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13 After Effects Alternatives You Need To Know About Now
Unless you have been living under a pre-digital rock, it is no surprise that After Effects has been the mainstream app for motion graphics and visual effects for multiple decades. They have been a sort of omnipotent figure in the creative digital realm. From newbies to pros, anyone can easily learn some aspect of the program, especially with so many tutorials available for this staple app. But it might surprise you can find really good After Effects alternatives.
There are multiple apps, both new and seasoned, who closely compete with the reputable After Effects. Some may not be exact alternatives, but I guarantee that you will find an suitable substitute to fit your needs. You may be a newbie who doesn't want to invest time and effort into a paid app. You're looking for something always free that you can learn and stick to for your occasional projects. Or maybe you want to invest in a software, but don't like the idea of a monthly subscription. you prefer to pay "one-and-done".
Or perhaps you are looking to improve your workflow and find an app that will allow you to work faster. After all, there is no one-size-fits-all for app preference. Or maybe After Effects doesn't go enough in depth in your field of study, such as visual effects or compositing 3D modeling, and you want an app that is more tailored to your work. Or finally, it may be that you tried AE and your trial version has expired and you are simply looking for something a little different.
There are many scenarios that would compel someone to stray from the mainstream and try something else. And that is precisely why I have compiled a list of my favorite and/or the best After Effects alternatives. I even simplified the task for you by writing a detailed overview of After Effects' biggest competitors in the game. Hopefully that takes the guesswork out finding a new program for you to start maximizing your productivity.
To accomplish this, I have sampled and reviewed the Top 7 Best Free After Effects alternative apps that you can download and try without risk. And if you have the budget for it and want to improve your skills and workflow, I have also reviewed the Top 5 paid alternatives for After Effects.
In this blog post, I created an overview of the aforementioned After Effects alternatives and I provide the specifics while also comparing specs such as the learning curve, pros and cons, plug-ins, and resources. As mentioned before, there is no exact substitute for After effects. But you will find strong contenders in the game, which will undoubtedly assist you with video editing, visual effects, compositing, 3D modeling and animation.
Top Best free After Effects Alternative
1. Blender
Blender is a completely free and open source 3D software it was started in 2002 by an independent organization. Similar to Cinema4D, Maya and 3Ds Max you can create amazing 3D animation, modeling, simulation, rigging, compositing, rendering and motion tracking, video editing and even game creation.
Like After Effects Blender have a solid community and tutorials that allows user to get going and produce 3D work and animation efficiently. one of the main difference is that blender is animation node based where After Effects animation are timeline based.
Although there are video editing feature in Blender working on a simple video editing and transition might not be as easy as After Effects specially if you do not have previous experience in video editing.
In conclusion blender is a super solid software where you should be able to create high end quality 3D animation with much more features than After Effects.
Blender Features:
- Rendering
- Modeling
- Sculpting
- Animation and Rigging
- Grease Pencil
- Visual Effects
- Simulation
- Import | Export
Image Format
JPEG, JPEG2000, PNG, TARGA, OpenEXR, DPX, Cineon, Radiance HDR, SGI Iris, TIFF
Video Fornat
AVI, MPEG and Quicktime (on OSX).
3D Format
Alembic, 3D Studio (3DS), COLLADA (DAE), Filmbox (FBX), Autodesk (DXF), Wavefront (OBJ), DirectX (x), Lightwave (LWO), Motion Capture (BVH), SVG, Stanford PLY, STL, VRML, VRML97, X3D. - Video Editing
- Scripting
- Customizable Interface
Operating Systems: Windows | Mac | Linux
Price: Free
Visit the Blender Website
PROS
Great Helping Community
Free & Open Source
Many Resources and Tutorials
CONS
Learning Curve
Intimidating Interface
Project file can't be imported in After Effects
2. DaVinci Resolve
Davinci Resolve Features:
- Advanced 2D and 3D Compositing
- VR
- Motion Graphic
- Rotoscope
- Titling
- Keying
- 3D Particles
- GPU acceleration
- 360º panoramic workspace enable real-time editing with headset for VR scenes.
