2024 Approved IMovie Not Available on Windows? Try These Top Alternatives

2024 Approved IMovie Not Available on Windows? Try These Top Alternatives

Amelia Lv12

IMovie Not Available on Windows? Try These Top Alternatives

Are you looking for an iMovie for Windows alternative? If so, that’s hardly surprising. Mac users are blessed with iMovie, a very handy video editing software. Unfortunately, like many Apple products, it’s unavailable on computers that run on Windows OS. But don’t worry. While there’s no iMovie for windows, there are plenty of alternatives. They will make you feel like you are actually using a Windows version of iMovie. This article will introduce you to the best ones.

wondershare filmora video editor

  1. Wondershare Filmora - Best Overall Video Editing Software
  2. WeVideo - Best For Templates
  1. Wondershare Filmora - Enhanced Royalty-Free Stock Library
  2. PowerDirector - Top Ranked Video Editor, PC Mag
  3. APowerEdit - Easiest Way to Edit Videos
  4. Typito - Video Editing Tool Equivalent of Canva
  5. Shotcut - Best for Color Adjustments
  6. AceThinker Video Master - All in one Video Tool
  7. VideoPad Video Editor - Best for Social Media Work
  8. Lightworks
  9. Flexclip - Easy-to-Use Online Editor
  10. WeVideo - Best for Templates
  11. OpenShot - Best for Amateurs

Top 2 Picks for iMovie for Windows Alternative

As mentioned above, there’s a lot of video editing software you can use as an iMovie equivalent for Windows. However, they are not of equal quality. Expectedly, some of them are miles better than others. Therefore, it’s best to do your research before installing - or buying one. That allows you to select the best one for you and, thus, ensure your satisfaction.

Here’s a quick comparison of the top 3 iMovie alternatives for Windows:

Wondershare Filmora - Best Overall Video Editing Software

Paid | 4.7 • 693 Ratings

Wondershare Filmora has a slew of powerful video editing tools that let you express your creativity to its fullest. It allows you to make high-quality, impressive, and captivating videos easily.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

WeVideo - Best For Templates

Paid | 4.5 • 783 Ratings

WeVideo is a web-based video editor with customizable templates perfect for beginners and influencers. It has social media-friendly templates for very specific and popular categories like Unboxings and How-To Makeup.

Ultimate Overview on 11 Best Alternatives to iMovie for Windows

There’s a total of 12 best iMovie alternatives for Windows. Each one is different from the others, but they are all solid choices. Here’s a table showing information about each product:

Software OS Beginner Friendly (score/5) AI Editing Royalty-Free Stock Library Free Trial Cost-Effective (score/5)
Wondershare Filmora Windows, Mac 4.5 4.7
PowerDirector Windows, Mac 5 4.4
APowerEdit Windows, Mac, Online 5 X X 4.5
Typito Windows, Mac 4.5 X 4.2
ShotCut Windows, Mac, Linux 3.5 X 5
AceThinker Video Master Windows 4 X 4
VideoPad Video Editor Windows, Mac, Linux 4.4 X 4.1
LightWorks Windows, Mac, Linux 4 4
FlexClip Windows, Mac, Linux 4 4.5
WeVideo Windows, Mac, Linux 4 X 4.5
OpenShot Windows, Mac, Linux 4.5 X 4.5

11 Best Windows Version of iMovie

All of these 12 iMovie alternatives for Windows 10+ are good choices. However, they have differences, meaning one may be suited for you more than the others. Here’s more information about each one, including the pros and cons, ratings, supported OS, and even user reviews.

1. Wondershare Filmora - Enhanced Royalty-Free Stock Library

Wondershare Filmora is a powerful video editing tool. Its features allow you to showcase your creativity fully. This tool can make your homemade videos look professionally made.

wondershare filmora on windows

Key Features

  • Picture in Picture - Layer in multiple video clips
  • Green Screen - Change the video background and add effects using this feature
  • Split Screen - Show numerous videos at once with the split screen feature
  • Color Match - Save time by applying color correction settings across multiple clips with one click
  • Video Stabilizing - Eliminate Camera Shake
  • Speech to Text - Convert voice to subtitles in one click
  • Text to Speech - Add AI voiceover to liven up your video

Price

Filmora Costs $49.99 per year for individual users. Meanwhile, it costs $155.88 per year for businesses with one user.

Pros

  • PCMag says Wondershare Filmora has an eye-soothing interface. It’s not intimidating for beginners. Furthermore, Filmora’s ergonomic design makes it an easy-to-use video editing tool
  • Wondershare Filmora has AI editing tools not found on the pre-installed video editor on your Windows PC. As the name suggests, it uses artificial intelligence to apply changes to video clips. Some examples of things you can do with these tools are erasing the background or applying a color correction to all clips with a single mouse click
  • Filmora has lots of effects and overlays you can choose from

Cons

  • High RAM consumption that can slow down your PC

G2 Rating: 4.5 Stars

Supported OS: Windows , Mac , iPad

User Review

Wondershare Filmora is the video editing software that you need. It has a slew of powerful tools that help you make amazing videos. A TrustRadius Ratings and Review states, “I take advantage of it on a regular basis and make YouTube movies for my shoppers. Simple to create eye-catching movies.”

Takeaway

Wondershare Filmora is filled with AI editing tools that help users produce high-quality videos.

2. PowerDirector - Top Ranked Video Editor, PC Mag

PowerDirector is an iMovie alternative for Windows with a bunch of unique tools and features. Despite being simple and easy to use, it allows you to create Hollywood-level films and clips.

powerdirector interface

Key Features

  • Easy 360-degree video editing
  • Keyframing
  • Chroma key
  • AI Motion Tracking
  • Picture in Picture

Price

PowerDirector’s premium subscription costs $4.08/month.

Pros

  • User Friendly
  • Simple but powerful plugins
  • Has AI Editing Tools
  • Thousands of built-in transitions, overlay effects, and templates

Cons

  • You can’t access the Shutterstock and iStock built-in libraries without a Premium subscription

G2 Rating: 4.5 Stars

Supported OS: Windows , Mac

User Review

Powerdirector enables you to do world-class video editing; it supports 4k, 60 fps video editing! Additionally, it has lots of stickers, transitions, animations, and many more. A G2 reviewer says, “Go for it, guys! It is one of the best editing platforms in the market.”

Takeaway

PowerDirector’s advanced tools make it among the best iMovie alternatives for Windows 10/11.

3. APowerEdit - Easiest Way to Edit Videos

APowerEdit is a straightforward video editing tool with dozens of transitions, text effects, overlays, and filters.

apoweredit interface

Key Features

  • Supports all common media formats
  • Includes dynamic title captions
  • Dozens of overlays, transitions, and filters
  • Picture in Picture
  • Quickly correct brightness, contrast, hue, and saturation

Price

APowerEdit is free software with a paid version that costs$29.95 per month.

Pros

  • Easy to navigate due to its user-friendly design
  • Lots of export options
  • Dozens of editing tools

Cons

  • Lacks advanced editing tools needed for bigger projects

Supported OS: Windows, Mac, Online

User Review

APowerEdit is a simple video editing software best for beginners and not-so-tech-savvy users. An AlternativeTo review says, “Apoweredit is super easy to use. It is suitable for beginners like me. Awesome software!”

Takeaway

APowerEdit is a nice tool to have for beginners. However, if you plan to make impressive short films or bigger projects, it is not the ideal software to use.

4. Typito - Video Editing Tool Equivalent of Canva

Typito is like Canva but for videos. It is a web-based video editing software with drag-and-drop features, stylish typography, images, and brand layouts.

typito interface

Key Features

  • Drag-and-drop interface for easy editing
  • Features built for creating engaging social media posts.
  • Resize video files fast
  • Includes 200+ motion graphic templates

Price

Typito subscriptions start at $15 per month.

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Multiple Export Options
  • Has all the basic video editing tools

Cons

  • Too basic for bigger projects
  • The free version has a watermark

G2 Rating: 4.5 Stars

Supported OS: Windows , Mac , Linux

User Review

Typito is a web-based video editor and a simple, easy-to-use tool. It receives continuous updates, so it becomes better and better. A G2 review says , “In Typito, even if you are a “Free” user, you can still create a video that looks so professional as if you paid someone to do it for you.”

Takeaway

Typito’s solid selection of tools is enough for simple projects, and it’s one of the best iMovie alternatives for Windows for social media influencers. However, advanced users may find it a little lacking.

5. Shotcut - Best for Color Adjustments

ShotCut is a completely free iMovie alternative for Windows. This tool is an open-source, cross-platform, video-editing software.

shotcut interface

Key Features

  • Webcam Capture
  • Keyframing
  • Auto-Rotate
  • Blending Modes
  • Unlimited Undo and Redo options
  • Powerful color correction tools

Price: Free

Pros

  • Because ShotCut is an open-source program, it gets updated regularly by the community
  • Completely free

Cons

  • No social media integrations
  • Not user-friendly

Supported OS: Windows , Mac , Linux

User Review

Shotcut is free video editing software with a toolkit that rivals paid ones. A G2 review states, “We don’t have to pay anything, and we can edit the professional type of videos. It has all the features which any paid software has.”

Takeaway

Do you not want to spend money? If so, Shotcut is the option for you. It also has the strength of being available on many platforms. And because Shotcut is an open-source program, it gets regular updates from the community. However, its interface is not the most beginner-friendly.

6. AceThinker Video Master - All in one Video Tool

AceThinker is a video editor, video converter, and video downloader in one package.

acethinker video master interface

Key Features

  • Built-in video player
  • HD video converter
  • Wide range of customization
  • Supports popular video formats
  • Basic video editing tools

Price

AceThinker Video Master’s pricing plans start from $29.95.

Pros

  • Video converter, downloader, editor, and screen recorder in one
  • User-friendly interface

Cons

  • Lack of advanced video editing tools

G2 Rating: 5 Stars

Supported OS Windows , Mac

User Review

AceThinker Video Master is all about convenience. It provides you with a video editor, downloader, and converter in one package. An educator left a review on G2 ; they say, “This has saved me lost time, increased student engagement, and [it is] a wonderful training tool for other educators.”

Takeaway

Is the storage space in your Windows PC running out? If that’s the case, AceThinker Video Master is a fantastic tool for you. It’s essentially four video apps in one package. And it’s not too shabby as video editing software, either. Expectedly, it’s not the best choice for making short films for competitions and projects of similar or bigger scale.

7. VideoPad Video Editor - Best for Social Media Work

VideoPad Video Editor is among the most impressive iMovie alternatives for Windows. It has powerful tools that will help you create films that would wow the audience.

videopad video editor interface

Key Features

  • Over 50 Effects and Transitions
  • Supports all video formats
  • 3D Video Editing
  • 360-degree video support
  • Chroma key compositing
  • Camera Stabilizer
  • Speech-to-text feature

Price

VideoPad Home Edition costs $34.99, while the Master’s Edition costs $69.95.

Pros

  • Has basic and advanced tools
  • Direct upload to popular social media channels
  • Fast video stream processor

Cons

  • The interface is outdated
  • The speech-to-text feature is unreliable
  • The free version is full of annoying notifications

G2 Rating: 4 Stars

Supported OS: Windows , Mac

User Review

VideoPad is an easy-to-learn video editing software full of helpful tools. A G2 reviewer states, “This complete and powerful media editing tool offers a variety of possibilities and possibilities to optimize every clip to the fullest.”

Takeaway

VideoPad Video Editor has many free features you can use to improve your videos. Admittedly, there are problems with some of these features. Nevertheless, this tool is a solid choice for a Windows iMovie alternative.

8. Lightworks

Lightworks Pro is a video editor used to make some Oscar-winning films, and Lightworks is a free and less complicated version of it. However, Lightworks is still not that beginner-friendly. Therefore, it’s best to consider this as an iMovie alternative only if you are an intermediate user.

lightworks interface

Key Features

  • Advanced Color Correction
  • Some advanced tools
  • Tooltips to help you learn how to use the features
  • Integration to Cloud services
  • Keyframing
  • Advanced audio controls
  • Autosave

Price

Lightworks is free, but premium subscriptions for Lightworks Create costs $99.9, and Lightworks Pro costs $24.99.

Pros

  • Includes Advanced tools
  • You would not lose progress because of the autosave feature
  • Good performance

Cons

  • Not suited for beginners
  • You can only export up to 720p using the free version

G2 Rating: 3.5 Stars

Supported OS Windows , Mac , Linux

User Review

A TrustRadius Ratings and Review says, “Lightworks is a great tool for a non-designer to use because it provides a number of tools and capabilities that can be quickly learned.” However, they note that Lightworks does not provide advanced video editors with all the tools they need. It’s best for intermediate users.

