the video from where you want the effect to stop.

Step3Search Blur

Now, select the video portion you have split and click on the Effects option from the above menu—search Blur on it. You will see multiple blur effects, select one from there and Drag it to the middle part of the video. Play the video to see the motion blur.

**Note:**Select the part of the video you want to apply keyframing on first.

Step4Apply Transition

Now, select the video portion you have split and click on the Effects option from the above menu—search Blur on it. You will see multiple blur effects, select one from there and Drag it to the middle part of the video. Play the video to see the motion blur.

Part3: Motion Blur Plugins or Templates for FCPX [Free＆Paid]

Many people believe that Final Cut Pro X lacks a little when it comes to editing tools. However, if you know the perfect plugin for your requirement, Final Cut Pro X can prove to be an entirely different tool. So, we have compiled some of the best plugins for it.

Name	Fearture	Free/paid
Color Finale 2.0	Color Grading	Free
Motion Blur Plugin	Add Motion Blur	Free
Distortion Effects	Add distortions to the image	Free
Alex 4D Wide Angle Fix	Removes Distortion	Free
Final Cut Pro Plugins & Templates by Motion Array	Contains Hundreds of Templates	Paid
Track X by Mocha	Tracks the motion of subjects	Paid
Loudness Meter bu Youlean	Make the loudest parts audible	Paid
Easy Tracker by CrumblePop	Add texts, graphics, and titles with the subject	Paid

Color Finale 2.0 [Free]

Color Finale 2.0 is a color grading software that is specially designed for FCPX. It has opened up a gateway for professionals and starters to color grade their videos quickly and efficiently.

Alex 4D Wide Angle Fix [Free]

One of the significant issues in wide-angle shots is distortion. It can occur as the edges of the frame are bending. So, this Alex 4D Wide Angle Fix helps to remove this distortion from wide-angle shots.

Motion Blur Plugin [Free]

This plugin helps you to add varying motion blur to moving subjects in a video. This makes it perfect for quick-moving graphics, time-lapses, etc. Once FCPX got the plugin, it is easy to use it.

Distortion Effects [Free]

Distortion Effects help you in adding distortions such as twirling, zigzagging, or bulging to your image. This plugin is specific and used for creating an experimental film or a scene in which distortion is necessary. It can also be creatively applied in transitions.

Final Cut Pro Plugins & Templates by Motion Array [Paid]

Motion Array is a website that contains hundreds of plugins and templates for Final Cut Pro. The range of templates has everything that you need. So, download the motion blur template, and you are all set.

Track X by Mocha [Paid]

It is an excellent plugin with tracking functionality one might otherwise rely on Motion or After Effects to produce. It allows you to track the subject’s motion with graphics, texts, or even by the green screen in six ways.

Loudness Meter bu Youlean [Paid]

Youlean Meter recognizes the audio’s loudest parts and brings them within an acceptable limit for streaming and broadcasting. It prevents the loss of ineligibility and quality for platforms because of various regulations and legal standards.

Easy Tracker by CrumblePop [Paid]

It is a simple plugin that helps you track the subject’s motion with the help of titles, graphics, or texts. This plugin works the same as Track X, but it does not support a green screen in the same way. It is ideal if you want to add text tags.

Part4: Motion Blur Effect in Filmmaking

Motion Blur is one of the essential effects to add when you are making a movie. It exaggerates the motion in a perfect way which is necessary for most action movies. This blur effect is usually the result of something moving quicker than the camera. The more significant the speed difference between the camera filming and the moving object, the more pronounced motion blur will be.

In the majority of the cases, it is best to apply motion blur on background objects than the subjects. For example, motion blur is perfect for the shots in which the camera moves at the same speed as the subject. Although, if the subject is moving faster than the camera, you would want a minimal blur.

Technically speaking, more excellent motion blur can be obtained through a lower shutter speed or vice versa. Ensure that your shutter speed is always twice your framerate because anything lower can result in unnatural-looking footage. The famous bike chase of Star Wars Episode VI is a perfect example of the productive application of motion blur. The scene was captured by walking in the forest and shooting a single frame per time.

Conclusion

Most of the videos need a significant amount of blur to make them look realistic. FCPX is excellent editing software, but it does not have blurring effects. However, there’s a way to add blur effect in FCPX, but many people are unaware of it.

To tackle this problem, we came up with different plugins for Motion Blur and its effects in filmmaking. So, now you have in-depth knowledge of how you can add blur effects in FCPX.

Wondershare Filmora

Do motion blur effect easily with Filmora!

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Learn More >

Try It Free Try It Free

Motion blur is the visual smearing or streaking caught on camera from the subject’s movement, camera, or both. The human eye notices motion blur in real life naturally. So, a subtle blur in movies and videos makes them look more reality based.

Final Cut Pro does not have a built-in Motion Blur Effect. But there are several software and websites that allow you to add a blur effect. You need to buy the plugins and templates that will help you create this effect. In this article, we have talked about how to add the Motion Blur Effect to Final Cut Pro with the help of different templates. Without further ado, let’s hop into it!

In this article

01 How to Add Motion Blur in FCPX?

02 How to Do Motion Blur in Easy Way?

03 Motion Blur Plugins or Templates for FCPX [Free＆Paid]

04 Motion Blur Effect in Filmmaking

Part1: How to Add Motion Blur in FCPX?

Usually most people would use several software and websites to add Motion Blur, but there’s also a way to add the blur effect in FCPX. Follow the steps below to add motion blur in FCPX.

Step1Add an Adjustment Layer

Select Title from the above menu, a drop-down with several options will appear. Find the one with the adjustment layer’s name and click on it. Drag the Adjustment Layer to timeline and expand it to the whole length or the specific part of the video. Adjust the settings from the menu at the left of the view.

Note: You must download the adjustment layer first. Generally, you will find the recently added adjustment layer in the Custom option.

Step2Apply Transformation Effect

Select Transformation from the bottom left of the view, a drop-down menu will appear. Now, select Transform from it. You will see a white with several blue dots surrounding the view. You can use these blue dots to Flip, Rotate, and Adjust the position of the view screen.

Step3Apply Keyframing and Motion Blur

While you are in the Transformation window, you will see a menu on the right of your view. From that menu, you can apply keyframing by adjusting Position, Rotate, and Scale under the Transform tab.

Note: Select the part of the video you want to apply keyframing on first.

Select the Title option from the above menu. Another menu will appear; select Motion Blur from it and apply the motion blur on video by dragging the effect to the timeline. To smooth it out, select Modify from the top and pick Random Selection from it.

Speed up your video first by selecting the third option from the left bottom of the view. A drop-down menu will appear; choose Reset Speed. A Green bar will appear on the top of the timeline; click on it and select Fast to speed up the video. Moreover, you will have to download the Motion Blur plugin.

Part2: How to Do Motion Blur in Easy Way?

The motion needs a sufficient amount of blur. It happens with our natural perception as well. For example, if something moves too quickly, it appears blur to our eyes. So, it must be the right amount of blur.

To tackle this problem, we add motion blur to make it look more natural and reality based. It provides the natural smearing we see when something moves too quickly but not when shooting the video. To add this effect, you can use powerful editing software such as Wondershare Filmora. Follow the below steps to add a blur effect to your video on Filmora.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step1Launch Filmora

Launch Filmora on your device and import it. Now, click on the video and drag it to Fimora’s Timeline and play it.

Step2Split the Video

Split the video by stopping it from where you want the motion blur to start. Play it again. Now, stop and split the video from where you want the effect to stop.

Step3Search Blur

Now, select the video portion you have split and click on the Effects option from the above menu—search Blur on it. You will see multiple blur effects, select one from there and Drag it to the middle part of the video. Play the video to see the motion blur.

**Note:**Select the part of the video you want to apply keyframing on first.

Step4Apply Transition

Now, select the video portion you have split and click on the Effects option from the above menu—search Blur on it. You will see multiple blur effects, select one from there and Drag it to the middle part of the video. Play the video to see the motion blur.

Part3: Motion Blur Plugins or Templates for FCPX [Free＆Paid]

Many people believe that Final Cut Pro X lacks a little when it comes to editing tools. However, if you know the perfect plugin for your requirement, Final Cut Pro X can prove to be an entirely different tool. So, we have compiled some of the best plugins for it.

Name	Fearture	Free/paid
Color Finale 2.0	Color Grading	Free
Motion Blur Plugin	Add Motion Blur	Free
Distortion Effects	Add distortions to the image	Free
Alex 4D Wide Angle Fix	Removes Distortion	Free
Final Cut Pro Plugins & Templates by Motion Array	Contains Hundreds of Templates	Paid
Track X by Mocha	Tracks the motion of subjects	Paid
Loudness Meter bu Youlean	Make the loudest parts audible	Paid
Easy Tracker by CrumblePop	Add texts, graphics, and titles with the subject	Paid

Color Finale 2.0 [Free]

Color Finale 2.0 is a color grading software that is specially designed for FCPX. It has opened up a gateway for professionals and starters to color grade their videos quickly and efficiently.

Alex 4D Wide Angle Fix [Free]

One of the significant issues in wide-angle shots is distortion. It can occur as the edges of the frame are bending. So, this Alex 4D Wide Angle Fix helps to remove this distortion from wide-angle shots.

Motion Blur Plugin [Free]

This plugin helps you to add varying motion blur to moving subjects in a video. This makes it perfect for quick-moving graphics, time-lapses, etc. Once FCPX got the plugin, it is easy to use it.

Distortion Effects [Free]

Distortion Effects help you in adding distortions such as twirling, zigzagging, or bulging to your image. This plugin is specific and used for creating an experimental film or a scene in which distortion is necessary. It can also be creatively applied in transitions.

Final Cut Pro Plugins & Templates by Motion Array [Paid]

Motion Array is a website that contains hundreds of plugins and templates for Final Cut Pro. The range of templates has everything that you need. So, download the motion blur template, and you are all set.

Track X by Mocha [Paid]

It is an excellent plugin with tracking functionality one might otherwise rely on Motion or After Effects to produce. It allows you to track the subject’s motion with graphics, texts, or even by the green screen in six ways.

Loudness Meter bu Youlean [Paid]

Youlean Meter recognizes the audio’s loudest parts and brings them within an acceptable limit for streaming and broadcasting. It prevents the loss of ineligibility and quality for platforms because of various regulations and legal standards.

Easy Tracker by CrumblePop [Paid]

It is a simple plugin that helps you track the subject’s motion with the help of titles, graphics, or texts. This plugin works the same as Track X, but it does not support a green screen in the same way. It is ideal if you want to add text tags.

Part4: Motion Blur Effect in Filmmaking

Motion Blur is one of the essential effects to add when you are making a movie. It exaggerates the motion in a perfect way which is necessary for most action movies. This blur effect is usually the result of something moving quicker than the camera. The more significant the speed difference between the camera filming and the moving object, the more pronounced motion blur will be.

In the majority of the cases, it is best to apply motion blur on background objects than the subjects. For example, motion blur is perfect for the shots in which the camera moves at the same speed as the subject. Although, if the subject is moving faster than the camera, you would want a minimal blur.

Technically speaking, more excellent motion blur can be obtained through a lower shutter speed or vice versa. Ensure that your shutter speed is always twice your framerate because anything lower can result in unnatural-looking footage. The famous bike chase of Star Wars Episode VI is a perfect example of the productive application of motion blur. The scene was captured by walking in the forest and shooting a single frame per time.

Conclusion

Most of the videos need a significant amount of blur to make them look realistic. FCPX is excellent editing software, but it does not have blurring effects. However, there’s a way to add blur effect in FCPX, but many people are unaware of it.

To tackle this problem, we came up with different plugins for Motion Blur and its effects in filmmaking. So, now you have in-depth knowledge of how you can add blur effects in FCPX.

Wondershare Filmora

Do motion blur effect easily with Filmora!

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Learn More >

Top 12 Free Animation Tools for Windows and macOS

Best 12 Free Download Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money no matter it is 2D animation software or 3D animation editor. The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to make different animation types easily.

That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Whether you are a professional editor or just a beginner to start making animation, you will find the tools listed below are easy to use without watermark and won’t cost money to improve your skills.

The best part is you will find these free animation programs are also very useful for content creation on Mac and Windows. Besides, we have listed the pros and cons of each software. Keep reading!

• Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
• Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
• Part 3: FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Here we have made a table of 12 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS. Take a look.

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

5K-3DMiddleIt is a great tool for 3D artists6KritaDifficultPerfect software for 2D animation

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	Synfig Studio	Easy	Calculate vector shape to animation automatically
2	Pencil2D Animation	Easiest	Straightforward interface for beginners
3	Tupi	Middle	Its community is active to offer solutions
4	Blender	Difficult	It is a powerful animation tool to render and make modeling

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	DAZ Studio	Difficult	For professional users with the fast animation process
2	Terragen	Middle	It can make realistic CG environments
3	Anim8or	Difficult	3D animation is Anim8or’s main function
4	Seamless3d	Easy	It has many features for 3d modeling
5	OpenToonz	Middle	Make cartoon animation with plugins
6	Stykz	Easy	Quickly make animation if you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Looking for a simple while powerful Mac video editing tool ? We recommend using Wondershare Filmora. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes, or anything you like for YouTube videos.

The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.

Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try! Or learn more from Wondershare Video Community .

Key features

• Create various shapes that you like
• Add keyframing to make it move
• Fine-tuning to make it smooth
• Add visual effects/text/color before export it

You can even create photo cut animation which has been very trendy on Tiktok and Instagram. Here is a video to present you how you can do it in Filmora.

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

Listed below is free animation software on Mac. Take a look.

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: You can create many layers once a time and sync audio for your animation.

Con: This one needs much time to learn, especially for beginners.

An open-source 2D animation software that works on Macs, Synfig Studio delivers multiple players while you are creating content. Whether you want to add geometric, filters, distortions, or transformations, it is all possible! And thanks to the high-end bone system, you can create cut-out videos using bitmap images!

The thoughtful part is there are two download versions on the homepage: the stable version and the development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package gives you access to the use of the latest features.

For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipedia and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch, and French for a video course.

You can free download its latest version 1.3.11. The upcoming version is 1.4.

Features:

• It offers support for many layers within the animation.
• The program’s bone system means that you can easily create animations with bitmap images or vector artwork.
• It allows you to sync your creative work with any sound that you want. Has a full-featured audio editor.

02 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.

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It supports vector illustrations. Besides, various formats are available.

Con: If you want to make 3D animation, it will fail. You can only make 2D effects.

A free software application for YouTube, Tupi will allow you to create 2D animations to your heart’s content. The tool was started by animators who wanted to create something that others could use.

It is an open-source tool, which means that users can make tweaks to the program if they have some interesting ideas. The program works on both Windows and Mac. You need to use Tupi and Papagayo to make lip-sync animation with different mouth shapes.

It also offers a solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support, and ads-free, so many schools choose to use this one to teach kids how to make an animation video.

Features:

• Support for vector illustrations. You can add rectangles, lines, polygons, and other shapes as you please. To fill areas, just use the paint bucket.
• You can import raster images using this program.
• You can export all your finished images into different file formats.
• Support for tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations.

04 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.

Features:

• Creating renders is no problem with this program.
• Modeling, such as sculpting, retopology, and creating curves is not an issue either.
• VFX and animation features are better than any option on the market.
• It offers powerful simulation tools.
• Integration with pipeline tools is easy.

05 K-3D - Best for Animation and Modeling in 3D

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: Ideal for designing simple 3D animations and models.

Con: It has an old-fashioned interface. Also, the built-render (RenderMan) feature is difficult to use by beginners.

K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. You can download this tool for free on your Mac. Besides, you can also install and run it on your Windows and Linux systems. If you look at the design, you will find that the software is quite old. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Why so? It is because K-3D is one of the strongest and most versatile tools for 3D artists with many options.

For example, K-3D offers extremely systematic and methodological workflows. You can easily adjust the properties of the features in real-time and get instant results. It has a node-oriented visualization pipeline to enjoy more freedom. That means you can create animation using a variety of combinations.

One of the best things about K-3D is that it has three subdivisions of animation. You can work on your model on one side while showing the other side in a mirrored form. Then, experience the final result combined together. And in case you need to make the changes to the end results, you can simply work on the first subdivision and savor automatic changes to the results.

K-3D has an advanced redo and undo mechanism to ensure you can go back or move forward to make corrections or amendments without limits. Additionally, the tool is developed keeping in mind all the industrial standards. For instance, it has complete support and integration of native RenderMan™ to its user interface. This is an excellent feature because most free animation software for Mac requires third-party render plugins.