DaVinci Resolve doesn't use layers like After Effects but it uses nodes that make it very powerful for compositing and visual effects. Davinci Resolve is one of the best alternative for After Effects and clearly a strong competitor, how ever with 20 year of experience in after effects I found davinci resolve not straight forward and hit a few bugs while testing the free version.
Fusion 17 which is the paid version has more render features here is a comparison table to see the difference between davinci and fusion 17
Like After Effects Davinci Resolve is well know in the feature film industry and has been use for big production movie such as Avata, Deadpool, Dark Phoenix…
Operating Systems: Windows | Mac | Linux
Price: Free
Pro Version Studio 17 Price: $295
Visit the Davinci Resolve Website
PROS
2D and 3D Compositing
Visual Effects
Color Correction
GPU Acceleration
CONS
360 or VR Tool not Available
Color correction
Basic Effects
Limited Resources
3. Cavalry
Cavalry Features:
- Versioning
Powerful versioning capabilities to handle big projects. - Real-time Design
Fast viewport rendering - Procedural Animation
Procedural workflows with traditional techniques to iterate quickly and evolve concepts in a fun and playful environment.
Integrated plug-in
Rig Control
Rubber Hose
Lottie Export
Google Sheets
Color Palettes
Magic Easing
Sound
Quadtree
Connect Shapes
File Render export: Apng, png, jpeg, quicktime, svg, webm
I was pretty impress by Cavalry ease of use, I could imagine myself make 2d animation quickly, the interface is very close to after effects, it is timeline base with layer and keyframes underneath. Of course it doesn't have as much as features as after effects but you could totally create a 2D Animation masterpiece with cavalry. Like after effects cavalry as a graph editor to control your animation speed and customize it.
One of the main feature I like is the integration of rubberhose where you can easily animate a character arm and legs!
Cavalry is very promising although there is a lot of work to be done to be on the same level as after effects, it already has powerful element to make amazing 2D Animation.
Free version cons:
- Limited resolution
- Watermark rendered bottom left corner
- Sharing restrictions
Operating Systems: Mac | Windows
Price: Free – Limited Version
Subscription: £20/mo
Visit the Cavalry Website
PROS
Easy to Use
Powerful Integrated plug in
Fast Real Time interface
Google Sheet Data import
CONS
No 3D Integration
No Text presets animation
Plug-in Support
Monthly Subscription same price as After Effects
Watch all Cavalry Tutorial on there main youtube channel
4. Natron
Natron is a robust compositing tool that work with all of your 2D/2.5D needs. Its powerful OIIO file formats and OpenFX architecture is what make Natron a flexible open source compositor for the visual effects community. Natron has a powerful keying, roto, 2D tracking tools that are optimize for all current film production project that need visual effects.
Natron Features:
- Real-time editing
- Offering 250 Plug-ins
- Presets collection
- Flexible rotoscoping
- Planar and 2D tracker
- Motion processing
- Powerful Keying Tool
- Curve Dope Sheet Editor
- Compositing
Opinion: Unlike After Effects, Natron is a node-Based composting applications with little learning curse for people who already use Nuke. Compare to After Effects Natron has advanced compositing features to create and edit Hollywood feature film. on a side note if you are interested in Nuke software, you should probably try natron since it use the same shortcuts and similar interface and it is free.
Operating Systems: Mac | Windows | Linux | Freebsd
Price: Free
Visit the Natron Website
PROS
Completely free & Open Source
Convenient rotoscoping
Community Plug-In & Script
Compositing
CONS
User Interface look like Nuke Interface
4K footage hard to handle
Hard Learning curve for newbie
5. Hitfilm Express
HitFilm Express is a free video editing app with professional visual effects tools that can be used for films, gaming videos. Hitfilm is great for newbies, film students, gamers, YouTubers, or any creative without a budget.
Hitfilm Express Features:
- Video editing features
- Particle Simulator
- Compositor's toolkit (400 unique effects and presets)
- Color correction & grading
- Keying & extraction
- Tracking
- 3D Model Import
- Specialized effects
Opinion: Hitfilm Express has a good built-in titles template which allowed any one to quickly build, this software, it has also a tons of effects you can use on your video. Compare to after effects, Hitfilm is actually a good free solution for beginner who want to edit & produce video for youtube. On the downside if you are an 2D animator this software work for you as it doesn't handle vector shapes, when you become advanced hitfilm pro is a paid version that allow you to make professional video editing. Finally Hitfilm Express video editing option are better than After Effects but the lack of motion graphic option might be an issue for some.