Takeaway

Lightworks is a fantastic alternative to iMovie for Windows 10+ users. However, it requires you to be quite knowledgeable about video editing tools. This editor has a slightly higher learning curve than others. But once you learn how to use Lightworks, creating quality videos would be super easy.

9. Flexclip - Easy-to-Use Online Editor

flexclip interface

FlexClip is a free online editor. It is a good substitute for iMovie for Windows users, regardless if you are a beginner or a professional.

Key Features

  • Dozens of useful tools like background remover and gif maker
  • Voice and screen recorder
  • Integration with social media platforms
  • It supports all the popular video formats
  • Allows you to export up to 1080p

Price

FlexClip is free, but premium subscriptions are available. Subscriptions start from $9.99 per month.

Pros

  • Includes basic and advanced editing tools
  • Easy to share your work on social media platforms
  • Allows creation of high-quality videos

Cons

  • Long loading time before you can use it

G2 Rating: 4.5 Stars

Supported OS: Windows , Mac , Linux

User Review

FlexClip being an online video editor means one thing; it does not use your PC’s processing power. It also delivers what it promises. A G2 reviewe r says, “I have used many video editing tools so far, but none is close to FlexClip when it comes to video editing.”

Takeaway

You can’t go wrong with FlexClip. It has powerful tools making it a great iMovie alternative for Windows. You don’t even have to install it; it’s an online tool. Unfortunately, that has some downsides. You need to wait for the website to finish loading before working because it scrolls down for each line that gets loaded.

10. WeVideo - Best for Templates

WeVideo includes social-media-friendly templates, making it a fantastic choice for editing popular video categories like How-to, Unboxings, and Makeup tutorials.

Key Features

  • Color Correction
  • Green Screen Editing Tool
  • Has support for square videos (for Instagram) and vertical videos (for TikTok)
  • Customizable templates plus dozens of pre-made ones

Price

Premium subscriptions start at $60 per year.

Pros

  • Includes basic and advanced video editing tools
  • Excellent customer support
  • User-friendly

Cons

  • The free version has lots of limitations
  • Importing videos to the website takes a long time

G2 Rating: 4.4 Stars

Supported OS: Windows , Mac , Linux

User Review

Social media influencers and marketers need to check out WeVideo. A reviewer of this video editing tool on G2 said, “It’s got a handful of Templates that you can use to explore your creativity and inventiveness when creating your content.”

Takeaway

WeVideo is a solid alternative for iMovie for Windows 10/11, but only if you are willing to pay. The free version has lots of restrictions. For example, you can only export 5 minutes of content per month.

11. OpenShot - Best for Amateurs

openshot interface

OpenShot has a straightforward interface, making it beginner-friendly. It has some fantastic tools you’ll find helpful. There’s a catch with beginner-friendly editors, though. They don’t have the advanced features you can find on other video editors. You can say that for OpenShot.

Key Features

  • 3D Animation
  • Text Editor
  • Keyframing
  • Decent selection of templates and filters

Price: Free

Pros

  • Beginner-friendly
  • Includes a wide range of editing tools
  • Lots of export options

Cons

  • Lack of advanced tools like Picture-in-Picture or Chroma Key
  • Very laggy to use sometimes

G2 Rating: 4.5 Stars

Supported OS: Windows , Mac , Linux

User Review

OpenShot is a great introductory software for video editing. Its simplicity, ergonomic design, and set of handy tools make it perfect for beginners. A G2 review states, “I do not have a degree in video editing, but the products from my Openshot edits were of high quality.”

Takeaway

Some tools are intimidating for beginners; there are many buttons, and you don’t know what each one does. That’s not a problem when using OpenShot. Its simple interface is easy to understand, making it the best tool for beginners.

How to Edit a Video with an iMovie Alternative on Windows

Knowing which are the best iMovie alternatives on Windows is not enough. Of course, you also need to learn how to use them. Here’s a guide on how to use Wondershare Filmora, the best overall iMovie alternative for Windows.

Step1 Launch Filmora. Then, if you want to, select the aspect ratio.

filmora interface

Step2 Click New Project, then wait for the video editor to load. Then, click Register to register the product.

Step3 Select the aspect ratio for the final cut. Click Project Settings from the File menu, then select your desired aspect ratio.

filmora project settings

Step4 Import the files you want to edit. Click the Import button in the upper left corner of the video editor. Select Import Media Files, then navigate to the location on your hard drive where the footage you want to edit is stored. Select the files you want to use in your project, then click Import.

importing files to filmora

Step5 Drag and drop the files to the timeline. Please note that the last one you add will always be placed after the previous one. Thus, you need to drag the file on the timeline to put it in the desired position. Press Play to preview.

adding files to filmora timeline

Step6 Apply visual effects, color correction, and other edits you want to make.

adding text to videos on filmora

Step7 Click Export to publish your video. Don’t forget to select your desired file format and resolution.

exporting videos from filmora

Here’s a video tutorial on how to use Wondershare Filmora

image / video 16:9

Final Words

It’s a shame that iMovie is not available on Windows 10/11 computers. Thankfully, there are alternatives you can use. Wondershare Filmora is an outstanding one. It allows you to do what you can do using iMovie and more.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Top 2 Picks for iMovie for Windows Alternative

As mentioned above, there’s a lot of video editing software you can use as an iMovie equivalent for Windows. However, they are not of equal quality. Expectedly, some of them are miles better than others. Therefore, it’s best to do your research before installing - or buying one. That allows you to select the best one for you and, thus, ensure your satisfaction.

Here’s a quick comparison of the top 3 iMovie alternatives for Windows:

Wondershare Filmora - Best Overall Video Editing Software

Paid | 4.7 • 693 Ratings

Wondershare Filmora has a slew of powerful video editing tools that let you express your creativity to its fullest. It allows you to make high-quality, impressive, and captivating videos easily.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

WeVideo - Best For Templates

Paid | 4.5 • 783 Ratings

WeVideo is a web-based video editor with customizable templates perfect for beginners and influencers. It has social media-friendly templates for very specific and popular categories like Unboxings and How-To Makeup.

Ultimate Overview on 11 Best Alternatives to iMovie for Windows

There’s a total of 12 best iMovie alternatives for Windows. Each one is different from the others, but they are all solid choices. Here’s a table showing information about each product:

Software OS Beginner Friendly (score/5) AI Editing Royalty-Free Stock Library Free Trial Cost-Effective (score/5)
Wondershare Filmora Windows, Mac 4.5 4.7
PowerDirector Windows, Mac 5 4.4
APowerEdit Windows, Mac, Online 5 X X 4.5
Typito Windows, Mac 4.5 X 4.2
ShotCut Windows, Mac, Linux 3.5 X 5
AceThinker Video Master Windows 4 X 4
VideoPad Video Editor Windows, Mac, Linux 4.4 X 4.1
LightWorks Windows, Mac, Linux 4 4
FlexClip Windows, Mac, Linux 4 4.5
WeVideo Windows, Mac, Linux 4 X 4.5
OpenShot Windows, Mac, Linux 4.5 X 4.5

11 Best Windows Version of iMovie

All of these 12 iMovie alternatives for Windows 10+ are good choices. However, they have differences, meaning one may be suited for you more than the others. Here’s more information about each one, including the pros and cons, ratings, supported OS, and even user reviews.

1. Wondershare Filmora - Enhanced Royalty-Free Stock Library

Wondershare Filmora is a powerful video editing tool. Its features allow you to showcase your creativity fully. This tool can make your homemade videos look professionally made.

wondershare filmora on windows

Key Features

  • Picture in Picture - Layer in multiple video clips
  • Green Screen - Change the video background and add effects using this feature
  • Split Screen - Show numerous videos at once with the split screen feature
  • Color Match - Save time by applying color correction settings across multiple clips with one click
  • Video Stabilizing - Eliminate Camera Shake
  • Speech to Text - Convert voice to subtitles in one click
  • Text to Speech - Add AI voiceover to liven up your video

Price

Filmora Costs $49.99 per year for individual users. Meanwhile, it costs $155.88 per year for businesses with one user.

Pros

  • PCMag says Wondershare Filmora has an eye-soothing interface. It’s not intimidating for beginners. Furthermore, Filmora’s ergonomic design makes it an easy-to-use video editing tool
  • Wondershare Filmora has AI editing tools not found on the pre-installed video editor on your Windows PC. As the name suggests, it uses artificial intelligence to apply changes to video clips. Some examples of things you can do with these tools are erasing the background or applying a color correction to all clips with a single mouse click
  • Filmora has lots of effects and overlays you can choose from

Cons

  • High RAM consumption that can slow down your PC

G2 Rating: 4.5 Stars

Supported OS: Windows , Mac , iPad

User Review

Wondershare Filmora is the video editing software that you need. It has a slew of powerful tools that help you make amazing videos. A TrustRadius Ratings and Review states, “I take advantage of it on a regular basis and make YouTube movies for my shoppers. Simple to create eye-catching movies.”

Takeaway

Wondershare Filmora is filled with AI editing tools that help users produce high-quality videos.

2. PowerDirector - Top Ranked Video Editor, PC Mag

PowerDirector is an iMovie alternative for Windows with a bunch of unique tools and features. Despite being simple and easy to use, it allows you to create Hollywood-level films and clips.

powerdirector interface

Key Features

  • Easy 360-degree video editing
  • Keyframing
  • Chroma key
  • AI Motion Tracking
  • Picture in Picture

Price

PowerDirector’s premium subscription costs $4.08/month.

Pros

  • User Friendly
  • Simple but powerful plugins
  • Has AI Editing Tools
  • Thousands of built-in transitions, overlay effects, and templates

Cons

  • You can’t access the Shutterstock and iStock built-in libraries without a Premium subscription

G2 Rating: 4.5 Stars

Supported OS: Windows , Mac

User Review

Powerdirector enables you to do world-class video editing; it supports 4k, 60 fps video editing! Additionally, it has lots of stickers, transitions, animations, and many more. A G2 reviewer says, “Go for it, guys! It is one of the best editing platforms in the market.”

Takeaway

PowerDirector’s advanced tools make it among the best iMovie alternatives for Windows 10/11.

3. APowerEdit - Easiest Way to Edit Videos

APowerEdit is a straightforward video editing tool with dozens of transitions, text effects, overlays, and filters.

apoweredit interface

Key Features

  • Supports all common media formats
  • Includes dynamic title captions
  • Dozens of overlays, transitions, and filters
  • Picture in Picture
  • Quickly correct brightness, contrast, hue, and saturation

Price

APowerEdit is free software with a paid version that costs$29.95 per month.

Pros

  • Easy to navigate due to its user-friendly design
  • Lots of export options
  • Dozens of editing tools

Cons

  • Lacks advanced editing tools needed for bigger projects

Supported OS: Windows, Mac, Online

User Review

APowerEdit is a simple video editing software best for beginners and not-so-tech-savvy users. An AlternativeTo review says, “Apoweredit is super easy to use. It is suitable for beginners like me. Awesome software!”

Takeaway

APowerEdit is a nice tool to have for beginners. However, if you plan to make impressive short films or bigger projects, it is not the ideal software to use.

4. Typito - Video Editing Tool Equivalent of Canva

Typito is like Canva but for videos. It is a web-based video editing software with drag-and-drop features, stylish typography, images, and brand layouts.

typito interface

Key Features

  • Drag-and-drop interface for easy editing
  • Features built for creating engaging social media posts.
  • Resize video files fast
  • Includes 200+ motion graphic templates

Price

Typito subscriptions start at $15 per month.

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Multiple Export Options
  • Has all the basic video editing tools

Cons

  • Too basic for bigger projects
  • The free version has a watermark

G2 Rating: 4.5 Stars

Supported OS: Windows , Mac , Linux

User Review

Typito is a web-based video editor and a simple, easy-to-use tool. It receives continuous updates, so it becomes better and better. A G2 review says , “In Typito, even if you are a “Free” user, you can still create a video that looks so professional as if you paid someone to do it for you.”

Takeaway

Typito’s solid selection of tools is enough for simple projects, and it’s one of the best iMovie alternatives for Windows for social media influencers. However, advanced users may find it a little lacking.

5. Shotcut - Best for Color Adjustments

ShotCut is a completely free iMovie alternative for Windows. This tool is an open-source, cross-platform, video-editing software.

shotcut interface

Key Features

  • Webcam Capture
  • Keyframing
  • Auto-Rotate
  • Blending Modes
  • Unlimited Undo and Redo options
  • Powerful color correction tools

Price: Free

Pros

  • Because ShotCut is an open-source program, it gets updated regularly by the community
  • Completely free

Cons

  • No social media integrations
  • Not user-friendly

Supported OS: Windows , Mac , Linux

User Review

Shotcut is free video editing software with a toolkit that rivals paid ones. A G2 review states, “We don’t have to pay anything, and we can edit the professional type of videos. It has all the features which any paid software has.”

