Updated 2024 Approved 12 Excellent Animation Software Options That Wont Break the Bank

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2024-05-19 14:42:09 2024-05-19 14:42:09 Created 2024-05-20 14:42:09 2024-05-20 14:42:09 Updated

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12 Excellent Animation Software Options That Won’t Break the Bank

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Conclusion

Shanoon Cox

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

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Conclusion

Shanoon Cox

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

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Conclusion

Shanoon Cox

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

Follow @Shanoon Cox

From Square to Wide: How to Change Your Video’s Shape

How to Change Shape of a Video?

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

While most videos nowadays are rectangular, and are recorded in either landscape or portrait orientation, there are some social media platforms that require the clips to be square shaped. If you want to upload your footages on such websites, it is essential to learn how to change video shape.

Another benefit of changing the shape of the recorded films is that they can be adjusted in limited amount of space, especially if they are to be posted on a website. Furthermore, some fancy designs such as star-shaped or circle-shaped videos attract more attention when used in digital marketing campaigns.

With that said, here you will learn how to change the shape of a video using one of the most advanced and versatile post-production tools, Wondershare Filmora.

Want to learn more about aspect ratio of your video? Click here!

Or, you just want to transfer your video into vertical.

Part 1: How to Change Video Shape from Rectangle to Square

Depending on the recording device and the target audiences a video is intended to be distributed to, the aspect ratio of the produced footage could be 16:9, 4:3, or 21:9 that makes the film rectangular-shaped. Given that, the aspect ratio can be modified to change the film shape from rectangle to square.

The instructions given below explain how to change video shape from rectangle to square in Wondershare Filmora:

Step 1: Import Video to Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora on your PC (a Windows 10 computer is used here), click the Add Files icon from the center of the Media window present at the upper-left section, and use the Open box that appears to select and import the source video to Filmora. Next, drag the video from the Media window to the Timeline, and select your preferred option when/if the Project Setting confirmation box appears.

Step 2: Change Aspect Ratio

Select the video in the Timeline, and click the Crop and Zoom icon from the upper-left area of the Timeline itself. On the Crop and Zoom window that opens next, select 1:1 from the Ratio drop-down list, and click OK to save the new setting.

Step 3: Export the Video

Click EXPORT from the top-center area of the interface, go to the Local tab on the Export box, select your preferred format from the Format list in the left pane, optionally click SETTINGS from the right window to make other adjustments if necessary, and click EXPORT from the bottom-right corner of the box.

For more details, please refer to this article: How to Resize a Video to Right Aspect Ratio and Size.

Part 2: Change Video Shape by Cropping

If your preferred aspect ratio isn’t available in the ‘Ratio’ drop-down list of the ‘Crop and Zoom’ window, Wondershare Filmora allows you to manually change the video to a custom shape.

You can learn how to change the shape of a video to an unlisted aspect ratio by following the instructions given below:

Step 1: Import the Video and Get to the Crop and Zoom Window

Follow the method explained in Step 1 of Part 1 to import a video to Wondershare Filmora, and then add it to the Timeline.

Step 2: Select Custom Ratio

Select the video in the Timeline, and click the Crop and Zoom icon as explained earlier to open its window. Next, select Custom from the Ratio drop-down list to be able to crop the videos unproportionally.

Step 3: Crop the Video Manually

Drag the cropping handles from any one edge of the video. Repeat this process for all the four sides to select the area of interest. Click OK to save the changes.

Step 4: Export the Video

Follow the process explained in Step 3 of Part 1 to export the modified video.

Part 3: Change Video Shape to Circle or Other Shapes in Filmora

Another, rather better way of changing videos to custom shapes is with the help of image or shape masking.

In Filmora you can apply image masks either from the existing presets, i.e. circle, star, diamond, etc., or you can add custom photos if need be. Professionals generally use custom pictures to create fancy logos and titles.

On the other hand, shape masking allows you to mask a background video with a foreground footage in a custom shape.

Although the basic concept of both types of masking is same, the options available under each can be used to produce effective outputs.