Operating Systems: Windows | Mac
Price: Free / Donate what you can
Visit Hitfilm Express
PROS
Good for Youtuber
Bunch of effects & transition built-in
Video Editing
Audio Editing
CONS
2D Motion Graphic Options
Community Support
No much template available
Greenscreen unvailable
List of video Tutorial for Hitfilm Express here
6. Lightworks
Lightworks is a professional video editing software that has been on the market since 1989. This app has lot of editing tools to create compelling video. Lightwork has been used for features film such as Pulp Fiction, The Wolf of Wallstreet, Bruce Almighty…
Lightworks Features:
- Video Management
- Color Correction
- Chroma Keys
- Boris FX Plug-Ins
- Fusion Compositor
- Blend Modes
- Pond5 Search Integrated
- Export to Youtube and Vimeo
- Second monitor output
Opinion: It's no surprise when it come to video editing Lightworks is a great alternative and way more efficient than After Effects, it has a amazing range of tools which will make you video look professional. In the other hand with Lightworks wont be able to make high quality motion graphic or 2D animation unless you import a Davinci Fusion project. Overall Lightworks is a excellent option to get started on video editing I would definitely favors this app for video editing over other competitors.
Operating Systems: Windows | Mac | Linux |
Price: Free
Pro Version: 23.99/month
For Life Version: $389.99
Visit Lightworks
PROS
Video Editing
Keyframing
Export to youtube
VFX Instant Preview
CONS
Not a lot of templates available
Limited Video Export format on the free version
Learning Curve
Not a lot of Transitions
7. OpenShot
Openshot is a free video editor for Mac, Windows and Linux, it has the main editing tools that will allow you to quickly manage and edit your videos.
With Openshot you will be able to import a variety of files such as Photos, audio files, video with different codecs.
Openshot Features:
- Video Effects
- Unlimited Tracks
- Simple User Interface
- Animated Title Template powered by Blender
- Import/Export Project: Final Cut Pro, EDL
- Export video format: AVI,FLV,MKV,MOV,MP4,MPEG,OGG, WEBM
- Audio mixing
- Many Available transitions
Opinion: Openshot is an awesome cross-platform video editor, it is very easy to use for those who need to quickly edit a video for youtube or personal videos. It is perfect for beginner that are starting on video editing. One the of the feature I really like is the blender title template integration which allow you to have interesting 3D title animation ready to use. Overall with Openshot you will edit video much faster than After Effects but will have no option to create 2D/3D animation and motion graphics.
Operating Systems: Windows | Mac | Linux
Price: Free & Open source
Visit Openshot
PROS
Easy to Use
Lots of transitions
Animated title powered by Blender
VFX Instant Preview
CONS
Not a lot of templates available
Limited Video Export format on the free version
Learning Curve
Not a lot of Transitions
The Top Best Paid After Effects Alternative Apps
1. Apple Motion
Apple Motion app has been designed for video editors, it is a powerful motion graphics tool that makes it easy to create cinematic 2D and 3D titles, fluid transitions, and beautiful effects in real time. If you used Final Cut pro before this app should be for you.
Apple Motion Features:
- Title and Intro animation
- Transitions
- 2D and 3D Title Animation
- Import and Animated 3D Object (USDZ format)
- File easy transfer to Final Cut Pro
Opinion: Apple Motion is a serious competitor to After Effects, the cons I have found is that there not much free online template to learn more about motion, compared to After Effects it is not as easy also unfortunately this app works only a Apple products so windows and linux user can't use it.
Overall Apple Motion is a very complete app that allow you to make beautiful motion graphics animation, the main advantage over After Effects is that Apple Motion preview in Realtime while After Effects has to calculate then play real time. For only $49.99 this app is huge plus compare to After Effects which is only subscription base, unfortunately it not widely use yet in the motion graphic and film industry.