Features:

• Parametric workflow.
• 2D and 3D animation tools.
• Allows Python and K3DScript scripting.

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Advanced tools with numerous animation options and online training material.

Con: Not suitable for beginners.

If you love 2D animation, then you’ll surely love Krita. It is entirely free software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Also, it offers a full platform for drawing and frame-by-frame animation.

The number one reason for adoring Krita is its brush library. There are more than 100 professional brushes to give you a wide range of effects. Moreover, the strokes are pretty amazing and similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Another great thing about Krita is the brush stabilization feature designed for shaky hands. You can add a stabilizer to your chosen brush to smoothen its flow. Besides, there’s a special Dynamic Brush tool to make animation more fun. At the same time, you can also customize your brushes through different brush engines, including filter engines, color smudge engines, and many more.

Apart from the basic brush options, the preloaded vector tools are next to admire. These tools help you make great comic panels. All you need to do is choose and drag the word bubble template on your canvas. Then, make changes with the anchor point to make new shapes. At the same time, you can also add text to your animation by using the text tool.

Last but not least, there’s a wrap-around mode to create seamless patterns and textures. That means the image or drawing makes its own references along the x-axis and y-axis. This gives you the freedom to continue painting and enjoy updates to your animation instantly.

Features:

• HDR painting.
• PSD support.
• Python scripting.
• Selection and transformation tools.
• Proper group, filter, vector, and file layer management.
• Complete color management for extraordinary results.
• Drawing assistant to help you with straight lines and vanishing points.

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

Below is free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Anireel is a simple yet powerful Video Creativity tool used to make 2D animated explainer videos. Developed by Wondershare, one of the most popular Windows software and tool developers, Anireel uses rich, ready-to-use, and diverse assets to help one effortlessly make animated videos.

Features:

• There are tons of drag and drop characters, actions, props, text, and audio assets.
• Easy Text-to-Speech conversion via deep studying technology.
• Animate integrated and imported assets.
• Tons of templates that match many script types.

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: You can make game animation for fun. It also supports GPU accelerated real-time rendering.

Con: It has a high demand for the device, but owns a steep learning curve.

Daz 3d is a powerful and completely free 3D creation tool that will let you create the short videos that you want. Whether you are using this for business or pleasure, you will find the program is very easy to understand. Within a day, you will be completely used to its interface.

3D effects are the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build a model, render, and pose animation within the skin texture level. It has a high requirement for the device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.

Features:

• Options for 3D morphing, animation, and rendering.
• GPU accelerated real-time rendering, which delivers the best results.
• Interactive tutorials to help you become a better 3D artist.
• Everything you make is yours, royalty-free!

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us make animation.

Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.

A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!

Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.

For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.

Features:

• Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
• Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
• Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
• Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.

Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.

Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.

It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.

Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.

Features:

• A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
• Features support for TrueType fonts.
• Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is an open-source 3D modeling package. The good thing is the handy infinite Undo/Redo operation.

Con: Some advanced features are missing like drawing.

Seamless3d, an open-source 3D modeling software that you can download, is among the best animation worktables if you want to create specialized images, animated videos, or 3D characters.

It supports FFmpeg video format, so you can use AVI, MP4, and more. Besides, the forum is not active compared with before, but you still can find answers from many tutorials .

Features:

• It comes with infinite undo and redo options for complete flexibility to correct mistakes.
• It allows for partitioned and seamless texture mapping for YouTube videos.
• Has a specialized tree view interface.

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.

Con: The plug-in effects are limited.

This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.

Features:

• You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
• Smooth correction without frame losing.
• Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is the best stick figure animation if you want to make this kind of video.

Con: The UI is not modern to use and needs time to adapt to using it.

Stykz is completely free to use and without a watermark. If you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator, then you will find Stykz is similar to it, but you can import the previous .stk files to animate it again. You can use it to make animation smooth frame by frame.

With its frame-based feature, Stykz is easy to customize each frame. You can change previous and current frames to get what you want. You can download it to have a try considering its easy-to-use features.

Features:

• There is some animes file on this website, so you can have a reference.
• Edit animation in the software without using another editing window.
• You can share the final work with others including information.

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

To be frank, Mac is a better choice to make animation if you want to have a smooth animation experience. For example, screen resolution is a crucial factor to make excellent animation. The good is Mac’s screen will never let you disappointed.

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

The best animation software on mac includes Synfig Studio, Pencil2D Animation, Tupi, Blender, and more. Mentioned are free-to-use. Maya is also worth considering animation software if you are a professional user. Maya offers a 1-month free trial. After it is ended, the paid plans are month, 1-year, and 3-year.

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Yes, you can make basic animation in Photoshop. However, it only supports frame-based animation making. In this case, you need to use other professional software to make animation. But, you still can use Photoshop to meet your needs if you are a beginner.

Conclusion

With any of these free animation maker programs on Mac and Windows, you will have an easy time creating your next 2D or 3D video. Ensure you choose the program that has the features and compatibility that you desire. Then it is up to your creative mind to come up with stunning animations! If you want to make animation easily, you can also find inspiration through classical animated cartoon types with examples .

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money no matter it is 2D animation software or 3D animation editor. The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to make different animation types easily.

That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Whether you are a professional editor or just a beginner to start making animation, you will find the tools listed below are easy to use without watermark and won’t cost money to improve your skills.

The best part is you will find these free animation programs are also very useful for content creation on Mac and Windows. Besides, we have listed the pros and cons of each software. Keep reading!

• Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
• Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
• Part 3: FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Here we have made a table of 12 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS. Take a look.

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

5K-3DMiddleIt is a great tool for 3D artists6KritaDifficultPerfect software for 2D animation

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	Synfig Studio	Easy	Calculate vector shape to animation automatically
2	Pencil2D Animation	Easiest	Straightforward interface for beginners
3	Tupi	Middle	Its community is active to offer solutions
4	Blender	Difficult	It is a powerful animation tool to render and make modeling

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	DAZ Studio	Difficult	For professional users with the fast animation process
2	Terragen	Middle	It can make realistic CG environments
3	Anim8or	Difficult	3D animation is Anim8or’s main function
4	Seamless3d	Easy	It has many features for 3d modeling
5	OpenToonz	Middle	Make cartoon animation with plugins
6	Stykz	Easy	Quickly make animation if you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Looking for a simple while powerful Mac video editing tool ? We recommend using Wondershare Filmora. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes, or anything you like for YouTube videos.

The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.

Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try! Or learn more from Wondershare Video Community .

Key features

• Create various shapes that you like
• Add keyframing to make it move
• Fine-tuning to make it smooth
• Add visual effects/text/color before export it

You can even create photo cut animation which has been very trendy on Tiktok and Instagram. Here is a video to present you how you can do it in Filmora.

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

Listed below is free animation software on Mac. Take a look.

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: You can create many layers once a time and sync audio for your animation.

Con: This one needs much time to learn, especially for beginners.

An open-source 2D animation software that works on Macs, Synfig Studio delivers multiple players while you are creating content. Whether you want to add geometric, filters, distortions, or transformations, it is all possible! And thanks to the high-end bone system, you can create cut-out videos using bitmap images!

The thoughtful part is there are two download versions on the homepage: the stable version and the development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package gives you access to the use of the latest features.

For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipedia and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch, and French for a video course.

You can free download its latest version 1.3.11. The upcoming version is 1.4.

Features:

• It offers support for many layers within the animation.
• The program’s bone system means that you can easily create animations with bitmap images or vector artwork.
• It allows you to sync your creative work with any sound that you want. Has a full-featured audio editor.

02 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.

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It supports vector illustrations. Besides, various formats are available.

Con: If you want to make 3D animation, it will fail. You can only make 2D effects.

A free software application for YouTube, Tupi will allow you to create 2D animations to your heart’s content. The tool was started by animators who wanted to create something that others could use.

It is an open-source tool, which means that users can make tweaks to the program if they have some interesting ideas. The program works on both Windows and Mac. You need to use Tupi and Papagayo to make lip-sync animation with different mouth shapes.

It also offers a solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support, and ads-free, so many schools choose to use this one to teach kids how to make an animation video.

Features:

• Support for vector illustrations. You can add rectangles, lines, polygons, and other shapes as you please. To fill areas, just use the paint bucket.
• You can import raster images using this program.
• You can export all your finished images into different file formats.
• Support for tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations.

04 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.

Features:

• Creating renders is no problem with this program.
• Modeling, such as sculpting, retopology, and creating curves is not an issue either.
• VFX and animation features are better than any option on the market.
• It offers powerful simulation tools.
• Integration with pipeline tools is easy.

05 K-3D - Best for Animation and Modeling in 3D

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: Ideal for designing simple 3D animations and models.

Con: It has an old-fashioned interface. Also, the built-render (RenderMan) feature is difficult to use by beginners.

K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. You can download this tool for free on your Mac. Besides, you can also install and run it on your Windows and Linux systems. If you look at the design, you will find that the software is quite old. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Why so? It is because K-3D is one of the strongest and most versatile tools for 3D artists with many options.

For example, K-3D offers extremely systematic and methodological workflows. You can easily adjust the properties of the features in real-time and get instant results. It has a node-oriented visualization pipeline to enjoy more freedom. That means you can create animation using a variety of combinations.

One of the best things about K-3D is that it has three subdivisions of animation. You can work on your model on one side while showing the other side in a mirrored form. Then, experience the final result combined together. And in case you need to make the changes to the end results, you can simply work on the first subdivision and savor automatic changes to the results.

K-3D has an advanced redo and undo mechanism to ensure you can go back or move forward to make corrections or amendments without limits. Additionally, the tool is developed keeping in mind all the industrial standards. For instance, it has complete support and integration of native RenderMan™ to its user interface. This is an excellent feature because most free animation software for Mac requires third-party render plugins.

Features:

• Parametric workflow.
• 2D and 3D animation tools.
• Allows Python and K3DScript scripting.

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Advanced tools with numerous animation options and online training material.

Con: Not suitable for beginners.

If you love 2D animation, then you’ll surely love Krita. It is entirely free software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Also, it offers a full platform for drawing and frame-by-frame animation.

The number one reason for adoring Krita is its brush library. There are more than 100 professional brushes to give you a wide range of effects. Moreover, the strokes are pretty amazing and similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Another great thing about Krita is the brush stabilization feature designed for shaky hands. You can add a stabilizer to your chosen brush to smoothen its flow. Besides, there’s a special Dynamic Brush tool to make animation more fun. At the same time, you can also customize your brushes through different brush engines, including filter engines, color smudge engines, and many more.

Apart from the basic brush options, the preloaded vector tools are next to admire. These tools help you make great comic panels. All you need to do is choose and drag the word bubble template on your canvas. Then, make changes with the anchor point to make new shapes. At the same time, you can also add text to your animation by using the text tool.

Last but not least, there’s a wrap-around mode to create seamless patterns and textures. That means the image or drawing makes its own references along the x-axis and y-axis. This gives you the freedom to continue painting and enjoy updates to your animation instantly.

Features:

• HDR painting.
• PSD support.
• Python scripting.
• Selection and transformation tools.
• Proper group, filter, vector, and file layer management.
• Complete color management for extraordinary results.
• Drawing assistant to help you with straight lines and vanishing points.

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

Below is free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Anireel is a simple yet powerful Video Creativity tool used to make 2D animated explainer videos. Developed by Wondershare, one of the most popular Windows software and tool developers, Anireel uses rich, ready-to-use, and diverse assets to help one effortlessly make animated videos.

Features:

• There are tons of drag and drop characters, actions, props, text, and audio assets.
• Easy Text-to-Speech conversion via deep studying technology.
• Animate integrated and imported assets.
• Tons of templates that match many script types.

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: You can make game animation for fun. It also supports GPU accelerated real-time rendering.

Con: It has a high demand for the device, but owns a steep learning curve.

Daz 3d is a powerful and completely free 3D creation tool that will let you create the short videos that you want. Whether you are using this for business or pleasure, you will find the program is very easy to understand. Within a day, you will be completely used to its interface.

3D effects are the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build a model, render, and pose animation within the skin texture level. It has a high requirement for the device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.

Features:

• Options for 3D morphing, animation, and rendering.
• GPU accelerated real-time rendering, which delivers the best results.
• Interactive tutorials to help you become a better 3D artist.
• Everything you make is yours, royalty-free!

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us make animation.

Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.

A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!

Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.

For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.

Features:

• Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
• Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
• Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
• Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.

Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.

Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.

It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.

Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.

Features:

• A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
• Features support for TrueType fonts.
• Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is an open-source 3D modeling package. The good thing is the handy infinite Undo/Redo operation.

Con: Some advanced features are missing like drawing.

Seamless3d, an open-source 3D modeling software that you can download, is among the best animation worktables if you want to create specialized images, animated videos, or 3D characters.

It supports FFmpeg video format, so you can use AVI, MP4, and more. Besides, the forum is not active compared with before, but you still can find answers from many tutorials .

Features:

• It comes with infinite undo and redo options for complete flexibility to correct mistakes.
• It allows for partitioned and seamless texture mapping for YouTube videos.
• Has a specialized tree view interface.

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.

Con: The plug-in effects are limited.

This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.

Features:

• You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
• Smooth correction without frame losing.
• Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is the best stick figure animation if you want to make this kind of video.

Con: The UI is not modern to use and needs time to adapt to using it.

Stykz is completely free to use and without a watermark. If you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator, then you will find Stykz is similar to it, but you can import the previous .stk files to animate it again. You can use it to make animation smooth frame by frame.

With its frame-based feature, Stykz is easy to customize each frame. You can change previous and current frames to get what you want. You can download it to have a try considering its easy-to-use features.

Features:

• There is some animes file on this website, so you can have a reference.
• Edit animation in the software without using another editing window.
• You can share the final work with others including information.

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

To be frank, Mac is a better choice to make animation if you want to have a smooth animation experience. For example, screen resolution is a crucial factor to make excellent animation. The good is Mac’s screen will never let you disappointed.

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

The best animation software on mac includes Synfig Studio, Pencil2D Animation, Tupi, Blender, and more. Mentioned are free-to-use. Maya is also worth considering animation software if you are a professional user. Maya offers a 1-month free trial. After it is ended, the paid plans are month, 1-year, and 3-year.

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Yes, you can make basic animation in Photoshop. However, it only supports frame-based animation making. In this case, you need to use other professional software to make animation. But, you still can use Photoshop to meet your needs if you are a beginner.

Conclusion

With any of these free animation maker programs on Mac and Windows, you will have an easy time creating your next 2D or 3D video. Ensure you choose the program that has the features and compatibility that you desire. Then it is up to your creative mind to come up with stunning animations! If you want to make animation easily, you can also find inspiration through classical animated cartoon types with examples .

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money no matter it is 2D animation software or 3D animation editor. The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to make different animation types easily.

That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Whether you are a professional editor or just a beginner to start making animation, you will find the tools listed below are easy to use without watermark and won’t cost money to improve your skills.

The best part is you will find these free animation programs are also very useful for content creation on Mac and Windows. Besides, we have listed the pros and cons of each software. Keep reading!

• Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
• Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
• Part 3: FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Here we have made a table of 12 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS. Take a look.

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

5K-3DMiddleIt is a great tool for 3D artists6KritaDifficultPerfect software for 2D animation

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	Synfig Studio	Easy	Calculate vector shape to animation automatically
2	Pencil2D Animation	Easiest	Straightforward interface for beginners
3	Tupi	Middle	Its community is active to offer solutions
4	Blender	Difficult	It is a powerful animation tool to render and make modeling

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	DAZ Studio	Difficult	For professional users with the fast animation process
2	Terragen	Middle	It can make realistic CG environments
3	Anim8or	Difficult	3D animation is Anim8or’s main function
4	Seamless3d	Easy	It has many features for 3d modeling
5	OpenToonz	Middle	Make cartoon animation with plugins
6	Stykz	Easy	Quickly make animation if you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Looking for a simple while powerful Mac video editing tool ? We recommend using Wondershare Filmora. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes, or anything you like for YouTube videos.

The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.

Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try! Or learn more from Wondershare Video Community .

Key features

• Create various shapes that you like
• Add keyframing to make it move
• Fine-tuning to make it smooth
• Add visual effects/text/color before export it

You can even create photo cut animation which has been very trendy on Tiktok and Instagram. Here is a video to present you how you can do it in Filmora.

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

Listed below is free animation software on Mac. Take a look.

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: You can create many layers once a time and sync audio for your animation.

Con: This one needs much time to learn, especially for beginners.