That said, following are the instructions to apply both types of masking to your videos:

Image Masking

The steps given below explain how to change video shape with image masking in Filmora:

Step 1: Add Clip to Timeline

Use the method explained in the previous sections to import a clip and add it to the Timeline.

Step 2: Add Image Mask

Click Effects from the standard toolbar at the top, select Utility from the left pane, drag Image Mask from the Utility window, and drop it on top of the video itself in the Timeline. Notice how the fx icon appears on the video layer showing that the effect has been successfully added.

Step 3: Customize Image Mask

On the Timeline, double-click the video layer you applied Image Mask to, and notice all the available shapes available under the Preset Mask section on the Video Effects > Image Mask window that appears at the upper-left area. You can double-click any of the available shape presets to apply it to the video layer. In addition, drag the X and Y, and Width, Height, and Feather sliders to adjust the mask’s position, size, and edge smoothness respectively. You can also check the Invert Mask box to reverse the masking effect on the video. Finally, click OK to save the changes, and follow the method explained in earlier parts to export the video.

Shape Masking

The following steps explain how to change the shape of a video with shape masks in Filmora:

Step 1: Get to the Utility Window

Add at two footages on their individual layers in the Timeline (make sure to place the second layer above the first one), and follow the method explained above to get to the Effects > Utility window.

Step 2: Add Shape Mask

Drag Shape Mask from the Utility window, and drop it on top of the video itself in the Timeline. Confirm that the fx icon appears on the video layer to ensure that the effect has been applied.

Step 3: Customize Shape Mask

Double-click the video layer in the Timeline you applied shape mask to. On the Video Effects > Shape Mask window, use the X and Y, and Width, Height, and Feather sliders to adjust the mask’s position, size and edge smoothness respectively. Optionally check the Invert Mask box to reverse the masking effect, and click OK to save the settings. Next, follow the method explained earlier to export the video.

FAQs

1. What’s the difference between Image Mask and Shape Mask in Filmora?

A) In Filmora, Image Mask allows you to use an image (or any available preset) for masking so that the background footage is cropped to the shape of the picture. This is generally used to create logos and dynamic titles for movies or documentaries. On the other hand, Shape Mask enables you to mask the background clip with the foreground footage in the form of a shape that could be positioned and customized using the available sliders.

2. How many image masks are available in Filmora?

A) At the time of this writing, Wondershare Filmora has around 40 image mask presets. In addition, it also allows you to add custom images from your PC for more dynamic approach.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

With that said, here you will learn how to change the shape of a video using one of the most advanced and versatile post-production tools, Wondershare Filmora.

Want to learn more about aspect ratio of your video? Click here!

Or, you just want to transfer your video into vertical.

Part 1: How to Change Video Shape from Rectangle to Square

The instructions given below explain how to change video shape from rectangle to square in Wondershare Filmora:

Step 1: Import Video to Timeline

Step 2: Change Aspect Ratio

Step 3: Export the Video

For more details, please refer to this article: How to Resize a Video to Right Aspect Ratio and Size.

Part 2: Change Video Shape by Cropping

If your preferred aspect ratio isn’t available in the ‘Ratio’ drop-down list of the ‘Crop and Zoom’ window, Wondershare Filmora allows you to manually change the video to a custom shape.

You can learn how to change the shape of a video to an unlisted aspect ratio by following the instructions given below:

Step 1: Import the Video and Get to the Crop and Zoom Window

Follow the method explained in Step 1 of Part 1 to import a video to Wondershare Filmora, and then add it to the Timeline.

Step 2: Select Custom Ratio

Step 3: Crop the Video Manually

Drag the cropping handles from any one edge of the video. Repeat this process for all the four sides to select the area of interest. Click OK to save the changes.

Step 4: Export the Video

Follow the process explained in Step 3 of Part 1 to export the modified video.

Part 3: Change Video Shape to Circle or Other Shapes in Filmora

Another, rather better way of changing videos to custom shapes is with the help of image or shape masking.

On the other hand, shape masking allows you to mask a background video with a foreground footage in a custom shape.