Operating Systems: Mac | iPad
Price: $49.99 | one price no subscription
Download Apple Motion Here
PROS
Real Time playback
Easy to export for Final Cut Pro
Quick way to make 2D Animation
User Interface Easy to use
CONS
Steep Learning Curve
Compositing
Not a lot of templates online
Advanced Tutorial Online
2 Procreate
Procreate is a illustration app that has a powerful animation tool that lets you bring your creations to life.
You can time-lapse records your every move from the very first stroke, perfect for creating an animation.
Procreate Features:
- Sketches / Paint
- Illustration
- Time-lapse records
Opinion: Procreate is an amazing app for traditional hand drawing artists and illustrators. When it comes to making animations frame by frame, procreate has a huge advantage over After Effects because it combines the aesthetic of the artist and the complexity of the art and illustrations with frame by frame animation. The good part is that you can easily prepare your layers or video and import to a motion graphics software. The downside is that Procreate itself doesn't have any motion graphic tools, so you will have to use another editing tool if you want to add special effects. In conclusion, rather than a downright alternative to After Effects, Procreate is must-have tool to create smooth hand-drawn art. Its animation component is great for beginners, uncomplicated animations, or artists who simply want to dabble in animating their artwork.
Operating Systems: Mac | iPad
Price: $9.99 | one price no subscription
Visit Procreate website here
PROS
Frame by Frame animation
Timelapse record
Hand drawn Tools
Blend Frame
CONS
no motion graphics tool
No vectors
Only for Apple users, No Windows or Linux version.
3. Create Studio
CreateStudio is an animation app that allows you to create videos for all your marketing needs. From social media video ads, vertical Instagram stories and standard sales & explainer videos. You can do it all quickly & easily!
CreateStudio Features:
- Pre-built Templates
- Animations & Transitions
- Social Media Video Creation
- Video Editing
- Voice-Over / Audio
- Pre-made Animated 2D and 3D Characters
- SVG import
- One Click Animation
- Green Screen Editing
- Vector Shape Library
- Kinetic Typography
- Import Lottie Files
Opinion: CreateStudio is a software that doesn't require animation experience, for newbies or expert that desire to make quick impressive video CreateStudio actually deserve a lot of credits, to make the same kind of 3D Character animation in After Effects you would need quite a bit of experience and knowledge. Now you might do thing quicker in Createstudio but you wont be able to truly control every aspect of your animation like After Effects. In conclusion I think CreateStudio is must have for people who wants to make explainer video or desire to create intuitive character video for social media platform, also CreateStudio seem to regularly update their software so I expect it to be a major player in the industry soon.
Operating Systems: Mac | Windows
Price: $99/lifetime access | $299/year Create Studio + Templates library
Visit Create Studio Website
PROS
Premade Doodle animation
Social Video Ads
Great for Explainer Video
Create Scroll Stopping Video Ads
CONS
No trial Version
Not enough templates on the regular version
Can't cut clip on timeline
The character animations could be longer
4. Vegas Pro
VEGAS range of creative software is fast, professional and efficient video production, and brings a whole new level of creative freedom to your editing and post production. VEGAS delivers amazing results and allows everyone from every day users to experts to focus on creativity without limits.
Vegas Features:
- Editing
- Color Grading
- Special Effects
- Audio Editing
- Advanced hardware acceleration
Opinion: Vegas has been around since 1999 and is a high end video editing tool that anyone should consider for professional editing. Vegas has a lot of video effects that can be used to make a great video, in the other hand After effects have a lot more effects but editing is not great. Vegas is more a strong competitor to Premiere, It cant really be compared to After Effects since it is optimized for editing not motion graphics or compositing. To get a good idea on how powerful is Vegas you should definitely try to free trial version for 30 days.
There is 4 different VEGAS version you might want to check out on product comparison here to see which one fit your need.
