The Best of the Best: Top Vignette Apps for iOS and Android Devices

10 Best Vignette Apps in 2024 [iOS & Android]

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Sharing unedited photos and videos on your social media accounts can negatively reflect on the number of views and like your posts are getting. You don’t necessarily have to know a lot about photo or video editing process in order to add a vignette to a picture or adjust its color, brightness or highlights. As a matter of fact, all you need is a great app that lets you emphasize the center of the image and darken its edges. That’s why in this article we are going to take you through some of the best vignette apps for iPhones and Android devices that make the vignetting process fun.

Top 10 Vignette Apps in 2024 [Free & Paid]

Vignettes can be used to make your selfies look more artistic or to increase the contrast between the edges and the center of a landscape photo. Even though you can use vignetting in any type of photo or video, it is still advisable to carefully choose the images to which you’d like to add this effect, since the results you’re going to get depend mostly on the quality of the original footage. Here are the ten best vignette apps in 2019.

1. Apple Photos App

Price: Free

Compatibility: iOS

iPhone users can edit their photos with the built-in Photos app that offers a variety of photo and video shooting modes as well as a rich collection of filters and effects. The Vignette effect can be accessed from the Edit Photo menu, by tapping on the Adjust button and then opening the Add menu and selecting the effect from the list. The Auto option will be enabled by default and it will automatically adjust the vignette based on the composition of your photo. Alternatively, you can use the strength, Softness or Radius settings to control the size of the darkened area of the image or the vignette’s falloff. Even though the Photos app offers basic Vignetting tools that let you choose which part of a photo is going to be affected by the effect or how intense the effect is going to be, it is still better to use a more powerful photo editing app to create vignettes from your iPhone.

2. Final Touch

Price: $0.99

Compatibility: iOS

When creating a vignette, the lack of control over the feathering or opacity features can significantly limit your ability to produce vignettes that look natural. The Final Touch app is equipped with powerful vignetting tools that let you choose between square, ellipse or circle shapes of vignettes, move and rotate a vignette or adjust the feather size and fall off. However, the app doesn’t let you take photos, which means that all images you want to edit have to be imported from the camera roll. The Final Touch also offers a number of preset vignettes you can easily apply to a photo and customize in any way you want. After you’ve completed the vignetting process, you can share a photo to your social media accounts directly from the app.

3. Snapseed

Price: Free

Compatibility: Android, iOS

This photo editing app offers much more than the Vignette tool, as its users can process images in both JPEG and RAW file formats. Tap on the Pencil icon to access the app’s Tool menu, select the Vignette option and then proceed to adjust the Outer and Inner Brightness sliders. This will enable you to precisely define how dark you want the photo’s edges to be or how bright the central part of the picture is. To change the size of the vignette you just have to pinch in or out on the phone’s screen and Center Size option will appear near the bottom of the screen. Tap on the Save button once you’re happy with the results and then hit Export to create a copy of the photo that contains the changes you’ve made.

4. VSCO

Price: Free, but contains in-app purchases

Compatibility: Android , iOS

Besides being a powerful photo editor, the VSCO app is also a community of photography enthusiasts where you can discover inspiring work or connect with like-minded people. The app also features a collection of effects that enable you to recreate the look of vintage film produced by Kodak, Fuji or Agfa. Despite remarkably powerful photo editing options, VSCO is far from a perfect choice if you want to add a vignette to your photo since it only offers basic vignetting tools. You can add a vignette to a photo the same way you’d apply any other effect, but you won’t have access to advanced feathering options. iPhone and Android users in need of an app that lets them shoot and edit photos and videos should give VSCO a chance. Keep in mind that video editing options are only available if you purchase the VSCO X Membership.

5. Afterlight 2

Price: $2.99

Compatibility: iOS

iPhone photographers who would like to use photo editing tools such as Curves, Selective Hue/Saturation or Clarify are going to love using the Afterlife 2 app. Adding a vignette to a photo requires you to just tap on the Adjustment Tools icon and then browse through the adjustment tools icons until you find the Vignette option. Just tap on the Vignette icon to create the effect and then proceed to adjust the settings. Don’t expect too much control over the vignette size or feathering options, since Afterlight 2 only offers basic vignetting tools. Optionally, you can use Afterlight 2 as an extension for the Apple Photos App if you want to broaden the scope of photo editing tools you have at your disposal when using this native iPhone app.

6. PhotoToaster

Price: $2.99

Compatibility: iOS

A brief look at the list of features PhotoToaster app provides will leave you wondering if there is anything this app can’t do. There are over eighty different one-click settings in Lightning, Vignette, Texture or Border categories that grant you total creative control over the photo editing process. You can add a vignette to a photo you imported into the app from your iPhone’s camera roll, but you can’t use PhotoToaster to take photos. Furthermore, you can use the lightning adjustments to balance the shadows and highlights or process colors on separate channels. The PhotoToaster app is a great asset to all photographers who take photos with their iPhones, not only because it lets them create vignettes in just a few taps, but because it enables them to edit their photos professionally.

7. PicsArt Photo Editor

Price: Free, but contains in-app purchases

Compatibility: Android , iOS

Besides editing photos, you can also use the PicsArt app to create collages from your Smartphone. The app is also equipped with a rich effects library that contains the Vignette effect you can easily customize and apply to a photo. Tap on the Effects icon, select the Vignette effect from the Fx section and then tap on the Gear icon to customize the effect. Adjust the Radius and Fade sliders before picking the color of the vignette. Tap on the Checkmark icon to confirm the changes you’ve made and save the photo. PicsArt is a vibrant community of photography enthusiasts where you can share your works with other users or connect with photographers you like.

8. EffectsStudio

Price: $0.99

Compatibility: iOS

The user-friendly interface and the abundance of photo editing options, make the EffectsStudio one of the best iOS-based photo editing app you can use to add vignettes to your photos. You just have to import a photo from the camera roll and enter the app’s Edit mode to start processing a photo. You can adjust the Vignette effect’s settings, by simply dragging sliders, and all changes you make will be immediately displayed on the screen. Make sure to complete all basic photo editing actions before you add a vignette to a photo in order to avoid losing a part of a picture. The app offers nearly eighty standard filters, more than two hundred custom filters as well as fifty effects you can use to enhance your photos.

9. EyeEm

Price: Free

Compatibility: Android , iOS

EyeEm is a global community of photographers, where you can sell your photos, develop your photography skills or connect with photographers whose work you admire. You can use some of the adjustable photo filters or manipulate your images in any way you want with this app. Creating a vignette with EyeEm is easy since you just have to apply the effect and tweak the settings. The best part is that you can combine the Vignette effect with other options such as Contrast, Exposure or Sharpen to create a visual style you want. Sharing photos on this platform can help you get useful advice from more experienced photographers who can suggest a creative way to use vignettes or any other photo effects.

10. ToolWiz Photos

Price: Free, but contains in-app purchases

Compatibility: Android, iOS

This simple photo editing app offers AI filters, and effects you can apply to a picture in just a single tap. All effects, including the Vignette effect located in the Photography menu, are fully customizable, so you can adjust the radius or choose where the center of the vignette is going to be. When done, you just have to tap on the Checkmark icon to confirm the changes you made and then proceed to apply an art filter like Grainy Film or use Fish Eye, Double Exposure or Mirror effects. The app’s file sharing capabilities could be better since you have to save all the photos you edit to your phone.

Conclusion

Making the edges of a photo darker can without a doubt make your photos stand out, but falling in love with vignettes and using this effect excessively is not necessarily a great idea. Using vignettes in your photos subtly so they aren’t easy to notice will probably create the best results. Which iPhone or Android vignette app do you use to edit your photos? Leave a comment and let us know.

Ollie Mattison

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

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Sharing unedited photos and videos on your social media accounts can negatively reflect on the number of views and like your posts are getting. You don’t necessarily have to know a lot about photo or video editing process in order to add a vignette to a picture or adjust its color, brightness or highlights. As a matter of fact, all you need is a great app that lets you emphasize the center of the image and darken its edges. That’s why in this article we are going to take you through some of the best vignette apps for iPhones and Android devices that make the vignetting process fun.

Top 10 Vignette Apps in 2024 [Free & Paid]

Vignettes can be used to make your selfies look more artistic or to increase the contrast between the edges and the center of a landscape photo. Even though you can use vignetting in any type of photo or video, it is still advisable to carefully choose the images to which you’d like to add this effect, since the results you’re going to get depend mostly on the quality of the original footage. Here are the ten best vignette apps in 2019.

1. Apple Photos App

Price: Free

Compatibility: iOS

iPhone users can edit their photos with the built-in Photos app that offers a variety of photo and video shooting modes as well as a rich collection of filters and effects. The Vignette effect can be accessed from the Edit Photo menu, by tapping on the Adjust button and then opening the Add menu and selecting the effect from the list. The Auto option will be enabled by default and it will automatically adjust the vignette based on the composition of your photo. Alternatively, you can use the strength, Softness or Radius settings to control the size of the darkened area of the image or the vignette’s falloff. Even though the Photos app offers basic Vignetting tools that let you choose which part of a photo is going to be affected by the effect or how intense the effect is going to be, it is still better to use a more powerful photo editing app to create vignettes from your iPhone.

2. Final Touch

Price: $0.99

Compatibility: iOS

When creating a vignette, the lack of control over the feathering or opacity features can significantly limit your ability to produce vignettes that look natural. The Final Touch app is equipped with powerful vignetting tools that let you choose between square, ellipse or circle shapes of vignettes, move and rotate a vignette or adjust the feather size and fall off. However, the app doesn’t let you take photos, which means that all images you want to edit have to be imported from the camera roll. The Final Touch also offers a number of preset vignettes you can easily apply to a photo and customize in any way you want. After you’ve completed the vignetting process, you can share a photo to your social media accounts directly from the app.