Although the basic concept of both types of masking is same, the options available under each can be used to produce effective outputs.

That said, following are the instructions to apply both types of masking to your videos:

Image Masking

The steps given below explain how to change video shape with image masking in Filmora:

Step 1: Add Clip to Timeline

Use the method explained in the previous sections to import a clip and add it to the Timeline.

Step 2: Add Image Mask

Step 3: Customize Image Mask

Shape Masking

The following steps explain how to change the shape of a video with shape masks in Filmora:

Step 1: Get to the Utility Window

Step 2: Add Shape Mask

Step 3: Customize Shape Mask

FAQs

1. What’s the difference between Image Mask and Shape Mask in Filmora?

2. How many image masks are available in Filmora?

A) At the time of this writing, Wondershare Filmora has around 40 image mask presets. In addition, it also allows you to add custom images from your PC for more dynamic approach.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

With that said, here you will learn how to change the shape of a video using one of the most advanced and versatile post-production tools, Wondershare Filmora.

Want to learn more about aspect ratio of your video? Click here!

Or, you just want to transfer your video into vertical.

Part 1: How to Change Video Shape from Rectangle to Square

The instructions given below explain how to change video shape from rectangle to square in Wondershare Filmora:

Step 1: Import Video to Timeline

Step 2: Change Aspect Ratio

Step 3: Export the Video

For more details, please refer to this article: How to Resize a Video to Right Aspect Ratio and Size.

Part 2: Change Video Shape by Cropping

If your preferred aspect ratio isn’t available in the ‘Ratio’ drop-down list of the ‘Crop and Zoom’ window, Wondershare Filmora allows you to manually change the video to a custom shape.

You can learn how to change the shape of a video to an unlisted aspect ratio by following the instructions given below:

Step 1: Import the Video and Get to the Crop and Zoom Window

Follow the method explained in Step 1 of Part 1 to import a video to Wondershare Filmora, and then add it to the Timeline.

Step 2: Select Custom Ratio

Step 3: Crop the Video Manually

Drag the cropping handles from any one edge of the video. Repeat this process for all the four sides to select the area of interest. Click OK to save the changes.

Step 4: Export the Video

Follow the process explained in Step 3 of Part 1 to export the modified video.

Part 3: Change Video Shape to Circle or Other Shapes in Filmora

Another, rather better way of changing videos to custom shapes is with the help of image or shape masking.

On the other hand, shape masking allows you to mask a background video with a foreground footage in a custom shape.

Although the basic concept of both types of masking is same, the options available under each can be used to produce effective outputs.

That said, following are the instructions to apply both types of masking to your videos:

Image Masking

The steps given below explain how to change video shape with image masking in Filmora:

Step 1: Add Clip to Timeline

Use the method explained in the previous sections to import a clip and add it to the Timeline.

Step 2: Add Image Mask

Step 3: Customize Image Mask

Shape Masking

The following steps explain how to change the shape of a video with shape masks in Filmora:

Step 1: Get to the Utility Window

Step 2: Add Shape Mask

Step 3: Customize Shape Mask

FAQs

1. What’s the difference between Image Mask and Shape Mask in Filmora?

2. How many image masks are available in Filmora?

A) At the time of this writing, Wondershare Filmora has around 40 image mask presets. In addition, it also allows you to add custom images from your PC for more dynamic approach.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

With that said, here you will learn how to change the shape of a video using one of the most advanced and versatile post-production tools, Wondershare Filmora.

Want to learn more about aspect ratio of your video? Click here!

Or, you just want to transfer your video into vertical.

Part 1: How to Change Video Shape from Rectangle to Square

The instructions given below explain how to change video shape from rectangle to square in Wondershare Filmora:

Step 1: Import Video to Timeline

Step 2: Change Aspect Ratio

Step 3: Export the Video

For more details, please refer to this article: How to Resize a Video to Right Aspect Ratio and Size.