Takeaway

Do you not want to spend money? If so, Shotcut is the option for you. It also has the strength of being available on many platforms. And because Shotcut is an open-source program, it gets regular updates from the community. However, its interface is not the most beginner-friendly.

6. AceThinker Video Master - All in one Video Tool

AceThinker is a video editor, video converter, and video downloader in one package.

acethinker video master interface

Key Features

  • Built-in video player
  • HD video converter
  • Wide range of customization
  • Supports popular video formats
  • Basic video editing tools

Price

AceThinker Video Master’s pricing plans start from $29.95.

Pros

  • Video converter, downloader, editor, and screen recorder in one
  • User-friendly interface

Cons

  • Lack of advanced video editing tools

G2 Rating: 5 Stars

Supported OS Windows , Mac

User Review

AceThinker Video Master is all about convenience. It provides you with a video editor, downloader, and converter in one package. An educator left a review on G2 ; they say, “This has saved me lost time, increased student engagement, and [it is] a wonderful training tool for other educators.”

Takeaway

Is the storage space in your Windows PC running out? If that’s the case, AceThinker Video Master is a fantastic tool for you. It’s essentially four video apps in one package. And it’s not too shabby as video editing software, either. Expectedly, it’s not the best choice for making short films for competitions and projects of similar or bigger scale.

7. VideoPad Video Editor - Best for Social Media Work

VideoPad Video Editor is among the most impressive iMovie alternatives for Windows. It has powerful tools that will help you create films that would wow the audience.

videopad video editor interface

Key Features

  • Over 50 Effects and Transitions
  • Supports all video formats
  • 3D Video Editing
  • 360-degree video support
  • Chroma key compositing
  • Camera Stabilizer
  • Speech-to-text feature

Price

VideoPad Home Edition costs $34.99, while the Master’s Edition costs $69.95.

Pros

  • Has basic and advanced tools
  • Direct upload to popular social media channels
  • Fast video stream processor

Cons

  • The interface is outdated
  • The speech-to-text feature is unreliable
  • The free version is full of annoying notifications

G2 Rating: 4 Stars

Supported OS: Windows , Mac

User Review

VideoPad is an easy-to-learn video editing software full of helpful tools. A G2 reviewer states, “This complete and powerful media editing tool offers a variety of possibilities and possibilities to optimize every clip to the fullest.”

Takeaway

VideoPad Video Editor has many free features you can use to improve your videos. Admittedly, there are problems with some of these features. Nevertheless, this tool is a solid choice for a Windows iMovie alternative.

8. Lightworks

Lightworks Pro is a video editor used to make some Oscar-winning films, and Lightworks is a free and less complicated version of it. However, Lightworks is still not that beginner-friendly. Therefore, it’s best to consider this as an iMovie alternative only if you are an intermediate user.

lightworks interface

Key Features

  • Advanced Color Correction
  • Some advanced tools
  • Tooltips to help you learn how to use the features
  • Integration to Cloud services
  • Keyframing
  • Advanced audio controls
  • Autosave

Price

Lightworks is free, but premium subscriptions for Lightworks Create costs $99.9, and Lightworks Pro costs $24.99.

Pros

  • Includes Advanced tools
  • You would not lose progress because of the autosave feature
  • Good performance

Cons

  • Not suited for beginners
  • You can only export up to 720p using the free version

G2 Rating: 3.5 Stars

Supported OS Windows , Mac , Linux

User Review

A TrustRadius Ratings and Review says, “Lightworks is a great tool for a non-designer to use because it provides a number of tools and capabilities that can be quickly learned.” However, they note that Lightworks does not provide advanced video editors with all the tools they need. It’s best for intermediate users.

Takeaway

Lightworks is a fantastic alternative to iMovie for Windows 10+ users. However, it requires you to be quite knowledgeable about video editing tools. This editor has a slightly higher learning curve than others. But once you learn how to use Lightworks, creating quality videos would be super easy.

9. Flexclip - Easy-to-Use Online Editor

flexclip interface

FlexClip is a free online editor. It is a good substitute for iMovie for Windows users, regardless if you are a beginner or a professional.

Key Features

  • Dozens of useful tools like background remover and gif maker
  • Voice and screen recorder
  • Integration with social media platforms
  • It supports all the popular video formats
  • Allows you to export up to 1080p

Price

FlexClip is free, but premium subscriptions are available. Subscriptions start from $9.99 per month.

Pros

  • Includes basic and advanced editing tools
  • Easy to share your work on social media platforms
  • Allows creation of high-quality videos

Cons

  • Long loading time before you can use it

G2 Rating: 4.5 Stars

Supported OS: Windows , Mac , Linux

User Review

FlexClip being an online video editor means one thing; it does not use your PC’s processing power. It also delivers what it promises. A G2 reviewe r says, “I have used many video editing tools so far, but none is close to FlexClip when it comes to video editing.”

Takeaway

You can’t go wrong with FlexClip. It has powerful tools making it a great iMovie alternative for Windows. You don’t even have to install it; it’s an online tool. Unfortunately, that has some downsides. You need to wait for the website to finish loading before working because it scrolls down for each line that gets loaded.

10. WeVideo - Best for Templates

WeVideo includes social-media-friendly templates, making it a fantastic choice for editing popular video categories like How-to, Unboxings, and Makeup tutorials.

Key Features

  • Color Correction
  • Green Screen Editing Tool
  • Has support for square videos (for Instagram) and vertical videos (for TikTok)
  • Customizable templates plus dozens of pre-made ones

Price

Premium subscriptions start at $60 per year.

Pros

  • Includes basic and advanced video editing tools
  • Excellent customer support
  • User-friendly

Cons

  • The free version has lots of limitations
  • Importing videos to the website takes a long time

G2 Rating: 4.4 Stars

Supported OS: Windows , Mac , Linux

User Review

Social media influencers and marketers need to check out WeVideo. A reviewer of this video editing tool on G2 said, “It’s got a handful of Templates that you can use to explore your creativity and inventiveness when creating your content.”

Takeaway

WeVideo is a solid alternative for iMovie for Windows 10/11, but only if you are willing to pay. The free version has lots of restrictions. For example, you can only export 5 minutes of content per month.

11. OpenShot - Best for Amateurs

openshot interface

OpenShot has a straightforward interface, making it beginner-friendly. It has some fantastic tools you’ll find helpful. There’s a catch with beginner-friendly editors, though. They don’t have the advanced features you can find on other video editors. You can say that for OpenShot.

Key Features

  • 3D Animation
  • Text Editor
  • Keyframing
  • Decent selection of templates and filters

Price: Free

Pros

  • Beginner-friendly
  • Includes a wide range of editing tools
  • Lots of export options

Cons

  • Lack of advanced tools like Picture-in-Picture or Chroma Key
  • Very laggy to use sometimes

G2 Rating: 4.5 Stars

Supported OS: Windows , Mac , Linux

User Review

OpenShot is a great introductory software for video editing. Its simplicity, ergonomic design, and set of handy tools make it perfect for beginners. A G2 review states, “I do not have a degree in video editing, but the products from my Openshot edits were of high quality.”

Takeaway

Some tools are intimidating for beginners; there are many buttons, and you don’t know what each one does. That’s not a problem when using OpenShot. Its simple interface is easy to understand, making it the best tool for beginners.

How to Edit a Video with an iMovie Alternative on Windows

Knowing which are the best iMovie alternatives on Windows is not enough. Of course, you also need to learn how to use them. Here’s a guide on how to use Wondershare Filmora, the best overall iMovie alternative for Windows.

Step1 Launch Filmora. Then, if you want to, select the aspect ratio.

filmora interface

Step2 Click New Project, then wait for the video editor to load. Then, click Register to register the product.

Step3 Select the aspect ratio for the final cut. Click Project Settings from the File menu, then select your desired aspect ratio.

filmora project settings

Step4 Import the files you want to edit. Click the Import button in the upper left corner of the video editor. Select Import Media Files, then navigate to the location on your hard drive where the footage you want to edit is stored. Select the files you want to use in your project, then click Import.

importing files to filmora

Step5 Drag and drop the files to the timeline. Please note that the last one you add will always be placed after the previous one. Thus, you need to drag the file on the timeline to put it in the desired position. Press Play to preview.

adding files to filmora timeline

Step6 Apply visual effects, color correction, and other edits you want to make.

adding text to videos on filmora

Step7 Click Export to publish your video. Don’t forget to select your desired file format and resolution.

exporting videos from filmora

Here’s a video tutorial on how to use Wondershare Filmora

image / video 16:9

Final Words

It’s a shame that iMovie is not available on Windows 10/11 computers. Thankfully, there are alternatives you can use. Wondershare Filmora is an outstanding one. It allows you to do what you can do using iMovie and more.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Free Music Recording Software: The Ultimate 2024 Guide

11 Best Free Music Recording Software

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you’re into the media production business, you must know that audio recording is the most important part. Thus, every professional needs the right music recording software.

There are so many software in the market today, free and paid, making it tough to decide which software is best for recording music. Therefore, we have gathered the 11 best free music recording software for you.

This article will help you figure out what music recording software does, key points to watch out for when searching for music recording software and which free music recording software has the best features and resources.

Top 11 Best Free Music Recording Software

Whether you’re looking to record a podcast, a song, or any audio, you must have the right software for music recording:

So, without further ado, let’s get onto the list of the top 11 best free music recording software for both your desktop and mobile.

1 - Filmora 2 - Ableton Live 10 3 - Audacity
4 - NCH WavePad Audio 5 - Sound Forge Pro 13 6 - Adobe Audition
7 - PreSonus Studio One 8 - Ocenaudio 9 - Wavosaur
10 - Traverso 11 - Spek

Attention: We resolutely oppose all forms of copyright-infringing downloads. This tutorial is only for downloading the music without copyright, don’t use the recorded music for commercial use.

1 Filmora

Filmora plays the best role in music recording. Whether you want to save songs on your Windows, Mac, iPhone, or Android, Filmora can do you a favor. You only need 2 steps to get the downloaded music with the best quality.

Step 1: First Download Filmora Video & Audio Editor from the button below and use the ‘Screen Recorder‘ feature to record the screen while playing the music.

Free Music Recording Software

Free Music Recording Software

Step 2: Import the recorded video to Filmora and right click on the video track, select ‘Detach Audio‘ to extract audio track. Then choose the audio track and click the ‘Export‘ button to save ripped audio files. Now you have the recorded music file for saving on your mobile or further use.

Tips: Filmora helps to remove the background noise from the music recording with AI, and it can detect the silence of the audio clip and automatically erase it.

*Price of Filmora: Filmora offers a cross-platform plan, which means you can record music on Windows, Mac, or mobile by using the same account. $59.99/Year to experience the easy yet comprehensive video and audio editing.

*Features of Filmora Song Recorder:

  • Edit screen recorded video and audio with various tools.
  • Record screen with high quality.
  • Export video and audio with multiple formats.
  • Offers cool effects, filters and stickers to make your video professional.

*Supported Audio Formats: MP3, WAV

*Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Tablet.

2 Ableton Live 10

The top music recording software on our recommendation list is Ableton Live 10 . It is specially designed to record high-quality audio, compose, arrange, mix and master.

free music recording software interface

It can be used to record audio, add numerous effects, and edit the tracks. It is often updated with new features. The current version is Ableton Live 10, with tons of improvements and new features.

*Price of Ableton Live 10: Ableton Live 10 comes with a 30-day free trial, an introversion, a standard version, and a suite version. The introversion costs $99 and has all the essential features. The standard feature comes at the cost of $449 with full features plus extras. While the suite version is the complete integrated studio for just $749. They even offer discounts for students, teachers and institutions, which you can check out on their website.

*Features of Ableton Live 10:

  • Audio-to-MIDI
  • MIDI and Key Mapping
  • Racks
  • Virtual Instruments
  • Great Audio Effects
  • Note Chasing
  • Global automation on/off switch
  • Grouping

*Supported Audio Formats: Ableton Live 10 supports .wav, .aiff., .AIFF-C, .FLAC, OGG Vorbis, .mp3 and .mp4, and .m4a.

*Supported Platforms: Ableton Live 10 is available for windows and macOS.