3. Snapseed

Price: Free

Compatibility: Android, iOS

This photo editing app offers much more than the Vignette tool, as its users can process images in both JPEG and RAW file formats. Tap on the Pencil icon to access the app’s Tool menu, select the Vignette option and then proceed to adjust the Outer and Inner Brightness sliders. This will enable you to precisely define how dark you want the photo’s edges to be or how bright the central part of the picture is. To change the size of the vignette you just have to pinch in or out on the phone’s screen and Center Size option will appear near the bottom of the screen. Tap on the Save button once you’re happy with the results and then hit Export to create a copy of the photo that contains the changes you’ve made.

4. VSCO

Price: Free, but contains in-app purchases

Compatibility: Android , iOS

Besides being a powerful photo editor, the VSCO app is also a community of photography enthusiasts where you can discover inspiring work or connect with like-minded people. The app also features a collection of effects that enable you to recreate the look of vintage film produced by Kodak, Fuji or Agfa. Despite remarkably powerful photo editing options, VSCO is far from a perfect choice if you want to add a vignette to your photo since it only offers basic vignetting tools. You can add a vignette to a photo the same way you’d apply any other effect, but you won’t have access to advanced feathering options. iPhone and Android users in need of an app that lets them shoot and edit photos and videos should give VSCO a chance. Keep in mind that video editing options are only available if you purchase the VSCO X Membership.

5. Afterlight 2

Price: $2.99

Compatibility: iOS

iPhone photographers who would like to use photo editing tools such as Curves, Selective Hue/Saturation or Clarify are going to love using the Afterlife 2 app. Adding a vignette to a photo requires you to just tap on the Adjustment Tools icon and then browse through the adjustment tools icons until you find the Vignette option. Just tap on the Vignette icon to create the effect and then proceed to adjust the settings. Don’t expect too much control over the vignette size or feathering options, since Afterlight 2 only offers basic vignetting tools. Optionally, you can use Afterlight 2 as an extension for the Apple Photos App if you want to broaden the scope of photo editing tools you have at your disposal when using this native iPhone app.

6. PhotoToaster

Price: $2.99

Compatibility: iOS

A brief look at the list of features PhotoToaster app provides will leave you wondering if there is anything this app can’t do. There are over eighty different one-click settings in Lightning, Vignette, Texture or Border categories that grant you total creative control over the photo editing process. You can add a vignette to a photo you imported into the app from your iPhone’s camera roll, but you can’t use PhotoToaster to take photos. Furthermore, you can use the lightning adjustments to balance the shadows and highlights or process colors on separate channels. The PhotoToaster app is a great asset to all photographers who take photos with their iPhones, not only because it lets them create vignettes in just a few taps, but because it enables them to edit their photos professionally.

7. PicsArt Photo Editor

Price: Free, but contains in-app purchases

Compatibility: Android , iOS

Besides editing photos, you can also use the PicsArt app to create collages from your Smartphone. The app is also equipped with a rich effects library that contains the Vignette effect you can easily customize and apply to a photo. Tap on the Effects icon, select the Vignette effect from the Fx section and then tap on the Gear icon to customize the effect. Adjust the Radius and Fade sliders before picking the color of the vignette. Tap on the Checkmark icon to confirm the changes you’ve made and save the photo. PicsArt is a vibrant community of photography enthusiasts where you can share your works with other users or connect with photographers you like.

8. EffectsStudio

Price: $0.99

Compatibility: iOS

The user-friendly interface and the abundance of photo editing options, make the EffectsStudio one of the best iOS-based photo editing app you can use to add vignettes to your photos. You just have to import a photo from the camera roll and enter the app’s Edit mode to start processing a photo. You can adjust the Vignette effect’s settings, by simply dragging sliders, and all changes you make will be immediately displayed on the screen. Make sure to complete all basic photo editing actions before you add a vignette to a photo in order to avoid losing a part of a picture. The app offers nearly eighty standard filters, more than two hundred custom filters as well as fifty effects you can use to enhance your photos.

9. EyeEm

Price: Free

Compatibility: Android , iOS

EyeEm is a global community of photographers, where you can sell your photos, develop your photography skills or connect with photographers whose work you admire. You can use some of the adjustable photo filters or manipulate your images in any way you want with this app. Creating a vignette with EyeEm is easy since you just have to apply the effect and tweak the settings. The best part is that you can combine the Vignette effect with other options such as Contrast, Exposure or Sharpen to create a visual style you want. Sharing photos on this platform can help you get useful advice from more experienced photographers who can suggest a creative way to use vignettes or any other photo effects.

10. ToolWiz Photos

Price: Free, but contains in-app purchases

Compatibility: Android, iOS

This simple photo editing app offers AI filters, and effects you can apply to a picture in just a single tap. All effects, including the Vignette effect located in the Photography menu, are fully customizable, so you can adjust the radius or choose where the center of the vignette is going to be. When done, you just have to tap on the Checkmark icon to confirm the changes you made and then proceed to apply an art filter like Grainy Film or use Fish Eye, Double Exposure or Mirror effects. The app’s file sharing capabilities could be better since you have to save all the photos you edit to your phone.

Conclusion

Making the edges of a photo darker can without a doubt make your photos stand out, but falling in love with vignettes and using this effect excessively is not necessarily a great idea. Using vignettes in your photos subtly so they aren’t easy to notice will probably create the best results. Which iPhone or Android vignette app do you use to edit your photos? Leave a comment and let us know.

Ollie Mattison

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

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Sharing unedited photos and videos on your social media accounts can negatively reflect on the number of views and like your posts are getting. You don’t necessarily have to know a lot about photo or video editing process in order to add a vignette to a picture or adjust its color, brightness or highlights. As a matter of fact, all you need is a great app that lets you emphasize the center of the image and darken its edges. That’s why in this article we are going to take you through some of the best vignette apps for iPhones and Android devices that make the vignetting process fun.

Top 10 Vignette Apps in 2024 [Free & Paid]

Vignettes can be used to make your selfies look more artistic or to increase the contrast between the edges and the center of a landscape photo. Even though you can use vignetting in any type of photo or video, it is still advisable to carefully choose the images to which you’d like to add this effect, since the results you’re going to get depend mostly on the quality of the original footage. Here are the ten best vignette apps in 2019.

1. Apple Photos App

Price: Free

Compatibility: iOS

iPhone users can edit their photos with the built-in Photos app that offers a variety of photo and video shooting modes as well as a rich collection of filters and effects. The Vignette effect can be accessed from the Edit Photo menu, by tapping on the Adjust button and then opening the Add menu and selecting the effect from the list. The Auto option will be enabled by default and it will automatically adjust the vignette based on the composition of your photo. Alternatively, you can use the strength, Softness or Radius settings to control the size of the darkened area of the image or the vignette’s falloff. Even though the Photos app offers basic Vignetting tools that let you choose which part of a photo is going to be affected by the effect or how intense the effect is going to be, it is still better to use a more powerful photo editing app to create vignettes from your iPhone.

2. Final Touch

Price: $0.99

Compatibility: iOS

When creating a vignette, the lack of control over the feathering or opacity features can significantly limit your ability to produce vignettes that look natural. The Final Touch app is equipped with powerful vignetting tools that let you choose between square, ellipse or circle shapes of vignettes, move and rotate a vignette or adjust the feather size and fall off. However, the app doesn’t let you take photos, which means that all images you want to edit have to be imported from the camera roll. The Final Touch also offers a number of preset vignettes you can easily apply to a photo and customize in any way you want. After you’ve completed the vignetting process, you can share a photo to your social media accounts directly from the app.

3. Snapseed

Price: Free

Compatibility: Android, iOS

This photo editing app offers much more than the Vignette tool, as its users can process images in both JPEG and RAW file formats. Tap on the Pencil icon to access the app’s Tool menu, select the Vignette option and then proceed to adjust the Outer and Inner Brightness sliders. This will enable you to precisely define how dark you want the photo’s edges to be or how bright the central part of the picture is. To change the size of the vignette you just have to pinch in or out on the phone’s screen and Center Size option will appear near the bottom of the screen. Tap on the Save button once you’re happy with the results and then hit Export to create a copy of the photo that contains the changes you’ve made.

4. VSCO

Price: Free, but contains in-app purchases

Compatibility: Android , iOS

Besides being a powerful photo editor, the VSCO app is also a community of photography enthusiasts where you can discover inspiring work or connect with like-minded people. The app also features a collection of effects that enable you to recreate the look of vintage film produced by Kodak, Fuji or Agfa. Despite remarkably powerful photo editing options, VSCO is far from a perfect choice if you want to add a vignette to your photo since it only offers basic vignetting tools. You can add a vignette to a photo the same way you’d apply any other effect, but you won’t have access to advanced feathering options. iPhone and Android users in need of an app that lets them shoot and edit photos and videos should give VSCO a chance. Keep in mind that video editing options are only available if you purchase the VSCO X Membership.

5. Afterlight 2

Price: $2.99

Compatibility: iOS

iPhone photographers who would like to use photo editing tools such as Curves, Selective Hue/Saturation or Clarify are going to love using the Afterlife 2 app. Adding a vignette to a photo requires you to just tap on the Adjustment Tools icon and then browse through the adjustment tools icons until you find the Vignette option. Just tap on the Vignette icon to create the effect and then proceed to adjust the settings. Don’t expect too much control over the vignette size or feathering options, since Afterlight 2 only offers basic vignetting tools. Optionally, you can use Afterlight 2 as an extension for the Apple Photos App if you want to broaden the scope of photo editing tools you have at your disposal when using this native iPhone app.

6. PhotoToaster

Price: $2.99

Compatibility: iOS

A brief look at the list of features PhotoToaster app provides will leave you wondering if there is anything this app can’t do. There are over eighty different one-click settings in Lightning, Vignette, Texture or Border categories that grant you total creative control over the photo editing process. You can add a vignette to a photo you imported into the app from your iPhone’s camera roll, but you can’t use PhotoToaster to take photos. Furthermore, you can use the lightning adjustments to balance the shadows and highlights or process colors on separate channels. The PhotoToaster app is a great asset to all photographers who take photos with their iPhones, not only because it lets them create vignettes in just a few taps, but because it enables them to edit their photos professionally.

7. PicsArt Photo Editor

Price: Free, but contains in-app purchases

Compatibility: Android , iOS

Besides editing photos, you can also use the PicsArt app to create collages from your Smartphone. The app is also equipped with a rich effects library that contains the Vignette effect you can easily customize and apply to a photo. Tap on the Effects icon, select the Vignette effect from the Fx section and then tap on the Gear icon to customize the effect. Adjust the Radius and Fade sliders before picking the color of the vignette. Tap on the Checkmark icon to confirm the changes you’ve made and save the photo. PicsArt is a vibrant community of photography enthusiasts where you can share your works with other users or connect with photographers you like.

8. EffectsStudio

Price: $0.99

Compatibility: iOS

The user-friendly interface and the abundance of photo editing options, make the EffectsStudio one of the best iOS-based photo editing app you can use to add vignettes to your photos. You just have to import a photo from the camera roll and enter the app’s Edit mode to start processing a photo. You can adjust the Vignette effect’s settings, by simply dragging sliders, and all changes you make will be immediately displayed on the screen. Make sure to complete all basic photo editing actions before you add a vignette to a photo in order to avoid losing a part of a picture. The app offers nearly eighty standard filters, more than two hundred custom filters as well as fifty effects you can use to enhance your photos.

9. EyeEm

Price: Free

Compatibility: Android , iOS

EyeEm is a global community of photographers, where you can sell your photos, develop your photography skills or connect with photographers whose work you admire. You can use some of the adjustable photo filters or manipulate your images in any way you want with this app. Creating a vignette with EyeEm is easy since you just have to apply the effect and tweak the settings. The best part is that you can combine the Vignette effect with other options such as Contrast, Exposure or Sharpen to create a visual style you want. Sharing photos on this platform can help you get useful advice from more experienced photographers who can suggest a creative way to use vignettes or any other photo effects.

10. ToolWiz Photos

Price: Free, but contains in-app purchases

Compatibility: Android, iOS

This simple photo editing app offers AI filters, and effects you can apply to a picture in just a single tap. All effects, including the Vignette effect located in the Photography menu, are fully customizable, so you can adjust the radius or choose where the center of the vignette is going to be. When done, you just have to tap on the Checkmark icon to confirm the changes you made and then proceed to apply an art filter like Grainy Film or use Fish Eye, Double Exposure or Mirror effects. The app’s file sharing capabilities could be better since you have to save all the photos you edit to your phone.

Conclusion

Making the edges of a photo darker can without a doubt make your photos stand out, but falling in love with vignettes and using this effect excessively is not necessarily a great idea. Using vignettes in your photos subtly so they aren’t easy to notice will probably create the best results. Which iPhone or Android vignette app do you use to edit your photos? Leave a comment and let us know.

Ollie Mattison

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

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Sharing unedited photos and videos on your social media accounts can negatively reflect on the number of views and like your posts are getting. You don’t necessarily have to know a lot about photo or video editing process in order to add a vignette to a picture or adjust its color, brightness or highlights. As a matter of fact, all you need is a great app that lets you emphasize the center of the image and darken its edges. That’s why in this article we are going to take you through some of the best vignette apps for iPhones and Android devices that make the vignetting process fun.

Top 10 Vignette Apps in 2024 [Free & Paid]

Vignettes can be used to make your selfies look more artistic or to increase the contrast between the edges and the center of a landscape photo. Even though you can use vignetting in any type of photo or video, it is still advisable to carefully choose the images to which you’d like to add this effect, since the results you’re going to get depend mostly on the quality of the original footage. Here are the ten best vignette apps in 2019.

1. Apple Photos App

Price: Free

Compatibility: iOS

iPhone users can edit their photos with the built-in Photos app that offers a variety of photo and video shooting modes as well as a rich collection of filters and effects. The Vignette effect can be accessed from the Edit Photo menu, by tapping on the Adjust button and then opening the Add menu and selecting the effect from the list. The Auto option will be enabled by default and it will automatically adjust the vignette based on the composition of your photo. Alternatively, you can use the strength, Softness or Radius settings to control the size of the darkened area of the image or the vignette’s falloff. Even though the Photos app offers basic Vignetting tools that let you choose which part of a photo is going to be affected by the effect or how intense the effect is going to be, it is still better to use a more powerful photo editing app to create vignettes from your iPhone.

2. Final Touch

Price: $0.99

Compatibility: iOS

When creating a vignette, the lack of control over the feathering or opacity features can significantly limit your ability to produce vignettes that look natural. The Final Touch app is equipped with powerful vignetting tools that let you choose between square, ellipse or circle shapes of vignettes, move and rotate a vignette or adjust the feather size and fall off. However, the app doesn’t let you take photos, which means that all images you want to edit have to be imported from the camera roll. The Final Touch also offers a number of preset vignettes you can easily apply to a photo and customize in any way you want. After you’ve completed the vignetting process, you can share a photo to your social media accounts directly from the app.

3. Snapseed

Price: Free

Compatibility: Android, iOS

This photo editing app offers much more than the Vignette tool, as its users can process images in both JPEG and RAW file formats. Tap on the Pencil icon to access the app’s Tool menu, select the Vignette option and then proceed to adjust the Outer and Inner Brightness sliders. This will enable you to precisely define how dark you want the photo’s edges to be or how bright the central part of the picture is. To change the size of the vignette you just have to pinch in or out on the phone’s screen and Center Size option will appear near the bottom of the screen. Tap on the Save button once you’re happy with the results and then hit Export to create a copy of the photo that contains the changes you’ve made.

4. VSCO

Price: Free, but contains in-app purchases

Compatibility: Android , iOS

Besides being a powerful photo editor, the VSCO app is also a community of photography enthusiasts where you can discover inspiring work or connect with like-minded people. The app also features a collection of effects that enable you to recreate the look of vintage film produced by Kodak, Fuji or Agfa. Despite remarkably powerful photo editing options, VSCO is far from a perfect choice if you want to add a vignette to your photo since it only offers basic vignetting tools. You can add a vignette to a photo the same way you’d apply any other effect, but you won’t have access to advanced feathering options. iPhone and Android users in need of an app that lets them shoot and edit photos and videos should give VSCO a chance. Keep in mind that video editing options are only available if you purchase the VSCO X Membership.

5. Afterlight 2

Price: $2.99

Compatibility: iOS

iPhone photographers who would like to use photo editing tools such as Curves, Selective Hue/Saturation or Clarify are going to love using the Afterlife 2 app. Adding a vignette to a photo requires you to just tap on the Adjustment Tools icon and then browse through the adjustment tools icons until you find the Vignette option. Just tap on the Vignette icon to create the effect and then proceed to adjust the settings. Don’t expect too much control over the vignette size or feathering options, since Afterlight 2 only offers basic vignetting tools. Optionally, you can use Afterlight 2 as an extension for the Apple Photos App if you want to broaden the scope of photo editing tools you have at your disposal when using this native iPhone app.

6. PhotoToaster

Price: $2.99

Compatibility: iOS

A brief look at the list of features PhotoToaster app provides will leave you wondering if there is anything this app can’t do. There are over eighty different one-click settings in Lightning, Vignette, Texture or Border categories that grant you total creative control over the photo editing process. You can add a vignette to a photo you imported into the app from your iPhone’s camera roll, but you can’t use PhotoToaster to take photos. Furthermore, you can use the lightning adjustments to balance the shadows and highlights or process colors on separate channels. The PhotoToaster app is a great asset to all photographers who take photos with their iPhones, not only because it lets them create vignettes in just a few taps, but because it enables them to edit their photos professionally.

7. PicsArt Photo Editor

Price: Free, but contains in-app purchases

Compatibility: Android , iOS

Besides editing photos, you can also use the PicsArt app to create collages from your Smartphone. The app is also equipped with a rich effects library that contains the Vignette effect you can easily customize and apply to a photo. Tap on the Effects icon, select the Vignette effect from the Fx section and then tap on the Gear icon to customize the effect. Adjust the Radius and Fade sliders before picking the color of the vignette. Tap on the Checkmark icon to confirm the changes you’ve made and save the photo. PicsArt is a vibrant community of photography enthusiasts where you can share your works with other users or connect with photographers you like.

8. EffectsStudio

Price: $0.99

Compatibility: iOS

The user-friendly interface and the abundance of photo editing options, make the EffectsStudio one of the best iOS-based photo editing app you can use to add vignettes to your photos. You just have to import a photo from the camera roll and enter the app’s Edit mode to start processing a photo. You can adjust the Vignette effect’s settings, by simply dragging sliders, and all changes you make will be immediately displayed on the screen. Make sure to complete all basic photo editing actions before you add a vignette to a photo in order to avoid losing a part of a picture. The app offers nearly eighty standard filters, more than two hundred custom filters as well as fifty effects you can use to enhance your photos.

9. EyeEm

Price: Free

Compatibility: Android , iOS

EyeEm is a global community of photographers, where you can sell your photos, develop your photography skills or connect with photographers whose work you admire. You can use some of the adjustable photo filters or manipulate your images in any way you want with this app. Creating a vignette with EyeEm is easy since you just have to apply the effect and tweak the settings. The best part is that you can combine the Vignette effect with other options such as Contrast, Exposure or Sharpen to create a visual style you want. Sharing photos on this platform can help you get useful advice from more experienced photographers who can suggest a creative way to use vignettes or any other photo effects.

10. ToolWiz Photos

Price: Free, but contains in-app purchases

Compatibility: Android, iOS

This simple photo editing app offers AI filters, and effects you can apply to a picture in just a single tap. All effects, including the Vignette effect located in the Photography menu, are fully customizable, so you can adjust the radius or choose where the center of the vignette is going to be. When done, you just have to tap on the Checkmark icon to confirm the changes you made and then proceed to apply an art filter like Grainy Film or use Fish Eye, Double Exposure or Mirror effects. The app’s file sharing capabilities could be better since you have to save all the photos you edit to your phone.

Conclusion

Making the edges of a photo darker can without a doubt make your photos stand out, but falling in love with vignettes and using this effect excessively is not necessarily a great idea. Using vignettes in your photos subtly so they aren’t easy to notice will probably create the best results. Which iPhone or Android vignette app do you use to edit your photos? Leave a comment and let us know.

Ollie Mattison

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

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Mastering GoPro Footage: A Step-by-Step Mac Editing Guide

How to edit GoPro video on Mac

Liza Brown

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Are you having trouble using a GoPro edit app on Mac? GoPro cameras make it reasonably easy to shoot and transfer videos, but editing them is a whole different story. You have to make sure you’re using the right video editor on Mac; otherwise, you’ll keep trying to figure out how to edit those videos you captured.

Editing videos is a skill that requires a lot of practice and patience, but thankfully, there are editing programs that make the process much more comfortable and straightforward.

• Section1.What program can I use to edit Gopro Videos?
• Section2.Basic Editing Tips for Gopro Video on Filmora
• Section3.Advance Editing tips for Gopro Video on Filmora

Section 1. What program can I use to edit Gopro Videos?

So what’s the best video editing software for Mac? There are plenty of GoPro edit apps, but the best video editing app for Mac isWondershare Filmora X – a free video editor that lets you edit videos like a pro. Filmora video editor has several cool features and a user-friendly interface that anyone can understand.

First, download Wondershare Filmora X for free. After installing it, you have to import your GoPro videos. Here is the step to do that:

Click on File, then Import Media. Another drop-down menu will open from which you can select whether you want to import media files, a media folder, media from your camera or phone, or with Filmora’s Instant Cutter Tool.

If you have a Mac with a Touch Bar, you can use the Touch Bar Controls to import your videos.

You May Also Like: Touch Bar on Wondershare Filmora for Mac

Section 2. Basic Editing Tips for Gopro Video on Filmora

Now that you’ve imported your videos, it’s time to edit Gopro video with Filmora X. Filmora X video editor makes editing not only easy but also fun. Here are some of its features: splitting videos, resizing images, and combining video clips. You can also add effects, stickers, audio, titles, and split screens.

1. Effects - Filters and Overlays

Want to give your videos a vintage look? You can do that by adding filters and overlays! Simply click on the Effects tab and select whichever filter or overlay you want to add to your video. Adding new layers using overlays is a great way to give your videos a new look.

If you don’t like the filters or overlays you’ve chosen, you can easily remove them by clicking them in the timeline and pressing Delete on your keyboard.

2. Elements and Transitions

If you’re feeling a little creative, add some stickers or motion graphics to your GoPro videos. To add elements, head over to the Elements tab. There are 150 elements in Filmora for Mac, and with a subscription, you can get more.

• Drag an element to the timeline to apply it. If you want to remove it, simply right-click on it and hit the Delete button.
• In order to make your videos look smooth, you can switch to the Transition tab and select the transition you want to use and then drag and drop it in the timeline between the two videos.

3. Split Screen and Audio

Split Screen is a powerful feature that allows you to edit multiple videos in two or more segments. You might need it if you’re editing videos that show the same scene from different angles. On Filmora, there are over thirty layouts that let you add six different videos.

You can also add audio to your GoPro videos on Mac to make them more attractive. Filmora video editor for Mac has copyright-free music, but you can import your own music, too, using the same import methods described above.

• Once imported, drag and drop your audio into the Audio Track in the timeline.
• If you want to edit the file, double-click on it and it’ll take you to the Audio editing panel where you can apply effects and change the volume and pitch.

Section 3. Advance Editing tips for Gopro Video on Filmora

If you want to add even more pizzazz to your videos, then why not look into other powerful features like motion tracking, color match, and audio ducking? They may sound complicated, but in reality, they’re easy to use.

1. Motion Tracking

his feature lets you track objects in your videos so that other objects can move along with them. If you have a video in which you want to make it look like you have wings and you’re flying, then you can align the movement of the wings with the movement of your body using the motion tracking feature. Here are the steps you need to take to track objects:

Step 1. Double-click the video in the timeline and then check the Motion Tracking box.

Step 2. Place the Target Box over the object you want to track and click Start Tracking.

Step 3. Select the media that you want to move with the tracked object. Remember that this media already has to be in the timeline.

Step 4. Adjust the size or position of whatever media you selected in the previous step.

2. Color Match

Wondershare video editor for Mac also lets you color correct multiple videos as a batch. If you have videos that have similar lighting and you want to change their colors quickly to make them consistent, then you should use color match. Here’s how you can use it:

Step 1. Color correct one video in the timeline like how you’d typically color correct any other video.

Step 2. Place the playback line on the video you color corrected and then select the other videos you want to color correct.

Step 3. On the toolbar, click the color icon, and a drop-down menu will appear from which you’ll have to click on Color Match. After a new window opens, you can adjust the level of color correction however, you wish.

If you feel the colors don’t match, you can open the Comparison Preview and use the slider to adjust the colors.

3. Audio Ducking

If you want to temporarily reduce one audio track volume so that another is more audible, use audio ducking. You can use it in videos where you want to decrease the volume of music when someone starts speaking to hear them better. Here are the steps:

Step 1. Select the audio track you want to make more audible.

Step 2. Right-click on it and click on Adjust Audio.

Step 3. Check the “lower the volume of other clips” box.

Step 4. Once you press OK, the volume of every other audio track will be lowered. You can adjust the ducking level to achieve your desired effect.

Mastering these three features will make your videos stand out, so spend some time playing around with them.

Conclusion

Editing GoPro videos on Mac can be confusing, but it isn’t as difficult as people make it out. Find the video editing software that will make all tasks easy for you, and you’re good to go. Download Filmora X for Mac because it has tons of features that make video editing fun and simple, and you’ll be able to master them quickly. Not only that, but a Filmora free download also saves you hundreds of dollars you would otherwise spend on other overly complicated software.

You May Also Like: Tips and Tricks for GoPro: Get the Most from Your GoPro

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Are you having trouble using a GoPro edit app on Mac? GoPro cameras make it reasonably easy to shoot and transfer videos, but editing them is a whole different story. You have to make sure you’re using the right video editor on Mac; otherwise, you’ll keep trying to figure out how to edit those videos you captured.

Editing videos is a skill that requires a lot of practice and patience, but thankfully, there are editing programs that make the process much more comfortable and straightforward.

• Section1.What program can I use to edit Gopro Videos?
• Section2.Basic Editing Tips for Gopro Video on Filmora
• Section3.Advance Editing tips for Gopro Video on Filmora

Section 1. What program can I use to edit Gopro Videos?

So what’s the best video editing software for Mac? There are plenty of GoPro edit apps, but the best video editing app for Mac isWondershare Filmora X – a free video editor that lets you edit videos like a pro. Filmora video editor has several cool features and a user-friendly interface that anyone can understand.

First, download Wondershare Filmora X for free. After installing it, you have to import your GoPro videos. Here is the step to do that:

Click on File, then Import Media. Another drop-down menu will open from which you can select whether you want to import media files, a media folder, media from your camera or phone, or with Filmora’s Instant Cutter Tool.

If you have a Mac with a Touch Bar, you can use the Touch Bar Controls to import your videos.

You May Also Like: Touch Bar on Wondershare Filmora for Mac

Section 2. Basic Editing Tips for Gopro Video on Filmora

Now that you’ve imported your videos, it’s time to edit Gopro video with Filmora X. Filmora X video editor makes editing not only easy but also fun. Here are some of its features: splitting videos, resizing images, and combining video clips. You can also add effects, stickers, audio, titles, and split screens.

1. Effects - Filters and Overlays

Want to give your videos a vintage look? You can do that by adding filters and overlays! Simply click on the Effects tab and select whichever filter or overlay you want to add to your video. Adding new layers using overlays is a great way to give your videos a new look.

If you don’t like the filters or overlays you’ve chosen, you can easily remove them by clicking them in the timeline and pressing Delete on your keyboard.

2. Elements and Transitions

If you’re feeling a little creative, add some stickers or motion graphics to your GoPro videos. To add elements, head over to the Elements tab. There are 150 elements in Filmora for Mac, and with a subscription, you can get more.

• Drag an element to the timeline to apply it. If you want to remove it, simply right-click on it and hit the Delete button.
• In order to make your videos look smooth, you can switch to the Transition tab and select the transition you want to use and then drag and drop it in the timeline between the two videos.

3. Split Screen and Audio

Split Screen is a powerful feature that allows you to edit multiple videos in two or more segments. You might need it if you’re editing videos that show the same scene from different angles. On Filmora, there are over thirty layouts that let you add six different videos.

You can also add audio to your GoPro videos on Mac to make them more attractive. Filmora video editor for Mac has copyright-free music, but you can import your own music, too, using the same import methods described above.

• Once imported, drag and drop your audio into the Audio Track in the timeline.
• If you want to edit the file, double-click on it and it’ll take you to the Audio editing panel where you can apply effects and change the volume and pitch.

Section 3. Advance Editing tips for Gopro Video on Filmora

If you want to add even more pizzazz to your videos, then why not look into other powerful features like motion tracking, color match, and audio ducking? They may sound complicated, but in reality, they’re easy to use.

1. Motion Tracking

his feature lets you track objects in your videos so that other objects can move along with them. If you have a video in which you want to make it look like you have wings and you’re flying, then you can align the movement of the wings with the movement of your body using the motion tracking feature. Here are the steps you need to take to track objects:

Step 1. Double-click the video in the timeline and then check the Motion Tracking box.

Step 2. Place the Target Box over the object you want to track and click Start Tracking.

Step 3. Select the media that you want to move with the tracked object. Remember that this media already has to be in the timeline.

Step 4. Adjust the size or position of whatever media you selected in the previous step.

2. Color Match

Wondershare video editor for Mac also lets you color correct multiple videos as a batch. If you have videos that have similar lighting and you want to change their colors quickly to make them consistent, then you should use color match. Here’s how you can use it:

Step 1. Color correct one video in the timeline like how you’d typically color correct any other video.

Step 2. Place the playback line on the video you color corrected and then select the other videos you want to color correct.

Step 3. On the toolbar, click the color icon, and a drop-down menu will appear from which you’ll have to click on Color Match. After a new window opens, you can adjust the level of color correction however, you wish.

If you feel the colors don’t match, you can open the Comparison Preview and use the slider to adjust the colors.

3. Audio Ducking

If you want to temporarily reduce one audio track volume so that another is more audible, use audio ducking. You can use it in videos where you want to decrease the volume of music when someone starts speaking to hear them better. Here are the steps:

Step 1. Select the audio track you want to make more audible.

Step 2. Right-click on it and click on Adjust Audio.

Step 3. Check the “lower the volume of other clips” box.

Step 4. Once you press OK, the volume of every other audio track will be lowered. You can adjust the ducking level to achieve your desired effect.

Mastering these three features will make your videos stand out, so spend some time playing around with them.

Conclusion

Editing GoPro videos on Mac can be confusing, but it isn’t as difficult as people make it out. Find the video editing software that will make all tasks easy for you, and you’re good to go. Download Filmora X for Mac because it has tons of features that make video editing fun and simple, and you’ll be able to master them quickly. Not only that, but a Filmora free download also saves you hundreds of dollars you would otherwise spend on other overly complicated software.

You May Also Like: Tips and Tricks for GoPro: Get the Most from Your GoPro

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Are you having trouble using a GoPro edit app on Mac? GoPro cameras make it reasonably easy to shoot and transfer videos, but editing them is a whole different story. You have to make sure you’re using the right video editor on Mac; otherwise, you’ll keep trying to figure out how to edit those videos you captured.

Editing videos is a skill that requires a lot of practice and patience, but thankfully, there are editing programs that make the process much more comfortable and straightforward.

• Section1.What program can I use to edit Gopro Videos?
• Section2.Basic Editing Tips for Gopro Video on Filmora
• Section3.Advance Editing tips for Gopro Video on Filmora

Section 1. What program can I use to edit Gopro Videos?

So what’s the best video editing software for Mac? There are plenty of GoPro edit apps, but the best video editing app for Mac isWondershare Filmora X – a free video editor that lets you edit videos like a pro. Filmora video editor has several cool features and a user-friendly interface that anyone can understand.

First, download Wondershare Filmora X for free. After installing it, you have to import your GoPro videos. Here is the step to do that:

Click on File, then Import Media. Another drop-down menu will open from which you can select whether you want to import media files, a media folder, media from your camera or phone, or with Filmora’s Instant Cutter Tool.

If you have a Mac with a Touch Bar, you can use the Touch Bar Controls to import your videos.

You May Also Like: Touch Bar on Wondershare Filmora for Mac

Section 2. Basic Editing Tips for Gopro Video on Filmora

Now that you’ve imported your videos, it’s time to edit Gopro video with Filmora X. Filmora X video editor makes editing not only easy but also fun. Here are some of its features: splitting videos, resizing images, and combining video clips. You can also add effects, stickers, audio, titles, and split screens.

1. Effects - Filters and Overlays

Want to give your videos a vintage look? You can do that by adding filters and overlays! Simply click on the Effects tab and select whichever filter or overlay you want to add to your video. Adding new layers using overlays is a great way to give your videos a new look.

If you don’t like the filters or overlays you’ve chosen, you can easily remove them by clicking them in the timeline and pressing Delete on your keyboard.

2. Elements and Transitions

If you’re feeling a little creative, add some stickers or motion graphics to your GoPro videos. To add elements, head over to the Elements tab. There are 150 elements in Filmora for Mac, and with a subscription, you can get more.

• Drag an element to the timeline to apply it. If you want to remove it, simply right-click on it and hit the Delete button.
• In order to make your videos look smooth, you can switch to the Transition tab and select the transition you want to use and then drag and drop it in the timeline between the two videos.

3. Split Screen and Audio

Split Screen is a powerful feature that allows you to edit multiple videos in two or more segments. You might need it if you’re editing videos that show the same scene from different angles. On Filmora, there are over thirty layouts that let you add six different videos.

You can also add audio to your GoPro videos on Mac to make them more attractive. Filmora video editor for Mac has copyright-free music, but you can import your own music, too, using the same import methods described above.

• Once imported, drag and drop your audio into the Audio Track in the timeline.
• If you want to edit the file, double-click on it and it’ll take you to the Audio editing panel where you can apply effects and change the volume and pitch.

Section 3. Advance Editing tips for Gopro Video on Filmora

If you want to add even more pizzazz to your videos, then why not look into other powerful features like motion tracking, color match, and audio ducking? They may sound complicated, but in reality, they’re easy to use.

1. Motion Tracking

his feature lets you track objects in your videos so that other objects can move along with them. If you have a video in which you want to make it look like you have wings and you’re flying, then you can align the movement of the wings with the movement of your body using the motion tracking feature. Here are the steps you need to take to track objects:

Step 1. Double-click the video in the timeline and then check the Motion Tracking box.

Step 2. Place the Target Box over the object you want to track and click Start Tracking.

Step 3. Select the media that you want to move with the tracked object. Remember that this media already has to be in the timeline.

Step 4. Adjust the size or position of whatever media you selected in the previous step.

2. Color Match

Wondershare video editor for Mac also lets you color correct multiple videos as a batch. If you have videos that have similar lighting and you want to change their colors quickly to make them consistent, then you should use color match. Here’s how you can use it:

Step 1. Color correct one video in the timeline like how you’d typically color correct any other video.

Step 2. Place the playback line on the video you color corrected and then select the other videos you want to color correct.

Step 3. On the toolbar, click the color icon, and a drop-down menu will appear from which you’ll have to click on Color Match. After a new window opens, you can adjust the level of color correction however, you wish.

If you feel the colors don’t match, you can open the Comparison Preview and use the slider to adjust the colors.

3. Audio Ducking

If you want to temporarily reduce one audio track volume so that another is more audible, use audio ducking. You can use it in videos where you want to decrease the volume of music when someone starts speaking to hear them better. Here are the steps:

Step 1. Select the audio track you want to make more audible.

Step 2. Right-click on it and click on Adjust Audio.

Step 3. Check the “lower the volume of other clips” box.

Step 4. Once you press OK, the volume of every other audio track will be lowered. You can adjust the ducking level to achieve your desired effect.

Mastering these three features will make your videos stand out, so spend some time playing around with them.

Conclusion

Editing GoPro videos on Mac can be confusing, but it isn’t as difficult as people make it out. Find the video editing software that will make all tasks easy for you, and you’re good to go. Download Filmora X for Mac because it has tons of features that make video editing fun and simple, and you’ll be able to master them quickly. Not only that, but a Filmora free download also saves you hundreds of dollars you would otherwise spend on other overly complicated software.

You May Also Like: Tips and Tricks for GoPro: Get the Most from Your GoPro

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Are you having trouble using a GoPro edit app on Mac? GoPro cameras make it reasonably easy to shoot and transfer videos, but editing them is a whole different story. You have to make sure you’re using the right video editor on Mac; otherwise, you’ll keep trying to figure out how to edit those videos you captured.

Editing videos is a skill that requires a lot of practice and patience, but thankfully, there are editing programs that make the process much more comfortable and straightforward.

• Section1.What program can I use to edit Gopro Videos?
• Section2.Basic Editing Tips for Gopro Video on Filmora
• Section3.Advance Editing tips for Gopro Video on Filmora

Section 1. What program can I use to edit Gopro Videos?

So what’s the best video editing software for Mac? There are plenty of GoPro edit apps, but the best video editing app for Mac isWondershare Filmora X – a free video editor that lets you edit videos like a pro. Filmora video editor has several cool features and a user-friendly interface that anyone can understand.

First, download Wondershare Filmora X for free. After installing it, you have to import your GoPro videos. Here is the step to do that:

Click on File, then Import Media. Another drop-down menu will open from which you can select whether you want to import media files, a media folder, media from your camera or phone, or with Filmora’s Instant Cutter Tool.

If you have a Mac with a Touch Bar, you can use the Touch Bar Controls to import your videos.

You May Also Like: Touch Bar on Wondershare Filmora for Mac

Section 2. Basic Editing Tips for Gopro Video on Filmora

Now that you’ve imported your videos, it’s time to edit Gopro video with Filmora X. Filmora X video editor makes editing not only easy but also fun. Here are some of its features: splitting videos, resizing images, and combining video clips. You can also add effects, stickers, audio, titles, and split screens.

1. Effects - Filters and Overlays

Want to give your videos a vintage look? You can do that by adding filters and overlays! Simply click on the Effects tab and select whichever filter or overlay you want to add to your video. Adding new layers using overlays is a great way to give your videos a new look.

If you don’t like the filters or overlays you’ve chosen, you can easily remove them by clicking them in the timeline and pressing Delete on your keyboard.

2. Elements and Transitions

If you’re feeling a little creative, add some stickers or motion graphics to your GoPro videos. To add elements, head over to the Elements tab. There are 150 elements in Filmora for Mac, and with a subscription, you can get more.

• Drag an element to the timeline to apply it. If you want to remove it, simply right-click on it and hit the Delete button.
• In order to make your videos look smooth, you can switch to the Transition tab and select the transition you want to use and then drag and drop it in the timeline between the two videos.

3. Split Screen and Audio

Split Screen is a powerful feature that allows you to edit multiple videos in two or more segments. You might need it if you’re editing videos that show the same scene from different angles. On Filmora, there are over thirty layouts that let you add six different videos.

You can also add audio to your GoPro videos on Mac to make them more attractive. Filmora video editor for Mac has copyright-free music, but you can import your own music, too, using the same import methods described above.

• Once imported, drag and drop your audio into the Audio Track in the timeline.
• If you want to edit the file, double-click on it and it’ll take you to the Audio editing panel where you can apply effects and change the volume and pitch.

Section 3. Advance Editing tips for Gopro Video on Filmora

If you want to add even more pizzazz to your videos, then why not look into other powerful features like motion tracking, color match, and audio ducking? They may sound complicated, but in reality, they’re easy to use.

1. Motion Tracking

his feature lets you track objects in your videos so that other objects can move along with them. If you have a video in which you want to make it look like you have wings and you’re flying, then you can align the movement of the wings with the movement of your body using the motion tracking feature. Here are the steps you need to take to track objects:

Step 1. Double-click the video in the timeline and then check the Motion Tracking box.

Step 2. Place the Target Box over the object you want to track and click Start Tracking.

Step 3. Select the media that you want to move with the tracked object. Remember that this media already has to be in the timeline.

Step 4. Adjust the size or position of whatever media you selected in the previous step.

2. Color Match

Wondershare video editor for Mac also lets you color correct multiple videos as a batch. If you have videos that have similar lighting and you want to change their colors quickly to make them consistent, then you should use color match. Here’s how you can use it:

Step 1. Color correct one video in the timeline like how you’d typically color correct any other video.

Step 2. Place the playback line on the video you color corrected and then select the other videos you want to color correct.

Step 3. On the toolbar, click the color icon, and a drop-down menu will appear from which you’ll have to click on Color Match. After a new window opens, you can adjust the level of color correction however, you wish.

If you feel the colors don’t match, you can open the Comparison Preview and use the slider to adjust the colors.

3. Audio Ducking

If you want to temporarily reduce one audio track volume so that another is more audible, use audio ducking. You can use it in videos where you want to decrease the volume of music when someone starts speaking to hear them better. Here are the steps:

Step 1. Select the audio track you want to make more audible.

Step 2. Right-click on it and click on Adjust Audio.

Step 3. Check the “lower the volume of other clips” box.

Step 4. Once you press OK, the volume of every other audio track will be lowered. You can adjust the ducking level to achieve your desired effect.

Mastering these three features will make your videos stand out, so spend some time playing around with them.

Conclusion

Editing GoPro videos on Mac can be confusing, but it isn’t as difficult as people make it out. Find the video editing software that will make all tasks easy for you, and you’re good to go. Download Filmora X for Mac because it has tons of features that make video editing fun and simple, and you’ll be able to master them quickly. Not only that, but a Filmora free download also saves you hundreds of dollars you would otherwise spend on other overly complicated software.

You May Also Like: Tips and Tricks for GoPro: Get the Most from Your GoPro

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Shake, Rattle, and Roll No More: Video Stabilization in After Effects

Stabilize Shaky Videos After Recording Easily

Wondershare Filmora is one of the most popular video editing software among YouTubers , which provides the video stabilization tool to remove shake from videos within one-click. Download and have a try now.

Try It Free Try It Free

Video content is becoming increasingly popular; with the proliferation of online content, practically every product now needs its mini-documentary or video clip. Experienced filmmakers and VFX artists used to be the only ones who could get smooth footage. Those days, however, are over.

Adobe After Effects is an excellent tool for smoothing out video footage, in addition to being a great blending and motion animation software; although it’s usually preferable to maintain your film as seamless as possible on location, it’s not the end of the world if you take a seat to edit your video and decide it’s too shaky. In truth, there are several options available to you. In After Effects, there are three options for stabilizing footage. What are they – and how to use After Effects to stabilize footage? Let’s find out!

In this article

01 Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

02 Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

03 Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

Part 1: Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

The Warp Stabilizer effect is a new technique to cope with unsteady video. In this part, I will show you how to apply Warp Stabilizer to a layer, adjust the effect’s essential parameters, and demonstrate how they work briefly.

Step 1: The Warp Stabilizer is the most excellent built-in choice for After Effects. This may be found under the Distort tools section of the Effects & Presets panel. You may also go to the effects tab and look for “Warp“ in the search box.

Step 2: When you’ve identified Warp Stabilizer, you’ll have to add it to the layer you want to stabilize. You may accomplish this in one of three different ways. You may either drag and drop the filter into the chosen layer in the composing window, place it on the desired layer in the timeline, or double-tap on the effect while selecting your choice footage layer.

Step 3: Once you apply the warp stabilizer, it will start immediately. So now, all you have to do is lay back and let the stabilizer do its job.

(Note: The procedure should take no more than a few minutes, and a blue bar will appear across your composition window, indicating that the warp stabilizer is evaluating the film. The composition panel would then display an orange bar, indicating that the effect is applied).

Step 4: After stabilization, use the spacebar to begin a RAM peek. Choose the layer you added to and click to display the drop-down menu or go to the Effects Control panel whenever you need to tweak the stabilizing effect.

Part 2: Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

Using Stabilize Motion feature to stabilize video is an old-school heritage function from the era of the Creative Suite, it will still be there in After Effects presently and performs admirably.

Step 1: The tracker panel is most likely open by default in your edition of After Effects, but if it isn’t, go to Window in the top menu to open it. Once you’ve arrived here, scroll to the bottom until you locate Tracker and double-check that it has a checkbox beside it.

Step 2: Select Stabilize Motion from the drop-down menu whenever the tracker panel is open. You’ll see that a tracker box appears in your Layer Panel once you’ve done this.

(Note: You’ll need to identify a proper location in your film for the tracker to operate at this stage. We’re monitoring a vehicle using a camera operator’s drone in the instance below).

Step 3: Let’s press the Play button on the tracker panel once we’ve set up the tracker box. The tracker box should adhere to the location or item you chose when you do this.

(Note: When your tracking points start to go astray, use the Pause button, personally modify the tracking point, and then push play to resume the journey).

Step 4: When the tracker is done and satisfied with the results, click Edit target to verify that the tracking data is transferred to the correct layer. Then proceed to the bottom of the page and click the Apply option.

(Note A dialogue window with choices for applying them. Usually, you’ll want to choose X and Y here).

Hit the spacebar to evaluate how well the stabilize motion tracker performed now when you’re back in the composition window. When you’re not pleased with the outcomes, you might have to go back to try again. Although this approach is best used for photos with a clear point of focus that doesn’t go out of frame, it could still be helpful in some situations.

Part 3: Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

As a graphic and motion designer, animator, or 3D artist, After Effects plugins may completely change the way you operate. Since it can handle so much right out of the box, Adobe After Effects CC is already a go-to motion graphic and compositing program for many artists.

However, as with any good program, third-party plugins could only help you take your work to the next level by adding new features or streamlining your process.

It should be unsurprising that After Effects has many plugins for a program that is over 30 years old. Here are the best stabilization plugins for smoother video in AE:

1. Orb

Orb is focused on generating realistic planets and includes a range of unique features to make planetary creation easy. It utilizes a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s great Element 3D plugin, and it employs a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s outstanding Element 3D plugin.

You would believe that making planets in 3D is simple —create a circle, add textures, and you’re done! Getting a world to ‘look’ properly, on the other hand, might be more complicated than it appears.

For example, how can the line between night and day be altered in a model of a populated planet such that cities may be visible at night but not during the day?

Although Orb doesn’t work for every planetary picture, this would function for 90% of them and is a helpful previs tool. This is particularly true when used in conjunction with other After Effects plugins or paired with a 3D lens from a 3D program, which may be brought into After Effects with background plates for things like spacecraft.

2. Depth of Field Generator PRO (DOF PRO)

Richard Rosenman’s renowned Photoshop depth of field generator plugin, DOF PRO (Depth of Field Generator PRO), is now downloadable for After Effects. DOF PRO has become the industry’s professional option for an unprecedented and complex depth of field effects rapidly and effectively as a post-process.

This is thanks to almost a decade of discovery and application since the first launch in 2005. DOF PRO’s cutting-edge characteristics offer new and advanced technologies not found anywhere else, resulting in one of the industry’s most potent and sophisticated depth of field processors.

Capability for chromatic and achromatic aberration, focal plane bokeh distinction, astigmatism and vignetting effects, bespoke aperture maps, and noise recovery are among the advanced features.

There will also be compatibility with the alpha channel and transparency, 32-bit floating-point color, correct aperture displays, and an iris array display. A feature comparison between the plugin and After Effects’ Camera Lens Blur effect can be found here.

3. ReelSteady

ReelSteady for After Effects is a recent addition to the stabilization marketplace. ReelSteady is similar to After Effects’ warp stabilizer plugin. However, the stabilization in ReelSteady is far superior.

ReelSteady also has several other features that make it ideal for creating next-level tunes. Users may design filters to block off specific sections of your frame. This is useful for removing a subject that travels around the frame a lot.

In terms of performance, the After Effects plugin is pretty similar to the warp stabilizer but with a few more features. To begin with, ReelSteady includes a built-in rolling shutter repair tool that operates in tandem with its built-in stabilizer.

The ReelSteady effect is a two-pass effect. For instance, after the effect has been executed for the first time, you will likely wish to level out certain places. You’ll successfully isolate specific parts in the effect to “iron out” sections of the footage.

You would like to record your film at a more excellent resolution than your expected outcome to get the most out of ReelSteady. If you wish to output your video in 4K, you might capture it in 4.6K or 5K. You’ll have some leeway for ReelSteady to work its magic.

ReelSteady’s sole flaw is its high price ($399). ReelSteady is not available in After Effects, unlike some of the other choices on this list. ReelSteady, on the other hand, is the way to go if you would like the smoothest footage imaginable.

Conclusion

Shaky video footage would be the last thing any video creator wants unless it’s done intentionally for artistic or creative reasons. As a result, they employ methods and equipment to keep the camera safe from any undesired movement.

However, occasionally those tools aren’t available, and the outcome is questionable. That is why we decided to compile this article to add to the knowledge of our readers how they can use After Effects to stabilize videos to enhance their video content!

Try It Free Try It Free

Video content is becoming increasingly popular; with the proliferation of online content, practically every product now needs its mini-documentary or video clip. Experienced filmmakers and VFX artists used to be the only ones who could get smooth footage. Those days, however, are over.

Adobe After Effects is an excellent tool for smoothing out video footage, in addition to being a great blending and motion animation software; although it’s usually preferable to maintain your film as seamless as possible on location, it’s not the end of the world if you take a seat to edit your video and decide it’s too shaky. In truth, there are several options available to you. In After Effects, there are three options for stabilizing footage. What are they – and how to use After Effects to stabilize footage? Let’s find out!

In this article

01 Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

02 Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

03 Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

Part 1: Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

The Warp Stabilizer effect is a new technique to cope with unsteady video. In this part, I will show you how to apply Warp Stabilizer to a layer, adjust the effect’s essential parameters, and demonstrate how they work briefly.