Part 2: Change Video Shape by Cropping

If your preferred aspect ratio isn’t available in the ‘Ratio’ drop-down list of the ‘Crop and Zoom’ window, Wondershare Filmora allows you to manually change the video to a custom shape.

You can learn how to change the shape of a video to an unlisted aspect ratio by following the instructions given below:

Step 1: Import the Video and Get to the Crop and Zoom Window

Follow the method explained in Step 1 of Part 1 to import a video to Wondershare Filmora, and then add it to the Timeline.

Step 2: Select Custom Ratio

Step 3: Crop the Video Manually

Drag the cropping handles from any one edge of the video. Repeat this process for all the four sides to select the area of interest. Click OK to save the changes.

Step 4: Export the Video

Follow the process explained in Step 3 of Part 1 to export the modified video.

Part 3: Change Video Shape to Circle or Other Shapes in Filmora

Another, rather better way of changing videos to custom shapes is with the help of image or shape masking.

On the other hand, shape masking allows you to mask a background video with a foreground footage in a custom shape.

Although the basic concept of both types of masking is same, the options available under each can be used to produce effective outputs.

That said, following are the instructions to apply both types of masking to your videos:

Image Masking

The steps given below explain how to change video shape with image masking in Filmora:

Step 1: Add Clip to Timeline

Use the method explained in the previous sections to import a clip and add it to the Timeline.

Step 2: Add Image Mask

Step 3: Customize Image Mask

Shape Masking

The following steps explain how to change the shape of a video with shape masks in Filmora:

Step 1: Get to the Utility Window

Step 2: Add Shape Mask

Step 3: Customize Shape Mask

FAQs

1. What’s the difference between Image Mask and Shape Mask in Filmora?

2. How many image masks are available in Filmora?

A) At the time of this writing, Wondershare Filmora has around 40 image mask presets. In addition, it also allows you to add custom images from your PC for more dynamic approach.

Liza Brown

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

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Aspect Ratio on Amazon Prime

Filmora Video Editor

Adjust the aspect ratio of Amazon Prime Video in an easy way!

Numerous effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

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Technological advancement brings about remarkable changes around the world. On the same pitch, there comes the wonder of Amazon and its services. The name Amazon is so common nowadays that every individual is aware of it. With the transition of online movies, videos, serials, Amazon also developed its services. Amazon Prime Video is a subscription-based service considered the largest reservoir of movies, videos, serials, and series that you can watch at your own pace, location, and on-demand by easy to the search option. Now, if you also want to launch any video on the Amazon Prime platform, then there are specific Amazon video dimensions that you must take care of.

If you are not sure or unaware about what is Amazon’s Prime aspect ratio. Then need not worry; we shall cover all these terms linked with Amazon video dimensions here.

Part 1 The importance of Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video subscription automatically comes if you have Amazon prime membership. But, access to Amazon Prime Video brings lots and lots of surprise packages. If you are curious about know-how, let’s understand more about Amazon Prime Video and its importance.

● Access to the series of original content that otherwise is not accessible with ease.

● High-Definition video, HRD content, or 4K videos at one place.

● Get access to almost all of the licensed content online. So, you need not wait anymore to want your favorite series.

● Device-free, that is, it supports multiple devices. Such as Games consoles, Smart TVs, Blu-ray players, mobile phones, Set-up boxes, Fire-TV, and many more.

● Offline watching option, that is, you can download videos to watch them later time.

● Live streaming, such as any sports, games, or event.

● Amazon provides an option to buy or rent any content that is outside the reach of Amazon.

● Parental Control to keep kids/children safe from any unwanted content.

● Create an additional six profiles and three different devices at the same time to access the content.

Yeah, you are right. It looks like the benefits and importance of Amazon Prime Video are not in a mood to end here. Some more benefits come under Amazon Prime Video, such as hosting an Amazon watch party, hosting and watching a movie with 99 of your friends altogether.

Part 2 Standard of Amazon Video Aspect Ratio

While watching videos online, Amazon Video dimensions matter a lot. It changes the viewer experience completely. Here, the Amazon Prime Video aspect ratio needs to be taken care of. But before moving ahead, it is essential to know what is meant by “Aspect Ratio”?