An open-source 2D animation software that works on Macs, Synfig Studio delivers multiple players while you are creating content. Whether you want to add geometric, filters, distortions, or transformations, it is all possible! And thanks to the high-end bone system, you can create cut-out videos using bitmap images!

The thoughtful part is there are two download versions on the homepage: the stable version and the development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package gives you access to the use of the latest features.

For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipedia and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch, and French for a video course.

You can free download its latest version 1.3.11. The upcoming version is 1.4.

Features:

• It offers support for many layers within the animation.
• The program’s bone system means that you can easily create animations with bitmap images or vector artwork.
• It allows you to sync your creative work with any sound that you want. Has a full-featured audio editor.

02 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.

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It supports vector illustrations. Besides, various formats are available.

Con: If you want to make 3D animation, it will fail. You can only make 2D effects.

A free software application for YouTube, Tupi will allow you to create 2D animations to your heart’s content. The tool was started by animators who wanted to create something that others could use.

It is an open-source tool, which means that users can make tweaks to the program if they have some interesting ideas. The program works on both Windows and Mac. You need to use Tupi and Papagayo to make lip-sync animation with different mouth shapes.

It also offers a solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support, and ads-free, so many schools choose to use this one to teach kids how to make an animation video.

Features:

• Support for vector illustrations. You can add rectangles, lines, polygons, and other shapes as you please. To fill areas, just use the paint bucket.
• You can import raster images using this program.
• You can export all your finished images into different file formats.
• Support for tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations.

04 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.

Features:

• Creating renders is no problem with this program.
• Modeling, such as sculpting, retopology, and creating curves is not an issue either.
• VFX and animation features are better than any option on the market.
• It offers powerful simulation tools.
• Integration with pipeline tools is easy.

05 K-3D - Best for Animation and Modeling in 3D

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: Ideal for designing simple 3D animations and models.

Con: It has an old-fashioned interface. Also, the built-render (RenderMan) feature is difficult to use by beginners.

K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. You can download this tool for free on your Mac. Besides, you can also install and run it on your Windows and Linux systems. If you look at the design, you will find that the software is quite old. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Why so? It is because K-3D is one of the strongest and most versatile tools for 3D artists with many options.

For example, K-3D offers extremely systematic and methodological workflows. You can easily adjust the properties of the features in real-time and get instant results. It has a node-oriented visualization pipeline to enjoy more freedom. That means you can create animation using a variety of combinations.

One of the best things about K-3D is that it has three subdivisions of animation. You can work on your model on one side while showing the other side in a mirrored form. Then, experience the final result combined together. And in case you need to make the changes to the end results, you can simply work on the first subdivision and savor automatic changes to the results.

K-3D has an advanced redo and undo mechanism to ensure you can go back or move forward to make corrections or amendments without limits. Additionally, the tool is developed keeping in mind all the industrial standards. For instance, it has complete support and integration of native RenderMan™ to its user interface. This is an excellent feature because most free animation software for Mac requires third-party render plugins.

Features:

• Parametric workflow.
• 2D and 3D animation tools.
• Allows Python and K3DScript scripting.

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Advanced tools with numerous animation options and online training material.

Con: Not suitable for beginners.

If you love 2D animation, then you’ll surely love Krita. It is entirely free software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Also, it offers a full platform for drawing and frame-by-frame animation.

The number one reason for adoring Krita is its brush library. There are more than 100 professional brushes to give you a wide range of effects. Moreover, the strokes are pretty amazing and similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Another great thing about Krita is the brush stabilization feature designed for shaky hands. You can add a stabilizer to your chosen brush to smoothen its flow. Besides, there’s a special Dynamic Brush tool to make animation more fun. At the same time, you can also customize your brushes through different brush engines, including filter engines, color smudge engines, and many more.

Apart from the basic brush options, the preloaded vector tools are next to admire. These tools help you make great comic panels. All you need to do is choose and drag the word bubble template on your canvas. Then, make changes with the anchor point to make new shapes. At the same time, you can also add text to your animation by using the text tool.

Last but not least, there’s a wrap-around mode to create seamless patterns and textures. That means the image or drawing makes its own references along the x-axis and y-axis. This gives you the freedom to continue painting and enjoy updates to your animation instantly.

Features:

• HDR painting.
• PSD support.
• Python scripting.
• Selection and transformation tools.
• Proper group, filter, vector, and file layer management.
• Complete color management for extraordinary results.
• Drawing assistant to help you with straight lines and vanishing points.

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

Below is free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Anireel is a simple yet powerful Video Creativity tool used to make 2D animated explainer videos. Developed by Wondershare, one of the most popular Windows software and tool developers, Anireel uses rich, ready-to-use, and diverse assets to help one effortlessly make animated videos.

Features:

• There are tons of drag and drop characters, actions, props, text, and audio assets.
• Easy Text-to-Speech conversion via deep studying technology.
• Animate integrated and imported assets.
• Tons of templates that match many script types.

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: You can make game animation for fun. It also supports GPU accelerated real-time rendering.

Con: It has a high demand for the device, but owns a steep learning curve.

Daz 3d is a powerful and completely free 3D creation tool that will let you create the short videos that you want. Whether you are using this for business or pleasure, you will find the program is very easy to understand. Within a day, you will be completely used to its interface.

3D effects are the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build a model, render, and pose animation within the skin texture level. It has a high requirement for the device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.

Features:

• Options for 3D morphing, animation, and rendering.
• GPU accelerated real-time rendering, which delivers the best results.
• Interactive tutorials to help you become a better 3D artist.
• Everything you make is yours, royalty-free!

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us make animation.

Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.

A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!

Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.

For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.

Features:

• Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
• Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
• Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
• Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.

Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.

Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.

It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.

Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.

Features:

• A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
• Features support for TrueType fonts.
• Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is an open-source 3D modeling package. The good thing is the handy infinite Undo/Redo operation.

Con: Some advanced features are missing like drawing.

Seamless3d, an open-source 3D modeling software that you can download, is among the best animation worktables if you want to create specialized images, animated videos, or 3D characters.

It supports FFmpeg video format, so you can use AVI, MP4, and more. Besides, the forum is not active compared with before, but you still can find answers from many tutorials .

Features:

• It comes with infinite undo and redo options for complete flexibility to correct mistakes.
• It allows for partitioned and seamless texture mapping for YouTube videos.
• Has a specialized tree view interface.

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.

Con: The plug-in effects are limited.

This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.

Features:

• You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
• Smooth correction without frame losing.
• Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is the best stick figure animation if you want to make this kind of video.

Con: The UI is not modern to use and needs time to adapt to using it.

Stykz is completely free to use and without a watermark. If you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator, then you will find Stykz is similar to it, but you can import the previous .stk files to animate it again. You can use it to make animation smooth frame by frame.

With its frame-based feature, Stykz is easy to customize each frame. You can change previous and current frames to get what you want. You can download it to have a try considering its easy-to-use features.

Features:

• There is some animes file on this website, so you can have a reference.
• Edit animation in the software without using another editing window.
• You can share the final work with others including information.

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

To be frank, Mac is a better choice to make animation if you want to have a smooth animation experience. For example, screen resolution is a crucial factor to make excellent animation. The good is Mac’s screen will never let you disappointed.

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

The best animation software on mac includes Synfig Studio, Pencil2D Animation, Tupi, Blender, and more. Mentioned are free-to-use. Maya is also worth considering animation software if you are a professional user. Maya offers a 1-month free trial. After it is ended, the paid plans are month, 1-year, and 3-year.

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Yes, you can make basic animation in Photoshop. However, it only supports frame-based animation making. In this case, you need to use other professional software to make animation. But, you still can use Photoshop to meet your needs if you are a beginner.

Conclusion

With any of these free animation maker programs on Mac and Windows, you will have an easy time creating your next 2D or 3D video. Ensure you choose the program that has the features and compatibility that you desire. Then it is up to your creative mind to come up with stunning animations! If you want to make animation easily, you can also find inspiration through classical animated cartoon types with examples .

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money no matter it is 2D animation software or 3D animation editor. The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to make different animation types easily.

That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Whether you are a professional editor or just a beginner to start making animation, you will find the tools listed below are easy to use without watermark and won’t cost money to improve your skills.

The best part is you will find these free animation programs are also very useful for content creation on Mac and Windows. Besides, we have listed the pros and cons of each software. Keep reading!

• Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
• Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
• Part 3: FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Here we have made a table of 12 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS. Take a look.

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

5K-3DMiddleIt is a great tool for 3D artists6KritaDifficultPerfect software for 2D animation

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	Synfig Studio	Easy	Calculate vector shape to animation automatically
2	Pencil2D Animation	Easiest	Straightforward interface for beginners
3	Tupi	Middle	Its community is active to offer solutions
4	Blender	Difficult	It is a powerful animation tool to render and make modeling

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	DAZ Studio	Difficult	For professional users with the fast animation process
2	Terragen	Middle	It can make realistic CG environments
3	Anim8or	Difficult	3D animation is Anim8or’s main function
4	Seamless3d	Easy	It has many features for 3d modeling
5	OpenToonz	Middle	Make cartoon animation with plugins
6	Stykz	Easy	Quickly make animation if you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Looking for a simple while powerful Mac video editing tool ? We recommend using Wondershare Filmora. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes, or anything you like for YouTube videos.

The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.

Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try! Or learn more from Wondershare Video Community .

Key features

• Create various shapes that you like
• Add keyframing to make it move
• Fine-tuning to make it smooth
• Add visual effects/text/color before export it

You can even create photo cut animation which has been very trendy on Tiktok and Instagram. Here is a video to present you how you can do it in Filmora.

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

Listed below is free animation software on Mac. Take a look.

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: You can create many layers once a time and sync audio for your animation.

Con: This one needs much time to learn, especially for beginners.

An open-source 2D animation software that works on Macs, Synfig Studio delivers multiple players while you are creating content. Whether you want to add geometric, filters, distortions, or transformations, it is all possible! And thanks to the high-end bone system, you can create cut-out videos using bitmap images!

The thoughtful part is there are two download versions on the homepage: the stable version and the development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package gives you access to the use of the latest features.

For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipedia and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch, and French for a video course.

You can free download its latest version 1.3.11. The upcoming version is 1.4.

Features:

• It offers support for many layers within the animation.
• The program’s bone system means that you can easily create animations with bitmap images or vector artwork.
• It allows you to sync your creative work with any sound that you want. Has a full-featured audio editor.

02 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.

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It supports vector illustrations. Besides, various formats are available.

Con: If you want to make 3D animation, it will fail. You can only make 2D effects.

A free software application for YouTube, Tupi will allow you to create 2D animations to your heart’s content. The tool was started by animators who wanted to create something that others could use.

It is an open-source tool, which means that users can make tweaks to the program if they have some interesting ideas. The program works on both Windows and Mac. You need to use Tupi and Papagayo to make lip-sync animation with different mouth shapes.

It also offers a solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support, and ads-free, so many schools choose to use this one to teach kids how to make an animation video.

Features:

• Support for vector illustrations. You can add rectangles, lines, polygons, and other shapes as you please. To fill areas, just use the paint bucket.
• You can import raster images using this program.
• You can export all your finished images into different file formats.
• Support for tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations.

04 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.

Features:

• Creating renders is no problem with this program.
• Modeling, such as sculpting, retopology, and creating curves is not an issue either.
• VFX and animation features are better than any option on the market.
• It offers powerful simulation tools.
• Integration with pipeline tools is easy.

05 K-3D - Best for Animation and Modeling in 3D

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: Ideal for designing simple 3D animations and models.

Con: It has an old-fashioned interface. Also, the built-render (RenderMan) feature is difficult to use by beginners.

K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. You can download this tool for free on your Mac. Besides, you can also install and run it on your Windows and Linux systems. If you look at the design, you will find that the software is quite old. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Why so? It is because K-3D is one of the strongest and most versatile tools for 3D artists with many options.

For example, K-3D offers extremely systematic and methodological workflows. You can easily adjust the properties of the features in real-time and get instant results. It has a node-oriented visualization pipeline to enjoy more freedom. That means you can create animation using a variety of combinations.

One of the best things about K-3D is that it has three subdivisions of animation. You can work on your model on one side while showing the other side in a mirrored form. Then, experience the final result combined together. And in case you need to make the changes to the end results, you can simply work on the first subdivision and savor automatic changes to the results.

K-3D has an advanced redo and undo mechanism to ensure you can go back or move forward to make corrections or amendments without limits. Additionally, the tool is developed keeping in mind all the industrial standards. For instance, it has complete support and integration of native RenderMan™ to its user interface. This is an excellent feature because most free animation software for Mac requires third-party render plugins.

Features:

• Parametric workflow.
• 2D and 3D animation tools.
• Allows Python and K3DScript scripting.

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Advanced tools with numerous animation options and online training material.

Con: Not suitable for beginners.

If you love 2D animation, then you’ll surely love Krita. It is entirely free software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Also, it offers a full platform for drawing and frame-by-frame animation.

The number one reason for adoring Krita is its brush library. There are more than 100 professional brushes to give you a wide range of effects. Moreover, the strokes are pretty amazing and similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Another great thing about Krita is the brush stabilization feature designed for shaky hands. You can add a stabilizer to your chosen brush to smoothen its flow. Besides, there’s a special Dynamic Brush tool to make animation more fun. At the same time, you can also customize your brushes through different brush engines, including filter engines, color smudge engines, and many more.

Apart from the basic brush options, the preloaded vector tools are next to admire. These tools help you make great comic panels. All you need to do is choose and drag the word bubble template on your canvas. Then, make changes with the anchor point to make new shapes. At the same time, you can also add text to your animation by using the text tool.

Last but not least, there’s a wrap-around mode to create seamless patterns and textures. That means the image or drawing makes its own references along the x-axis and y-axis. This gives you the freedom to continue painting and enjoy updates to your animation instantly.

Features:

• HDR painting.
• PSD support.
• Python scripting.
• Selection and transformation tools.
• Proper group, filter, vector, and file layer management.
• Complete color management for extraordinary results.
• Drawing assistant to help you with straight lines and vanishing points.

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

Below is free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Anireel is a simple yet powerful Video Creativity tool used to make 2D animated explainer videos. Developed by Wondershare, one of the most popular Windows software and tool developers, Anireel uses rich, ready-to-use, and diverse assets to help one effortlessly make animated videos.

Features:

• There are tons of drag and drop characters, actions, props, text, and audio assets.
• Easy Text-to-Speech conversion via deep studying technology.
• Animate integrated and imported assets.
• Tons of templates that match many script types.

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: You can make game animation for fun. It also supports GPU accelerated real-time rendering.

Con: It has a high demand for the device, but owns a steep learning curve.

Daz 3d is a powerful and completely free 3D creation tool that will let you create the short videos that you want. Whether you are using this for business or pleasure, you will find the program is very easy to understand. Within a day, you will be completely used to its interface.

3D effects are the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build a model, render, and pose animation within the skin texture level. It has a high requirement for the device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.

Features:

• Options for 3D morphing, animation, and rendering.
• GPU accelerated real-time rendering, which delivers the best results.
• Interactive tutorials to help you become a better 3D artist.
• Everything you make is yours, royalty-free!

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us make animation.

Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.

A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!

Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.

For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.

Features:

• Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
• Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
• Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
• Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.

Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.

Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.

It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.

Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.

Features:

• A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
• Features support for TrueType fonts.
• Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is an open-source 3D modeling package. The good thing is the handy infinite Undo/Redo operation.

Con: Some advanced features are missing like drawing.

Seamless3d, an open-source 3D modeling software that you can download, is among the best animation worktables if you want to create specialized images, animated videos, or 3D characters.

It supports FFmpeg video format, so you can use AVI, MP4, and more. Besides, the forum is not active compared with before, but you still can find answers from many tutorials .

Features:

• It comes with infinite undo and redo options for complete flexibility to correct mistakes.
• It allows for partitioned and seamless texture mapping for YouTube videos.
• Has a specialized tree view interface.

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.

Con: The plug-in effects are limited.

This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.

Features:

• You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
• Smooth correction without frame losing.
• Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is the best stick figure animation if you want to make this kind of video.

Con: The UI is not modern to use and needs time to adapt to using it.

Stykz is completely free to use and without a watermark. If you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator, then you will find Stykz is similar to it, but you can import the previous .stk files to animate it again. You can use it to make animation smooth frame by frame.

With its frame-based feature, Stykz is easy to customize each frame. You can change previous and current frames to get what you want. You can download it to have a try considering its easy-to-use features.

Features:

• There is some animes file on this website, so you can have a reference.
• Edit animation in the software without using another editing window.
• You can share the final work with others including information.