Operating Systems: Mac | Windows
Price:
Vegas Pro 365: $19.99/month
Vegas Pro Edit: $299 / License
Vegas Pro: $449 / License
Vegas Suite: $799 / License
Visit Vegas Website
PROS
Particle Generator
800 powerful effects
Color Adjustment
Sound Forge Integrated
CONS
Learning Curve
Rendering Slow depending on computer
No motion graphics options
Price Should be more affordable
5. Wondershare Filmora
Wondershare Filmora Features:
- Object Motion Tracking
- Green Screen
- Video Effects
- Effects Library
- Audio Library
- Export Format: MP4, WMV, HEVC, AVI, MOV, F4V, MKV, TS, 3GP, MPEG-2,WEBM, GIF, MP3, YouTube, Vimeo
- Object tracking
- Color Grading
Opinion: Wondershare Filmora is wonderful app for newbies, content creator and youtubers, Filmora extremely easy to use, which make a great advantage over After Effects. The Filmora user interface also have a instant thumbnail preview of transitions, titles, elements which make it easy to browse and drag and drop to the timeline. In the other hand Filmora might not be a good alternative for After Effects if you need to get detail customization on your animation, importing photoshop or vector files won't work. It also look like filmora can't import 3D model object like after effects does. Overall Filmora is a great software for non-expert who want to produced efficiently a high quality video for social media, vlog and vimeo.
Operating Systems: Windows | Mac | Android
Price:
Subscription Plan: $51.99/Year
Perpetual Licence: $79.99
Bundle Subscription plan: 111.99/Year
Visit Website
PROS
Easy to use, Confortable workspace
Easy Preview of Transitions, Effects, Titles, Elements
Support overlays
Green Screen Support
CONS
Can't Import 3D Model
Can't Import PSD / AI
No Rotoscoping
Watermark in free version.
6. Nuke
Our industry-leading Nuke Studio, NukeX & Nuke offers cutting-edge toolkits covering node-based compositing, editorial and finishing.
Nuke Features:
- Object Motion Tracking
- Green Screen
- Video Effects
- Effects Library
- Audio Library
- Export Format: MP4, WMV, HEVC, AVI, MOV, F4V, MKV, TS, 3GP, MPEG-2,WEBM, GIF, MP3, YouTube, Vimeo
- Object tracking
- Color Grading
Opinion: Nuke is a beast when it come to compositing and Visual effects it is designed and optimized for compositing expert who need an in depth control when compositing, It is no surprise that Nuke is far superior to After Effects when it come to compositing and specific visual effects. On the downside Nuke is very expensive compared to after effects and even if you have a good compositing experience you will need to adapt to the node based design. As a side note Nuke experienced users should have a bright future as the film industry always look for new applicant.
Operating Systems: Windows | Mac | Android
Price: $5248 or rent for 1829 per quarter.
Visit Website
PROS
Compositing
Rotoscoping
3D File support
Great Particle System
CONS
Expensive licence
Hard to edit compared to After Effects
Steep Learning Curve
Lack of online Community
The Best After Effects Alternative video reviews
Video usually speak better for themselves so I have gathered the Best After effects Alternatives video reviews on YouTube so you can get a better idea and ultimately find the best solution for your need.
How to choose your After Effects Alternative?
In summary before you choose any After Effects alternative there are a couple of question you might need to ask yourself
What is your budget?
If you have tiny or no budget then try these alternatives below
– Apple Motion
– DaVinci Resolve
– Blender
– Cavalry
– Natron
– HitFilm Express
– Lightworks
– Openshot
– Procreate
Now if you have the money you might consider the alternative below, but first make sure it allows you to do what you want
– Apple Motion
– Create Studio
– Fusion 17
– Vegas Pro
– Wondershare Filmora
– Nuke
What is your level of expertise?
Before you choose an After Effects alternative it might be good to know your experience in motion graphics, in the table below you can check the alternative software that might suit different level.
What kind of video are you looking to achieve?
Some of the after effects alternatives I mentioned above are sometime specialized in a field such as compositing, video editing, visual effects, 2d Animation or 3D animation, to help you figure which software might fit you best I have created a table below that show you the After effects alternative per field of interest.
| Video Editing | Motion Graphics | 2D Animation | 3D Animation | VFX/Compositing |
| – Openshot – HitFilm Express – Vegas Pro – Lightworks | – Apple Motion – Davinci Resolve – Fusion17 | – Procreate – Apple Motion – Create Studio | – Blender – Cinema4D – Maya – 3ds Max | – Nuke – Natron – Houdini |
You know better After Effects alternative or want us to review a specific software? Please drop a comment below.
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best alternative to after effects
Source: https://blog.motionisland.com/13-best-after-effects-alternatives-you-need-to-know-about-now/
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