Aspect Ratio, in simple terms, is the ratio of the Width to the Height.

That is if talking about Amazon video aspect ratio. Then, it refers to the respective video width to height ratio visible on the screen. It is important as it affects the visual representation of the video playing on the net.

As per Amazon video direct mentioned aspect ratio criteria, is as follows:

● 16:9 (HD videos)

● 4:3 (Common SD videos)

● 2.20:1 (Film standard)

● 2.40:1( Blu-Ray films- resolution of 1920X800)

● 1.85:1 (the UK, US widescreen releases)

In addition to them, other accepted ratios for videos are 1.66:1, 2:1, 2.35:1, and 2.39:1 are among them.

Thus, while uploading videos, the following aspect ratio needs to be considered under the standard Amazon Prime Video aspect ratio criteria.

To know more details about Amazon Prime aspect ratio criteria or issues related to it, one can visit the official video direct website of Amazon Prime.

Part 3 How to change the size of a video on Amazon Prime

A question that comes to the mind of most prime video users is, is there a way to change the size of a video on Amazon Prime? The fact says that in the Amazon app there exists, no such option to manually adjust the image aspect ratio. For this purpose, you can take the help of the device on which you are streaming Amazon Prime Video with the required aspect ratio. That is, you can convert or change the aspect ratio to 16:9 Amazon Prime Video widescreen through your device. Some other aspect ratios that you can set are:

● 4:3 For VHS or SD broadcast

● 10:9 for standard display

● Steps (Settings> video> change size > or can go with Zoom option)

Here, you can take the help of some reliable software that will assist you in changing the aspect ratio or size of the video.

Alternatively, you can also change image quality by visiting> Amazon app> Prime video> settings> Steam and download.

After that, go to> streaming quality> then set the required rate.

Part 4 Why are Prime Movies, not Full Screen?

Are you facing the issue that Amazon Prime Video widescreen is not fully supported, or prime movies are not full screen? Well, there can be some reasons or problems due to which this happens. Such as Prime Video playing in Smart TV, Phone of Mi TV not appearing widescreen to have a better view or sometimes outline bars appear that makes the visible area quite less. What to do to solve the issue or if there exists some solution? Let’s take a look over some of the reasons due to which Amazon Prime Video widescreen does not appear as required:

● Some of the devices do not support particular resolution videos.

● In some devices under the settings, there comes an app scaling option to make Amazon Prime Video widescreen. However, this is not the official way to do so, though it works many times. But, this option varies from system to system.

● This often occurs when the dimension of the device screen mismatch with that of the video aspect ratio. Since a 16:9 aspect ratio or 1920X1080 pixel resolution is required for a Full HD video, device dimension varies, say 2400X1080 pixels. Now, if you want to see your video in a 1:1 ratio, then around 240 pixel wide black bars will appear on either side of the video if kept in landscape mode.

Alternatively, if you try to zoom in on the video, black bars will disappear, resulting in cropping the video visuals from the side.

A possible solution can be using some video editor software support to adjust the screen resolution or aspect ratio of the video as per the requirement of the device. For this purpose, one can refer to Wondershare Filmora video editor. That can be the perfect solution to this problem. Wondershare Filmora provides options to adjust the video resolution or modify the video’s aspect ratio as per the requirement at your ease from anywhere, any location. That looks awesome.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

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For macOS 10.12 or later

Using Wondershare Filmora will provide you with the option to adjust the video resolution, aspect ratio, and a plethora of video editing options. You need to visit their website to get all the relevant information related to video editing.

Conclusion

● User experience is equally important as much as the quality of the content. And when the concern is about sharing some important video or series under Amazon Prime, taking care of the Amazon Prime aspect ratio setting becomes the must. Just because of that, the mentioned tips in the article are going to help you a lot. And once you get the video with an aspect ratio as per Amazon Prime requirement, then indeed, in no time, it will gain the real popularity you have been looking for. Here, taking the assistance of Wondershare Filmora becomes added advantage to you as it will manage the aspect ratio of Amazon Prime and provide multiple tools to manage the videos.