Step 1: The Warp Stabilizer is the most excellent built-in choice for After Effects. This may be found under the Distort tools section of the Effects & Presets panel. You may also go to the effects tab and look for “Warp“ in the search box.

Step 2: When you’ve identified Warp Stabilizer, you’ll have to add it to the layer you want to stabilize. You may accomplish this in one of three different ways. You may either drag and drop the filter into the chosen layer in the composing window, place it on the desired layer in the timeline, or double-tap on the effect while selecting your choice footage layer.

Step 3: Once you apply the warp stabilizer, it will start immediately. So now, all you have to do is lay back and let the stabilizer do its job.

(Note: The procedure should take no more than a few minutes, and a blue bar will appear across your composition window, indicating that the warp stabilizer is evaluating the film. The composition panel would then display an orange bar, indicating that the effect is applied).

Step 4: After stabilization, use the spacebar to begin a RAM peek. Choose the layer you added to and click to display the drop-down menu or go to the Effects Control panel whenever you need to tweak the stabilizing effect.

Part 2: Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

Using Stabilize Motion feature to stabilize video is an old-school heritage function from the era of the Creative Suite, it will still be there in After Effects presently and performs admirably.

Step 1: The tracker panel is most likely open by default in your edition of After Effects, but if it isn’t, go to Window in the top menu to open it. Once you’ve arrived here, scroll to the bottom until you locate Tracker and double-check that it has a checkbox beside it.

Step 2: Select Stabilize Motion from the drop-down menu whenever the tracker panel is open. You’ll see that a tracker box appears in your Layer Panel once you’ve done this.

(Note: You’ll need to identify a proper location in your film for the tracker to operate at this stage. We’re monitoring a vehicle using a camera operator’s drone in the instance below).

Step 3: Let’s press the Play button on the tracker panel once we’ve set up the tracker box. The tracker box should adhere to the location or item you chose when you do this.

(Note: When your tracking points start to go astray, use the Pause button, personally modify the tracking point, and then push play to resume the journey).

Step 4: When the tracker is done and satisfied with the results, click Edit target to verify that the tracking data is transferred to the correct layer. Then proceed to the bottom of the page and click the Apply option.

(Note A dialogue window with choices for applying them. Usually, you’ll want to choose X and Y here).

Hit the spacebar to evaluate how well the stabilize motion tracker performed now when you’re back in the composition window. When you’re not pleased with the outcomes, you might have to go back to try again. Although this approach is best used for photos with a clear point of focus that doesn’t go out of frame, it could still be helpful in some situations.

Part 3: Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

As a graphic and motion designer, animator, or 3D artist, After Effects plugins may completely change the way you operate. Since it can handle so much right out of the box, Adobe After Effects CC is already a go-to motion graphic and compositing program for many artists.

However, as with any good program, third-party plugins could only help you take your work to the next level by adding new features or streamlining your process.

It should be unsurprising that After Effects has many plugins for a program that is over 30 years old. Here are the best stabilization plugins for smoother video in AE:

1. Orb

Orb is focused on generating realistic planets and includes a range of unique features to make planetary creation easy. It utilizes a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s great Element 3D plugin, and it employs a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s outstanding Element 3D plugin.

You would believe that making planets in 3D is simple —create a circle, add textures, and you’re done! Getting a world to ‘look’ properly, on the other hand, might be more complicated than it appears.

For example, how can the line between night and day be altered in a model of a populated planet such that cities may be visible at night but not during the day?

Although Orb doesn’t work for every planetary picture, this would function for 90% of them and is a helpful previs tool. This is particularly true when used in conjunction with other After Effects plugins or paired with a 3D lens from a 3D program, which may be brought into After Effects with background plates for things like spacecraft.

2. Depth of Field Generator PRO (DOF PRO)

Richard Rosenman’s renowned Photoshop depth of field generator plugin, DOF PRO (Depth of Field Generator PRO), is now downloadable for After Effects. DOF PRO has become the industry’s professional option for an unprecedented and complex depth of field effects rapidly and effectively as a post-process.

This is thanks to almost a decade of discovery and application since the first launch in 2005. DOF PRO’s cutting-edge characteristics offer new and advanced technologies not found anywhere else, resulting in one of the industry’s most potent and sophisticated depth of field processors.

Capability for chromatic and achromatic aberration, focal plane bokeh distinction, astigmatism and vignetting effects, bespoke aperture maps, and noise recovery are among the advanced features.

There will also be compatibility with the alpha channel and transparency, 32-bit floating-point color, correct aperture displays, and an iris array display. A feature comparison between the plugin and After Effects’ Camera Lens Blur effect can be found here.

3. ReelSteady

ReelSteady for After Effects is a recent addition to the stabilization marketplace. ReelSteady is similar to After Effects’ warp stabilizer plugin. However, the stabilization in ReelSteady is far superior.

ReelSteady also has several other features that make it ideal for creating next-level tunes. Users may design filters to block off specific sections of your frame. This is useful for removing a subject that travels around the frame a lot.

In terms of performance, the After Effects plugin is pretty similar to the warp stabilizer but with a few more features. To begin with, ReelSteady includes a built-in rolling shutter repair tool that operates in tandem with its built-in stabilizer.

The ReelSteady effect is a two-pass effect. For instance, after the effect has been executed for the first time, you will likely wish to level out certain places. You’ll successfully isolate specific parts in the effect to “iron out” sections of the footage.

You would like to record your film at a more excellent resolution than your expected outcome to get the most out of ReelSteady. If you wish to output your video in 4K, you might capture it in 4.6K or 5K. You’ll have some leeway for ReelSteady to work its magic.

ReelSteady’s sole flaw is its high price ($399). ReelSteady is not available in After Effects, unlike some of the other choices on this list. ReelSteady, on the other hand, is the way to go if you would like the smoothest footage imaginable.

Conclusion

Shaky video footage would be the last thing any video creator wants unless it’s done intentionally for artistic or creative reasons. As a result, they employ methods and equipment to keep the camera safe from any undesired movement.

However, occasionally those tools aren’t available, and the outcome is questionable. That is why we decided to compile this article to add to the knowledge of our readers how they can use After Effects to stabilize videos to enhance their video content!

Try It Free Try It Free

Video content is becoming increasingly popular; with the proliferation of online content, practically every product now needs its mini-documentary or video clip. Experienced filmmakers and VFX artists used to be the only ones who could get smooth footage. Those days, however, are over.

Adobe After Effects is an excellent tool for smoothing out video footage, in addition to being a great blending and motion animation software; although it’s usually preferable to maintain your film as seamless as possible on location, it’s not the end of the world if you take a seat to edit your video and decide it’s too shaky. In truth, there are several options available to you. In After Effects, there are three options for stabilizing footage. What are they – and how to use After Effects to stabilize footage? Let’s find out!

In this article

01 Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

02 Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

03 Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

Part 1: Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

The Warp Stabilizer effect is a new technique to cope with unsteady video. In this part, I will show you how to apply Warp Stabilizer to a layer, adjust the effect’s essential parameters, and demonstrate how they work briefly.

Step 1: The Warp Stabilizer is the most excellent built-in choice for After Effects. This may be found under the Distort tools section of the Effects & Presets panel. You may also go to the effects tab and look for “Warp“ in the search box.

Step 2: When you’ve identified Warp Stabilizer, you’ll have to add it to the layer you want to stabilize. You may accomplish this in one of three different ways. You may either drag and drop the filter into the chosen layer in the composing window, place it on the desired layer in the timeline, or double-tap on the effect while selecting your choice footage layer.

Step 3: Once you apply the warp stabilizer, it will start immediately. So now, all you have to do is lay back and let the stabilizer do its job.

(Note: The procedure should take no more than a few minutes, and a blue bar will appear across your composition window, indicating that the warp stabilizer is evaluating the film. The composition panel would then display an orange bar, indicating that the effect is applied).

Step 4: After stabilization, use the spacebar to begin a RAM peek. Choose the layer you added to and click to display the drop-down menu or go to the Effects Control panel whenever you need to tweak the stabilizing effect.

Part 2: Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

Using Stabilize Motion feature to stabilize video is an old-school heritage function from the era of the Creative Suite, it will still be there in After Effects presently and performs admirably.

Step 1: The tracker panel is most likely open by default in your edition of After Effects, but if it isn’t, go to Window in the top menu to open it. Once you’ve arrived here, scroll to the bottom until you locate Tracker and double-check that it has a checkbox beside it.

Step 2: Select Stabilize Motion from the drop-down menu whenever the tracker panel is open. You’ll see that a tracker box appears in your Layer Panel once you’ve done this.

(Note: You’ll need to identify a proper location in your film for the tracker to operate at this stage. We’re monitoring a vehicle using a camera operator’s drone in the instance below).

Step 3: Let’s press the Play button on the tracker panel once we’ve set up the tracker box. The tracker box should adhere to the location or item you chose when you do this.

(Note: When your tracking points start to go astray, use the Pause button, personally modify the tracking point, and then push play to resume the journey).

Step 4: When the tracker is done and satisfied with the results, click Edit target to verify that the tracking data is transferred to the correct layer. Then proceed to the bottom of the page and click the Apply option.

(Note A dialogue window with choices for applying them. Usually, you’ll want to choose X and Y here).

Hit the spacebar to evaluate how well the stabilize motion tracker performed now when you’re back in the composition window. When you’re not pleased with the outcomes, you might have to go back to try again. Although this approach is best used for photos with a clear point of focus that doesn’t go out of frame, it could still be helpful in some situations.

Part 3: Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

As a graphic and motion designer, animator, or 3D artist, After Effects plugins may completely change the way you operate. Since it can handle so much right out of the box, Adobe After Effects CC is already a go-to motion graphic and compositing program for many artists.

However, as with any good program, third-party plugins could only help you take your work to the next level by adding new features or streamlining your process.

It should be unsurprising that After Effects has many plugins for a program that is over 30 years old. Here are the best stabilization plugins for smoother video in AE:

1. Orb

Orb is focused on generating realistic planets and includes a range of unique features to make planetary creation easy. It utilizes a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s great Element 3D plugin, and it employs a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s outstanding Element 3D plugin.