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

To be frank, Mac is a better choice to make animation if you want to have a smooth animation experience. For example, screen resolution is a crucial factor to make excellent animation. The good is Mac’s screen will never let you disappointed.

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

The best animation software on mac includes Synfig Studio, Pencil2D Animation, Tupi, Blender, and more. Mentioned are free-to-use. Maya is also worth considering animation software if you are a professional user. Maya offers a 1-month free trial. After it is ended, the paid plans are month, 1-year, and 3-year.

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Yes, you can make basic animation in Photoshop. However, it only supports frame-based animation making. In this case, you need to use other professional software to make animation. But, you still can use Photoshop to meet your needs if you are a beginner.

Conclusion

With any of these free animation maker programs on Mac and Windows, you will have an easy time creating your next 2D or 3D video. Ensure you choose the program that has the features and compatibility that you desire. Then it is up to your creative mind to come up with stunning animations! If you want to make animation easily, you can also find inspiration through classical animated cartoon types with examples .

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

‘S Most Popular Free and Open-Source Video Editing Tools

What could be nicer than having the best software to organize your media content? The difference between open source and other software is that open source allows coding changes to personalize your experience. Essentially, video editing is the process of modifying video pictures. Find out the best Open Source Video Editors to do all that in an instant!

1 - OpenShot	2 - Shotcut
3 - Lightworks	4 - Blender
5 - Kdenlive	6 - Olive
7 - VLC	8 - NATRON
9 - Flowbade	10 - Avidemux

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10 Best Open Source Video Editors in 2024 [Free]

Check out this list of best open source video editors that you can use to produce long-form content for YouTube, your online marketplace, or several other venues when you’re on a small budget:

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Secure Download

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

Secure Download

Try It Free >>

1. OpenShot

OpenShot is a free and open-source video editor with no premium features. In contrast, the website provides a donation option. You may use the complete range of functions without paying anything. This works with all versions of Windows, including Windows 7, Mac OS 10.15, and most Linux variants.

For a free site, it also has a fairly large variety of graphic effects, ranging from title themes and video transitions to 3D animations. OpenShot also differs from many other video editors in that it is updated regularly.

Unlike some other systems, OpenShot has had many major versions in 2021 alone, which addressed issues and added new capabilities. However, many users have reported substantial slowdowns when using OpenShot, so remember to look out for any efficiency difficulties.

Pros

• Easy-to-use interface
• Unlimited layers
• Super engaging

Cons

• It sometimes lags, which is inconvenient

2. Shotcut

Shotcut is a cross-platform, open-source video editing software with a large library of instructional videos. It also works with FFmpeg, 4K , ProRes, and DNxHD, among other formats. However, because Shotcut was created for Linux, many users may find the UI a little strange. Regardless, it’s still a fantastic editor.

Shotcut also has a lot of sound editing capabilities, so it’s great for audiophiles. Customers may change bass and treble, construct bandpass filters, alter gain, apply dynamic compression, and more with its array of audio fine-tuning options. FFmpeg, the dominant multimedia foundation, provides shortcut support for the newest video and audio codecs.

The native timeline editing enables customers to instantly add video files into their project folder instead of using a media library. A project uses multi-format timelines to mix up resolutions and frames per second.

Pros

• Excellent editing features
• Offers decoding and encoding features
• Multi-format timeline

Cons

• Takes a good chunk of space on your computer

3. Lightworks

Another famous video editor that can be downloaded for free is Lightworks . Lightworks is compatible with most major operating systems and devices, such as Mac, Windows, and Linux. Nevertheless, because there is no Lightworks application for iOS or Android, the system is only available on the PC at this time.

Lightworks is a powerful platform, featuring transitions, timeline-based editing, cloud and local storing, and no watermarks on the final video, yet being completely free to use. As a result, several additional features are only available with a Lightworks subscription account.

The premium edition of Lightworks charges $23.99 monthly, $239.99 annually, or $389.99 for a lifetime membership for a single user. In less than two years, the annual and monthly choices would cost more than a lifetime membership, so if you want to use Lightworks for a lot longer, you should select for lifetime access.

Pros

• A nice video editor with a lot of options
• Ideal tool for YouTube video makers who wish to edit their videos regularly
• Offers smooth service

Cons

• Only one option to save the project to MP4

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4. Blender

Blender is a free, open-source content creation program on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows systems. Unlike many other open-source editing software, Blender has no paid memberships or add-ons.

Blender differentiates apart from other software in the domain of 3D editing. Customers may sketch directly in a 3D environment by opening the 3D viewport, providing artists greater freedom than ever to tinker with both 2D and 3D concepts.

Blender also has an animated pose editor and non-linear animator features for autonomous motion and a fairly strong set of animation editing capabilities. Designers and other experienced users may use Python scripting to modify the program and expand its native toolset.

Blender has benefited from donations by hundreds of everyday users who have added several additional capabilities as an open-source platform. It is among the most comprehensive and adaptable free video editors presently accessible.

Pros

• Almost limitless customization
• Good enough to be used by experts
• Optimal features for beginner users

Cons

• Buggy format support

5. Kdenlive

Kdenlive is an open-source video editor that runs on the KDE windows desktop and is developed on Microsoft and Linux. The program provides several editorial and management features based on a specific application for executing editing tasks.

KDEnlive supports all FFmpeg-compatible formats, including MOV, AVI, WMV, MPEG, XviD, and FLV. It also has experimental support for AVCHD and covers 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios for PAL, NTSC, and other HD standards using HDV. You may also transfer the files to a DVD or export them to DV devices with KDEnlive.

Its common functions include preview pane, multitrack recording, artistic effects, tilting functions, video and audio thumbnails, flexible layouts, and desktop compatibility. This software supports various audio/video/image formats, including MPEG, avi, dv, vob, wav, and mp3.

Pros

• It includes light graffiti
• It has an audio spectrum and spectrogram
• An abundance of top-notch features

Cons

• Mostly for professional use

6. Olive

Olive is a total redesign from the bottom up, with cutting-edge tools to assist you in creating the greatest videos imaginable. Olive 0.2 offers node-based compositing that is both powerful and versatile.

Node editing is a type of visual programming that allows you to customize how Olive produces your video completely. OpenColorIO provides end-to-end color control for the applications.

This should help users match video from many cameras and export your movie to whichever color space you require if you’re delivering to broadcast TV online. It has a powerful, fast disk cache to ensure the cleanest possible playback. It operates quietly in the background to render pictures ahead of time, so they’re available whenever you need them.

Pros

• Decent interface
• User-friendly application
• Quick and powerful disk cache

Cons

• Lacks some high-end features

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7. VLC

VLC media player is cross-platform open-source multimedia which is extremely popular, and for a good reason: it’s entirely free, it endorses almost every file type without any need for additional file formats, it can maximize audio and video playback for your gadget, it appears to support streaming, and it can be stretched nearly endlessly with downloadable plugins.

VLC Media Player supports MPEG and DivX streaming. ZIP files may also be played without extracting them one by one. After the download is complete, you may manually boost the volume of a movie up to 200 percent if it is too quiet. VLC Media Player also can look for album covers. Several films may be played one after the other using the playlist feature.

Pros

• A life-saver for many
• Supports a large variety of formats
• Highly customizable

Cons

• Editing metadata isn’t as straightforward as in different editors

8. Natron

On the surface, Natron appears to be a versatile and straightforward multi-platform node-based platform with a robust GUI interface. Although Natron appears to be a basic compositing program , it contains layers of intricacy that will allow your imagination to soar to new heights.

Natron’s Roto and Rotopaint toolkits are versatile, allowing for the creation of endless layers of masks, mattes, and forms. Natron features a strong 2D and Planar tracker that may help you cut down on the number of hours you spend rotoscoping to fulfill personal or business deadlines.

It includes several powerful keying and matte generating tools created by the core OFX software engineers and various tools created by the open-source plugin development community.

Pros

• Smooth functionality
• 2D tracking tools
• Offers decent editing tools

Cons

• Lacks 3D tracking tools

9. Flowblade

Flowbade is a multitrack non-linear video editor for Linux distributed under the GPL 3. You can make movies out of video clips, audio snippets, and graphics files using Flowblade Movie Editor.

Clips may be clipped at certain frames, filters can be applied to clips, and compositor elements can be used to generate multilayer composite pictures.

The toolbox, ordering, the default tool, and key timeline behaviors are all user adjustable in Flowblade. There is a drag and drop option on the interface for the video files to be imported.

Pros

• Decent default settings to accommodate users
• A good amount of editing features
• 40+ pattern wipes

Cons

• It sometimes lags on heavy videos

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10. Avidemux

Avidemux is a free video editor for Windows, Mac, and Linux that doesn’t aim to be a full-fledged timeline-based video editing software. Rather, it’s made to make a few minor modifications and then splits out a new file.

You may import your source video and pick the start and finish frames to chop off segments. You may add filters to enhance the video by sharpening the picture or decreasing noise.

Some of the aesthetic options include color effects and borders, while others enhance the clip by sharpening the image or reducing noise. You may even add other clips to the end of your existing one, although this type of work would be better suited to a complete non-linear editor.

If you don’t need to make any changes to the video, Avidemux may come in handy; as part of its exporting process, it allows you to do so.

Pros

• Decent aesthetic options for video editing
• Edit multiple videos at the same time
• Multiple stickers to add to your videos

Cons

• Lags sometimes

FAQs About Open Source Video Editor

• What is an open-source video editor?

Open-source video editing software includes source code that allows you to tailor the application to your requirements. Everyone with a basic understanding of coding and video editing skills will almost certainly want to utilize an open-source video editor.

• Does OpenShot have a watermark?

Openshot is a free, open-source video editing program with no watermark. As a result, although being a completely free tool, it’s doesn’t advertise its brand on your final video. Even though the marketplace is filled with open video editing tools, most of them leave a big watermark on your movie project.

Conclusion

All of the video editors on this shortlist offer fantastic features and are completely free to use. They all have advantages and disadvantages, and you must choose depending on your requirements and usage.

We can’t state that VLC is excellent for users and Shotcut and OpenShot are fantastic for desktops, as much as we’d like to. Based on what you want to get out of it, you must choose the correct tool. And here, we hope the Open Source Video Editors reviewed will help you massively.

Want to Use a More Intelligent Way to Add Custom Video Effects than Coding?

Filmora Free Video Editor is an easy-to-use editor for creating videos. Instead of coding to change the video, Filmora offers various functions and video effects to realize the video upgrade. Furthermore, built-in AI tools will bring more convenience to you.

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10 Best Open Source Video Editors in 2024 [Free]

Check out this list of best open source video editors that you can use to produce long-form content for YouTube, your online marketplace, or several other venues when you’re on a small budget:

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Secure Download

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

Secure Download

Try It Free >>

1. OpenShot

OpenShot is a free and open-source video editor with no premium features. In contrast, the website provides a donation option. You may use the complete range of functions without paying anything. This works with all versions of Windows, including Windows 7, Mac OS 10.15, and most Linux variants.

For a free site, it also has a fairly large variety of graphic effects, ranging from title themes and video transitions to 3D animations. OpenShot also differs from many other video editors in that it is updated regularly.

Unlike some other systems, OpenShot has had many major versions in 2021 alone, which addressed issues and added new capabilities. However, many users have reported substantial slowdowns when using OpenShot, so remember to look out for any efficiency difficulties.

Pros

• Easy-to-use interface
• Unlimited layers
• Super engaging

Cons

• It sometimes lags, which is inconvenient

2. Shotcut

Shotcut is a cross-platform, open-source video editing software with a large library of instructional videos. It also works with FFmpeg, 4K , ProRes, and DNxHD, among other formats. However, because Shotcut was created for Linux, many users may find the UI a little strange. Regardless, it’s still a fantastic editor.

Shotcut also has a lot of sound editing capabilities, so it’s great for audiophiles. Customers may change bass and treble, construct bandpass filters, alter gain, apply dynamic compression, and more with its array of audio fine-tuning options. FFmpeg, the dominant multimedia foundation, provides shortcut support for the newest video and audio codecs.

The native timeline editing enables customers to instantly add video files into their project folder instead of using a media library. A project uses multi-format timelines to mix up resolutions and frames per second.

Pros

• Excellent editing features
• Offers decoding and encoding features
• Multi-format timeline

Cons

• Takes a good chunk of space on your computer

3. Lightworks

Another famous video editor that can be downloaded for free is Lightworks . Lightworks is compatible with most major operating systems and devices, such as Mac, Windows, and Linux. Nevertheless, because there is no Lightworks application for iOS or Android, the system is only available on the PC at this time.

Lightworks is a powerful platform, featuring transitions, timeline-based editing, cloud and local storing, and no watermarks on the final video, yet being completely free to use. As a result, several additional features are only available with a Lightworks subscription account.

The premium edition of Lightworks charges $23.99 monthly, $239.99 annually, or $389.99 for a lifetime membership for a single user. In less than two years, the annual and monthly choices would cost more than a lifetime membership, so if you want to use Lightworks for a lot longer, you should select for lifetime access.

Pros

• A nice video editor with a lot of options
• Ideal tool for YouTube video makers who wish to edit their videos regularly
• Offers smooth service

Cons

• Only one option to save the project to MP4

Filmora AI Video Editor

Create AI-Generated Video with Filmora

Filmora AI video editor offers a ChatGPT plug-in and AI tools to enhance your creative vision. Make your idea into reality.

Create Video with AI Create Video with AI Learn More >

Try It Free >>

4. Blender

Blender is a free, open-source content creation program on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows systems. Unlike many other open-source editing software, Blender has no paid memberships or add-ons.

Blender differentiates apart from other software in the domain of 3D editing. Customers may sketch directly in a 3D environment by opening the 3D viewport, providing artists greater freedom than ever to tinker with both 2D and 3D concepts.

Blender also has an animated pose editor and non-linear animator features for autonomous motion and a fairly strong set of animation editing capabilities. Designers and other experienced users may use Python scripting to modify the program and expand its native toolset.

Blender has benefited from donations by hundreds of everyday users who have added several additional capabilities as an open-source platform. It is among the most comprehensive and adaptable free video editors presently accessible.

Pros

• Almost limitless customization
• Good enough to be used by experts
• Optimal features for beginner users

Cons

• Buggy format support

5. Kdenlive

Kdenlive is an open-source video editor that runs on the KDE windows desktop and is developed on Microsoft and Linux. The program provides several editorial and management features based on a specific application for executing editing tasks.

KDEnlive supports all FFmpeg-compatible formats, including MOV, AVI, WMV, MPEG, XviD, and FLV. It also has experimental support for AVCHD and covers 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios for PAL, NTSC, and other HD standards using HDV. You may also transfer the files to a DVD or export them to DV devices with KDEnlive.

Its common functions include preview pane, multitrack recording, artistic effects, tilting functions, video and audio thumbnails, flexible layouts, and desktop compatibility. This software supports various audio/video/image formats, including MPEG, avi, dv, vob, wav, and mp3.

Pros

• It includes light graffiti
• It has an audio spectrum and spectrogram
• An abundance of top-notch features

Cons

• Mostly for professional use

6. Olive

Olive is a total redesign from the bottom up, with cutting-edge tools to assist you in creating the greatest videos imaginable. Olive 0.2 offers node-based compositing that is both powerful and versatile.

Node editing is a type of visual programming that allows you to customize how Olive produces your video completely. OpenColorIO provides end-to-end color control for the applications.

This should help users match video from many cameras and export your movie to whichever color space you require if you’re delivering to broadcast TV online. It has a powerful, fast disk cache to ensure the cleanest possible playback. It operates quietly in the background to render pictures ahead of time, so they’re available whenever you need them.

Pros

• Decent interface
• User-friendly application
• Quick and powerful disk cache

Cons

• Lacks some high-end features

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

7. VLC

VLC media player is cross-platform open-source multimedia which is extremely popular, and for a good reason: it’s entirely free, it endorses almost every file type without any need for additional file formats, it can maximize audio and video playback for your gadget, it appears to support streaming, and it can be stretched nearly endlessly with downloadable plugins.

VLC Media Player supports MPEG and DivX streaming. ZIP files may also be played without extracting them one by one. After the download is complete, you may manually boost the volume of a movie up to 200 percent if it is too quiet. VLC Media Player also can look for album covers. Several films may be played one after the other using the playlist feature.

Pros

• A life-saver for many
• Supports a large variety of formats
• Highly customizable

Cons

• Editing metadata isn’t as straightforward as in different editors

8. Natron

On the surface, Natron appears to be a versatile and straightforward multi-platform node-based platform with a robust GUI interface. Although Natron appears to be a basic compositing program , it contains layers of intricacy that will allow your imagination to soar to new heights.

Natron’s Roto and Rotopaint toolkits are versatile, allowing for the creation of endless layers of masks, mattes, and forms. Natron features a strong 2D and Planar tracker that may help you cut down on the number of hours you spend rotoscoping to fulfill personal or business deadlines.

It includes several powerful keying and matte generating tools created by the core OFX software engineers and various tools created by the open-source plugin development community.

Pros

• Smooth functionality
• 2D tracking tools
• Offers decent editing tools

Cons

• Lacks 3D tracking tools

9. Flowblade

Flowbade is a multitrack non-linear video editor for Linux distributed under the GPL 3. You can make movies out of video clips, audio snippets, and graphics files using Flowblade Movie Editor.

Clips may be clipped at certain frames, filters can be applied to clips, and compositor elements can be used to generate multilayer composite pictures.

The toolbox, ordering, the default tool, and key timeline behaviors are all user adjustable in Flowblade. There is a drag and drop option on the interface for the video files to be imported.

Pros

• Decent default settings to accommodate users
• A good amount of editing features
• 40+ pattern wipes

Cons

• It sometimes lags on heavy videos

Professional Video Editor

Filmora is an expert in editing videos with your creation. You can use powerful tools to make your video like a masterpiece.

Edit Video Like a Pro Edit Video Like a Pro Learn More >

Try It Free >>

10. Avidemux

Avidemux is a free video editor for Windows, Mac, and Linux that doesn’t aim to be a full-fledged timeline-based video editing software. Rather, it’s made to make a few minor modifications and then splits out a new file.

You may import your source video and pick the start and finish frames to chop off segments. You may add filters to enhance the video by sharpening the picture or decreasing noise.

Some of the aesthetic options include color effects and borders, while others enhance the clip by sharpening the image or reducing noise. You may even add other clips to the end of your existing one, although this type of work would be better suited to a complete non-linear editor.

If you don’t need to make any changes to the video, Avidemux may come in handy; as part of its exporting process, it allows you to do so.

Pros

• Decent aesthetic options for video editing
• Edit multiple videos at the same time
• Multiple stickers to add to your videos

Cons

• Lags sometimes

FAQs About Open Source Video Editor

• What is an open-source video editor?

Open-source video editing software includes source code that allows you to tailor the application to your requirements. Everyone with a basic understanding of coding and video editing skills will almost certainly want to utilize an open-source video editor.

• Does OpenShot have a watermark?

Openshot is a free, open-source video editing program with no watermark. As a result, although being a completely free tool, it’s doesn’t advertise its brand on your final video. Even though the marketplace is filled with open video editing tools, most of them leave a big watermark on your movie project.

Conclusion

All of the video editors on this shortlist offer fantastic features and are completely free to use. They all have advantages and disadvantages, and you must choose depending on your requirements and usage.

We can’t state that VLC is excellent for users and Shotcut and OpenShot are fantastic for desktops, as much as we’d like to. Based on what you want to get out of it, you must choose the correct tool. And here, we hope the Open Source Video Editors reviewed will help you massively.

Want to Use a More Intelligent Way to Add Custom Video Effects than Coding?

Filmora Free Video Editor is an easy-to-use editor for creating videos. Instead of coding to change the video, Filmora offers various functions and video effects to realize the video upgrade. Furthermore, built-in AI tools will bring more convenience to you.

Use AI to Edit Video Use AI to Edit Video Learn More >

Try It Free >>

10 Best Open Source Video Editors in 2024 [Free]

Check out this list of best open source video editors that you can use to produce long-form content for YouTube, your online marketplace, or several other venues when you’re on a small budget:

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Secure Download

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

Secure Download

Try It Free >>

1. OpenShot

OpenShot is a free and open-source video editor with no premium features. In contrast, the website provides a donation option. You may use the complete range of functions without paying anything. This works with all versions of Windows, including Windows 7, Mac OS 10.15, and most Linux variants.

For a free site, it also has a fairly large variety of graphic effects, ranging from title themes and video transitions to 3D animations. OpenShot also differs from many other video editors in that it is updated regularly.

Unlike some other systems, OpenShot has had many major versions in 2021 alone, which addressed issues and added new capabilities. However, many users have reported substantial slowdowns when using OpenShot, so remember to look out for any efficiency difficulties.

Pros

• Easy-to-use interface
• Unlimited layers
• Super engaging

Cons

• It sometimes lags, which is inconvenient

2. Shotcut

Shotcut is a cross-platform, open-source video editing software with a large library of instructional videos. It also works with FFmpeg, 4K , ProRes, and DNxHD, among other formats. However, because Shotcut was created for Linux, many users may find the UI a little strange. Regardless, it’s still a fantastic editor.

Shotcut also has a lot of sound editing capabilities, so it’s great for audiophiles. Customers may change bass and treble, construct bandpass filters, alter gain, apply dynamic compression, and more with its array of audio fine-tuning options. FFmpeg, the dominant multimedia foundation, provides shortcut support for the newest video and audio codecs.

The native timeline editing enables customers to instantly add video files into their project folder instead of using a media library. A project uses multi-format timelines to mix up resolutions and frames per second.

Pros

• Excellent editing features
• Offers decoding and encoding features
• Multi-format timeline

Cons

• Takes a good chunk of space on your computer

3. Lightworks

Another famous video editor that can be downloaded for free is Lightworks . Lightworks is compatible with most major operating systems and devices, such as Mac, Windows, and Linux. Nevertheless, because there is no Lightworks application for iOS or Android, the system is only available on the PC at this time.

Lightworks is a powerful platform, featuring transitions, timeline-based editing, cloud and local storing, and no watermarks on the final video, yet being completely free to use. As a result, several additional features are only available with a Lightworks subscription account.

The premium edition of Lightworks charges $23.99 monthly, $239.99 annually, or $389.99 for a lifetime membership for a single user. In less than two years, the annual and monthly choices would cost more than a lifetime membership, so if you want to use Lightworks for a lot longer, you should select for lifetime access.

Pros

• A nice video editor with a lot of options
• Ideal tool for YouTube video makers who wish to edit their videos regularly
• Offers smooth service

Cons

• Only one option to save the project to MP4

Filmora AI Video Editor

Create AI-Generated Video with Filmora

Filmora AI video editor offers a ChatGPT plug-in and AI tools to enhance your creative vision. Make your idea into reality.

Create Video with AI Create Video with AI Learn More >

Try It Free >>

4. Blender

Blender is a free, open-source content creation program on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows systems. Unlike many other open-source editing software, Blender has no paid memberships or add-ons.

Blender differentiates apart from other software in the domain of 3D editing. Customers may sketch directly in a 3D environment by opening the 3D viewport, providing artists greater freedom than ever to tinker with both 2D and 3D concepts.

Blender also has an animated pose editor and non-linear animator features for autonomous motion and a fairly strong set of animation editing capabilities. Designers and other experienced users may use Python scripting to modify the program and expand its native toolset.

Blender has benefited from donations by hundreds of everyday users who have added several additional capabilities as an open-source platform. It is among the most comprehensive and adaptable free video editors presently accessible.

Pros

• Almost limitless customization
• Good enough to be used by experts
• Optimal features for beginner users

Cons

• Buggy format support

5. Kdenlive

Kdenlive is an open-source video editor that runs on the KDE windows desktop and is developed on Microsoft and Linux. The program provides several editorial and management features based on a specific application for executing editing tasks.

KDEnlive supports all FFmpeg-compatible formats, including MOV, AVI, WMV, MPEG, XviD, and FLV. It also has experimental support for AVCHD and covers 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios for PAL, NTSC, and other HD standards using HDV. You may also transfer the files to a DVD or export them to DV devices with KDEnlive.

Its common functions include preview pane, multitrack recording, artistic effects, tilting functions, video and audio thumbnails, flexible layouts, and desktop compatibility. This software supports various audio/video/image formats, including MPEG, avi, dv, vob, wav, and mp3.

Pros

• It includes light graffiti
• It has an audio spectrum and spectrogram
• An abundance of top-notch features

Cons

• Mostly for professional use

6. Olive

Olive is a total redesign from the bottom up, with cutting-edge tools to assist you in creating the greatest videos imaginable. Olive 0.2 offers node-based compositing that is both powerful and versatile.

Node editing is a type of visual programming that allows you to customize how Olive produces your video completely. OpenColorIO provides end-to-end color control for the applications.

This should help users match video from many cameras and export your movie to whichever color space you require if you’re delivering to broadcast TV online. It has a powerful, fast disk cache to ensure the cleanest possible playback. It operates quietly in the background to render pictures ahead of time, so they’re available whenever you need them.

Pros

• Decent interface
• User-friendly application
• Quick and powerful disk cache

Cons

• Lacks some high-end features

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

7. VLC

VLC media player is cross-platform open-source multimedia which is extremely popular, and for a good reason: it’s entirely free, it endorses almost every file type without any need for additional file formats, it can maximize audio and video playback for your gadget, it appears to support streaming, and it can be stretched nearly endlessly with downloadable plugins.

VLC Media Player supports MPEG and DivX streaming. ZIP files may also be played without extracting them one by one. After the download is complete, you may manually boost the volume of a movie up to 200 percent if it is too quiet. VLC Media Player also can look for album covers. Several films may be played one after the other using the playlist feature.

Pros

• A life-saver for many
• Supports a large variety of formats
• Highly customizable

Cons

• Editing metadata isn’t as straightforward as in different editors

8. Natron

On the surface, Natron appears to be a versatile and straightforward multi-platform node-based platform with a robust GUI interface. Although Natron appears to be a basic compositing program , it contains layers of intricacy that will allow your imagination to soar to new heights.

Natron’s Roto and Rotopaint toolkits are versatile, allowing for the creation of endless layers of masks, mattes, and forms. Natron features a strong 2D and Planar tracker that may help you cut down on the number of hours you spend rotoscoping to fulfill personal or business deadlines.

It includes several powerful keying and matte generating tools created by the core OFX software engineers and various tools created by the open-source plugin development community.

Pros

• Smooth functionality
• 2D tracking tools
• Offers decent editing tools

Cons

• Lacks 3D tracking tools

9. Flowblade

Flowbade is a multitrack non-linear video editor for Linux distributed under the GPL 3. You can make movies out of video clips, audio snippets, and graphics files using Flowblade Movie Editor.

Clips may be clipped at certain frames, filters can be applied to clips, and compositor elements can be used to generate multilayer composite pictures.

The toolbox, ordering, the default tool, and key timeline behaviors are all user adjustable in Flowblade. There is a drag and drop option on the interface for the video files to be imported.

Pros

• Decent default settings to accommodate users
• A good amount of editing features
• 40+ pattern wipes

Cons

• It sometimes lags on heavy videos

Professional Video Editor

Filmora is an expert in editing videos with your creation. You can use powerful tools to make your video like a masterpiece.

Edit Video Like a Pro Edit Video Like a Pro Learn More >

Try It Free >>

10. Avidemux

Avidemux is a free video editor for Windows, Mac, and Linux that doesn’t aim to be a full-fledged timeline-based video editing software. Rather, it’s made to make a few minor modifications and then splits out a new file.

You may import your source video and pick the start and finish frames to chop off segments. You may add filters to enhance the video by sharpening the picture or decreasing noise.

Some of the aesthetic options include color effects and borders, while others enhance the clip by sharpening the image or reducing noise. You may even add other clips to the end of your existing one, although this type of work would be better suited to a complete non-linear editor.

If you don’t need to make any changes to the video, Avidemux may come in handy; as part of its exporting process, it allows you to do so.

Pros

• Decent aesthetic options for video editing
• Edit multiple videos at the same time
• Multiple stickers to add to your videos

Cons

• Lags sometimes

FAQs About Open Source Video Editor

• What is an open-source video editor?

Open-source video editing software includes source code that allows you to tailor the application to your requirements. Everyone with a basic understanding of coding and video editing skills will almost certainly want to utilize an open-source video editor.

• Does OpenShot have a watermark?

Openshot is a free, open-source video editing program with no watermark. As a result, although being a completely free tool, it’s doesn’t advertise its brand on your final video. Even though the marketplace is filled with open video editing tools, most of them leave a big watermark on your movie project.

Conclusion

All of the video editors on this shortlist offer fantastic features and are completely free to use. They all have advantages and disadvantages, and you must choose depending on your requirements and usage.

We can’t state that VLC is excellent for users and Shotcut and OpenShot are fantastic for desktops, as much as we’d like to. Based on what you want to get out of it, you must choose the correct tool. And here, we hope the Open Source Video Editors reviewed will help you massively.

Want to Use a More Intelligent Way to Add Custom Video Effects than Coding?

Filmora Free Video Editor is an easy-to-use editor for creating videos. Instead of coding to change the video, Filmora offers various functions and video effects to realize the video upgrade. Furthermore, built-in AI tools will bring more convenience to you.

Use AI to Edit Video Use AI to Edit Video Learn More >

Try It Free >>

10 Best Open Source Video Editors in 2024 [Free]

Check out this list of best open source video editors that you can use to produce long-form content for YouTube, your online marketplace, or several other venues when you’re on a small budget:

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Secure Download

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

Secure Download

Try It Free >>

1. OpenShot

OpenShot is a free and open-source video editor with no premium features. In contrast, the website provides a donation option. You may use the complete range of functions without paying anything. This works with all versions of Windows, including Windows 7, Mac OS 10.15, and most Linux variants.

For a free site, it also has a fairly large variety of graphic effects, ranging from title themes and video transitions to 3D animations. OpenShot also differs from many other video editors in that it is updated regularly.

Unlike some other systems, OpenShot has had many major versions in 2021 alone, which addressed issues and added new capabilities. However, many users have reported substantial slowdowns when using OpenShot, so remember to look out for any efficiency difficulties.

Pros

• Easy-to-use interface
• Unlimited layers
• Super engaging

Cons

• It sometimes lags, which is inconvenient

2. Shotcut

Shotcut is a cross-platform, open-source video editing software with a large library of instructional videos. It also works with FFmpeg, 4K , ProRes, and DNxHD, among other formats. However, because Shotcut was created for Linux, many users may find the UI a little strange. Regardless, it’s still a fantastic editor.

Shotcut also has a lot of sound editing capabilities, so it’s great for audiophiles. Customers may change bass and treble, construct bandpass filters, alter gain, apply dynamic compression, and more with its array of audio fine-tuning options. FFmpeg, the dominant multimedia foundation, provides shortcut support for the newest video and audio codecs.

The native timeline editing enables customers to instantly add video files into their project folder instead of using a media library. A project uses multi-format timelines to mix up resolutions and frames per second.

Pros

• Excellent editing features
• Offers decoding and encoding features
• Multi-format timeline

Cons

• Takes a good chunk of space on your computer

3. Lightworks

Another famous video editor that can be downloaded for free is Lightworks . Lightworks is compatible with most major operating systems and devices, such as Mac, Windows, and Linux. Nevertheless, because there is no Lightworks application for iOS or Android, the system is only available on the PC at this time.

Lightworks is a powerful platform, featuring transitions, timeline-based editing, cloud and local storing, and no watermarks on the final video, yet being completely free to use. As a result, several additional features are only available with a Lightworks subscription account.

The premium edition of Lightworks charges $23.99 monthly, $239.99 annually, or $389.99 for a lifetime membership for a single user. In less than two years, the annual and monthly choices would cost more than a lifetime membership, so if you want to use Lightworks for a lot longer, you should select for lifetime access.

Pros

• A nice video editor with a lot of options
• Ideal tool for YouTube video makers who wish to edit their videos regularly
• Offers smooth service

Cons

• Only one option to save the project to MP4

Filmora AI Video Editor

Create AI-Generated Video with Filmora

Filmora AI video editor offers a ChatGPT plug-in and AI tools to enhance your creative vision. Make your idea into reality.

Create Video with AI Create Video with AI Learn More >

Try It Free >>

4. Blender

Blender is a free, open-source content creation program on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows systems. Unlike many other open-source editing software, Blender has no paid memberships or add-ons.

Blender differentiates apart from other software in the domain of 3D editing. Customers may sketch directly in a 3D environment by opening the 3D viewport, providing artists greater freedom than ever to tinker with both 2D and 3D concepts.

Blender also has an animated pose editor and non-linear animator features for autonomous motion and a fairly strong set of animation editing capabilities. Designers and other experienced users may use Python scripting to modify the program and expand its native toolset.

Blender has benefited from donations by hundreds of everyday users who have added several additional capabilities as an open-source platform. It is among the most comprehensive and adaptable free video editors presently accessible.

Pros

• Almost limitless customization
• Good enough to be used by experts
• Optimal features for beginner users

Cons

• Buggy format support

5. Kdenlive

Kdenlive is an open-source video editor that runs on the KDE windows desktop and is developed on Microsoft and Linux. The program provides several editorial and management features based on a specific application for executing editing tasks.

KDEnlive supports all FFmpeg-compatible formats, including MOV, AVI, WMV, MPEG, XviD, and FLV. It also has experimental support for AVCHD and covers 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios for PAL, NTSC, and other HD standards using HDV. You may also transfer the files to a DVD or export them to DV devices with KDEnlive.

Its common functions include preview pane, multitrack recording, artistic effects, tilting functions, video and audio thumbnails, flexible layouts, and desktop compatibility. This software supports various audio/video/image formats, including MPEG, avi, dv, vob, wav, and mp3.

Pros

• It includes light graffiti
• It has an audio spectrum and spectrogram
• An abundance of top-notch features

Cons

• Mostly for professional use

6. Olive

Olive is a total redesign from the bottom up, with cutting-edge tools to assist you in creating the greatest videos imaginable. Olive 0.2 offers node-based compositing that is both powerful and versatile.

Node editing is a type of visual programming that allows you to customize how Olive produces your video completely. OpenColorIO provides end-to-end color control for the applications.

This should help users match video from many cameras and export your movie to whichever color space you require if you’re delivering to broadcast TV online. It has a powerful, fast disk cache to ensure the cleanest possible playback. It operates quietly in the background to render pictures ahead of time, so they’re available whenever you need them.

Pros

• Decent interface
• User-friendly application
• Quick and powerful disk cache

Cons

• Lacks some high-end features

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

7. VLC

VLC media player is cross-platform open-source multimedia which is extremely popular, and for a good reason: it’s entirely free, it endorses almost every file type without any need for additional file formats, it can maximize audio and video playback for your gadget, it appears to support streaming, and it can be stretched nearly endlessly with downloadable plugins.

VLC Media Player supports MPEG and DivX streaming. ZIP files may also be played without extracting them one by one. After the download is complete, you may manually boost the volume of a movie up to 200 percent if it is too quiet. VLC Media Player also can look for album covers. Several films may be played one after the other using the playlist feature.

Pros

• A life-saver for many
• Supports a large variety of formats
• Highly customizable

Cons

• Editing metadata isn’t as straightforward as in different editors

8. Natron

On the surface, Natron appears to be a versatile and straightforward multi-platform node-based platform with a robust GUI interface. Although Natron appears to be a basic compositing program , it contains layers of intricacy that will allow your imagination to soar to new heights.

Natron’s Roto and Rotopaint toolkits are versatile, allowing for the creation of endless layers of masks, mattes, and forms. Natron features a strong 2D and Planar tracker that may help you cut down on the number of hours you spend rotoscoping to fulfill personal or business deadlines.

It includes several powerful keying and matte generating tools created by the core OFX software engineers and various tools created by the open-source plugin development community.

Pros

• Smooth functionality
• 2D tracking tools
• Offers decent editing tools

Cons

• Lacks 3D tracking tools

9. Flowblade

Flowbade is a multitrack non-linear video editor for Linux distributed under the GPL 3. You can make movies out of video clips, audio snippets, and graphics files using Flowblade Movie Editor.

Clips may be clipped at certain frames, filters can be applied to clips, and compositor elements can be used to generate multilayer composite pictures.

The toolbox, ordering, the default tool, and key timeline behaviors are all user adjustable in Flowblade. There is a drag and drop option on the interface for the video files to be imported.

Pros

• Decent default settings to accommodate users
• A good amount of editing features
• 40+ pattern wipes

Cons

• It sometimes lags on heavy videos

Professional Video Editor

Filmora is an expert in editing videos with your creation. You can use powerful tools to make your video like a masterpiece.

Edit Video Like a Pro Edit Video Like a Pro Learn More >

Try It Free >>

10. Avidemux

Avidemux is a free video editor for Windows, Mac, and Linux that doesn’t aim to be a full-fledged timeline-based video editing software. Rather, it’s made to make a few minor modifications and then splits out a new file.

You may import your source video and pick the start and finish frames to chop off segments. You may add filters to enhance the video by sharpening the picture or decreasing noise.

Some of the aesthetic options include color effects and borders, while others enhance the clip by sharpening the image or reducing noise. You may even add other clips to the end of your existing one, although this type of work would be better suited to a complete non-linear editor.

If you don’t need to make any changes to the video, Avidemux may come in handy; as part of its exporting process, it allows you to do so.

Pros

• Decent aesthetic options for video editing
• Edit multiple videos at the same time
• Multiple stickers to add to your videos

Cons

• Lags sometimes

FAQs About Open Source Video Editor

• What is an open-source video editor?

Open-source video editing software includes source code that allows you to tailor the application to your requirements. Everyone with a basic understanding of coding and video editing skills will almost certainly want to utilize an open-source video editor.

• Does OpenShot have a watermark?

Openshot is a free, open-source video editing program with no watermark. As a result, although being a completely free tool, it’s doesn’t advertise its brand on your final video. Even though the marketplace is filled with open video editing tools, most of them leave a big watermark on your movie project.

Conclusion

All of the video editors on this shortlist offer fantastic features and are completely free to use. They all have advantages and disadvantages, and you must choose depending on your requirements and usage.

We can’t state that VLC is excellent for users and Shotcut and OpenShot are fantastic for desktops, as much as we’d like to. Based on what you want to get out of it, you must choose the correct tool. And here, we hope the Open Source Video Editors reviewed will help you massively.

Best and Most Popular iPhone Apps

Best and Most Popular iPhone Apps in 2024

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Earlier this month, Apple has released its choices for the best app and video games of 2024 and revealed some of the hottest trends on the App Store. Over the years, we’ve seen how apps shape the everyday life of iPhone and iPad users, through innovation, entertainment and creativity.

The current trends on App Store show a growing interest in applications that unleash creativity and make recording images or sounds easier. So, if you are looking for an app that can take you a step closer to becoming a successful podcaster or video content creator , we have great news for you because currently, there are so many powerful apps to choose from. Let’s take a look at some of the best and most popular iPhone apps that left their mark in 2024.

• Part 1: Apple Pick: Best App for iPhone in 2024
• Part 2: Most Trending & Popular Apps for iPhone of the Year [Full Checklist]
• Part 3: Most Popular and Trending Photo & Video Apps for iPhone [+Review]

Part 1: The iPhone App of the Year: Spectre Camera

Social networks have made photography more popular than ever. However, the quality of pictures taken with Smartphones still cannot be compared to the quality of images produced on DSLR cameras .

The iPhone app of the year provides a solution to this issue by employing the latest computational photography techniques. The Spectre Camera is equipped with an AI that can easily create long-exposure photographs, remove crowds from images and detect scenes automatically . The app saves all pictures it takes during a long-exposure and generates live photos by merging all images into a single breathtaking shot.

Optionally, you can apply live effects to each image you take with Spectre Camera if you would like to enhance its colors or highlight a particular detail. Image stabilization features are designed to keep all photos you shoot handheld sharp, while Spectre Camera also offers the automatic tripod detection option. The app’s machine learning algorithms detect scenes and provide all the help you need to produce professional-looking photos with your iPhone.

As the popularity of social media platforms continues to grow, so does the demand for photo and video applications that are compatible with iOS devices. That’s why it is hardly surprising that Spectre Camera is the iPhone app of the year because it is packed with industry-leading technologies that simplify the image-taking process.

You can check the detailed review below of Spectre Camera App from YouTube Channel TinyShutter to learn more.

Part 2: Most Trending & Popular Apps for iPhone of the Year [Full Checklist]

Besides the best app for iPhone of the year, Apple also picked up some most trending apps for simplifying and empowering storytelling. Here is the complete list of these apps.

App Trend of 2024	Publisher	Category	App Size	Price	Ratings	User Rating	System Requirement
1 Second Everyday: Video Diary	1 Second Everyday Inc.	Photo & Video	132.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	30.6K	4.8	Requires iOS11.2 or later
24FPS - Video Filter & LUT	Polarr.Inc	Photo & Video	89.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	943	4.7	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Anchor	Anchor FM INC	News	109.6 MB	Free	40K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Canva: Stories & Video Maker	Canva Pty Ltd	Photo & Video	309.2 MB	Free	1.4K	4.8	Requiers iOS 11.03 or later
Filmr - Video Editor & Filter	Stei App,ltda	Photo & Video	203.6 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	4.9K	4.5	Requires iOS.11.0 or later
FlipaClip: Cartoon Animation	Visual Blasters LLC	Entertainment	109.5 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	51K	4.6	Requiers iOS 10.0 or later
快手 (Kwai - Video Social Network)	JOYO TECHNOLOGY PTE.LTD	Photo & Video	235.8 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	13.5K	4.5	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Lifecake Family & Baby Photos	Lifecake Ltd.	Lifestyle	114.3 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	27K	4.8	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Magisto Video Editor	Vimeo, Inc.	Photo & Video	194.2 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	79.4K	4.6	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Mojo - Stories Editor	Archery Inc.	Photo & Video	98.5 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	15.6K	4.9	Requires iOS 11.4 or later
Nizo	Image Mechanics Pty Ltd.	Photo & Video	29.5 MB	$4.99	78	4.5	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Noisy Book	Lunen Digital Ltd.	Books	244.5 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	20	3.8	Requires iOS 13.0 or later
Over: Design/Flyer/Story Maker	Over, Inc.	Photo & Video	262.8 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	59.3K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Spark Camera - Video Editor	Dayworks	Photo & Video	229.6 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	5.6K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.1 or later
Steller	Expedition Travel Advisor, Inc.	Photo & Video	74.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	773	4.8	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
StoryBoost: Story Editor	Lightricks Ltd.	Photo & Video	208.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	575	4.5	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Tayasui Sketches	Tayasui.com	Productivity	326.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	22.4K	4.6	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Typic 2: Fonts & Text on Photo	Hi Mom S.A.S	Photo & Video	408.7 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	588	4.5	Requires iOS 12.1 or later
Unfold — Create Stories	Unfold Creative, LLC	Photo & Video	152.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	89.5K	4.9	Requires iOS 10.0 or later
Vostok	Dmitry Mashkin	Photo & Video	121 MB	$0.99	4	5	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
VUE - Video Camera and Editor	VUE VIDEO CO., LTD.	Photo & Video	155.3 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	617	4.9	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Wattpad	Wattpad Corp	Books	154.2 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	286.4K	4.7	Requires iOS 10.0 or later
WIDE	Xiamen Meitu Technology	Photo & Video	158.6 MB	Free	10K	4.9	Requires iOS 9.0 or later

Part 3: 10 Most Popular and Trending Photo & Video Apps in 2024

Apps from gaming, entertainment, and books categories were gaining momentum throughout the year, but the photo and video category that makes the storytelling easier is by far the most popular. If you are looking to record voices , create podcasts , take photos or record videos, you’ll find the app that meets all your demands effortlessly. Here are some of the most popular apps from the Photo & Video category on the App Store in 2024.

1. Canva: Stories and Video Maker

Price: Free

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.03 or later

Building social media following can be a daunting task if you don’t have the right tools. Canva: Stories and Video Maker enables you to design stories you share on Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. The app offers a selection of more than 700 story templates that are organized into categories such as Food, Business or Travel and it lets you choose photo templates for all images you want to publish on social media. In addition, this iPhone app, features a set of video editing tools, so that you can use different templates to edit them or trim and preview each video before exporting it from the Canva: Stories and Video Maker.

2. Magisto

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later

In 2017, Magisto was selected as the number one video editing app for iPhones and a few years later it is still one of the best apps in this category on the App Store. Digital marketers who don’t have the skills or the time to edit their videos with professional video editing software can benefit from this AI-powered editor. In order to create a new video, you just have to choose a video editing style such as kids or pets, import the media assets into your project and let Magisto work its magic. If you opt for the monthly Business subscription plan you will gain access to more than 3 million stock videos and 25 million photos.

3. Mojo

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.4 or later

The 4.9 User Rating on more than 15.000 reviews speaks volumes about Mojo’s capabilities. Even the free version of the app lets you choose from more than a hundred fully customizable templates. So, once you pick an animated template you just have to add the video and audio files you want to include in the final version of the video and wait for Mojo to generate a new story you can share on social media. However, you must upgrade to the pro version of the app if you want to choose the aspect ratio for all videos you edit with this app or be able to use all of the text styles and templates Mojo offers.

4. Over: Design/Flyers/Story Maker

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later

Producing brand content that drives the sales of the products and services your company offers doesn’t have to take hours or even days of hard work. In fact, if you install Over on your iPhone you can add logos, text layers and other graphic elements to photos and videos in just a few quick taps. There are hundreds of templates and fonts to choose from, and you can use any of them to design a flyer, a poster or a social media post. Sharing your creations to social networks directly from the app won’t take much more than a few moments of your time, which makes Over a perfect choice if you want to produce and share new content regularly.

5. Spark Camera

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.1 or later

Apple included the Spark Camera app in their selection of the best storytelling apps in 2024, and a brief look at the app’s features shows why. Besides recording videos in Full HD and 4K resolutions you can also use Spark Camera to create voiceovers, remove any segment of a video clip you want or change a clip’s playback speed. In addition, you can set the preferred frame rate for each video you record with Spark Camera and utilize its image stabilization options while shooting under difficult light conditions. Applying a filter to a video you recorded with this app requires you to just swipe left or right while you can adjust their intensity by simply moving your finger up or down.

6. Steller

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later

It has already been five years since Steller was named as one of the best apps on the App Store by Apple, but very little has changed in the meantime. You don’t have to be a professional storyteller in order to create engaging visual stories with this app since you can select a theme you like and let Steller do all the heavy lifting for you. There just ten text styles to choose from and the app doesn’t offer even the basic video editing tools, which limits your options throughout the video editing process. Nonetheless, you can share all video content you edit with Steller directly to your Instagram Stories.

7. Unfold

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 10.0 or later

Creating Facebook or Instagram Stories that attract the attention of thousands of daily viewers is what Unfold does best. You can apply ten different filters and effects to all videos you record with this app and then choose from over 150 video templates. Unfold also grants you access to advanced text tools that enable you to customize the messages you want to distribute through social media channels. The free version of Unfold offers only a limited range of options, and you must upgrade to Unfold+ if you want to access all of the themes, fonts, and stickers this app provides. Despite the great user rating, Unfold still lacks video and audio editing tools that would allow its users to manipulate their footage without any restrictions.

8. 24 FPS – Video Filter & LUT

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 12.0 or later

iPhone owners in need of a video editing app that allows them to record and edit their footage with professional tools should consider installing 24 FPS. In addition to excellent video recording capabilities, this app features a plethora of options you can use to enhance the colors in the videos you edit. Importing LUTs into 24 FPS is a routine operation that can reduce the amount of time you have to spend on giving a video a particular cinematic style. Skin-thinning and skin smoothing filters enable you to beautify the people in your videos and make them more visually appealing to the online audience. The app’s video editor also contains audio editing options that make creating a video’s soundtrack fun and enjoyable.

9. VUE – Video Camera and Editor

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later

Recording and editing social media videos from your iPhone enables you to produce visually impressive content wherever you are. An app like Vue is a perfect option if you don’t want to post unedited footage on your social media accounts, but don’t have the time to use a professional video editing software. Besides offering more than twenty filters, Vue also lets you change a video’s playback speed, merge or split multiple clips and enhance the colors of each clip you edit. The seemingly endless library of royalty-free songs offers you all the resources you are going to need while creating a soundtrack for your video, and you can also control the volume of video’s original sound and audio files you added to a project.

10 1 Second Every Day: Video Diary

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS11.2

Simple, routine activities like capturing a single moment every day can help you create a collection of all the exciting things you do on a daily basis. 1 Second Every Day app is designed to help you create a video diary that sums up the most important moments of your day. You can either create Freestyle videos you take at different types of events and your journeys or capture standard Timeline videos that have the form of a classic video diary. The app can also auto-fill your timeline if you are struggling to find a good idea for your daily diary entry, and it supports unlimited mashing so that you can combine videos over a five-year or one-month period without any video length restrictions.

Conclusion

According to Apple, some of the most popular apps for the iPhone are built for storytellers, and this trend is going to continue in 2024 as the demand for video content can only increase. Consequently, some of the best iOS apps can be found in the Photo & Video category as they provide the tools that simplify the process of creating social media videos. Which app are you using to create your stories? Leave a comment and let us know.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Earlier this month, Apple has released its choices for the best app and video games of 2024 and revealed some of the hottest trends on the App Store. Over the years, we’ve seen how apps shape the everyday life of iPhone and iPad users, through innovation, entertainment and creativity.

The current trends on App Store show a growing interest in applications that unleash creativity and make recording images or sounds easier. So, if you are looking for an app that can take you a step closer to becoming a successful podcaster or video content creator , we have great news for you because currently, there are so many powerful apps to choose from. Let’s take a look at some of the best and most popular iPhone apps that left their mark in 2024.

• Part 1: Apple Pick: Best App for iPhone in 2024
• Part 2: Most Trending & Popular Apps for iPhone of the Year [Full Checklist]
• Part 3: Most Popular and Trending Photo & Video Apps for iPhone [+Review]

Part 1: The iPhone App of the Year: Spectre Camera

Social networks have made photography more popular than ever. However, the quality of pictures taken with Smartphones still cannot be compared to the quality of images produced on DSLR cameras .

The iPhone app of the year provides a solution to this issue by employing the latest computational photography techniques. The Spectre Camera is equipped with an AI that can easily create long-exposure photographs, remove crowds from images and detect scenes automatically . The app saves all pictures it takes during a long-exposure and generates live photos by merging all images into a single breathtaking shot.

Optionally, you can apply live effects to each image you take with Spectre Camera if you would like to enhance its colors or highlight a particular detail. Image stabilization features are designed to keep all photos you shoot handheld sharp, while Spectre Camera also offers the automatic tripod detection option. The app’s machine learning algorithms detect scenes and provide all the help you need to produce professional-looking photos with your iPhone.

As the popularity of social media platforms continues to grow, so does the demand for photo and video applications that are compatible with iOS devices. That’s why it is hardly surprising that Spectre Camera is the iPhone app of the year because it is packed with industry-leading technologies that simplify the image-taking process.

You can check the detailed review below of Spectre Camera App from YouTube Channel TinyShutter to learn more.

Part 2: Most Trending & Popular Apps for iPhone of the Year [Full Checklist]

Besides the best app for iPhone of the year, Apple also picked up some most trending apps for simplifying and empowering storytelling. Here is the complete list of these apps.

App Trend of 2024	Publisher	Category	App Size	Price	Ratings	User Rating	System Requirement
1 Second Everyday: Video Diary	1 Second Everyday Inc.	Photo & Video	132.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	30.6K	4.8	Requires iOS11.2 or later
24FPS - Video Filter & LUT	Polarr.Inc	Photo & Video	89.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	943	4.7	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Anchor	Anchor FM INC	News	109.6 MB	Free	40K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Canva: Stories & Video Maker	Canva Pty Ltd	Photo & Video	309.2 MB	Free	1.4K	4.8	Requiers iOS 11.03 or later
Filmr - Video Editor & Filter	Stei App,ltda	Photo & Video	203.6 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	4.9K	4.5	Requires iOS.11.0 or later
FlipaClip: Cartoon Animation	Visual Blasters LLC	Entertainment	109.5 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	51K	4.6	Requiers iOS 10.0 or later
快手 (Kwai - Video Social Network)	JOYO TECHNOLOGY PTE.LTD	Photo & Video	235.8 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	13.5K	4.5	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Lifecake Family & Baby Photos	Lifecake Ltd.	Lifestyle	114.3 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	27K	4.8	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Magisto Video Editor	Vimeo, Inc.	Photo & Video	194.2 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	79.4K	4.6	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Mojo - Stories Editor	Archery Inc.	Photo & Video	98.5 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	15.6K	4.9	Requires iOS 11.4 or later
Nizo	Image Mechanics Pty Ltd.	Photo & Video	29.5 MB	$4.99	78	4.5	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Noisy Book	Lunen Digital Ltd.	Books	244.5 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	20	3.8	Requires iOS 13.0 or later
Over: Design/Flyer/Story Maker	Over, Inc.	Photo & Video	262.8 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	59.3K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Spark Camera - Video Editor	Dayworks	Photo & Video	229.6 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	5.6K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.1 or later
Steller	Expedition Travel Advisor, Inc.	Photo & Video	74.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	773	4.8	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
StoryBoost: Story Editor	Lightricks Ltd.	Photo & Video	208.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	575	4.5	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Tayasui Sketches	Tayasui.com	Productivity	326.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	22.4K	4.6	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Typic 2: Fonts & Text on Photo	Hi Mom S.A.S	Photo & Video	408.7 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	588	4.5	Requires iOS 12.1 or later
Unfold — Create Stories	Unfold Creative, LLC	Photo & Video	152.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	89.5K	4.9	Requires iOS 10.0 or later
Vostok	Dmitry Mashkin	Photo & Video	121 MB	$0.99	4	5	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
VUE - Video Camera and Editor	VUE VIDEO CO., LTD.	Photo & Video	155.3 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	617	4.9	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Wattpad	Wattpad Corp	Books	154.2 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	286.4K	4.7	Requires iOS 10.0 or later
WIDE	Xiamen Meitu Technology	Photo & Video	158.6 MB	Free	10K	4.9	Requires iOS 9.0 or later

Part 3: 10 Most Popular and Trending Photo & Video Apps in 2024

Apps from gaming, entertainment, and books categories were gaining momentum throughout the year, but the photo and video category that makes the storytelling easier is by far the most popular. If you are looking to record voices , create podcasts , take photos or record videos, you’ll find the app that meets all your demands effortlessly. Here are some of the most popular apps from the Photo & Video category on the App Store in 2024.

1. Canva: Stories and Video Maker

Price: Free

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.03 or later

Building social media following can be a daunting task if you don’t have the right tools. Canva: Stories and Video Maker enables you to design stories you share on Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. The app offers a selection of more than 700 story templates that are organized into categories such as Food, Business or Travel and it lets you choose photo templates for all images you want to publish on social media. In addition, this iPhone app, features a set of video editing tools, so that you can use different templates to edit them or trim and preview each video before exporting it from the Canva: Stories and Video Maker.

2. Magisto

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later

In 2017, Magisto was selected as the number one video editing app for iPhones and a few years later it is still one of the best apps in this category on the App Store. Digital marketers who don’t have the skills or the time to edit their videos with professional video editing software can benefit from this AI-powered editor. In order to create a new video, you just have to choose a video editing style such as kids or pets, import the media assets into your project and let Magisto work its magic. If you opt for the monthly Business subscription plan you will gain access to more than 3 million stock videos and 25 million photos.

3. Mojo

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.4 or later

The 4.9 User Rating on more than 15.000 reviews speaks volumes about Mojo’s capabilities. Even the free version of the app lets you choose from more than a hundred fully customizable templates. So, once you pick an animated template you just have to add the video and audio files you want to include in the final version of the video and wait for Mojo to generate a new story you can share on social media. However, you must upgrade to the pro version of the app if you want to choose the aspect ratio for all videos you edit with this app or be able to use all of the text styles and templates Mojo offers.

4. Over: Design/Flyers/Story Maker

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later

Producing brand content that drives the sales of the products and services your company offers doesn’t have to take hours or even days of hard work. In fact, if you install Over on your iPhone you can add logos, text layers and other graphic elements to photos and videos in just a few quick taps. There are hundreds of templates and fonts to choose from, and you can use any of them to design a flyer, a poster or a social media post. Sharing your creations to social networks directly from the app won’t take much more than a few moments of your time, which makes Over a perfect choice if you want to produce and share new content regularly.

5. Spark Camera

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.1 or later

Apple included the Spark Camera app in their selection of the best storytelling apps in 2024, and a brief look at the app’s features shows why. Besides recording videos in Full HD and 4K resolutions you can also use Spark Camera to create voiceovers, remove any segment of a video clip you want or change a clip’s playback speed. In addition, you can set the preferred frame rate for each video you record with Spark Camera and utilize its image stabilization options while shooting under difficult light conditions. Applying a filter to a video you recorded with this app requires you to just swipe left or right while you can adjust their intensity by simply moving your finger up or down.

6. Steller

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later

It has already been five years since Steller was named as one of the best apps on the App Store by Apple, but very little has changed in the meantime. You don’t have to be a professional storyteller in order to create engaging visual stories with this app since you can select a theme you like and let Steller do all the heavy lifting for you. There just ten text styles to choose from and the app doesn’t offer even the basic video editing tools, which limits your options throughout the video editing process. Nonetheless, you can share all video content you edit with Steller directly to your Instagram Stories.

7. Unfold

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 10.0 or later

Creating Facebook or Instagram Stories that attract the attention of thousands of daily viewers is what Unfold does best. You can apply ten different filters and effects to all videos you record with this app and then choose from over 150 video templates. Unfold also grants you access to advanced text tools that enable you to customize the messages you want to distribute through social media channels. The free version of Unfold offers only a limited range of options, and you must upgrade to Unfold+ if you want to access all of the themes, fonts, and stickers this app provides. Despite the great user rating, Unfold still lacks video and audio editing tools that would allow its users to manipulate their footage without any restrictions.

8. 24 FPS – Video Filter & LUT

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 12.0 or later

iPhone owners in need of a video editing app that allows them to record and edit their footage with professional tools should consider installing 24 FPS. In addition to excellent video recording capabilities, this app features a plethora of options you can use to enhance the colors in the videos you edit. Importing LUTs into 24 FPS is a routine operation that can reduce the amount of time you have to spend on giving a video a particular cinematic style. Skin-thinning and skin smoothing filters enable you to beautify the people in your videos and make them more visually appealing to the online audience. The app’s video editor also contains audio editing options that make creating a video’s soundtrack fun and enjoyable.

9. VUE – Video Camera and Editor

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later

Recording and editing social media videos from your iPhone enables you to produce visually impressive content wherever you are. An app like Vue is a perfect option if you don’t want to post unedited footage on your social media accounts, but don’t have the time to use a professional video editing software. Besides offering more than twenty filters, Vue also lets you change a video’s playback speed, merge or split multiple clips and enhance the colors of each clip you edit. The seemingly endless library of royalty-free songs offers you all the resources you are going to need while creating a soundtrack for your video, and you can also control the volume of video’s original sound and audio files you added to a project.

10 1 Second Every Day: Video Diary

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS11.2

Simple, routine activities like capturing a single moment every day can help you create a collection of all the exciting things you do on a daily basis. 1 Second Every Day app is designed to help you create a video diary that sums up the most important moments of your day. You can either create Freestyle videos you take at different types of events and your journeys or capture standard Timeline videos that have the form of a classic video diary. The app can also auto-fill your timeline if you are struggling to find a good idea for your daily diary entry, and it supports unlimited mashing so that you can combine videos over a five-year or one-month period without any video length restrictions.

Conclusion

According to Apple, some of the most popular apps for the iPhone are built for storytellers, and this trend is going to continue in 2024 as the demand for video content can only increase. Consequently, some of the best iOS apps can be found in the Photo & Video category as they provide the tools that simplify the process of creating social media videos. Which app are you using to create your stories? Leave a comment and let us know.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Earlier this month, Apple has released its choices for the best app and video games of 2024 and revealed some of the hottest trends on the App Store. Over the years, we’ve seen how apps shape the everyday life of iPhone and iPad users, through innovation, entertainment and creativity.

The current trends on App Store show a growing interest in applications that unleash creativity and make recording images or sounds easier. So, if you are looking for an app that can take you a step closer to becoming a successful podcaster or video content creator , we have great news for you because currently, there are so many powerful apps to choose from. Let’s take a look at some of the best and most popular iPhone apps that left their mark in 2024.

• Part 1: Apple Pick: Best App for iPhone in 2024
• Part 2: Most Trending & Popular Apps for iPhone of the Year [Full Checklist]
• Part 3: Most Popular and Trending Photo & Video Apps for iPhone [+Review]

Part 1: The iPhone App of the Year: Spectre Camera

Social networks have made photography more popular than ever. However, the quality of pictures taken with Smartphones still cannot be compared to the quality of images produced on DSLR cameras .

The iPhone app of the year provides a solution to this issue by employing the latest computational photography techniques. The Spectre Camera is equipped with an AI that can easily create long-exposure photographs, remove crowds from images and detect scenes automatically . The app saves all pictures it takes during a long-exposure and generates live photos by merging all images into a single breathtaking shot.

Optionally, you can apply live effects to each image you take with Spectre Camera if you would like to enhance its colors or highlight a particular detail. Image stabilization features are designed to keep all photos you shoot handheld sharp, while Spectre Camera also offers the automatic tripod detection option. The app’s machine learning algorithms detect scenes and provide all the help you need to produce professional-looking photos with your iPhone.

As the popularity of social media platforms continues to grow, so does the demand for photo and video applications that are compatible with iOS devices. That’s why it is hardly surprising that Spectre Camera is the iPhone app of the year because it is packed with industry-leading technologies that simplify the image-taking process.

You can check the detailed review below of Spectre Camera App from YouTube Channel TinyShutter to learn more.

Part 2: Most Trending & Popular Apps for iPhone of the Year [Full Checklist]

Besides the best app for iPhone of the year, Apple also picked up some most trending apps for simplifying and empowering storytelling. Here is the complete list of these apps.

App Trend of 2024	Publisher	Category	App Size	Price	Ratings	User Rating	System Requirement
1 Second Everyday: Video Diary	1 Second Everyday Inc.	Photo & Video	132.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	30.6K	4.8	Requires iOS11.2 or later
24FPS - Video Filter & LUT	Polarr.Inc	Photo & Video	89.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	943	4.7	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Anchor	Anchor FM INC	News	109.6 MB	Free	40K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Canva: Stories & Video Maker	Canva Pty Ltd	Photo & Video	309.2 MB	Free	1.4K	4.8	Requiers iOS 11.03 or later
Filmr - Video Editor & Filter	Stei App,ltda	Photo & Video	203.6 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	4.9K	4.5	Requires iOS.11.0 or later
FlipaClip: Cartoon Animation	Visual Blasters LLC	Entertainment	109.5 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	51K	4.6	Requiers iOS 10.0 or later
快手 (Kwai - Video Social Network)	JOYO TECHNOLOGY PTE.LTD	Photo & Video	235.8 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	13.5K	4.5	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Lifecake Family & Baby Photos	Lifecake Ltd.	Lifestyle	114.3 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	27K	4.8	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Magisto Video Editor	Vimeo, Inc.	Photo & Video	194.2 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	79.4K	4.6	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Mojo - Stories Editor	Archery Inc.	Photo & Video	98.5 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	15.6K	4.9	Requires iOS 11.4 or later
Nizo	Image Mechanics Pty Ltd.	Photo & Video	29.5 MB	$4.99	78	4.5	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Noisy Book	Lunen Digital Ltd.	Books	244.5 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	20	3.8	Requires iOS 13.0 or later
Over: Design/Flyer/Story Maker	Over, Inc.	Photo & Video	262.8 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	59.3K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Spark Camera - Video Editor	Dayworks	Photo & Video	229.6 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	5.6K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.1 or later
Steller	Expedition Travel Advisor, Inc.	Photo & Video	74.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	773	4.8	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
StoryBoost: Story Editor	Lightricks Ltd.	Photo & Video	208.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	575	4.5	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Tayasui Sketches	Tayasui.com	Productivity	326.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	22.4K	4.6	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Typic 2: Fonts & Text on Photo	Hi Mom S.A.S	Photo & Video	408.7 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	588	4.5	Requires iOS 12.1 or later
Unfold — Create Stories	Unfold Creative, LLC	Photo & Video	152.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	89.5K	4.9	Requires iOS 10.0 or later
Vostok	Dmitry Mashkin	Photo & Video	121 MB	$0.99	4	5	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
VUE - Video Camera and Editor	VUE VIDEO CO., LTD.	Photo & Video	155.3 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	617	4.9	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Wattpad	Wattpad Corp	Books	154.2 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	286.4K	4.7	Requires iOS 10.0 or later
WIDE	Xiamen Meitu Technology	Photo & Video	158.6 MB	Free	10K	4.9	Requires iOS 9.0 or later

Part 3: 10 Most Popular and Trending Photo & Video Apps in 2024

Apps from gaming, entertainment, and books categories were gaining momentum throughout the year, but the photo and video category that makes the storytelling easier is by far the most popular. If you are looking to record voices , create podcasts , take photos or record videos, you’ll find the app that meets all your demands effortlessly. Here are some of the most popular apps from the Photo & Video category on the App Store in 2024.

1. Canva: Stories and Video Maker

Price: Free

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.03 or later

Building social media following can be a daunting task if you don’t have the right tools. Canva: Stories and Video Maker enables you to design stories you share on Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. The app offers a selection of more than 700 story templates that are organized into categories such as Food, Business or Travel and it lets you choose photo templates for all images you want to publish on social media. In addition, this iPhone app, features a set of video editing tools, so that you can use different templates to edit them or trim and preview each video before exporting it from the Canva: Stories and Video Maker.

2. Magisto

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later

In 2017, Magisto was selected as the number one video editing app for iPhones and a few years later it is still one of the best apps in this category on the App Store. Digital marketers who don’t have the skills or the time to edit their videos with professional video editing software can benefit from this AI-powered editor. In order to create a new video, you just have to choose a video editing style such as kids or pets, import the media assets into your project and let Magisto work its magic. If you opt for the monthly Business subscription plan you will gain access to more than 3 million stock videos and 25 million photos.

3. Mojo

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.4 or later

The 4.9 User Rating on more than 15.000 reviews speaks volumes about Mojo’s capabilities. Even the free version of the app lets you choose from more than a hundred fully customizable templates. So, once you pick an animated template you just have to add the video and audio files you want to include in the final version of the video and wait for Mojo to generate a new story you can share on social media. However, you must upgrade to the pro version of the app if you want to choose the aspect ratio for all videos you edit with this app or be able to use all of the text styles and templates Mojo offers.

4. Over: Design/Flyers/Story Maker

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later

Producing brand content that drives the sales of the products and services your company offers doesn’t have to take hours or even days of hard work. In fact, if you install Over on your iPhone you can add logos, text layers and other graphic elements to photos and videos in just a few quick taps. There are hundreds of templates and fonts to choose from, and you can use any of them to design a flyer, a poster or a social media post. Sharing your creations to social networks directly from the app won’t take much more than a few moments of your time, which makes Over a perfect choice if you want to produce and share new content regularly.

5. Spark Camera

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.1 or later

Apple included the Spark Camera app in their selection of the best storytelling apps in 2024, and a brief look at the app’s features shows why. Besides recording videos in Full HD and 4K resolutions you can also use Spark Camera to create voiceovers, remove any segment of a video clip you want or change a clip’s playback speed. In addition, you can set the preferred frame rate for each video you record with Spark Camera and utilize its image stabilization options while shooting under difficult light conditions. Applying a filter to a video you recorded with this app requires you to just swipe left or right while you can adjust their intensity by simply moving your finger up or down.

6. Steller

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later

It has already been five years since Steller was named as one of the best apps on the App Store by Apple, but very little has changed in the meantime. You don’t have to be a professional storyteller in order to create engaging visual stories with this app since you can select a theme you like and let Steller do all the heavy lifting for you. There just ten text styles to choose from and the app doesn’t offer even the basic video editing tools, which limits your options throughout the video editing process. Nonetheless, you can share all video content you edit with Steller directly to your Instagram Stories.

7. Unfold

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 10.0 or later

Creating Facebook or Instagram Stories that attract the attention of thousands of daily viewers is what Unfold does best. You can apply ten different filters and effects to all videos you record with this app and then choose from over 150 video templates. Unfold also grants you access to advanced text tools that enable you to customize the messages you want to distribute through social media channels. The free version of Unfold offers only a limited range of options, and you must upgrade to Unfold+ if you want to access all of the themes, fonts, and stickers this app provides. Despite the great user rating, Unfold still lacks video and audio editing tools that would allow its users to manipulate their footage without any restrictions.

8. 24 FPS – Video Filter & LUT

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 12.0 or later

iPhone owners in need of a video editing app that allows them to record and edit their footage with professional tools should consider installing 24 FPS. In addition to excellent video recording capabilities, this app features a plethora of options you can use to enhance the colors in the videos you edit. Importing LUTs into 24 FPS is a routine operation that can reduce the amount of time you have to spend on giving a video a particular cinematic style. Skin-thinning and skin smoothing filters enable you to beautify the people in your videos and make them more visually appealing to the online audience. The app’s video editor also contains audio editing options that make creating a video’s soundtrack fun and enjoyable.

9. VUE – Video Camera and Editor

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later

Recording and editing social media videos from your iPhone enables you to produce visually impressive content wherever you are. An app like Vue is a perfect option if you don’t want to post unedited footage on your social media accounts, but don’t have the time to use a professional video editing software. Besides offering more than twenty filters, Vue also lets you change a video’s playback speed, merge or split multiple clips and enhance the colors of each clip you edit. The seemingly endless library of royalty-free songs offers you all the resources you are going to need while creating a soundtrack for your video, and you can also control the volume of video’s original sound and audio files you added to a project.

10 1 Second Every Day: Video Diary

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS11.2

Simple, routine activities like capturing a single moment every day can help you create a collection of all the exciting things you do on a daily basis. 1 Second Every Day app is designed to help you create a video diary that sums up the most important moments of your day. You can either create Freestyle videos you take at different types of events and your journeys or capture standard Timeline videos that have the form of a classic video diary. The app can also auto-fill your timeline if you are struggling to find a good idea for your daily diary entry, and it supports unlimited mashing so that you can combine videos over a five-year or one-month period without any video length restrictions.

Conclusion

According to Apple, some of the most popular apps for the iPhone are built for storytellers, and this trend is going to continue in 2024 as the demand for video content can only increase. Consequently, some of the best iOS apps can be found in the Photo & Video category as they provide the tools that simplify the process of creating social media videos. Which app are you using to create your stories? Leave a comment and let us know.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Earlier this month, Apple has released its choices for the best app and video games of 2024 and revealed some of the hottest trends on the App Store. Over the years, we’ve seen how apps shape the everyday life of iPhone and iPad users, through innovation, entertainment and creativity.

The current trends on App Store show a growing interest in applications that unleash creativity and make recording images or sounds easier. So, if you are looking for an app that can take you a step closer to becoming a successful podcaster or video content creator , we have great news for you because currently, there are so many powerful apps to choose from. Let’s take a look at some of the best and most popular iPhone apps that left their mark in 2024.

• Part 1: Apple Pick: Best App for iPhone in 2024
• Part 2: Most Trending & Popular Apps for iPhone of the Year [Full Checklist]
• Part 3: Most Popular and Trending Photo & Video Apps for iPhone [+Review]

Part 1: The iPhone App of the Year: Spectre Camera

Social networks have made photography more popular than ever. However, the quality of pictures taken with Smartphones still cannot be compared to the quality of images produced on DSLR cameras .

The iPhone app of the year provides a solution to this issue by employing the latest computational photography techniques. The Spectre Camera is equipped with an AI that can easily create long-exposure photographs, remove crowds from images and detect scenes automatically . The app saves all pictures it takes during a long-exposure and generates live photos by merging all images into a single breathtaking shot.

Optionally, you can apply live effects to each image you take with Spectre Camera if you would like to enhance its colors or highlight a particular detail. Image stabilization features are designed to keep all photos you shoot handheld sharp, while Spectre Camera also offers the automatic tripod detection option. The app’s machine learning algorithms detect scenes and provide all the help you need to produce professional-looking photos with your iPhone.

As the popularity of social media platforms continues to grow, so does the demand for photo and video applications that are compatible with iOS devices. That’s why it is hardly surprising that Spectre Camera is the iPhone app of the year because it is packed with industry-leading technologies that simplify the image-taking process.

You can check the detailed review below of Spectre Camera App from YouTube Channel TinyShutter to learn more.

Part 2: Most Trending & Popular Apps for iPhone of the Year [Full Checklist]

Besides the best app for iPhone of the year, Apple also picked up some most trending apps for simplifying and empowering storytelling. Here is the complete list of these apps.

App Trend of 2024	Publisher	Category	App Size	Price	Ratings	User Rating	System Requirement
1 Second Everyday: Video Diary	1 Second Everyday Inc.	Photo & Video	132.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	30.6K	4.8	Requires iOS11.2 or later
24FPS - Video Filter & LUT	Polarr.Inc	Photo & Video	89.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	943	4.7	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Anchor	Anchor FM INC	News	109.6 MB	Free	40K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Canva: Stories & Video Maker	Canva Pty Ltd	Photo & Video	309.2 MB	Free	1.4K	4.8	Requiers iOS 11.03 or later
Filmr - Video Editor & Filter	Stei App,ltda	Photo & Video	203.6 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	4.9K	4.5	Requires iOS.11.0 or later
FlipaClip: Cartoon Animation	Visual Blasters LLC	Entertainment	109.5 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	51K	4.6	Requiers iOS 10.0 or later
快手 (Kwai - Video Social Network)	JOYO TECHNOLOGY PTE.LTD	Photo & Video	235.8 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	13.5K	4.5	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Lifecake Family & Baby Photos	Lifecake Ltd.	Lifestyle	114.3 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	27K	4.8	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Magisto Video Editor	Vimeo, Inc.	Photo & Video	194.2 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	79.4K	4.6	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Mojo - Stories Editor	Archery Inc.	Photo & Video	98.5 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	15.6K	4.9	Requires iOS 11.4 or later
Nizo	Image Mechanics Pty Ltd.	Photo & Video	29.5 MB	$4.99	78	4.5	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Noisy Book	Lunen Digital Ltd.	Books	244.5 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	20	3.8	Requires iOS 13.0 or later
Over: Design/Flyer/Story Maker	Over, Inc.	Photo & Video	262.8 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	59.3K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Spark Camera - Video Editor	Dayworks	Photo & Video	229.6 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	5.6K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.1 or later
Steller	Expedition Travel Advisor, Inc.	Photo & Video	74.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	773	4.8	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
StoryBoost: Story Editor	Lightricks Ltd.	Photo & Video	208.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	575	4.5	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Tayasui Sketches	Tayasui.com	Productivity	326.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	22.4K	4.6	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Typic 2: Fonts & Text on Photo	Hi Mom S.A.S	Photo & Video	408.7 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	588	4.5	Requires iOS 12.1 or later
Unfold — Create Stories	Unfold Creative, LLC	Photo & Video	152.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	89.5K	4.9	Requires iOS 10.0 or later
Vostok	Dmitry Mashkin	Photo & Video	121 MB	$0.99	4	5	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
VUE - Video Camera and Editor	VUE VIDEO CO., LTD.	Photo & Video	155.3 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	617	4.9	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Wattpad	Wattpad Corp	Books	154.2 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	286.4K	4.7	Requires iOS 10.0 or later
WIDE	Xiamen Meitu Technology	Photo & Video	158.6 MB	Free	10K	4.9	Requires iOS 9.0 or later

Part 3: 10 Most Popular and Trending Photo & Video Apps in 2024

Apps from gaming, entertainment, and books categories were gaining momentum throughout the year, but the photo and video category that makes the storytelling easier is by far the most popular. If you are looking to record voices , create podcasts , take photos or record videos, you’ll find the app that meets all your demands effortlessly. Here are some of the most popular apps from the Photo & Video category on the App Store in 2024.

1. Canva: Stories and Video Maker

Price: Free

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.03 or later

Building social media following can be a daunting task if you don’t have the right tools. Canva: Stories and Video Maker enables you to design stories you share on Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. The app offers a selection of more than 700 story templates that are organized into categories such as Food, Business or Travel and it lets you choose photo templates for all images you want to publish on social media. In addition, this iPhone app, features a set of video editing tools, so that you can use different templates to edit them or trim and preview each video before exporting it from the Canva: Stories and Video Maker.

2. Magisto

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later

In 2017, Magisto was selected as the number one video editing app for iPhones and a few years later it is still one of the best apps in this category on the App Store. Digital marketers who don’t have the skills or the time to edit their videos with professional video editing software can benefit from this AI-powered editor. In order to create a new video, you just have to choose a video editing style such as kids or pets, import the media assets into your project and let Magisto work its magic. If you opt for the monthly Business subscription plan you will gain access to more than 3 million stock videos and 25 million photos.

3. Mojo

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.4 or later

The 4.9 User Rating on more than 15.000 reviews speaks volumes about Mojo’s capabilities. Even the free version of the app lets you choose from more than a hundred fully customizable templates. So, once you pick an animated template you just have to add the video and audio files you want to include in the final version of the video and wait for Mojo to generate a new story you can share on social media. However, you must upgrade to the pro version of the app if you want to choose the aspect ratio for all videos you edit with this app or be able to use all of the text styles and templates Mojo offers.

4. Over: Design/Flyers/Story Maker

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later

Producing brand content that drives the sales of the products and services your company offers doesn’t have to take hours or even days of hard work. In fact, if you install Over on your iPhone you can add logos, text layers and other graphic elements to photos and videos in just a few quick taps. There are hundreds of templates and fonts to choose from, and you can use any of them to design a flyer, a poster or a social media post. Sharing your creations to social networks directly from the app won’t take much more than a few moments of your time, which makes Over a perfect choice if you want to produce and share new content regularly.

5. Spark Camera

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.1 or later

Apple included the Spark Camera app in their selection of the best storytelling apps in 2024, and a brief look at the app’s features shows why. Besides recording videos in Full HD and 4K resolutions you can also use Spark Camera to create voiceovers, remove any segment of a video clip you want or change a clip’s playback speed. In addition, you can set the preferred frame rate for each video you record with Spark Camera and utilize its image stabilization options while shooting under difficult light conditions. Applying a filter to a video you recorded with this app requires you to just swipe left or right while you can adjust their intensity by simply moving your finger up or down.

6. Steller

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later

It has already been five years since Steller was named as one of the best apps on the App Store by Apple, but very little has changed in the meantime. You don’t have to be a professional storyteller in order to create engaging visual stories with this app since you can select a theme you like and let Steller do all the heavy lifting for you. There just ten text styles to choose from and the app doesn’t offer even the basic video editing tools, which limits your options throughout the video editing process. Nonetheless, you can share all video content you edit with Steller directly to your Instagram Stories.

7. Unfold

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 10.0 or later

Creating Facebook or Instagram Stories that attract the attention of thousands of daily viewers is what Unfold does best. You can apply ten different filters and effects to all videos you record with this app and then choose from over 150 video templates. Unfold also grants you access to advanced text tools that enable you to customize the messages you want to distribute through social media channels. The free version of Unfold offers only a limited range of options, and you must upgrade to Unfold+ if you want to access all of the themes, fonts, and stickers this app provides. Despite the great user rating, Unfold still lacks video and audio editing tools that would allow its users to manipulate their footage without any restrictions.

8. 24 FPS – Video Filter & LUT

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 12.0 or later

iPhone owners in need of a video editing app that allows them to record and edit their footage with professional tools should consider installing 24 FPS. In addition to excellent video recording capabilities, this app features a plethora of options you can use to enhance the colors in the videos you edit. Importing LUTs into 24 FPS is a routine operation that can reduce the amount of time you have to spend on giving a video a particular cinematic style. Skin-thinning and skin smoothing filters enable you to beautify the people in your videos and make them more visually appealing to the online audience. The app’s video editor also contains audio editing options that make creating a video’s soundtrack fun and enjoyable.

9. VUE – Video Camera and Editor

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later

Recording and editing social media videos from your iPhone enables you to produce visually impressive content wherever you are. An app like Vue is a perfect option if you don’t want to post unedited footage on your social media accounts, but don’t have the time to use a professional video editing software. Besides offering more than twenty filters, Vue also lets you change a video’s playback speed, merge or split multiple clips and enhance the colors of each clip you edit. The seemingly endless library of royalty-free songs offers you all the resources you are going to need while creating a soundtrack for your video, and you can also control the volume of video’s original sound and audio files you added to a project.

10 1 Second Every Day: Video Diary

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS11.2

Simple, routine activities like capturing a single moment every day can help you create a collection of all the exciting things you do on a daily basis. 1 Second Every Day app is designed to help you create a video diary that sums up the most important moments of your day. You can either create Freestyle videos you take at different types of events and your journeys or capture standard Timeline videos that have the form of a classic video diary. The app can also auto-fill your timeline if you are struggling to find a good idea for your daily diary entry, and it supports unlimited mashing so that you can combine videos over a five-year or one-month period without any video length restrictions.

Conclusion

According to Apple, some of the most popular apps for the iPhone are built for storytellers, and this trend is going to continue in 2024 as the demand for video content can only increase. Consequently, some of the best iOS apps can be found in the Photo & Video category as they provide the tools that simplify the process of creating social media videos. Which app are you using to create your stories? Leave a comment and let us know.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

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