Try It Free Try It Free

If you are not sure or unaware about what is Amazon’s Prime aspect ratio. Then need not worry; we shall cover all these terms linked with Amazon video dimensions here.

Part 1 The importance of Amazon Prime Video

● Access to the series of original content that otherwise is not accessible with ease.

● High-Definition video, HRD content, or 4K videos at one place.

● Get access to almost all of the licensed content online. So, you need not wait anymore to want your favorite series.

● Device-free, that is, it supports multiple devices. Such as Games consoles, Smart TVs, Blu-ray players, mobile phones, Set-up boxes, Fire-TV, and many more.

● Offline watching option, that is, you can download videos to watch them later time.

● Live streaming, such as any sports, games, or event.

● Amazon provides an option to buy or rent any content that is outside the reach of Amazon.

● Parental Control to keep kids/children safe from any unwanted content.

● Create an additional six profiles and three different devices at the same time to access the content.

Part 2 Standard of Amazon Video Aspect Ratio

Aspect Ratio, in simple terms, is the ratio of the Width to the Height.

As per Amazon video direct mentioned aspect ratio criteria, is as follows:

● 16:9 (HD videos)

● 4:3 (Common SD videos)

● 2.20:1 (Film standard)

● 2.40:1( Blu-Ray films- resolution of 1920X800)

● 1.85:1 (the UK, US widescreen releases)

In addition to them, other accepted ratios for videos are 1.66:1, 2:1, 2.35:1, and 2.39:1 are among them.

Thus, while uploading videos, the following aspect ratio needs to be considered under the standard Amazon Prime Video aspect ratio criteria.

To know more details about Amazon Prime aspect ratio criteria or issues related to it, one can visit the official video direct website of Amazon Prime.

Part 3 How to change the size of a video on Amazon Prime

● 4:3 For VHS or SD broadcast

● 10:9 for standard display

● Steps (Settings> video> change size > or can go with Zoom option)

Here, you can take the help of some reliable software that will assist you in changing the aspect ratio or size of the video.

Alternatively, you can also change image quality by visiting> Amazon app> Prime video> settings> Steam and download.

After that, go to> streaming quality> then set the required rate.

Part 4 Why are Prime Movies, not Full Screen?

● Some of the devices do not support particular resolution videos.

Alternatively, if you try to zoom in on the video, black bars will disappear, resulting in cropping the video visuals from the side.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Conclusion

Try It Free Try It Free

If you are not sure or unaware about what is Amazon’s Prime aspect ratio. Then need not worry; we shall cover all these terms linked with Amazon video dimensions here.

Part 1 The importance of Amazon Prime Video

● Access to the series of original content that otherwise is not accessible with ease.

● High-Definition video, HRD content, or 4K videos at one place.

● Get access to almost all of the licensed content online. So, you need not wait anymore to want your favorite series.

● Device-free, that is, it supports multiple devices. Such as Games consoles, Smart TVs, Blu-ray players, mobile phones, Set-up boxes, Fire-TV, and many more.

● Offline watching option, that is, you can download videos to watch them later time.

● Live streaming, such as any sports, games, or event.

● Amazon provides an option to buy or rent any content that is outside the reach of Amazon.

● Parental Control to keep kids/children safe from any unwanted content.

● Create an additional six profiles and three different devices at the same time to access the content.

Part 2 Standard of Amazon Video Aspect Ratio

Aspect Ratio, in simple terms, is the ratio of the Width to the Height.

As per Amazon video direct mentioned aspect ratio criteria, is as follows:

● 16:9 (HD videos)

● 4:3 (Common SD videos)

● 2.20:1 (Film standard)

● 2.40:1( Blu-Ray films- resolution of 1920X800)

● 1.85:1 (the UK, US widescreen releases)

In addition to them, other accepted ratios for videos are 1.66:1, 2:1, 2.35:1, and 2.39:1 are among them.