3 Audacity

Audacity is a free music recording software that is great for beginners as it has a ton of effects, high-quality sound, loaded with plugins and many editing features. It is easy to understand, and once you get the hang of it, you can record any audio you want.

audacity free music recording software interface

You can even produce professional studio-quality audio if you have the supporting hardware for recording high-quality audio. The only negative thing about Audacity is that it has a cluttered menu which makes it difficult for beginners to understand.

*Price of Audacity: Audacity is a completely free open-source audio recording software.

*Features of Audacity:

  • Tons of built-in effects
  • Free download
  • Wide range of helpful plugins
  • Comprehensive audio editing
  • Records high-quality audio
  • Easy accessibility
  • Spectrogram Analysis

*Supported Audio Formats: Audacity supports mp3, wav, AIFF, au, and ogg.

*Supported Platforms: Audacity is available for Windows, macOS and even Linux.

Try Filmora to Record Music and Save for Free!

Filmora Music Recorder is the best music recording software. It can not only extract the song but also can save the MV if needed. You can save the downloaded music on your device or for further use.

Record & Download Music Record & Download Music Learn More >

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4 NCH WavePad Audio

NCH WavePad Audio is another free music recording software with many great features. It doesn’tthave a sleek interface like others but it’sseasy to install and record music.

free music recording software interface

WavePad supports many popular audio file types that don’ttlimit you to edit a limited number of audio files. It is a reliable and effective tool for professionals to edit and record audio tracks for their videos and podcasts.

*Price of NCH WavePad Audio: NCH WavePad Audio comes in a free version with limited features, a Standard edition, and a Master’ssedition. The Standard Edition has additional features for $60, while the master’ssedition has access to full features for just $99. They even offer discounts, so be sure to check them out.

*Features of NCH WavePad Audio:

  • Quick and Precise Sound editing tools
  • Tons of Audio effects
  • DirectX and Virtual Studio Technology DLL (VST) plugin support
  • Batch processing
  • Audio restoration features
  • Easy to use interface
  • Spectral Analysis

*Supported Audio Formats: NCH Wavepad Audio supports vox, gsm, WMA, real audio, au, aif, FLAC, and Ogg.

*Supported Platforms: NCH WavePad Audio is available for Windows, and macOS.

5 Sound Forge Pro 13

If you’re looking for a professional audio recording software with powerful editing features, then Sound Forge Pro 13 is for you. It has tons of plugins, amazing audio editing features and even supports multi-channel recording.

sound forge pro free music recording software interface

It has an incredible user interface designed for professionals for high-performance audio processing. The new version even has a customizable interface that you can change according to your style and be more productive.

*Price of Sound Forge Pro 13: Sound Forge Pro 13 comes in a 30-day free trial version with limited features. The full version costs $299 for Windows and $249 for macOS. They also offer discounts from time to time, so check them out.

*Features of Sound Forge Pro 13:

  • Advanced Audio Editing Features
  • Powerful Recording workflows
  • Timestamp recording
  • Waveform overview bar
  • Batch Conversion
  • Customizable interface
  • Hi-Resolution audio support
  • One-touch recording

*Supported Audio Formats: Sound Forge Pro 13 supports SWF, Real Media 9, WMA, AVI, AIFF, AIF, and SND.

*Supported Platforms: Sound Forge Pro 13 is available for Windows and macOS.

6 Adobe Audition

Adobe Audition is the most advanced music recording software for professionals. It takes audio editing to the next level with professional features. It has a ton of amazing features that can improve your audio quality in no time.

adobe audition free music recording software interface

It is a professional audio editing software and therefore requires a lot of time to learn as it is not for beginners. Once you get the hang of it, you can record professional audio for your video projects without a hassle.

*Price of Adobe Audition: Adobe Audition comes with a 7-day free trial after which it costs $20.99 per month. You can even buy the Creative cloud suite for just $52.99 per month and have access to all Adobe applications.

*Features of Adobe Audition:

  • DeReverb and DeNoise effects
  • Advanced playback and recording performance
  • Professional multitrack user interface
  • On-clip gain and waveform scaling
  • Audio restoration
  • Faster and Precise Editing
  • Real-time clip stretching
  • Smart Track Colors
  • Custom channelization

*Supported Audio Formats: Adobe Audition supports AIF, AIFF, and AIFC.

*Supported Platforms: Adobe Audition is available for Windows and macOS.

filmora box

Filmora Song Recording Software

Extract Music from Video and Edit with AI

Extract music, song or audio with Filmora’s built-in screen recorder function. Automatically erase the noise from recorded audio file to bring you a better hearing experience.

Extract & Record Music Extract & Record Music Learn More >

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7 PreSonus Studio One

PreSonus Studio One is another professional audio producing software that is made for convenient audio recording and editing. It has seamless audio editing tools that enhance the performance of the audio.

presonus studio one free music recording software interface

It has advanced virtual instruments, an efficient user interface, and intuitive audio editing tools that help tweak audio and improve its quality.

*Price of PreSonus Studio One: PreSonus Studio One comes in three versions, free, Artist and Professional. The free version is for 30-days and the artist version costs $99 and has additional features and audio editing tools. While the Professional version costs $399 that has professional features for audio recording and editing.

*Features of PreSonus Studio One:

  • Advances audio editing tools
  • Virtual instruments
  • Advanced Group management
  • Chord Track
  • Cohesive Workflow
  • Sample one XT
  • Pattern Editor

*Supported Audio Formats: PreSonus Studio One supports Broadcast wav format, AIFF, Ogg Vorbis, and FLAC audio. MP3s are automatically converted to wav.

*Supported Platforms: PreSonus Studio One is available for Windows and macOS.

8 Ocenaudio

Ocenaudio is a free, cross-platform audio recording software with many amazing audio editing features. It is a little complicated to understand but performs all the necessary audio recording tasks.

free music recording software interface

It is highly intuitive and has a simple easy to use interface. It even has a powerful library that is developed to simplify audio editing.

*Price of Ocenaudio: Ocenaudio is free audio recording software.

*Features of Ocenaudio:

  • VST plugins support
  • Audio and Screen Recording
  • Sound Spectral Analysis
  • Real-time preview of effects
  • Cross-platform support
  • Multi-selection for delicate editions
  • Quick and Efficient editing of large files

*Supported Audio Formats: Ocenaudio supports vox, gsm, WMA, wav, .wma, .ogg, and .flac.

*Supported Platforms: Ocenaudio is available for Windows, macOS, and even Linux.

9 Wavosaur

Wavosaur is a free music recording software with great features like many paid music recording programs. It has all the necessary features to edit audio, produce music loops, record, analyze and even batch convert.

wavosaur free music recording software interface

Wavosaur processes files with wav and mp3 files filter, making it more convenient. Moreover, it supports VST plugins, real-time effect processing, multichannel wav files, and ASIO driver.

*Price of Wavosaur: Wavosaur is a free music recording software.

*Features of Wavosaur:

  • Multiple document interfaces
  • Audio Editing Features
  • Accurate waveform representation
  • VST effects
  • Tons of processing options
  • Bit-depth convert
  • Vocal removal
  • DC offset removal
  • Loop creation
  • Batch Processing

*Supported Audio Formats: Wavosaur supports VST plugins, ASIO driver, multichannel wav files, real-time effect processing.

*Supported Platforms: Wavosaur is available only for Windows.

10 Traverso

Traverso is another free music recording software that you can download for all your music recording needs. It has an easy-to-use interface combined with innovative mouse and keyboard shortcuts that help quickly perform audio recording tasks.

traverso free music recording software interface

It is developed for beginners to easily learn and get onto recording music without going through the trouble. Traverso’ssmastering controls, efficient user interface, and intuitive recording performance make it stand out among the rest.

*Price of Traverso: Traverso a free-to-use music recording software.

*Features of Traverso:

  • Clean and easy to use interface
  • Intuitive mouse and keyboard shortcuts
  • Non-destructive editing
  • Virtually unlimited track count
  • Supports common file types
  • Multiple Driver Backends
  • Lockless real-time audio processing
  • Audio recording and editing functions

*Supported Audio Formats: Traverso supports any audio formats supported by libsndfile, FLAC, OGG, mp3, and WavPack.

*Supported Platforms: Traverso is available for Windows, Linux, and even macOS.

11 Spek

Spek is a free, open-source audio recording software that is easy to learn and use. Its signal processing is ultra-fast as it processes audio files using several threads. It helps producers solve audio-related problems that most software cannot.

spek free music recording software interface

Common audio formats are also supported in Spek and also FFMPEG library. It helps analyze audio with the help of a spectrogram and is available in 19 different languages.

*Price of Spek: Spek is free of cost platform for audio recording and editing.

*Features of Spek:

  • Quick Signal Processing
  • Saves Spectrogram as Image
  • Supports common file formats
  • Supports FFMPEG libraries
  • Drag and drop support
  • Displays codec name
  • Shoes audio signal parameters
  • The spectral density range is adjustable

*Supported Audio Formats: Spek supports vox, gsm, WMA, Wav, WMA, real audio, au, aif, FLAC, and Ogg.

*Supported Platforms: Spek is available for Windows, Unix, and macOS.

Roundup of 11 Best Free to Try Music Recording Software

No. Music Recorder Free Trial Premium Version Supported OS Processing Power
1. Filmora Free trial Annual for $49.99/yearCross-platform for $59.99/yearPerpetual $79.99 Windows & macOS & iPhone & Android 64-bit
2. Ableton Live 10 30-day free trial Intro for $99Standard for $449Suite for $749 Windows & macOS 64-bit
3. Audacity Unlimited - Windows, macOS & Linux 32-bit
4. NCH WavePad Audio Limited Features Standard Edition for $60Master’s Edition for $99 Windows; macOS 64-bit
5. Sound Forge Pro 13 30-day free trial $299 for Windows$249 for macOS Windows; macOS 64-bit
6. Adobe Audition 7-day free trial Individual $20.99 monthlyCreative Cloud $52.99 monthly Windows & macOS 64-bit
7. PreSonus Studio One 30-day free trial Artist Version for $99Professional Version $399 Windows; macOS 64-bit
8. Ocenaudio Unlimited - Windows, macOS & Linux 32-bit
9. Wavosaur Unlimited - Windows 32-bit
10. Traverso Unlimited - Windows, macOS & Linux 64-bit
11. Spek Unlimited - Windows, Unix, macOS 64-bit

filmora box

Wondershare Filmora Music Recorder

Filmora - Best Music Recording Software

• Record music with the highest quality

• Easily edit and export audio & video files without watermark

• Cross-platform supported - (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Record Music for Free Record Music for Free Learn More >

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Try It Free >>

What Does Music Recording Software Do?

A music recording software helps producers develop clean and professional audio tracks for their video projects and podcasts. The software eliminates the need to invest in expensive hardware used to produce quality audio.

Now musicians just need their regular outbound gear and the music recording software for producing professional soundtracks. The following points explain the use of Music recording software:

1. Record Voices and Live Instruments:

You can use free music recording software to record live voices and instrument sounds. The sounds can be recorded and edited for further refinement and clarity, paired with a good microphone.

2. Add Audio Effects to Sound Files:

Free music recording software can be used to add audio effects and plugins. This enables you to add and create reverbs, delays, chorus and even autotune.

3. Record Virtual Instruments:

Virtual instruments can also record music in a free music recording software if you don’t have access to real instruments. Most music recording software have built-in virtual tools for recording sounds digital.

4. Edit and Mix Audio Tracks:

You can edit and mix audio tracks with free music recording software for adding to your video projects. You can slice, move, and crossfade audio elements before mixing or polishing the audio tracks to improve the audio quality.

5. Add and Create Audio Loops:

A good music recording software includes a digital library of audio loops that you can add to your music tracks. You can even use the free music recording software for creating your own audio loops.

How to Choose the Right Music Recording Software?

A great music recording software is necessary for producers as they help create, record, edit and export audio. The produced audios can be used by professionals for their video projects of any kind.

There are many music recording software but choosing the right one depends on what kind of audio you want to record. Here are a few key points you should look out for in a music recording software:

1. Audio Plugin Compatibility:

Before selecting the right music recording software, you need to check out the audio plugin compatibility. They can be of two types: native PC and native mac plugins. Virtual Studio Technology (VST) is the most commonly used plugin compatible with mac and PC.

2. Supported Operating System:

Be sure to check out the supported operating systems of your music recording software. It would be better if free music recording software works on both Mac and Windows.

3. Audio Recording Features:

Music recording software comes with numerous features, a sound library, and plugins that can help improve your audio.

4. Pricing and Packages:

Free music recording software also has a premium version for some cost with added features and benefits. Compare the prices with the free software features to select the best one.

5. Customer Support:

Music recording software companies offer customer support that helps with your audio. Check the level of support you can expect from the company in case of queries or complaints.

Best Video Editor to Create MV – Filmora

Now that you know about the various free music recording software you can use for audio recording and editing, you need to know about Filmora to add the audios to video.

Filmora is the best video and audio editor for beginners and semi-professionals. It has a simple and easy-to-use interface that can help you create beautiful videos with the correct audio. It is available for both Windows and macOS.

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

Best Source to Download Audio – Filmstock

Filmstock is your ultimate one-stop shop for all stock media, including audio, sound effects, video effects, stock footage, photos, and even royalty-free music. It is the best source to download audio files for editing and adding to your video projects.

The Filmstock library is full of creative resources and is continually growing. It is, without a doubt, a valuable source for any beginner and professional artist. Filmstock has three subscription options: free, standard, and premium.

The free version gives you access to the free library that’ssupdated frequently with royalty-free stock media. The standard version costs $9.99 a month and gives you access to the free plus standard library updated weekly.

Lastly, the premium version costs $49.99 a month with access to the free, standard, and premium library updated daily.

Conclusion

Audio recording software is essential for audio production, which has many applications. It can be used for business podcasts, video projects, creating music, and more.

Filmora is undoubtedly the best video editing software for adding audio to video. Both beginners and professionals can use it to create high-quality videos that keep your audience engaged.

We hope this article helped you find the best music recording software. Let us know about your favorite audio recording software in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you’re into the media production business, you must know that audio recording is the most important part. Thus, every professional needs the right music recording software.

There are so many software in the market today, free and paid, making it tough to decide which software is best for recording music. Therefore, we have gathered the 11 best free music recording software for you.

This article will help you figure out what music recording software does, key points to watch out for when searching for music recording software and which free music recording software has the best features and resources.

Top 11 Best Free Music Recording Software

Whether you’re looking to record a podcast, a song, or any audio, you must have the right software for music recording:

So, without further ado, let’s get onto the list of the top 11 best free music recording software for both your desktop and mobile.

1 - Filmora 2 - Ableton Live 10 3 - Audacity
4 - NCH WavePad Audio 5 - Sound Forge Pro 13 6 - Adobe Audition
7 - PreSonus Studio One 8 - Ocenaudio 9 - Wavosaur
10 - Traverso 11 - Spek

Attention: We resolutely oppose all forms of copyright-infringing downloads. This tutorial is only for downloading the music without copyright, don’t use the recorded music for commercial use.

1 Filmora

Filmora plays the best role in music recording. Whether you want to save songs on your Windows, Mac, iPhone, or Android, Filmora can do you a favor. You only need 2 steps to get the downloaded music with the best quality.

Step 1: First Download Filmora Video & Audio Editor from the button below and use the ‘Screen Recorder‘ feature to record the screen while playing the music.

Free Music Recording Software

Free Music Recording Software

Step 2: Import the recorded video to Filmora and right click on the video track, select ‘Detach Audio‘ to extract audio track. Then choose the audio track and click the ‘Export‘ button to save ripped audio files. Now you have the recorded music file for saving on your mobile or further use.

Tips: Filmora helps to remove the background noise from the music recording with AI, and it can detect the silence of the audio clip and automatically erase it.

*Price of Filmora: Filmora offers a cross-platform plan, which means you can record music on Windows, Mac, or mobile by using the same account. $59.99/Year to experience the easy yet comprehensive video and audio editing.

*Features of Filmora Song Recorder:

  • Edit screen recorded video and audio with various tools.
  • Record screen with high quality.
  • Export video and audio with multiple formats.
  • Offers cool effects, filters and stickers to make your video professional.

*Supported Audio Formats: MP3, WAV

*Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Tablet.

2 Ableton Live 10

The top music recording software on our recommendation list is Ableton Live 10 . It is specially designed to record high-quality audio, compose, arrange, mix and master.

free music recording software interface

It can be used to record audio, add numerous effects, and edit the tracks. It is often updated with new features. The current version is Ableton Live 10, with tons of improvements and new features.

*Price of Ableton Live 10: Ableton Live 10 comes with a 30-day free trial, an introversion, a standard version, and a suite version. The introversion costs $99 and has all the essential features. The standard feature comes at the cost of $449 with full features plus extras. While the suite version is the complete integrated studio for just $749. They even offer discounts for students, teachers and institutions, which you can check out on their website.

*Features of Ableton Live 10:

  • Audio-to-MIDI
  • MIDI and Key Mapping
  • Racks
  • Virtual Instruments
  • Great Audio Effects
  • Note Chasing
  • Global automation on/off switch
  • Grouping

*Supported Audio Formats: Ableton Live 10 supports .wav, .aiff., .AIFF-C, .FLAC, OGG Vorbis, .mp3 and .mp4, and .m4a.

*Supported Platforms: Ableton Live 10 is available for windows and macOS.

3 Audacity

Audacity is a free music recording software that is great for beginners as it has a ton of effects, high-quality sound, loaded with plugins and many editing features. It is easy to understand, and once you get the hang of it, you can record any audio you want.

audacity free music recording software interface

You can even produce professional studio-quality audio if you have the supporting hardware for recording high-quality audio. The only negative thing about Audacity is that it has a cluttered menu which makes it difficult for beginners to understand.

*Price of Audacity: Audacity is a completely free open-source audio recording software.

*Features of Audacity:

  • Tons of built-in effects
  • Free download
  • Wide range of helpful plugins
  • Comprehensive audio editing
  • Records high-quality audio
  • Easy accessibility
  • Spectrogram Analysis

*Supported Audio Formats: Audacity supports mp3, wav, AIFF, au, and ogg.

*Supported Platforms: Audacity is available for Windows, macOS and even Linux.

Try Filmora to Record Music and Save for Free!

Filmora Music Recorder is the best music recording software. It can not only extract the song but also can save the MV if needed. You can save the downloaded music on your device or for further use.

Record & Download Music Record & Download Music Learn More >

iOS Android

Try It Free >>

4 NCH WavePad Audio

NCH WavePad Audio is another free music recording software with many great features. It doesn’tthave a sleek interface like others but it’sseasy to install and record music.

free music recording software interface

WavePad supports many popular audio file types that don’ttlimit you to edit a limited number of audio files. It is a reliable and effective tool for professionals to edit and record audio tracks for their videos and podcasts.

*Price of NCH WavePad Audio: NCH WavePad Audio comes in a free version with limited features, a Standard edition, and a Master’ssedition. The Standard Edition has additional features for $60, while the master’ssedition has access to full features for just $99. They even offer discounts, so be sure to check them out.

*Features of NCH WavePad Audio:

  • Quick and Precise Sound editing tools
  • Tons of Audio effects
  • DirectX and Virtual Studio Technology DLL (VST) plugin support
  • Batch processing
  • Audio restoration features
  • Easy to use interface
  • Spectral Analysis

*Supported Audio Formats: NCH Wavepad Audio supports vox, gsm, WMA, real audio, au, aif, FLAC, and Ogg.

*Supported Platforms: NCH WavePad Audio is available for Windows, and macOS.

5 Sound Forge Pro 13

If you’re looking for a professional audio recording software with powerful editing features, then Sound Forge Pro 13 is for you. It has tons of plugins, amazing audio editing features and even supports multi-channel recording.

sound forge pro free music recording software interface

It has an incredible user interface designed for professionals for high-performance audio processing. The new version even has a customizable interface that you can change according to your style and be more productive.

*Price of Sound Forge Pro 13: Sound Forge Pro 13 comes in a 30-day free trial version with limited features. The full version costs $299 for Windows and $249 for macOS. They also offer discounts from time to time, so check them out.

*Features of Sound Forge Pro 13:

  • Advanced Audio Editing Features
  • Powerful Recording workflows
  • Timestamp recording
  • Waveform overview bar
  • Batch Conversion
  • Customizable interface
  • Hi-Resolution audio support
  • One-touch recording

*Supported Audio Formats: Sound Forge Pro 13 supports SWF, Real Media 9, WMA, AVI, AIFF, AIF, and SND.

*Supported Platforms: Sound Forge Pro 13 is available for Windows and macOS.

6 Adobe Audition

Adobe Audition is the most advanced music recording software for professionals. It takes audio editing to the next level with professional features. It has a ton of amazing features that can improve your audio quality in no time.

adobe audition free music recording software interface

It is a professional audio editing software and therefore requires a lot of time to learn as it is not for beginners. Once you get the hang of it, you can record professional audio for your video projects without a hassle.

*Price of Adobe Audition: Adobe Audition comes with a 7-day free trial after which it costs $20.99 per month. You can even buy the Creative cloud suite for just $52.99 per month and have access to all Adobe applications.

*Features of Adobe Audition:

  • DeReverb and DeNoise effects
  • Advanced playback and recording performance
  • Professional multitrack user interface
  • On-clip gain and waveform scaling
  • Audio restoration
  • Faster and Precise Editing
  • Real-time clip stretching
  • Smart Track Colors
  • Custom channelization

*Supported Audio Formats: Adobe Audition supports AIF, AIFF, and AIFC.

*Supported Platforms: Adobe Audition is available for Windows and macOS.

filmora box

Filmora Song Recording Software

Extract Music from Video and Edit with AI

Extract music, song or audio with Filmora’s built-in screen recorder function. Automatically erase the noise from recorded audio file to bring you a better hearing experience.

Extract & Record Music Extract & Record Music Learn More >

iOS Android

Try It Free >>

7 PreSonus Studio One

PreSonus Studio One is another professional audio producing software that is made for convenient audio recording and editing. It has seamless audio editing tools that enhance the performance of the audio.

presonus studio one free music recording software interface

It has advanced virtual instruments, an efficient user interface, and intuitive audio editing tools that help tweak audio and improve its quality.

*Price of PreSonus Studio One: PreSonus Studio One comes in three versions, free, Artist and Professional. The free version is for 30-days and the artist version costs $99 and has additional features and audio editing tools. While the Professional version costs $399 that has professional features for audio recording and editing.

*Features of PreSonus Studio One:

  • Advances audio editing tools
  • Virtual instruments
  • Advanced Group management
  • Chord Track
  • Cohesive Workflow
  • Sample one XT
  • Pattern Editor

*Supported Audio Formats: PreSonus Studio One supports Broadcast wav format, AIFF, Ogg Vorbis, and FLAC audio. MP3s are automatically converted to wav.

*Supported Platforms: PreSonus Studio One is available for Windows and macOS.

8 Ocenaudio

Ocenaudio is a free, cross-platform audio recording software with many amazing audio editing features. It is a little complicated to understand but performs all the necessary audio recording tasks.

free music recording software interface

It is highly intuitive and has a simple easy to use interface. It even has a powerful library that is developed to simplify audio editing.

*Price of Ocenaudio: Ocenaudio is free audio recording software.

*Features of Ocenaudio:

  • VST plugins support
  • Audio and Screen Recording
  • Sound Spectral Analysis
  • Real-time preview of effects
  • Cross-platform support
  • Multi-selection for delicate editions
  • Quick and Efficient editing of large files

*Supported Audio Formats: Ocenaudio supports vox, gsm, WMA, wav, .wma, .ogg, and .flac.

*Supported Platforms: Ocenaudio is available for Windows, macOS, and even Linux.

9 Wavosaur

Wavosaur is a free music recording software with great features like many paid music recording programs. It has all the necessary features to edit audio, produce music loops, record, analyze and even batch convert.

wavosaur free music recording software interface

Wavosaur processes files with wav and mp3 files filter, making it more convenient. Moreover, it supports VST plugins, real-time effect processing, multichannel wav files, and ASIO driver.

*Price of Wavosaur: Wavosaur is a free music recording software.

*Features of Wavosaur:

  • Multiple document interfaces
  • Audio Editing Features
  • Accurate waveform representation
  • VST effects
  • Tons of processing options
  • Bit-depth convert
  • Vocal removal
  • DC offset removal
  • Loop creation
  • Batch Processing

*Supported Audio Formats: Wavosaur supports VST plugins, ASIO driver, multichannel wav files, real-time effect processing.

*Supported Platforms: Wavosaur is available only for Windows.

10 Traverso

Traverso is another free music recording software that you can download for all your music recording needs. It has an easy-to-use interface combined with innovative mouse and keyboard shortcuts that help quickly perform audio recording tasks.

traverso free music recording software interface

It is developed for beginners to easily learn and get onto recording music without going through the trouble. Traverso’ssmastering controls, efficient user interface, and intuitive recording performance make it stand out among the rest.

*Price of Traverso: Traverso a free-to-use music recording software.

*Features of Traverso:

  • Clean and easy to use interface
  • Intuitive mouse and keyboard shortcuts
  • Non-destructive editing
  • Virtually unlimited track count
  • Supports common file types
  • Multiple Driver Backends
  • Lockless real-time audio processing
  • Audio recording and editing functions

*Supported Audio Formats: Traverso supports any audio formats supported by libsndfile, FLAC, OGG, mp3, and WavPack.

*Supported Platforms: Traverso is available for Windows, Linux, and even macOS.

11 Spek

Spek is a free, open-source audio recording software that is easy to learn and use. Its signal processing is ultra-fast as it processes audio files using several threads. It helps producers solve audio-related problems that most software cannot.

spek free music recording software interface

Common audio formats are also supported in Spek and also FFMPEG library. It helps analyze audio with the help of a spectrogram and is available in 19 different languages.

*Price of Spek: Spek is free of cost platform for audio recording and editing.

*Features of Spek:

  • Quick Signal Processing
  • Saves Spectrogram as Image
  • Supports common file formats
  • Supports FFMPEG libraries
  • Drag and drop support
  • Displays codec name
  • Shoes audio signal parameters
  • The spectral density range is adjustable

*Supported Audio Formats: Spek supports vox, gsm, WMA, Wav, WMA, real audio, au, aif, FLAC, and Ogg.

*Supported Platforms: Spek is available for Windows, Unix, and macOS.

Roundup of 11 Best Free to Try Music Recording Software

No. Music Recorder Free Trial Premium Version Supported OS Processing Power
1. Filmora Free trial Annual for $49.99/yearCross-platform for $59.99/yearPerpetual $79.99 Windows & macOS & iPhone & Android 64-bit
2. Ableton Live 10 30-day free trial Intro for $99Standard for $449Suite for $749 Windows & macOS 64-bit
3. Audacity Unlimited - Windows, macOS & Linux 32-bit
4. NCH WavePad Audio Limited Features Standard Edition for $60Master’s Edition for $99 Windows; macOS 64-bit
5. Sound Forge Pro 13 30-day free trial $299 for Windows$249 for macOS Windows; macOS 64-bit
6. Adobe Audition 7-day free trial Individual $20.99 monthlyCreative Cloud $52.99 monthly Windows & macOS 64-bit
7. PreSonus Studio One 30-day free trial Artist Version for $99Professional Version $399 Windows; macOS 64-bit
8. Ocenaudio Unlimited - Windows, macOS & Linux 32-bit
9. Wavosaur Unlimited - Windows 32-bit
10. Traverso Unlimited - Windows, macOS & Linux 64-bit
11. Spek Unlimited - Windows, Unix, macOS 64-bit

filmora box

Wondershare Filmora Music Recorder

Filmora - Best Music Recording Software

• Record music with the highest quality

• Easily edit and export audio & video files without watermark

• Cross-platform supported - (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Record Music for Free Record Music for Free Learn More >

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Try It Free >>

What Does Music Recording Software Do?

A music recording software helps producers develop clean and professional audio tracks for their video projects and podcasts. The software eliminates the need to invest in expensive hardware used to produce quality audio.

Now musicians just need their regular outbound gear and the music recording software for producing professional soundtracks. The following points explain the use of Music recording software:

1. Record Voices and Live Instruments:

You can use free music recording software to record live voices and instrument sounds. The sounds can be recorded and edited for further refinement and clarity, paired with a good microphone.

2. Add Audio Effects to Sound Files:

Free music recording software can be used to add audio effects and plugins. This enables you to add and create reverbs, delays, chorus and even autotune.

3. Record Virtual Instruments:

Virtual instruments can also record music in a free music recording software if you don’t have access to real instruments. Most music recording software have built-in virtual tools for recording sounds digital.

4. Edit and Mix Audio Tracks:

You can edit and mix audio tracks with free music recording software for adding to your video projects. You can slice, move, and crossfade audio elements before mixing or polishing the audio tracks to improve the audio quality.

5. Add and Create Audio Loops:

A good music recording software includes a digital library of audio loops that you can add to your music tracks. You can even use the free music recording software for creating your own audio loops.

How to Choose the Right Music Recording Software?

A great music recording software is necessary for producers as they help create, record, edit and export audio. The produced audios can be used by professionals for their video projects of any kind.

There are many music recording software but choosing the right one depends on what kind of audio you want to record. Here are a few key points you should look out for in a music recording software:

1. Audio Plugin Compatibility:

Before selecting the right music recording software, you need to check out the audio plugin compatibility. They can be of two types: native PC and native mac plugins. Virtual Studio Technology (VST) is the most commonly used plugin compatible with mac and PC.

2. Supported Operating System:

Be sure to check out the supported operating systems of your music recording software. It would be better if free music recording software works on both Mac and Windows.

3. Audio Recording Features:

Music recording software comes with numerous features, a sound library, and plugins that can help improve your audio.

4. Pricing and Packages:

Free music recording software also has a premium version for some cost with added features and benefits. Compare the prices with the free software features to select the best one.

5. Customer Support:

Music recording software companies offer customer support that helps with your audio. Check the level of support you can expect from the company in case of queries or complaints.

Best Video Editor to Create MV – Filmora

Now that you know about the various free music recording software you can use for audio recording and editing, you need to know about Filmora to add the audios to video.

Filmora is the best video and audio editor for beginners and semi-professionals. It has a simple and easy-to-use interface that can help you create beautiful videos with the correct audio. It is available for both Windows and macOS.

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

Best Source to Download Audio – Filmstock

Filmstock is your ultimate one-stop shop for all stock media, including audio, sound effects, video effects, stock footage, photos, and even royalty-free music. It is the best source to download audio files for editing and adding to your video projects.

The Filmstock library is full of creative resources and is continually growing. It is, without a doubt, a valuable source for any beginner and professional artist. Filmstock has three subscription options: free, standard, and premium.

The free version gives you access to the free library that’ssupdated frequently with royalty-free stock media. The standard version costs $9.99 a month and gives you access to the free plus standard library updated weekly.

Lastly, the premium version costs $49.99 a month with access to the free, standard, and premium library updated daily.

Conclusion

Audio recording software is essential for audio production, which has many applications. It can be used for business podcasts, video projects, creating music, and more.

Filmora is undoubtedly the best video editing software for adding audio to video. Both beginners and professionals can use it to create high-quality videos that keep your audience engaged.

We hope this article helped you find the best music recording software. Let us know about your favorite audio recording software in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you’re into the media production business, you must know that audio recording is the most important part. Thus, every professional needs the right music recording software.

There are so many software in the market today, free and paid, making it tough to decide which software is best for recording music. Therefore, we have gathered the 11 best free music recording software for you.

This article will help you figure out what music recording software does, key points to watch out for when searching for music recording software and which free music recording software has the best features and resources.

Top 11 Best Free Music Recording Software

Whether you’re looking to record a podcast, a song, or any audio, you must have the right software for music recording:

So, without further ado, let’s get onto the list of the top 11 best free music recording software for both your desktop and mobile.

1 - Filmora 2 - Ableton Live 10 3 - Audacity
4 - NCH WavePad Audio 5 - Sound Forge Pro 13 6 - Adobe Audition
7 - PreSonus Studio One 8 - Ocenaudio 9 - Wavosaur
10 - Traverso 11 - Spek

Attention: We resolutely oppose all forms of copyright-infringing downloads. This tutorial is only for downloading the music without copyright, don’t use the recorded music for commercial use.

1 Filmora

Filmora plays the best role in music recording. Whether you want to save songs on your Windows, Mac, iPhone, or Android, Filmora can do you a favor. You only need 2 steps to get the downloaded music with the best quality.

Step 1: First Download Filmora Video & Audio Editor from the button below and use the ‘Screen Recorder‘ feature to record the screen while playing the music.

Free Music Recording Software

Free Music Recording Software

Step 2: Import the recorded video to Filmora and right click on the video track, select ‘Detach Audio‘ to extract audio track. Then choose the audio track and click the ‘Export‘ button to save ripped audio files. Now you have the recorded music file for saving on your mobile or further use.

Tips: Filmora helps to remove the background noise from the music recording with AI, and it can detect the silence of the audio clip and automatically erase it.

*Price of Filmora: Filmora offers a cross-platform plan, which means you can record music on Windows, Mac, or mobile by using the same account. $59.99/Year to experience the easy yet comprehensive video and audio editing.

*Features of Filmora Song Recorder:

  • Edit screen recorded video and audio with various tools.
  • Record screen with high quality.
  • Export video and audio with multiple formats.
  • Offers cool effects, filters and stickers to make your video professional.

*Supported Audio Formats: MP3, WAV

*Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Tablet.

2 Ableton Live 10

The top music recording software on our recommendation list is Ableton Live 10 . It is specially designed to record high-quality audio, compose, arrange, mix and master.

free music recording software interface

It can be used to record audio, add numerous effects, and edit the tracks. It is often updated with new features. The current version is Ableton Live 10, with tons of improvements and new features.

*Price of Ableton Live 10: Ableton Live 10 comes with a 30-day free trial, an introversion, a standard version, and a suite version. The introversion costs $99 and has all the essential features. The standard feature comes at the cost of $449 with full features plus extras. While the suite version is the complete integrated studio for just $749. They even offer discounts for students, teachers and institutions, which you can check out on their website.

*Features of Ableton Live 10:

  • Audio-to-MIDI
  • MIDI and Key Mapping
  • Racks
  • Virtual Instruments
  • Great Audio Effects
  • Note Chasing
  • Global automation on/off switch
  • Grouping

*Supported Audio Formats: Ableton Live 10 supports .wav, .aiff., .AIFF-C, .FLAC, OGG Vorbis, .mp3 and .mp4, and .m4a.

*Supported Platforms: Ableton Live 10 is available for windows and macOS.

3 Audacity

Audacity is a free music recording software that is great for beginners as it has a ton of effects, high-quality sound, loaded with plugins and many editing features. It is easy to understand, and once you get the hang of it, you can record any audio you want.

audacity free music recording software interface

You can even produce professional studio-quality audio if you have the supporting hardware for recording high-quality audio. The only negative thing about Audacity is that it has a cluttered menu which makes it difficult for beginners to understand.

*Price of Audacity: Audacity is a completely free open-source audio recording software.

*Features of Audacity:

  • Tons of built-in effects
  • Free download
  • Wide range of helpful plugins
  • Comprehensive audio editing
  • Records high-quality audio
  • Easy accessibility
  • Spectrogram Analysis

*Supported Audio Formats: Audacity supports mp3, wav, AIFF, au, and ogg.

*Supported Platforms: Audacity is available for Windows, macOS and even Linux.

Try Filmora to Record Music and Save for Free!

Filmora Music Recorder is the best music recording software. It can not only extract the song but also can save the MV if needed. You can save the downloaded music on your device or for further use.

Record & Download Music Record & Download Music Learn More >

iOS Android

Try It Free >>

4 NCH WavePad Audio

NCH WavePad Audio is another free music recording software with many great features. It doesn’tthave a sleek interface like others but it’sseasy to install and record music.

free music recording software interface

WavePad supports many popular audio file types that don’ttlimit you to edit a limited number of audio files. It is a reliable and effective tool for professionals to edit and record audio tracks for their videos and podcasts.

*Price of NCH WavePad Audio: NCH WavePad Audio comes in a free version with limited features, a Standard edition, and a Master’ssedition. The Standard Edition has additional features for $60, while the master’ssedition has access to full features for just $99. They even offer discounts, so be sure to check them out.

*Features of NCH WavePad Audio:

  • Quick and Precise Sound editing tools
  • Tons of Audio effects
  • DirectX and Virtual Studio Technology DLL (VST) plugin support
  • Batch processing
  • Audio restoration features
  • Easy to use interface
  • Spectral Analysis

*Supported Audio Formats: NCH Wavepad Audio supports vox, gsm, WMA, real audio, au, aif, FLAC, and Ogg.

*Supported Platforms: NCH WavePad Audio is available for Windows, and macOS.

5 Sound Forge Pro 13

If you’re looking for a professional audio recording software with powerful editing features, then Sound Forge Pro 13 is for you. It has tons of plugins, amazing audio editing features and even supports multi-channel recording.

sound forge pro free music recording software interface

It has an incredible user interface designed for professionals for high-performance audio processing. The new version even has a customizable interface that you can change according to your style and be more productive.

*Price of Sound Forge Pro 13: Sound Forge Pro 13 comes in a 30-day free trial version with limited features. The full version costs $299 for Windows and $249 for macOS. They also offer discounts from time to time, so check them out.

*Features of Sound Forge Pro 13:

  • Advanced Audio Editing Features
  • Powerful Recording workflows
  • Timestamp recording
  • Waveform overview bar
  • Batch Conversion
  • Customizable interface
  • Hi-Resolution audio support
  • One-touch recording

*Supported Audio Formats: Sound Forge Pro 13 supports SWF, Real Media 9, WMA, AVI, AIFF, AIF, and SND.

*Supported Platforms: Sound Forge Pro 13 is available for Windows and macOS.

6 Adobe Audition

Adobe Audition is the most advanced music recording software for professionals. It takes audio editing to the next level with professional features. It has a ton of amazing features that can improve your audio quality in no time.

adobe audition free music recording software interface

It is a professional audio editing software and therefore requires a lot of time to learn as it is not for beginners. Once you get the hang of it, you can record professional audio for your video projects without a hassle.

*Price of Adobe Audition: Adobe Audition comes with a 7-day free trial after which it costs $20.99 per month. You can even buy the Creative cloud suite for just $52.99 per month and have access to all Adobe applications.

*Features of Adobe Audition:

  • DeReverb and DeNoise effects
  • Advanced playback and recording performance
  • Professional multitrack user interface
  • On-clip gain and waveform scaling
  • Audio restoration
  • Faster and Precise Editing
  • Real-time clip stretching
  • Smart Track Colors
  • Custom channelization

*Supported Audio Formats: Adobe Audition supports AIF, AIFF, and AIFC.

*Supported Platforms: Adobe Audition is available for Windows and macOS.

filmora box

Filmora Song Recording Software

Extract Music from Video and Edit with AI

Extract music, song or audio with Filmora’s built-in screen recorder function. Automatically erase the noise from recorded audio file to bring you a better hearing experience.

Extract & Record Music Extract & Record Music Learn More >

iOS Android

Try It Free >>

7 PreSonus Studio One

PreSonus Studio One is another professional audio producing software that is made for convenient audio recording and editing. It has seamless audio editing tools that enhance the performance of the audio.

presonus studio one free music recording software interface

It has advanced virtual instruments, an efficient user interface, and intuitive audio editing tools that help tweak audio and improve its quality.

*Price of PreSonus Studio One: PreSonus Studio One comes in three versions, free, Artist and Professional. The free version is for 30-days and the artist version costs $99 and has additional features and audio editing tools. While the Professional version costs $399 that has professional features for audio recording and editing.

*Features of PreSonus Studio One:

  • Advances audio editing tools
  • Virtual instruments
  • Advanced Group management
  • Chord Track
  • Cohesive Workflow
  • Sample one XT
  • Pattern Editor

*Supported Audio Formats: PreSonus Studio One supports Broadcast wav format, AIFF, Ogg Vorbis, and FLAC audio. MP3s are automatically converted to wav.

*Supported Platforms: PreSonus Studio One is available for Windows and macOS.

8 Ocenaudio

Ocenaudio is a free, cross-platform audio recording software with many amazing audio editing features. It is a little complicated to understand but performs all the necessary audio recording tasks.

free music recording software interface

It is highly intuitive and has a simple easy to use interface. It even has a powerful library that is developed to simplify audio editing.

*Price of Ocenaudio: Ocenaudio is free audio recording software.

*Features of Ocenaudio:

  • VST plugins support
  • Audio and Screen Recording
  • Sound Spectral Analysis
  • Real-time preview of effects
  • Cross-platform support
  • Multi-selection for delicate editions
  • Quick and Efficient editing of large files

*Supported Audio Formats: Ocenaudio supports vox, gsm, WMA, wav, .wma, .ogg, and .flac.

*Supported Platforms: Ocenaudio is available for Windows, macOS, and even Linux.

9 Wavosaur

Wavosaur is a free music recording software with great features like many paid music recording programs. It has all the necessary features to edit audio, produce music loops, record, analyze and even batch convert.

wavosaur free music recording software interface

Wavosaur processes files with wav and mp3 files filter, making it more convenient. Moreover, it supports VST plugins, real-time effect processing, multichannel wav files, and ASIO driver.

*Price of Wavosaur: Wavosaur is a free music recording software.

*Features of Wavosaur:

  • Multiple document interfaces
  • Audio Editing Features
  • Accurate waveform representation
  • VST effects
  • Tons of processing options
  • Bit-depth convert
  • Vocal removal
  • DC offset removal
  • Loop creation
  • Batch Processing

*Supported Audio Formats: Wavosaur supports VST plugins, ASIO driver, multichannel wav files, real-time effect processing.

*Supported Platforms: Wavosaur is available only for Windows.

10 Traverso

Traverso is another free music recording software that you can download for all your music recording needs. It has an easy-to-use interface combined with innovative mouse and keyboard shortcuts that help quickly perform audio recording tasks.

traverso free music recording software interface

It is developed for beginners to easily learn and get onto recording music without going through the trouble. Traverso’ssmastering controls, efficient user interface, and intuitive recording performance make it stand out among the rest.

*Price of Traverso: Traverso a free-to-use music recording software.

*Features of Traverso:

  • Clean and easy to use interface
  • Intuitive mouse and keyboard shortcuts
  • Non-destructive editing
  • Virtually unlimited track count
  • Supports common file types
  • Multiple Driver Backends
  • Lockless real-time audio processing
  • Audio recording and editing functions

*Supported Audio Formats: Traverso supports any audio formats supported by libsndfile, FLAC, OGG, mp3, and WavPack.

*Supported Platforms: Traverso is available for Windows, Linux, and even macOS.

11 Spek

Spek is a free, open-source audio recording software that is easy to learn and use. Its signal processing is ultra-fast as it processes audio files using several threads. It helps producers solve audio-related problems that most software cannot.

spek free music recording software interface

Common audio formats are also supported in Spek and also FFMPEG library. It helps analyze audio with the help of a spectrogram and is available in 19 different languages.

*Price of Spek: Spek is free of cost platform for audio recording and editing.

*Features of Spek:

  • Quick Signal Processing
  • Saves Spectrogram as Image
  • Supports common file formats
  • Supports FFMPEG libraries
  • Drag and drop support
  • Displays codec name
  • Shoes audio signal parameters
  • The spectral density range is adjustable

*Supported Audio Formats: Spek supports vox, gsm, WMA, Wav, WMA, real audio, au, aif, FLAC, and Ogg.

*Supported Platforms: Spek is available for Windows, Unix, and macOS.

Roundup of 11 Best Free to Try Music Recording Software

No. Music Recorder Free Trial Premium Version Supported OS Processing Power
1. Filmora Free trial Annual for $49.99/yearCross-platform for $59.99/yearPerpetual $79.99 Windows & macOS & iPhone & Android 64-bit
2. Ableton Live 10 30-day free trial Intro for $99Standard for $449Suite for $749 Windows & macOS 64-bit
3. Audacity Unlimited - Windows, macOS & Linux 32-bit
4. NCH WavePad Audio Limited Features Standard Edition for $60Master’s Edition for $99 Windows; macOS 64-bit
5. Sound Forge Pro 13 30-day free trial $299 for Windows$249 for macOS Windows; macOS 64-bit
6. Adobe Audition 7-day free trial Individual $20.99 monthlyCreative Cloud $52.99 monthly Windows & macOS 64-bit
7. PreSonus Studio One 30-day free trial Artist Version for $99Professional Version $399 Windows; macOS 64-bit
8. Ocenaudio Unlimited - Windows, macOS & Linux 32-bit
9. Wavosaur Unlimited - Windows 32-bit
10. Traverso Unlimited - Windows, macOS & Linux 64-bit
11. Spek Unlimited - Windows, Unix, macOS 64-bit

filmora box

Wondershare Filmora Music Recorder

Filmora - Best Music Recording Software

• Record music with the highest quality

• Easily edit and export audio & video files without watermark

• Cross-platform supported - (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Record Music for Free Record Music for Free Learn More >

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What Does Music Recording Software Do?

A music recording software helps producers develop clean and professional audio tracks for their video projects and podcasts. The software eliminates the need to invest in expensive hardware used to produce quality audio.

Now musicians just need their regular outbound gear and the music recording software for producing professional soundtracks. The following points explain the use of Music recording software:

1. Record Voices and Live Instruments:

You can use free music recording software to record live voices and instrument sounds. The sounds can be recorded and edited for further refinement and clarity, paired with a good microphone.

2. Add Audio Effects to Sound Files:

Free music recording software can be used to add audio effects and plugins. This enables you to add and create reverbs, delays, chorus and even autotune.

3. Record Virtual Instruments:

Virtual instruments can also record music in a free music recording software if you don’t have access to real instruments. Most music recording software have built-in virtual tools for recording sounds digital.

4. Edit and Mix Audio Tracks:

You can edit and mix audio tracks with free music recording software for adding to your video projects. You can slice, move, and crossfade audio elements before mixing or polishing the audio tracks to improve the audio quality.

5. Add and Create Audio Loops:

A good music recording software includes a digital library of audio loops that you can add to your music tracks. You can even use the free music recording software for creating your own audio loops.

How to Choose the Right Music Recording Software?

A great music recording software is necessary for producers as they help create, record, edit and export audio. The produced audios can be used by professionals for their video projects of any kind.

There are many music recording software but choosing the right one depends on what kind of audio you want to record. Here are a few key points you should look out for in a music recording software:

1. Audio Plugin Compatibility:

Before selecting the right music recording software, you need to check out the audio plugin compatibility. They can be of two types: native PC and native mac plugins. Virtual Studio Technology (VST) is the most commonly used plugin compatible with mac and PC.

2. Supported Operating System:

Be sure to check out the supported operating systems of your music recording software. It would be better if free music recording software works on both Mac and Windows.

3. Audio Recording Features:

Music recording software comes with numerous features, a sound library, and plugins that can help improve your audio.

4. Pricing and Packages:

Free music recording software also has a premium version for some cost with added features and benefits. Compare the prices with the free software features to select the best one.

5. Customer Support:

Music recording software companies offer customer support that helps with your audio. Check the level of support you can expect from the company in case of queries or complaints.

Best Video Editor to Create MV – Filmora

Now that you know about the various free music recording software you can use for audio recording and editing, you need to know about Filmora to add the audios to video.

Filmora is the best video and audio editor for beginners and semi-professionals. It has a simple and easy-to-use interface that can help you create beautiful videos with the correct audio. It is available for both Windows and macOS.

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

Best Source to Download Audio – Filmstock

Filmstock is your ultimate one-stop shop for all stock media, including audio, sound effects, video effects, stock footage, photos, and even royalty-free music. It is the best source to download audio files for editing and adding to your video projects.

The Filmstock library is full of creative resources and is continually growing. It is, without a doubt, a valuable source for any beginner and professional artist. Filmstock has three subscription options: free, standard, and premium.

The free version gives you access to the free library that’ssupdated frequently with royalty-free stock media. The standard version costs $9.99 a month and gives you access to the free plus standard library updated weekly.

Lastly, the premium version costs $49.99 a month with access to the free, standard, and premium library updated daily.

Conclusion

Audio recording software is essential for audio production, which has many applications. It can be used for business podcasts, video projects, creating music, and more.

Filmora is undoubtedly the best video editing software for adding audio to video. Both beginners and professionals can use it to create high-quality videos that keep your audience engaged.

We hope this article helped you find the best music recording software. Let us know about your favorite audio recording software in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you’re into the media production business, you must know that audio recording is the most important part. Thus, every professional needs the right music recording software.

There are so many software in the market today, free and paid, making it tough to decide which software is best for recording music. Therefore, we have gathered the 11 best free music recording software for you.

This article will help you figure out what music recording software does, key points to watch out for when searching for music recording software and which free music recording software has the best features and resources.

Top 11 Best Free Music Recording Software

Whether you’re looking to record a podcast, a song, or any audio, you must have the right software for music recording:

So, without further ado, let’s get onto the list of the top 11 best free music recording software for both your desktop and mobile.

1 - Filmora 2 - Ableton Live 10 3 - Audacity
4 - NCH WavePad Audio 5 - Sound Forge Pro 13 6 - Adobe Audition
7 - PreSonus Studio One 8 - Ocenaudio 9 - Wavosaur
10 - Traverso 11 - Spek

Attention: We resolutely oppose all forms of copyright-infringing downloads. This tutorial is only for downloading the music without copyright, don’t use the recorded music for commercial use.

1 Filmora

Filmora plays the best role in music recording. Whether you want to save songs on your Windows, Mac, iPhone, or Android, Filmora can do you a favor. You only need 2 steps to get the downloaded music with the best quality.

Step 1: First Download Filmora Video & Audio Editor from the button below and use the ‘Screen Recorder‘ feature to record the screen while playing the music.