You would believe that making planets in 3D is simple —create a circle, add textures, and you’re done! Getting a world to ‘look’ properly, on the other hand, might be more complicated than it appears.

For example, how can the line between night and day be altered in a model of a populated planet such that cities may be visible at night but not during the day?

Although Orb doesn’t work for every planetary picture, this would function for 90% of them and is a helpful previs tool. This is particularly true when used in conjunction with other After Effects plugins or paired with a 3D lens from a 3D program, which may be brought into After Effects with background plates for things like spacecraft.

2. Depth of Field Generator PRO (DOF PRO)

Richard Rosenman’s renowned Photoshop depth of field generator plugin, DOF PRO (Depth of Field Generator PRO), is now downloadable for After Effects. DOF PRO has become the industry’s professional option for an unprecedented and complex depth of field effects rapidly and effectively as a post-process.

This is thanks to almost a decade of discovery and application since the first launch in 2005. DOF PRO’s cutting-edge characteristics offer new and advanced technologies not found anywhere else, resulting in one of the industry’s most potent and sophisticated depth of field processors.

Capability for chromatic and achromatic aberration, focal plane bokeh distinction, astigmatism and vignetting effects, bespoke aperture maps, and noise recovery are among the advanced features.

There will also be compatibility with the alpha channel and transparency, 32-bit floating-point color, correct aperture displays, and an iris array display. A feature comparison between the plugin and After Effects’ Camera Lens Blur effect can be found here.

3. ReelSteady

ReelSteady for After Effects is a recent addition to the stabilization marketplace. ReelSteady is similar to After Effects’ warp stabilizer plugin. However, the stabilization in ReelSteady is far superior.

ReelSteady also has several other features that make it ideal for creating next-level tunes. Users may design filters to block off specific sections of your frame. This is useful for removing a subject that travels around the frame a lot.

In terms of performance, the After Effects plugin is pretty similar to the warp stabilizer but with a few more features. To begin with, ReelSteady includes a built-in rolling shutter repair tool that operates in tandem with its built-in stabilizer.

The ReelSteady effect is a two-pass effect. For instance, after the effect has been executed for the first time, you will likely wish to level out certain places. You’ll successfully isolate specific parts in the effect to “iron out” sections of the footage.

You would like to record your film at a more excellent resolution than your expected outcome to get the most out of ReelSteady. If you wish to output your video in 4K, you might capture it in 4.6K or 5K. You’ll have some leeway for ReelSteady to work its magic.

ReelSteady’s sole flaw is its high price ($399). ReelSteady is not available in After Effects, unlike some of the other choices on this list. ReelSteady, on the other hand, is the way to go if you would like the smoothest footage imaginable.

Conclusion

Shaky video footage would be the last thing any video creator wants unless it’s done intentionally for artistic or creative reasons. As a result, they employ methods and equipment to keep the camera safe from any undesired movement.

However, occasionally those tools aren’t available, and the outcome is questionable. That is why we decided to compile this article to add to the knowledge of our readers how they can use After Effects to stabilize videos to enhance their video content!

Try It Free Try It Free

Video content is becoming increasingly popular; with the proliferation of online content, practically every product now needs its mini-documentary or video clip. Experienced filmmakers and VFX artists used to be the only ones who could get smooth footage. Those days, however, are over.

Adobe After Effects is an excellent tool for smoothing out video footage, in addition to being a great blending and motion animation software; although it’s usually preferable to maintain your film as seamless as possible on location, it’s not the end of the world if you take a seat to edit your video and decide it’s too shaky. In truth, there are several options available to you. In After Effects, there are three options for stabilizing footage. What are they – and how to use After Effects to stabilize footage? Let’s find out!

In this article

01 Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

02 Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

03 Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

Part 1: Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

The Warp Stabilizer effect is a new technique to cope with unsteady video. In this part, I will show you how to apply Warp Stabilizer to a layer, adjust the effect’s essential parameters, and demonstrate how they work briefly.

Step 1: The Warp Stabilizer is the most excellent built-in choice for After Effects. This may be found under the Distort tools section of the Effects & Presets panel. You may also go to the effects tab and look for “Warp“ in the search box.

Step 2: When you’ve identified Warp Stabilizer, you’ll have to add it to the layer you want to stabilize. You may accomplish this in one of three different ways. You may either drag and drop the filter into the chosen layer in the composing window, place it on the desired layer in the timeline, or double-tap on the effect while selecting your choice footage layer.

Step 3: Once you apply the warp stabilizer, it will start immediately. So now, all you have to do is lay back and let the stabilizer do its job.

(Note: The procedure should take no more than a few minutes, and a blue bar will appear across your composition window, indicating that the warp stabilizer is evaluating the film. The composition panel would then display an orange bar, indicating that the effect is applied).

Step 4: After stabilization, use the spacebar to begin a RAM peek. Choose the layer you added to and click to display the drop-down menu or go to the Effects Control panel whenever you need to tweak the stabilizing effect.

Part 2: Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

Using Stabilize Motion feature to stabilize video is an old-school heritage function from the era of the Creative Suite, it will still be there in After Effects presently and performs admirably.

Step 1: The tracker panel is most likely open by default in your edition of After Effects, but if it isn’t, go to Window in the top menu to open it. Once you’ve arrived here, scroll to the bottom until you locate Tracker and double-check that it has a checkbox beside it.

Step 2: Select Stabilize Motion from the drop-down menu whenever the tracker panel is open. You’ll see that a tracker box appears in your Layer Panel once you’ve done this.

(Note: You’ll need to identify a proper location in your film for the tracker to operate at this stage. We’re monitoring a vehicle using a camera operator’s drone in the instance below).

Step 3: Let’s press the Play button on the tracker panel once we’ve set up the tracker box. The tracker box should adhere to the location or item you chose when you do this.

(Note: When your tracking points start to go astray, use the Pause button, personally modify the tracking point, and then push play to resume the journey).

Step 4: When the tracker is done and satisfied with the results, click Edit target to verify that the tracking data is transferred to the correct layer. Then proceed to the bottom of the page and click the Apply option.

(Note A dialogue window with choices for applying them. Usually, you’ll want to choose X and Y here).

Hit the spacebar to evaluate how well the stabilize motion tracker performed now when you’re back in the composition window. When you’re not pleased with the outcomes, you might have to go back to try again. Although this approach is best used for photos with a clear point of focus that doesn’t go out of frame, it could still be helpful in some situations.

Part 3: Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

As a graphic and motion designer, animator, or 3D artist, After Effects plugins may completely change the way you operate. Since it can handle so much right out of the box, Adobe After Effects CC is already a go-to motion graphic and compositing program for many artists.

However, as with any good program, third-party plugins could only help you take your work to the next level by adding new features or streamlining your process.

It should be unsurprising that After Effects has many plugins for a program that is over 30 years old. Here are the best stabilization plugins for smoother video in AE:

1. Orb

Orb is focused on generating realistic planets and includes a range of unique features to make planetary creation easy. It utilizes a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s great Element 3D plugin, and it employs a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s outstanding Element 3D plugin.

You would believe that making planets in 3D is simple —create a circle, add textures, and you’re done! Getting a world to ‘look’ properly, on the other hand, might be more complicated than it appears.

For example, how can the line between night and day be altered in a model of a populated planet such that cities may be visible at night but not during the day?

Although Orb doesn’t work for every planetary picture, this would function for 90% of them and is a helpful previs tool. This is particularly true when used in conjunction with other After Effects plugins or paired with a 3D lens from a 3D program, which may be brought into After Effects with background plates for things like spacecraft.

2. Depth of Field Generator PRO (DOF PRO)

Richard Rosenman’s renowned Photoshop depth of field generator plugin, DOF PRO (Depth of Field Generator PRO), is now downloadable for After Effects. DOF PRO has become the industry’s professional option for an unprecedented and complex depth of field effects rapidly and effectively as a post-process.

This is thanks to almost a decade of discovery and application since the first launch in 2005. DOF PRO’s cutting-edge characteristics offer new and advanced technologies not found anywhere else, resulting in one of the industry’s most potent and sophisticated depth of field processors.

Capability for chromatic and achromatic aberration, focal plane bokeh distinction, astigmatism and vignetting effects, bespoke aperture maps, and noise recovery are among the advanced features.

There will also be compatibility with the alpha channel and transparency, 32-bit floating-point color, correct aperture displays, and an iris array display. A feature comparison between the plugin and After Effects’ Camera Lens Blur effect can be found here.

3. ReelSteady

ReelSteady for After Effects is a recent addition to the stabilization marketplace. ReelSteady is similar to After Effects’ warp stabilizer plugin. However, the stabilization in ReelSteady is far superior.

ReelSteady also has several other features that make it ideal for creating next-level tunes. Users may design filters to block off specific sections of your frame. This is useful for removing a subject that travels around the frame a lot.

In terms of performance, the After Effects plugin is pretty similar to the warp stabilizer but with a few more features. To begin with, ReelSteady includes a built-in rolling shutter repair tool that operates in tandem with its built-in stabilizer.

The ReelSteady effect is a two-pass effect. For instance, after the effect has been executed for the first time, you will likely wish to level out certain places. You’ll successfully isolate specific parts in the effect to “iron out” sections of the footage.

You would like to record your film at a more excellent resolution than your expected outcome to get the most out of ReelSteady. If you wish to output your video in 4K, you might capture it in 4.6K or 5K. You’ll have some leeway for ReelSteady to work its magic.

ReelSteady’s sole flaw is its high price ($399). ReelSteady is not available in After Effects, unlike some of the other choices on this list. ReelSteady, on the other hand, is the way to go if you would like the smoothest footage imaginable.

Conclusion

Shaky video footage would be the last thing any video creator wants unless it’s done intentionally for artistic or creative reasons. As a result, they employ methods and equipment to keep the camera safe from any undesired movement.

However, occasionally those tools aren’t available, and the outcome is questionable. That is why we decided to compile this article to add to the knowledge of our readers how they can use After Effects to stabilize videos to enhance their video content!

Discover the Best Free Animation Software for Windows, Mac, and More

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

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