Thus, while uploading videos, the following aspect ratio needs to be considered under the standard Amazon Prime Video aspect ratio criteria.

To know more details about Amazon Prime aspect ratio criteria or issues related to it, one can visit the official video direct website of Amazon Prime.

Part 3 How to change the size of a video on Amazon Prime

● 4:3 For VHS or SD broadcast

● 10:9 for standard display

● Steps (Settings> video> change size > or can go with Zoom option)

Here, you can take the help of some reliable software that will assist you in changing the aspect ratio or size of the video.

Alternatively, you can also change image quality by visiting> Amazon app> Prime video> settings> Steam and download.

After that, go to> streaming quality> then set the required rate.

Part 4 Why are Prime Movies, not Full Screen?

● Some of the devices do not support particular resolution videos.

Alternatively, if you try to zoom in on the video, black bars will disappear, resulting in cropping the video visuals from the side.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Conclusion

Try It Free Try It Free

If you are not sure or unaware about what is Amazon’s Prime aspect ratio. Then need not worry; we shall cover all these terms linked with Amazon video dimensions here.

Part 1 The importance of Amazon Prime Video

● Access to the series of original content that otherwise is not accessible with ease.

● High-Definition video, HRD content, or 4K videos at one place.

● Get access to almost all of the licensed content online. So, you need not wait anymore to want your favorite series.

● Device-free, that is, it supports multiple devices. Such as Games consoles, Smart TVs, Blu-ray players, mobile phones, Set-up boxes, Fire-TV, and many more.

● Offline watching option, that is, you can download videos to watch them later time.

● Live streaming, such as any sports, games, or event.

● Amazon provides an option to buy or rent any content that is outside the reach of Amazon.

● Parental Control to keep kids/children safe from any unwanted content.

● Create an additional six profiles and three different devices at the same time to access the content.

Part 2 Standard of Amazon Video Aspect Ratio

Aspect Ratio, in simple terms, is the ratio of the Width to the Height.

As per Amazon video direct mentioned aspect ratio criteria, is as follows:

● 16:9 (HD videos)

● 4:3 (Common SD videos)

● 2.20:1 (Film standard)

● 2.40:1( Blu-Ray films- resolution of 1920X800)

● 1.85:1 (the UK, US widescreen releases)

In addition to them, other accepted ratios for videos are 1.66:1, 2:1, 2.35:1, and 2.39:1 are among them.

Thus, while uploading videos, the following aspect ratio needs to be considered under the standard Amazon Prime Video aspect ratio criteria.

To know more details about Amazon Prime aspect ratio criteria or issues related to it, one can visit the official video direct website of Amazon Prime.

Part 3 How to change the size of a video on Amazon Prime

● 4:3 For VHS or SD broadcast

● 10:9 for standard display

● Steps (Settings> video> change size > or can go with Zoom option)

Here, you can take the help of some reliable software that will assist you in changing the aspect ratio or size of the video.

Alternatively, you can also change image quality by visiting> Amazon app> Prime video> settings> Steam and download.

After that, go to> streaming quality> then set the required rate.

Part 4 Why are Prime Movies, not Full Screen?

● Some of the devices do not support particular resolution videos.

Alternatively, if you try to zoom in on the video, black bars will disappear, resulting in cropping the video visuals from the side.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Video Content Creator

Updated 2024 Approved 12 Excellent Animation Software Options That Wont Break the Bank

12 Excellent Animation Software Options That Won’t Break the Bank

Best 12 Free Download Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Shanoon Cox

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

02 Pencil2D Animation - Animation Program for 2D Pencil Lover

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

04 Blender - Need Some Time to Learn This Animation Tool

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

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Conclusion

Shanoon Cox

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

02 Pencil2D Animation - Animation Program for 2D Pencil Lover

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

04 Blender - Need Some Time to Learn This Animation Tool

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

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Conclusion

Shanoon Cox

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

02 Pencil2D Animation - Animation Program for 2D Pencil Lover

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

04 Blender - Need Some Time to Learn This Animation Tool

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

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Conclusion

Shanoon Cox

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora