Motion Capture Apps: Android and iOS Essentials

Best Motion Tracking Apps for iOS and Android

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Today we will take a look at the best motion tracking video editing apps for iOS & Android devices. We’ll also learn how to do motion tracking and add objects to the tracked path in each app.

Motion tracking is a technique that allows you to track moving objects in a video clip. You can blur faces/objects, add texts, clip arts, images, video clips to the tracked object. In the not so distant past, motion tracking was a processing-intensive feature that required a PC with a dedicated GPU, extra RAM & sophisticated editing software. But recent revolutions of mobile operating systems, hardware & apps have paved the way for motion tracking on mobile devices.

Track Moving Objects and Follow Movement in Videos with Filmora

The newly added motion tracking feature in Filmora allows you to track moving objects in a video clip easily, and then add clipart such as images, elements, texts and video clips to follow the movement automatically. Below is a video tutorial about how to use the motion tracking feature to pin text to video in Filmora. Download the free trial version below and inspire your creativity.

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Secure Download

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

Secure Download

Click here to get Filmora for PC by email
or Try Filmora App for mobile >>>

download filmora app for ios ](https://app.adjust.com/b0k9hf2%5F4bsu85t ) download filmora app for android ](https://app.adjust.com/b0k9hf2%5F4bsu85t )

Best Motion Tracking Apps for iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android

So, what are the best motion tracking apps? What are their key features? And how can you do motion tracking on these apps? Below, we answer all these questions.

1. LumaFusion

Pricing: $29.99

Operating System: iOS

LumaFusion is one of the most powerful video editors for iOS devices. It is a multi-track video editor with features similar to professional video editor like Adobe Premiere Pro. You can export your video to Final Cut Pro X (FCPXML) or archive it for editing later on another iOS device. Frame rates of up to 240fps are supported with forward & reverse Slow/Fast motion. Professional-grade color LUTs, layer effects, and audio editing are also available. There is a handy auto-ducking feature that ducks the background automatically during dialog. The interface is a bit daunting for novices. They compensate for that by providing free support & video tutorials for almost everything.

How to do Motion Tracking on LumaFusion?

LumaFusion is a professional-grade motion tracking app. Tracking doesn’t necessarily take longer in LumaFusion than professional alternatives like Premiere Pro. Moreover, while many professional editing apps encounter lagging when you add too many keyframes and layers, that is typically not an issue in LumaFusion.

You begin by importing your clip. Next, add an object1 layer (text, video, clip-art, etc.) on top of your clip & adjust its start and endpoint. Edit the added object1 (graphics, position, etc.) if you want.

Then, add a suitable shape to your object1 layer. This shape will dictate the precise position of your tracking points. Now move the object + shape to the object2 you want to track. Remember the position of the shape with respect to the tracked object2. Add a keyframe, then move forward on the timeline.

Match the object1 + shape position with respect to your object2 similar to the previous one. Add another keyframe. Keep on repeating this process of following object2 with object1 + shape. Play through the timeline to check once you’re done. Don’t forget to delete the shape afterward because we don’t want that in our exported clip. That’s it, we’re done. A bit tedious but easy.

2. KineMaster

Pricing: Free

Operating System: iOS & Android

KineMaster is another multi-track video editor. It has been one of the leaders in the mobile editing industry for several years.

The blending modes of KineMaster can be utilized to produce unique startling effects. The color adjustment tools have sufficient capability to meet all your correction and enhancing needs.

You can change your voice, add sound effects, and multiple layers of video, images, stickers, special effects, text & handwriting.

It also comes with slow-motion, ducking, volume envelope, color filters, and more. When you’re done, you can export in 4K 2160p (30fps).

The free version gives you access to all the editing tools, but be aware of ads & watermarks. Buying the KineMaster premium will remove the watermarks and ads, unlock professional tool presets, and give you access to over a thousand premium assets.

How to do Motion Tracking on KineMaster?

Motion tracking in KineMaster is done using the animation tab. The overall interface is a lot simpler compared to LumaFusion. Simplicity, however, results in a lack of functionality. You can’t add a shape like the one we used in LumaFusion to make sure our added object1 always aligned perfectly with the object2 we were tracking.

The first step of motion tracking in KineMaster is importing your clip. Next, add an object1 layer (text, video, clip-art, etc). Adjust the duration & position of the object1 layer in the timeline according to the motion tracking duration & position for your clip.

Now launch the animation tab. Move the added object1 to the point of the object2 you want to track. You can zoom in using two fingers for accuracy. Once the object1 is in place, add a keyframe by tapping on the plus button.

Go forward to the next frame and add another keyframe after positioning. Keep on repeating this process of following object2 with object1. Play through the timeline once you’re done. If you made a mistake, use the minus button to remove a keyframe.

Conclusion

After thoroughly examining the two motion tracking apps, we recommend LumaFusion for professionals who need precise control over motion tracking. Android users should not be disappointed, however, since the capability of KineMaster is not far behind.

KineMaster is the better option for amateurs due to its simpler UI. Whichever one you choose, you would be satisfied with the motion tracking functionality. We hope we have helped you choose the best motion tracking video editing app for your mobile device. Happy tracking!

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Today we will take a look at the best motion tracking video editing apps for iOS & Android devices. We’ll also learn how to do motion tracking and add objects to the tracked path in each app.

Motion tracking is a technique that allows you to track moving objects in a video clip. You can blur faces/objects, add texts, clip arts, images, video clips to the tracked object. In the not so distant past, motion tracking was a processing-intensive feature that required a PC with a dedicated GPU, extra RAM & sophisticated editing software. But recent revolutions of mobile operating systems, hardware & apps have paved the way for motion tracking on mobile devices.

Track Moving Objects and Follow Movement in Videos with Filmora

The newly added motion tracking feature in Filmora allows you to track moving objects in a video clip easily, and then add clipart such as images, elements, texts and video clips to follow the movement automatically. Below is a video tutorial about how to use the motion tracking feature to pin text to video in Filmora. Download the free trial version below and inspire your creativity.

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Secure Download

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

Secure Download

Click here to get Filmora for PC by email
or Try Filmora App for mobile >>>

download filmora app for ios ](https://app.adjust.com/b0k9hf2%5F4bsu85t ) download filmora app for android ](https://app.adjust.com/b0k9hf2%5F4bsu85t )

Best Motion Tracking Apps for iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android

So, what are the best motion tracking apps? What are their key features? And how can you do motion tracking on these apps? Below, we answer all these questions.

1. LumaFusion

Pricing: $29.99

Operating System: iOS

LumaFusion is one of the most powerful video editors for iOS devices. It is a multi-track video editor with features similar to professional video editor like Adobe Premiere Pro. You can export your video to Final Cut Pro X (FCPXML) or archive it for editing later on another iOS device. Frame rates of up to 240fps are supported with forward & reverse Slow/Fast motion. Professional-grade color LUTs, layer effects, and audio editing are also available. There is a handy auto-ducking feature that ducks the background automatically during dialog. The interface is a bit daunting for novices. They compensate for that by providing free support & video tutorials for almost everything.

How to do Motion Tracking on LumaFusion?

LumaFusion is a professional-grade motion tracking app. Tracking doesn’t necessarily take longer in LumaFusion than professional alternatives like Premiere Pro. Moreover, while many professional editing apps encounter lagging when you add too many keyframes and layers, that is typically not an issue in LumaFusion.

You begin by importing your clip. Next, add an object1 layer (text, video, clip-art, etc.) on top of your clip & adjust its start and endpoint. Edit the added object1 (graphics, position, etc.) if you want.

Then, add a suitable shape to your object1 layer. This shape will dictate the precise position of your tracking points. Now move the object + shape to the object2 you want to track. Remember the position of the shape with respect to the tracked object2. Add a keyframe, then move forward on the timeline.

Match the object1 + shape position with respect to your object2 similar to the previous one. Add another keyframe. Keep on repeating this process of following object2 with object1 + shape. Play through the timeline to check once you’re done. Don’t forget to delete the shape afterward because we don’t want that in our exported clip. That’s it, we’re done. A bit tedious but easy.

2. KineMaster

Pricing: Free

Operating System: iOS & Android

KineMaster is another multi-track video editor. It has been one of the leaders in the mobile editing industry for several years.

The blending modes of KineMaster can be utilized to produce unique startling effects. The color adjustment tools have sufficient capability to meet all your correction and enhancing needs.

You can change your voice, add sound effects, and multiple layers of video, images, stickers, special effects, text & handwriting.

It also comes with slow-motion, ducking, volume envelope, color filters, and more. When you’re done, you can export in 4K 2160p (30fps).

The free version gives you access to all the editing tools, but be aware of ads & watermarks. Buying the KineMaster premium will remove the watermarks and ads, unlock professional tool presets, and give you access to over a thousand premium assets.

How to do Motion Tracking on KineMaster?

Motion tracking in KineMaster is done using the animation tab. The overall interface is a lot simpler compared to LumaFusion. Simplicity, however, results in a lack of functionality. You can’t add a shape like the one we used in LumaFusion to make sure our added object1 always aligned perfectly with the object2 we were tracking.

The first step of motion tracking in KineMaster is importing your clip. Next, add an object1 layer (text, video, clip-art, etc). Adjust the duration & position of the object1 layer in the timeline according to the motion tracking duration & position for your clip.

Now launch the animation tab. Move the added object1 to the point of the object2 you want to track. You can zoom in using two fingers for accuracy. Once the object1 is in place, add a keyframe by tapping on the plus button.

Go forward to the next frame and add another keyframe after positioning. Keep on repeating this process of following object2 with object1. Play through the timeline once you’re done. If you made a mistake, use the minus button to remove a keyframe.

Conclusion

After thoroughly examining the two motion tracking apps, we recommend LumaFusion for professionals who need precise control over motion tracking. Android users should not be disappointed, however, since the capability of KineMaster is not far behind.

KineMaster is the better option for amateurs due to its simpler UI. Whichever one you choose, you would be satisfied with the motion tracking functionality. We hope we have helped you choose the best motion tracking video editing app for your mobile device. Happy tracking!

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Today we will take a look at the best motion tracking video editing apps for iOS & Android devices. We’ll also learn how to do motion tracking and add objects to the tracked path in each app.

Motion tracking is a technique that allows you to track moving objects in a video clip. You can blur faces/objects, add texts, clip arts, images, video clips to the tracked object. In the not so distant past, motion tracking was a processing-intensive feature that required a PC with a dedicated GPU, extra RAM & sophisticated editing software. But recent revolutions of mobile operating systems, hardware & apps have paved the way for motion tracking on mobile devices.

Track Moving Objects and Follow Movement in Videos with Filmora

The newly added motion tracking feature in Filmora allows you to track moving objects in a video clip easily, and then add clipart such as images, elements, texts and video clips to follow the movement automatically. Below is a video tutorial about how to use the motion tracking feature to pin text to video in Filmora. Download the free trial version below and inspire your creativity.

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Secure Download

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

Secure Download

Click here to get Filmora for PC by email
or Try Filmora App for mobile >>>

download filmora app for ios ](https://app.adjust.com/b0k9hf2%5F4bsu85t ) download filmora app for android ](https://app.adjust.com/b0k9hf2%5F4bsu85t )

Best Motion Tracking Apps for iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android

So, what are the best motion tracking apps? What are their key features? And how can you do motion tracking on these apps? Below, we answer all these questions.

1. LumaFusion

Pricing: $29.99

Operating System: iOS

LumaFusion is one of the most powerful video editors for iOS devices. It is a multi-track video editor with features similar to professional video editor like Adobe Premiere Pro. You can export your video to Final Cut Pro X (FCPXML) or archive it for editing later on another iOS device. Frame rates of up to 240fps are supported with forward & reverse Slow/Fast motion. Professional-grade color LUTs, layer effects, and audio editing are also available. There is a handy auto-ducking feature that ducks the background automatically during dialog. The interface is a bit daunting for novices. They compensate for that by providing free support & video tutorials for almost everything.

How to do Motion Tracking on LumaFusion?

LumaFusion is a professional-grade motion tracking app. Tracking doesn’t necessarily take longer in LumaFusion than professional alternatives like Premiere Pro. Moreover, while many professional editing apps encounter lagging when you add too many keyframes and layers, that is typically not an issue in LumaFusion.

You begin by importing your clip. Next, add an object1 layer (text, video, clip-art, etc.) on top of your clip & adjust its start and endpoint. Edit the added object1 (graphics, position, etc.) if you want.

Then, add a suitable shape to your object1 layer. This shape will dictate the precise position of your tracking points. Now move the object + shape to the object2 you want to track. Remember the position of the shape with respect to the tracked object2. Add a keyframe, then move forward on the timeline.

Match the object1 + shape position with respect to your object2 similar to the previous one. Add another keyframe. Keep on repeating this process of following object2 with object1 + shape. Play through the timeline to check once you’re done. Don’t forget to delete the shape afterward because we don’t want that in our exported clip. That’s it, we’re done. A bit tedious but easy.

2. KineMaster

Pricing: Free

Operating System: iOS & Android

KineMaster is another multi-track video editor. It has been one of the leaders in the mobile editing industry for several years.

The blending modes of KineMaster can be utilized to produce unique startling effects. The color adjustment tools have sufficient capability to meet all your correction and enhancing needs.

You can change your voice, add sound effects, and multiple layers of video, images, stickers, special effects, text & handwriting.

It also comes with slow-motion, ducking, volume envelope, color filters, and more. When you’re done, you can export in 4K 2160p (30fps).

The free version gives you access to all the editing tools, but be aware of ads & watermarks. Buying the KineMaster premium will remove the watermarks and ads, unlock professional tool presets, and give you access to over a thousand premium assets.

How to do Motion Tracking on KineMaster?

Motion tracking in KineMaster is done using the animation tab. The overall interface is a lot simpler compared to LumaFusion. Simplicity, however, results in a lack of functionality. You can’t add a shape like the one we used in LumaFusion to make sure our added object1 always aligned perfectly with the object2 we were tracking.

The first step of motion tracking in KineMaster is importing your clip. Next, add an object1 layer (text, video, clip-art, etc). Adjust the duration & position of the object1 layer in the timeline according to the motion tracking duration & position for your clip.

Now launch the animation tab. Move the added object1 to the point of the object2 you want to track. You can zoom in using two fingers for accuracy. Once the object1 is in place, add a keyframe by tapping on the plus button.

Go forward to the next frame and add another keyframe after positioning. Keep on repeating this process of following object2 with object1. Play through the timeline once you’re done. If you made a mistake, use the minus button to remove a keyframe.

Conclusion

After thoroughly examining the two motion tracking apps, we recommend LumaFusion for professionals who need precise control over motion tracking. Android users should not be disappointed, however, since the capability of KineMaster is not far behind.

KineMaster is the better option for amateurs due to its simpler UI. Whichever one you choose, you would be satisfied with the motion tracking functionality. We hope we have helped you choose the best motion tracking video editing app for your mobile device. Happy tracking!

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Today we will take a look at the best motion tracking video editing apps for iOS & Android devices. We’ll also learn how to do motion tracking and add objects to the tracked path in each app.

Motion tracking is a technique that allows you to track moving objects in a video clip. You can blur faces/objects, add texts, clip arts, images, video clips to the tracked object. In the not so distant past, motion tracking was a processing-intensive feature that required a PC with a dedicated GPU, extra RAM & sophisticated editing software. But recent revolutions of mobile operating systems, hardware & apps have paved the way for motion tracking on mobile devices.

Track Moving Objects and Follow Movement in Videos with Filmora

The newly added motion tracking feature in Filmora allows you to track moving objects in a video clip easily, and then add clipart such as images, elements, texts and video clips to follow the movement automatically. Below is a video tutorial about how to use the motion tracking feature to pin text to video in Filmora. Download the free trial version below and inspire your creativity.

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Secure Download

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

Secure Download

Click here to get Filmora for PC by email
or Try Filmora App for mobile >>>

download filmora app for ios ](https://app.adjust.com/b0k9hf2%5F4bsu85t ) download filmora app for android ](https://app.adjust.com/b0k9hf2%5F4bsu85t )

Best Motion Tracking Apps for iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android

So, what are the best motion tracking apps? What are their key features? And how can you do motion tracking on these apps? Below, we answer all these questions.

1. LumaFusion

Pricing: $29.99

Operating System: iOS

LumaFusion is one of the most powerful video editors for iOS devices. It is a multi-track video editor with features similar to professional video editor like Adobe Premiere Pro. You can export your video to Final Cut Pro X (FCPXML) or archive it for editing later on another iOS device. Frame rates of up to 240fps are supported with forward & reverse Slow/Fast motion. Professional-grade color LUTs, layer effects, and audio editing are also available. There is a handy auto-ducking feature that ducks the background automatically during dialog. The interface is a bit daunting for novices. They compensate for that by providing free support & video tutorials for almost everything.

How to do Motion Tracking on LumaFusion?

LumaFusion is a professional-grade motion tracking app. Tracking doesn’t necessarily take longer in LumaFusion than professional alternatives like Premiere Pro. Moreover, while many professional editing apps encounter lagging when you add too many keyframes and layers, that is typically not an issue in LumaFusion.

You begin by importing your clip. Next, add an object1 layer (text, video, clip-art, etc.) on top of your clip & adjust its start and endpoint. Edit the added object1 (graphics, position, etc.) if you want.

Then, add a suitable shape to your object1 layer. This shape will dictate the precise position of your tracking points. Now move the object + shape to the object2 you want to track. Remember the position of the shape with respect to the tracked object2. Add a keyframe, then move forward on the timeline.

Match the object1 + shape position with respect to your object2 similar to the previous one. Add another keyframe. Keep on repeating this process of following object2 with object1 + shape. Play through the timeline to check once you’re done. Don’t forget to delete the shape afterward because we don’t want that in our exported clip. That’s it, we’re done. A bit tedious but easy.

2. KineMaster

Pricing: Free

Operating System: iOS & Android

KineMaster is another multi-track video editor. It has been one of the leaders in the mobile editing industry for several years.

The blending modes of KineMaster can be utilized to produce unique startling effects. The color adjustment tools have sufficient capability to meet all your correction and enhancing needs.

You can change your voice, add sound effects, and multiple layers of video, images, stickers, special effects, text & handwriting.

It also comes with slow-motion, ducking, volume envelope, color filters, and more. When you’re done, you can export in 4K 2160p (30fps).

The free version gives you access to all the editing tools, but be aware of ads & watermarks. Buying the KineMaster premium will remove the watermarks and ads, unlock professional tool presets, and give you access to over a thousand premium assets.

How to do Motion Tracking on KineMaster?

Motion tracking in KineMaster is done using the animation tab. The overall interface is a lot simpler compared to LumaFusion. Simplicity, however, results in a lack of functionality. You can’t add a shape like the one we used in LumaFusion to make sure our added object1 always aligned perfectly with the object2 we were tracking.

The first step of motion tracking in KineMaster is importing your clip. Next, add an object1 layer (text, video, clip-art, etc). Adjust the duration & position of the object1 layer in the timeline according to the motion tracking duration & position for your clip.

Now launch the animation tab. Move the added object1 to the point of the object2 you want to track. You can zoom in using two fingers for accuracy. Once the object1 is in place, add a keyframe by tapping on the plus button.

Go forward to the next frame and add another keyframe after positioning. Keep on repeating this process of following object2 with object1. Play through the timeline once you’re done. If you made a mistake, use the minus button to remove a keyframe.

Conclusion

After thoroughly examining the two motion tracking apps, we recommend LumaFusion for professionals who need precise control over motion tracking. Android users should not be disappointed, however, since the capability of KineMaster is not far behind.

KineMaster is the better option for amateurs due to its simpler UI. Whichever one you choose, you would be satisfied with the motion tracking functionality. We hope we have helped you choose the best motion tracking video editing app for your mobile device. Happy tracking!

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Create Stunning Animations with These 12 Free Tools for Windows and Mac

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

The Ultimate List of Free Mac Speech Recognition Apps (No Downloads Needed)

Do you struggle to meet deadlines for your text assignments? If you do, then you are in luck. Speech recognition technology is the best way to beat this challenge. Whether you are a student or a corporate professional, several speech-to-text apps can be used to guarantee that you meet your deadlines. For example, Mac owners can use dragon for Mac to complete typing assignments in half the time.

Below are the best speech-to-text apps on Mac you might have missed since the beginning of 2022. Some of the apps in the list are in-built into your device, while others may require you to download additional software. Regardless, all of those listed below are free to use on your Mac device. Keep reading to find out more.

Part1: Top 1 Built-in Mac Dictation Feature

Did you know your Mac device comes with a built-in speech-to-text feature? So whether you use a laptop or desktop, you can generate text from your voice through your device’s microphone. Officially known as Dictation, the app allows you to transcribe text anywhere you can type it. So, for example, you can use Apple Dictation for your messaging and word processing apps.

The feature has been available since macOS Sierra as a free built-in feature. Earlier versions of Apple Dictation relied on its voice recognition software. However, it now relies on Siri for users of macOS Catalina onwards.

Typically, the app allows you to transcribe thirty seconds and below of audio. However, you can enable Enhanced dictation for longer transcription times. According to most users, the app is suitable for getting the first draft of your assignment, which you can manually edit later.

Follow these steps to enable Apple Dictation on your Mac:

1. Tap the Apple logo on the top-left toolbar of your screen and select System Preferences from the resulting menu.
2. Click on the Keyboard option from the system preferences screen.
3. Once there, click on the Dictation option located at the top of the menu.
4. Select On to activate the app in its default mode. In addition, you can check the Use Enhanced Dictation box to enable additional functions such as offline use and text commands like bold and italics.
5. Finally, select your language from the dropdown menu and choose a shortcut key.

Please note that you need to speak your punctuation loudly when using Apple Dictation. Otherwise, the app will consider them as regular words.

Part2: Top 2 Microsoft Word [Free & No Download]

Another option to consider is speech-to-text Microsoft Word Mac. The app is free to use and relies on Microsoft Azure Speech Services to transcribe text. Below are the requirements to use speech-to-text word mac.

• An external microphone for your Mac desktop, or you can use your built-in microphone for your MacBook. This is because speech-to-text on Microsoft word mac only allows input with a microphone rather than an audio file upload.
• An active Office 365 subscription. Please note you need to log in to your account for the app to function.
• Insider builds 16.32 (19120802) and above.
• An active internet connection.

Once you have everything set up, follow these steps to use speech-to-text on Word.

1. Launch Microsoft Word from your desktop.
2. Click on the Dictate button from the top menu of your Word document, and wait for the red dot to appear. The button features a microphone for easy identification.
3. Once the dot appears, start speaking to transcribe your text. Ensure you are in a quiet environment for the best results. In addition, speak louder when transcribing punctuations.
4. Click on the Dictate button to finish the transcription.

Part3: Top 3 Google docs

Google Docs is arguably the market’s most accurate free speech-to-text service. In addition, it allows you to transcribe your voice to text and format documents with your voice. However, you can only use the service through the Chrome browser.

Follow these steps to activate Google Docs voice typing on your Mac device:

1. Launch the Chrome browser on your macOS and select Docs from the app menu. Please note you will need an active Google account to use the service.
2. Open a new document and click on the Tools tab from the top menu.
3. Select Voice Typing from the menu to access speech-to-text on Google Docs.
4. Tap the microphone to start transcribing, and tap it again to finish.

Google Docs speech-to-text is available in 71 languages. In addition, it supports simple commands such as ‘create a bulleted list,’ which are unavailable on other speech-to-text apps. As such, it is one of the market’s most popular voice typing apps.

Part4: Top 4 Filmora

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Adding subtitles to your videos can be incredibly time-consuming if you do not have the right tools. However, with Filmora’s speech-to-text function, you can add subtitles to your video with a single click. In addition, it automatically recognizes audio in your videos and transcribes it to text with incredible accuracy. The plugin uses state-of-the-art algorithms to ensure the video industry’s most accurate speech technology.

Furthermore, you can import external files to your video’s timeline and edit them as you please. For example, you can import a video from your thumb drive and use the Filmora speech-to-text plugin to transcribe to text. Currently, the plugin can transcribe the text in 26 languages. As such, it is a favorite for vloggers, teachers, and film editors, who all have to deliver their content with great efficiency.

Please note that you must have Filmora installed on your Mac device to access the Speech to Text plugin. In addition, check if your Filmora version is compatible with the plugin before downloading. Once you confirm that you meet all the requirements, here is how to use the service:

• Launch the Filmora app on your Mac and open a new video workspace.
• Click on the microphone symbol at the bottom right corner of the page to start recording. Tap it once again to finish the recording.
• Tap the Tools tab on your main menu and select Speech to Text. Then, confirm your preferences and wait for the transcription.

Part5: Top 5 Dragon for Mac

Dragon Dictate is arguably the best dictation software currently on the market. According to most users, its accuracy and feature sets are next to none. For example, the Smart Format Rules learn how you represent dates, numbers, and abbreviations, resulting in less editing work for you. The Dragon Dictate app is free to download from the Apple Store.

Dragon for Mac users reports a dictation accuracy of nearly 99%, which is excellent in the speech-to-text software category. All of Nuance’s Dragon products use deep learning technology to capture your accent and cadence. As such, the app gets better at transcribing your text as you continue using it. In addition, dragon for Mac professional allows you to transcribe audio clips from uploaded files. For example, you can import audio from your iPhone to your Dragon Dictate workspace and transcribe it hassle-free.

Unfortunately, you cannot get a stand-alone dragon app for Mac. This is because Nuance discontinued its development in 2018. In addition, Microsoft’s acquisition of the company in 2021 proves that the decision is permanent. However, you can still use the Windows version of Dragon through Parallels, which allows you to run macOS and Windows simultaneously. In addition, this method also works for M1 Macs.

Part6: FAQs

Is there a difference between voice recognition and speech-to-text?

Voice recognition software allows your device to capture your accent and tone and then stores that data for different functions, such as user logins and speech-to-text functionality. For example, Siri will ask you to repeat a sentence several times as one of the setup steps.

Which is the best external device for the speech-to-text service?

Most users report better speech-to-text accuracy when using headsets compared to using an external microphone. This is because the microphone is much closer to your mouth, so your voice is less affected by external noise.

Can speech-to-text apps automatically translate a transcribed text?

Yes, they can. Apps such as Google’s Speech to Text include a translation feature in their functionality. However, you will need the Google Chrome browser to access Speech to text. This is because the service is only available to active google account holders.

How much faster is speech to text faster than typing?

A 2017 Stanford study states that speech to text is aboutthree times faster than typing . In addition, it found that speech-to-text apps can transcribe over 150 words per minute, while professional transcriptionists range between 50 to 80 words per minute.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Adding subtitles to your videos can be incredibly time-consuming if you do not have the right tools. However, with Filmora’s speech-to-text function, you can add subtitles to your video with a single click. In addition, it automatically recognizes audio in your videos and transcribes it to text with incredible accuracy. The plugin uses state-of-the-art algorithms to ensure the video industry’s most accurate speech technology.

Furthermore, you can import external files to your video’s timeline and edit them as you please. For example, you can import a video from your thumb drive and use the Filmora speech-to-text plugin to transcribe to text. Currently, the plugin can transcribe the text in 26 languages. As such, it is a favorite for vloggers, teachers, and film editors, who all have to deliver their content with great efficiency.

Please note that you must have Filmora installed on your Mac device to access the Speech to Text plugin. In addition, check if your Filmora version is compatible with the plugin before downloading. Once you confirm that you meet all the requirements, here is how to use the service:

• Launch the Filmora app on your Mac and open a new video workspace.
• Click on the microphone symbol at the bottom right corner of the page to start recording. Tap it once again to finish the recording.
• Tap the Tools tab on your main menu and select Speech to Text. Then, confirm your preferences and wait for the transcription.

Part5: Top 5 Dragon for Mac

Dragon Dictate is arguably the best dictation software currently on the market. According to most users, its accuracy and feature sets are next to none. For example, the Smart Format Rules learn how you represent dates, numbers, and abbreviations, resulting in less editing work for you. The Dragon Dictate app is free to download from the Apple Store.

Dragon for Mac users reports a dictation accuracy of nearly 99%, which is excellent in the speech-to-text software category. All of Nuance’s Dragon products use deep learning technology to capture your accent and cadence. As such, the app gets better at transcribing your text as you continue using it. In addition, dragon for Mac professional allows you to transcribe audio clips from uploaded files. For example, you can import audio from your iPhone to your Dragon Dictate workspace and transcribe it hassle-free.

Unfortunately, you cannot get a stand-alone dragon app for Mac. This is because Nuance discontinued its development in 2018. In addition, Microsoft’s acquisition of the company in 2021 proves that the decision is permanent. However, you can still use the Windows version of Dragon through Parallels, which allows you to run macOS and Windows simultaneously. In addition, this method also works for M1 Macs.

Part6: FAQs

Is there a difference between voice recognition and speech-to-text?

Voice recognition software allows your device to capture your accent and tone and then stores that data for different functions, such as user logins and speech-to-text functionality. For example, Siri will ask you to repeat a sentence several times as one of the setup steps.

Which is the best external device for the speech-to-text service?

Most users report better speech-to-text accuracy when using headsets compared to using an external microphone. This is because the microphone is much closer to your mouth, so your voice is less affected by external noise.

Can speech-to-text apps automatically translate a transcribed text?

Yes, they can. Apps such as Google’s Speech to Text include a translation feature in their functionality. However, you will need the Google Chrome browser to access Speech to text. This is because the service is only available to active google account holders.

How much faster is speech to text faster than typing?

A 2017 Stanford study states that speech to text is aboutthree times faster than typing . In addition, it found that speech-to-text apps can transcribe over 150 words per minute, while professional transcriptionists range between 50 to 80 words per minute.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Top-Rated Windows Movie Maker Alternatives for Mac Users

Windows Movie Maker has been an all-time favorite video editing tool for Windows PC users owing to its supported features and ease of use. So, now if you are transitioning from Windows to a Mac system, you would need to say goodbye to your long-trusted Windows Movie Maker as the tool is not compatible with the Mac systems.

But no need to worry as there are several alternative Mac tools available for you to creatively make and edit your videos. If you too have been looking for a such Windows Movie Maker Mac Equivalent, this article will be an excellent read.

1. iMovie
2. Wondershare Filmora
3. Avidemux
4. Lightworks
5. WeVideo

• Hot FAQs About Windows Movie Maker Mac Equivalent

Part 1: Complete Overview for Windows Movie Maker Mac Equivalents

Multiple tools that work as Windows Movie Maker equivalent for Mac are available. We have shortlisted the best ones and the table below compares them on several parameters.

Tool/Features	Supported OS	Price	Ease of Use (0-10 Ratings )
iMovie	Mac, iPad, iOS	Free	8.3
Wondershare Filmora	Windows and Mac	Annual- $49.99Perpetual- $79.99	8.5
Avidemux	Windows, Mac, and Linux	Free	8.4
LightWorks	Windows, Mac, and Linux.	Available in different monthly and yearly plans.	8.0
WeVideo	Online	Free version as well as paid starting from $4.99 USD.	8.4

Part 2: What Can I Use in Place of Windows Movie Maker? [Free & Paid]

The above-listed table will give you a basic idea about the tools that can be used in place of Windows Movie Maker on your Mac systems. In this part of the topic, we will discuss in detail these programs and their features. We will also list the pros and cons so that you can choose the best Windows Movie Maker alternatives for Mac.

1. iMovie

When it comes to Mac systems, iMovie is the default editing tool that is considered by the users as it is freely available for Mac and other iOS devices. Just like its Windows counterpart- Windows Movie Maker, iMovie is a great software for beginners who wish to start with video editing. The features of the tool are user-friendly and its layout is logical which makes it an apt choice for Mac users.

Key features:

• Beginner-friendly Mac tool for video editing requirements.
• A simple and logical layout makes file processing easy.
• Support to a wide range of video formats and quality including 4K videos.
• Option for video editing across Apple devices.
• Option for separate video and audio tracks for better organization.

Pros

• Free tool for Mac and iOS users
• Simple and easy to use
• Comes with multiple preset effects
• Audio processing capabilities are robust
• Allows sharing the processed videos in multiple ways- online, on iTunes, by Email, and more

Cons

• Lack of advanced editing features and special effects
• Since the software requires a lot of your storage space, crashing issues might be there
• Videos are exported at a fixed export ratio-16:9

Price: Free for Mac and other iOS devices

Rating: 8.3 out of 10

Best For: Editing videos and audio using simple features on Mac.

Supported File Export Options: MOV, MP4, YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and more.

Recent User Review:

• iMovie is a relatively simple and quick tool that offers good value. – Tim Corbett
• iMovie is the best UI/UX tool for beginners to get the editing task done. – Marketing Manager

Summary:

iMovie is an apt entry-level video editing solution for macOS that lets you get the work done in a simple yet effective manner. You can interestingly play with the features and the settings of the software. The exporting process can seem to be a little complicated at the start.

2. Wondershare Filmora

If you are looking for a tool that offers advanced features for creating professional-looking videos and that too in a simple quick manner, Wondershare Filmora will work as the best choice. This Windows and Mac-based video editing tool is available for both monthly and annual subscriptions with an option for a free trial version.

Key Features:

• Allows quick editing of videos using basic and advanced tool features.
• Comes packed with multiple animations, and effects for creating amazing videos.
• Support to almost all key video formats and quality including 4K.
• Support for SRT files.
• Allows aligning the audio and video automatically using Auto Synchronization.

Pros

• Simple to use tool with support for a wide range of features
• All key formats and video quality are supported
• Allows creating as well as sharing the videos quickly
• Allows high-quality video export
• Comes with tutorials and guides to help you process videos and use the features

Cons

• Paid software
• Videos processed through the free trial version have a watermark
• Might look complicated initially

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Price: Annual- $49.99, Perpetual- $79.99

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Supported Platform: Windows and Mac

Best For: Creating professional-looking videos in high quality on your Windows as well as Mac systems.

Supported File Export Options: All key formats and types including MO4, MOV, AVI, and many more.

Recent User Review:

• The software is the one-stop solution for all media enhancing needs. This is a simple and multi-functional tool.
• It is the best video editing software for beginners. – Shivam Sharma, Video Editor.

Summary:

Whether you are looking for simple video cutting or advanced features like motion tracking, transition, and effects, Wondershare Filmora is one of the best in the category. Available with multiple subscription plans, the tool will let you create and edit videos in no time.

3. Avidemux

This is a simple free video editing tool available for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems that support all key features like cutting, encoding, filtering, and more. All key file formats are supported by the software and an option for automating the tasks is also available.

Key Features:

• Free and open-source video editing tool for Windows, Mac, Linux, and BSD.
• Support to all key file types and formats including AVI, ASF, MPEG, and more.
• Allows file processing without any need for downloading third-party codecs, and drivers.
• Editing can be done without recompression with the files having the same output A/V format.

Pros

• Free and open-source tool
• Cross-platform support
• Support to all basic video editing features
• All key file formats and types are supported
• The interface is beginner and user-friendly
• Native language support for global users

Cons

• The design is outdated in comparison to the latest tools
• The features are limited in comparison to other professional software
• One-frame precision cutting is not supported

Price: Free

Rating: 8.4 out of 10

Best For: Basic video editing on multiple platforms.

Supported File Export Options: Key formats including MP4, ASF, AVI, DVD, MPEG, and more.

Recent User Review:

• Fantastic software that is simple to use and supports multiple formats and types. – Swati S
• Free and open-source tool that works with all Operating Systems . – Salini K.

Summary:

For performing the most basic needed video editing tasks this is one of the best entry-level tools. Free to use, the software can work on multiple OS and platforms and also support multiple file formats.

4. Lightworks

If you have decent video editing experience and looking for an advanced and professional tool, Lightworks will work as a great choice. With support for Windows, Mac, and Linux, the software comes with multiple editing tools, effects, and other features.

Key features:

• Windows, Mac, and Linux-based tool.
• Comes with support for basic as well as advanced features.
• Support for all popular video formats and types including 4K.
• Multiple files exporting options are supported.

Pros

• Cross-platform support
• Apt for professional and advanced users
• Comes with a collection of features and effects
• Multiple plans along with a free version with limited features are available

Cons

• Not apt for beginners
• Steep learning curve
• The Pro version of the software will be heavy on pockets

Price: Available in multiple plan options (based on supported features). Check out plans at

the link: https://lwks.com/lightworks/

Rating: 8.0 out of 10

Best For: Professional video editing on multiple platforms and OS.

Supported File Export Options: Key formats and file types including 4K, , MP4,

Recent User Review:

• It is a good video editing tool for intermediate users. Once you understand the working of the tool, it will get the task done in no time . Julie B.
• The software is detailed but not user-friendly and confusing to learn.

Summary:

If you have earlier worked with iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, and other editing tools, Lightworks will be a good next-level program for advanced and professional editing. Though for beginners, the software is complicated and difficult to use.

5. WeVideo

If you are not very keen to download software on your system, online tools are a good alternative and one such feature-packed program is WeVideo. This cloud-based tool works straight from your browser and is available in a free as well as paid version. There are multiple formats available with the tool that can let you create videos like a pro.

Key features:

• A browser-based online tool that works on all platforms including Windows, Mac, Chromebook, and mobile.
• Support all key functions needed for creating and editing a video.
• Comes with a huge collection of stock media including videos, images as well as music.
• Allows creating and editing videos for YouTube, Facebook, and other social media sites.

Pros

• An online tool that needs no software download
• Compatible with all system platforms as well as mobile devices
• Huge collection of stock media
• A free version is available for basic editing requirements
• Simple and quick to use
• Allows publishing content to social media sites

Cons

• Advanced features need to upgrade for a paid plan
• Dependent on internet connectivity

Price: Available in free as well as paid versions (for the creator, business, and enterprise). Checkout plans at the link: https://www.wevideo.com/plans

Rating: 8.4 out of 10

Best For: Online video editing.

Supported File Export Options: All key formats are supported including 4K.

Recent User Review:

• The tool offers good editing features and allows adding background too.
• I totally recommend this app as it allows you to learn and perform editing. – Olivia Chadsey.

Summary:

For cloud-based video editing on multiple platforms, WeVideo is just an apt tool that supports all basic as well as advanced features for creating videos of your choice. The created videos can also be published directly on social media sites using the tool.

Part 3: Hot FAQs About Windows Movie Maker Mac Equivalent

Above we have talked about several Mac equivalents to Windows Movie Maker in detail. So, now let’s get into some related commonly asked questions and their answers.

1. Is Windows Movie Maker like iMovie?

Yes, broadly Windows Movie Maker can be considered like iMovie as both of these are video creating and editing tools. The major difference between the two lies in the supported platform, Windows Movie Maker is for the Windows system while iMovie comes pre-installed with the Mac systems.

2. Is Video editor better than Movie Maker?

Both Windows Movie Maker and Video Editor can be used for editing videos, images as well as sounds but the major difference between the two lies in their main purpose of use. While the Windows Movie Maker is mainly used for creating new movies, the Windows Video Editor is majorly used for editing and customizing the existing files.

3. Does Windows Movie Maker have a watermark?

No, Windows Movie Maker does not have a watermark.

Final Words

For Windows system users, Windows Movie Maker is the first and default choice when it comes to video editing. So, now if you have switched to a Mac system there are alternatives in fact even better tools available to customize your files. You can make a choice between the above-listed Mac alternatives based on your requirements.

Part 1: Complete Overview for Windows Movie Maker Mac Equivalents

Multiple tools that work as Windows Movie Maker equivalent for Mac are available. We have shortlisted the best ones and the table below compares them on several parameters.

Tool/Features	Supported OS	Price	Ease of Use (0-10 Ratings )
iMovie	Mac, iPad, iOS	Free	8.3
Wondershare Filmora	Windows and Mac	Annual- $49.99Perpetual- $79.99	8.5
Avidemux	Windows, Mac, and Linux	Free	8.4
LightWorks	Windows, Mac, and Linux.	Available in different monthly and yearly plans.	8.0
WeVideo	Online	Free version as well as paid starting from $4.99 USD.	8.4

Part 2: What Can I Use in Place of Windows Movie Maker? [Free & Paid]

The above-listed table will give you a basic idea about the tools that can be used in place of Windows Movie Maker on your Mac systems. In this part of the topic, we will discuss in detail these programs and their features. We will also list the pros and cons so that you can choose the best Windows Movie Maker alternatives for Mac.

1. iMovie

When it comes to Mac systems, iMovie is the default editing tool that is considered by the users as it is freely available for Mac and other iOS devices. Just like its Windows counterpart- Windows Movie Maker, iMovie is a great software for beginners who wish to start with video editing. The features of the tool are user-friendly and its layout is logical which makes it an apt choice for Mac users.

Key features:

• Beginner-friendly Mac tool for video editing requirements.
• A simple and logical layout makes file processing easy.
• Support to a wide range of video formats and quality including 4K videos.
• Option for video editing across Apple devices.
• Option for separate video and audio tracks for better organization.

Pros

• Free tool for Mac and iOS users
• Simple and easy to use
• Comes with multiple preset effects
• Audio processing capabilities are robust
• Allows sharing the processed videos in multiple ways- online, on iTunes, by Email, and more

Cons

• Lack of advanced editing features and special effects
• Since the software requires a lot of your storage space, crashing issues might be there
• Videos are exported at a fixed export ratio-16:9

Price: Free for Mac and other iOS devices

Rating: 8.3 out of 10

Best For: Editing videos and audio using simple features on Mac.

Supported File Export Options: MOV, MP4, YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and more.

Recent User Review:

• iMovie is a relatively simple and quick tool that offers good value. – Tim Corbett
• iMovie is the best UI/UX tool for beginners to get the editing task done. – Marketing Manager

Summary:

iMovie is an apt entry-level video editing solution for macOS that lets you get the work done in a simple yet effective manner. You can interestingly play with the features and the settings of the software. The exporting process can seem to be a little complicated at the start.

2. Wondershare Filmora

If you are looking for a tool that offers advanced features for creating professional-looking videos and that too in a simple quick manner, Wondershare Filmora will work as the best choice. This Windows and Mac-based video editing tool is available for both monthly and annual subscriptions with an option for a free trial version.

Key Features:

• Allows quick editing of videos using basic and advanced tool features.
• Comes packed with multiple animations, and effects for creating amazing videos.
• Support to almost all key video formats and quality including 4K.
• Support for SRT files.
• Allows aligning the audio and video automatically using Auto Synchronization.

Pros

• Simple to use tool with support for a wide range of features
• All key formats and video quality are supported
• Allows creating as well as sharing the videos quickly
• Allows high-quality video export
• Comes with tutorials and guides to help you process videos and use the features

Cons

• Paid software
• Videos processed through the free trial version have a watermark
• Might look complicated initially

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Price: Annual- $49.99, Perpetual- $79.99

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Supported Platform: Windows and Mac

Best For: Creating professional-looking videos in high quality on your Windows as well as Mac systems.

Supported File Export Options: All key formats and types including MO4, MOV, AVI, and many more.

Recent User Review:

• The software is the one-stop solution for all media enhancing needs. This is a simple and multi-functional tool.
• It is the best video editing software for beginners. – Shivam Sharma, Video Editor.

Summary:

Whether you are looking for simple video cutting or advanced features like motion tracking, transition, and effects, Wondershare Filmora is one of the best in the category. Available with multiple subscription plans, the tool will let you create and edit videos in no time.

3. Avidemux

This is a simple free video editing tool available for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems that support all key features like cutting, encoding, filtering, and more. All key file formats are supported by the software and an option for automating the tasks is also available.

Key Features:

• Free and open-source video editing tool for Windows, Mac, Linux, and BSD.
• Support to all key file types and formats including AVI, ASF, MPEG, and more.
• Allows file processing without any need for downloading third-party codecs, and drivers.
• Editing can be done without recompression with the files having the same output A/V format.

Pros

• Free and open-source tool
• Cross-platform support
• Support to all basic video editing features
• All key file formats and types are supported
• The interface is beginner and user-friendly
• Native language support for global users

Cons

• The design is outdated in comparison to the latest tools
• The features are limited in comparison to other professional software
• One-frame precision cutting is not supported

Price: Free

Rating: 8.4 out of 10

Best For: Basic video editing on multiple platforms.

Supported File Export Options: Key formats including MP4, ASF, AVI, DVD, MPEG, and more.

Recent User Review:

• Fantastic software that is simple to use and supports multiple formats and types. – Swati S
• Free and open-source tool that works with all Operating Systems . – Salini K.

Summary:

For performing the most basic needed video editing tasks this is one of the best entry-level tools. Free to use, the software can work on multiple OS and platforms and also support multiple file formats.

4. Lightworks

If you have decent video editing experience and looking for an advanced and professional tool, Lightworks will work as a great choice. With support for Windows, Mac, and Linux, the software comes with multiple editing tools, effects, and other features.

Key features:

• Windows, Mac, and Linux-based tool.
• Comes with support for basic as well as advanced features.
• Support for all popular video formats and types including 4K.
• Multiple files exporting options are supported.

Pros

• Cross-platform support
• Apt for professional and advanced users
• Comes with a collection of features and effects
• Multiple plans along with a free version with limited features are available

Cons

• Not apt for beginners
• Steep learning curve
• The Pro version of the software will be heavy on pockets

Price: Available in multiple plan options (based on supported features). Check out plans at

the link: https://lwks.com/lightworks/

Rating: 8.0 out of 10

Best For: Professional video editing on multiple platforms and OS.

Supported File Export Options: Key formats and file types including 4K, , MP4,

Recent User Review:

• It is a good video editing tool for intermediate users. Once you understand the working of the tool, it will get the task done in no time . Julie B.
• The software is detailed but not user-friendly and confusing to learn.

Summary:

If you have earlier worked with iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, and other editing tools, Lightworks will be a good next-level program for advanced and professional editing. Though for beginners, the software is complicated and difficult to use.

5. WeVideo

If you are not very keen to download software on your system, online tools are a good alternative and one such feature-packed program is WeVideo. This cloud-based tool works straight from your browser and is available in a free as well as paid version. There are multiple formats available with the tool that can let you create videos like a pro.

Key features:

• A browser-based online tool that works on all platforms including Windows, Mac, Chromebook, and mobile.
• Support all key functions needed for creating and editing a video.
• Comes with a huge collection of stock media including videos, images as well as music.
• Allows creating and editing videos for YouTube, Facebook, and other social media sites.

Pros

• An online tool that needs no software download
• Compatible with all system platforms as well as mobile devices
• Huge collection of stock media
• A free version is available for basic editing requirements
• Simple and quick to use
• Allows publishing content to social media sites

Cons

• Advanced features need to upgrade for a paid plan
• Dependent on internet connectivity

Price: Available in free as well as paid versions (for the creator, business, and enterprise). Checkout plans at the link: https://www.wevideo.com/plans

Rating: 8.4 out of 10

Best For: Online video editing.

Supported File Export Options: All key formats are supported including 4K.

Recent User Review:

• The tool offers good editing features and allows adding background too.
• I totally recommend this app as it allows you to learn and perform editing. – Olivia Chadsey.

Summary:

For cloud-based video editing on multiple platforms, WeVideo is just an apt tool that supports all basic as well as advanced features for creating videos of your choice. The created videos can also be published directly on social media sites using the tool.

Part 3: Hot FAQs About Windows Movie Maker Mac Equivalent

Above we have talked about several Mac equivalents to Windows Movie Maker in detail. So, now let’s get into some related commonly asked questions and their answers.

1. Is Windows Movie Maker like iMovie?

Yes, broadly Windows Movie Maker can be considered like iMovie as both of these are video creating and editing tools. The major difference between the two lies in the supported platform, Windows Movie Maker is for the Windows system while iMovie comes pre-installed with the Mac systems.

2. Is Video editor better than Movie Maker?

Both Windows Movie Maker and Video Editor can be used for editing videos, images as well as sounds but the major difference between the two lies in their main purpose of use. While the Windows Movie Maker is mainly used for creating new movies, the Windows Video Editor is majorly used for editing and customizing the existing files.

3. Does Windows Movie Maker have a watermark?

No, Windows Movie Maker does not have a watermark.

Final Words

For Windows system users, Windows Movie Maker is the first and default choice when it comes to video editing. So, now if you have switched to a Mac system there are alternatives in fact even better tools available to customize your files. You can make a choice between the above-listed Mac alternatives based on your requirements.

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