Free Music Recording Software

Free Music Recording Software

Step 2: Import the recorded video to Filmora and right click on the video track, select ‘Detach Audio‘ to extract audio track. Then choose the audio track and click the ‘Export‘ button to save ripped audio files. Now you have the recorded music file for saving on your mobile or further use.

Tips: Filmora helps to remove the background noise from the music recording with AI, and it can detect the silence of the audio clip and automatically erase it.

*Price of Filmora: Filmora offers a cross-platform plan, which means you can record music on Windows, Mac, or mobile by using the same account. $59.99/Year to experience the easy yet comprehensive video and audio editing.

*Features of Filmora Song Recorder:

  • Edit screen recorded video and audio with various tools.
  • Record screen with high quality.
  • Export video and audio with multiple formats.
  • Offers cool effects, filters and stickers to make your video professional.

*Supported Audio Formats: MP3, WAV

*Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Tablet.

2 Ableton Live 10

The top music recording software on our recommendation list is Ableton Live 10 . It is specially designed to record high-quality audio, compose, arrange, mix and master.

free music recording software interface

It can be used to record audio, add numerous effects, and edit the tracks. It is often updated with new features. The current version is Ableton Live 10, with tons of improvements and new features.

*Price of Ableton Live 10: Ableton Live 10 comes with a 30-day free trial, an introversion, a standard version, and a suite version. The introversion costs $99 and has all the essential features. The standard feature comes at the cost of $449 with full features plus extras. While the suite version is the complete integrated studio for just $749. They even offer discounts for students, teachers and institutions, which you can check out on their website.

*Features of Ableton Live 10:

  • Audio-to-MIDI
  • MIDI and Key Mapping
  • Racks
  • Virtual Instruments
  • Great Audio Effects
  • Note Chasing
  • Global automation on/off switch
  • Grouping

*Supported Audio Formats: Ableton Live 10 supports .wav, .aiff., .AIFF-C, .FLAC, OGG Vorbis, .mp3 and .mp4, and .m4a.

*Supported Platforms: Ableton Live 10 is available for windows and macOS.

3 Audacity

Audacity is a free music recording software that is great for beginners as it has a ton of effects, high-quality sound, loaded with plugins and many editing features. It is easy to understand, and once you get the hang of it, you can record any audio you want.

audacity free music recording software interface

You can even produce professional studio-quality audio if you have the supporting hardware for recording high-quality audio. The only negative thing about Audacity is that it has a cluttered menu which makes it difficult for beginners to understand.

*Price of Audacity: Audacity is a completely free open-source audio recording software.

*Features of Audacity:

  • Tons of built-in effects
  • Free download
  • Wide range of helpful plugins
  • Comprehensive audio editing
  • Records high-quality audio
  • Easy accessibility
  • Spectrogram Analysis

*Supported Audio Formats: Audacity supports mp3, wav, AIFF, au, and ogg.

*Supported Platforms: Audacity is available for Windows, macOS and even Linux.

Try Filmora to Record Music and Save for Free!

Filmora Music Recorder is the best music recording software. It can not only extract the song but also can save the MV if needed. You can save the downloaded music on your device or for further use.

Record & Download Music Record & Download Music Learn More >

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4 NCH WavePad Audio

NCH WavePad Audio is another free music recording software with many great features. It doesn’tthave a sleek interface like others but it’sseasy to install and record music.

free music recording software interface

WavePad supports many popular audio file types that don’ttlimit you to edit a limited number of audio files. It is a reliable and effective tool for professionals to edit and record audio tracks for their videos and podcasts.

*Price of NCH WavePad Audio: NCH WavePad Audio comes in a free version with limited features, a Standard edition, and a Master’ssedition. The Standard Edition has additional features for $60, while the master’ssedition has access to full features for just $99. They even offer discounts, so be sure to check them out.

*Features of NCH WavePad Audio:

  • Quick and Precise Sound editing tools
  • Tons of Audio effects
  • DirectX and Virtual Studio Technology DLL (VST) plugin support
  • Batch processing
  • Audio restoration features
  • Easy to use interface
  • Spectral Analysis

*Supported Audio Formats: NCH Wavepad Audio supports vox, gsm, WMA, real audio, au, aif, FLAC, and Ogg.

*Supported Platforms: NCH WavePad Audio is available for Windows, and macOS.

5 Sound Forge Pro 13

If you’re looking for a professional audio recording software with powerful editing features, then Sound Forge Pro 13 is for you. It has tons of plugins, amazing audio editing features and even supports multi-channel recording.

sound forge pro free music recording software interface

It has an incredible user interface designed for professionals for high-performance audio processing. The new version even has a customizable interface that you can change according to your style and be more productive.

*Price of Sound Forge Pro 13: Sound Forge Pro 13 comes in a 30-day free trial version with limited features. The full version costs $299 for Windows and $249 for macOS. They also offer discounts from time to time, so check them out.

*Features of Sound Forge Pro 13:

  • Advanced Audio Editing Features
  • Powerful Recording workflows
  • Timestamp recording
  • Waveform overview bar
  • Batch Conversion
  • Customizable interface
  • Hi-Resolution audio support
  • One-touch recording

*Supported Audio Formats: Sound Forge Pro 13 supports SWF, Real Media 9, WMA, AVI, AIFF, AIF, and SND.

*Supported Platforms: Sound Forge Pro 13 is available for Windows and macOS.

6 Adobe Audition

Adobe Audition is the most advanced music recording software for professionals. It takes audio editing to the next level with professional features. It has a ton of amazing features that can improve your audio quality in no time.

adobe audition free music recording software interface

It is a professional audio editing software and therefore requires a lot of time to learn as it is not for beginners. Once you get the hang of it, you can record professional audio for your video projects without a hassle.

*Price of Adobe Audition: Adobe Audition comes with a 7-day free trial after which it costs $20.99 per month. You can even buy the Creative cloud suite for just $52.99 per month and have access to all Adobe applications.

*Features of Adobe Audition:

  • DeReverb and DeNoise effects
  • Advanced playback and recording performance
  • Professional multitrack user interface
  • On-clip gain and waveform scaling
  • Audio restoration
  • Faster and Precise Editing
  • Real-time clip stretching
  • Smart Track Colors
  • Custom channelization

*Supported Audio Formats: Adobe Audition supports AIF, AIFF, and AIFC.

*Supported Platforms: Adobe Audition is available for Windows and macOS.

filmora box

Filmora Song Recording Software

Extract Music from Video and Edit with AI

Extract music, song or audio with Filmora’s built-in screen recorder function. Automatically erase the noise from recorded audio file to bring you a better hearing experience.

Extract & Record Music Extract & Record Music Learn More >

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7 PreSonus Studio One

PreSonus Studio One is another professional audio producing software that is made for convenient audio recording and editing. It has seamless audio editing tools that enhance the performance of the audio.

presonus studio one free music recording software interface

It has advanced virtual instruments, an efficient user interface, and intuitive audio editing tools that help tweak audio and improve its quality.

*Price of PreSonus Studio One: PreSonus Studio One comes in three versions, free, Artist and Professional. The free version is for 30-days and the artist version costs $99 and has additional features and audio editing tools. While the Professional version costs $399 that has professional features for audio recording and editing.

*Features of PreSonus Studio One:

  • Advances audio editing tools
  • Virtual instruments
  • Advanced Group management
  • Chord Track
  • Cohesive Workflow
  • Sample one XT
  • Pattern Editor

*Supported Audio Formats: PreSonus Studio One supports Broadcast wav format, AIFF, Ogg Vorbis, and FLAC audio. MP3s are automatically converted to wav.

*Supported Platforms: PreSonus Studio One is available for Windows and macOS.

8 Ocenaudio

Ocenaudio is a free, cross-platform audio recording software with many amazing audio editing features. It is a little complicated to understand but performs all the necessary audio recording tasks.

free music recording software interface

It is highly intuitive and has a simple easy to use interface. It even has a powerful library that is developed to simplify audio editing.

*Price of Ocenaudio: Ocenaudio is free audio recording software.

*Features of Ocenaudio:

  • VST plugins support
  • Audio and Screen Recording
  • Sound Spectral Analysis
  • Real-time preview of effects
  • Cross-platform support
  • Multi-selection for delicate editions
  • Quick and Efficient editing of large files

*Supported Audio Formats: Ocenaudio supports vox, gsm, WMA, wav, .wma, .ogg, and .flac.

*Supported Platforms: Ocenaudio is available for Windows, macOS, and even Linux.

9 Wavosaur

Wavosaur is a free music recording software with great features like many paid music recording programs. It has all the necessary features to edit audio, produce music loops, record, analyze and even batch convert.

wavosaur free music recording software interface

Wavosaur processes files with wav and mp3 files filter, making it more convenient. Moreover, it supports VST plugins, real-time effect processing, multichannel wav files, and ASIO driver.

*Price of Wavosaur: Wavosaur is a free music recording software.

*Features of Wavosaur:

  • Multiple document interfaces
  • Audio Editing Features
  • Accurate waveform representation
  • VST effects
  • Tons of processing options
  • Bit-depth convert
  • Vocal removal
  • DC offset removal
  • Loop creation
  • Batch Processing

*Supported Audio Formats: Wavosaur supports VST plugins, ASIO driver, multichannel wav files, real-time effect processing.

*Supported Platforms: Wavosaur is available only for Windows.

10 Traverso

Traverso is another free music recording software that you can download for all your music recording needs. It has an easy-to-use interface combined with innovative mouse and keyboard shortcuts that help quickly perform audio recording tasks.

traverso free music recording software interface

It is developed for beginners to easily learn and get onto recording music without going through the trouble. Traverso’ssmastering controls, efficient user interface, and intuitive recording performance make it stand out among the rest.

*Price of Traverso: Traverso a free-to-use music recording software.

*Features of Traverso:

  • Clean and easy to use interface
  • Intuitive mouse and keyboard shortcuts
  • Non-destructive editing
  • Virtually unlimited track count
  • Supports common file types
  • Multiple Driver Backends
  • Lockless real-time audio processing
  • Audio recording and editing functions

*Supported Audio Formats: Traverso supports any audio formats supported by libsndfile, FLAC, OGG, mp3, and WavPack.

*Supported Platforms: Traverso is available for Windows, Linux, and even macOS.

11 Spek

Spek is a free, open-source audio recording software that is easy to learn and use. Its signal processing is ultra-fast as it processes audio files using several threads. It helps producers solve audio-related problems that most software cannot.

spek free music recording software interface

Common audio formats are also supported in Spek and also FFMPEG library. It helps analyze audio with the help of a spectrogram and is available in 19 different languages.

*Price of Spek: Spek is free of cost platform for audio recording and editing.

*Features of Spek:

  • Quick Signal Processing
  • Saves Spectrogram as Image
  • Supports common file formats
  • Supports FFMPEG libraries
  • Drag and drop support
  • Displays codec name
  • Shoes audio signal parameters
  • The spectral density range is adjustable

*Supported Audio Formats: Spek supports vox, gsm, WMA, Wav, WMA, real audio, au, aif, FLAC, and Ogg.

*Supported Platforms: Spek is available for Windows, Unix, and macOS.

Roundup of 11 Best Free to Try Music Recording Software

No. Music Recorder Free Trial Premium Version Supported OS Processing Power
1. Filmora Free trial Annual for $49.99/yearCross-platform for $59.99/yearPerpetual $79.99 Windows & macOS & iPhone & Android 64-bit
2. Ableton Live 10 30-day free trial Intro for $99Standard for $449Suite for $749 Windows & macOS 64-bit
3. Audacity Unlimited - Windows, macOS & Linux 32-bit
4. NCH WavePad Audio Limited Features Standard Edition for $60Master’s Edition for $99 Windows; macOS 64-bit
5. Sound Forge Pro 13 30-day free trial $299 for Windows$249 for macOS Windows; macOS 64-bit
6. Adobe Audition 7-day free trial Individual $20.99 monthlyCreative Cloud $52.99 monthly Windows & macOS 64-bit
7. PreSonus Studio One 30-day free trial Artist Version for $99Professional Version $399 Windows; macOS 64-bit
8. Ocenaudio Unlimited - Windows, macOS & Linux 32-bit
9. Wavosaur Unlimited - Windows 32-bit
10. Traverso Unlimited - Windows, macOS & Linux 64-bit
11. Spek Unlimited - Windows, Unix, macOS 64-bit

filmora box

Wondershare Filmora Music Recorder

Filmora - Best Music Recording Software

• Record music with the highest quality

• Easily edit and export audio & video files without watermark

• Cross-platform supported - (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Record Music for Free Record Music for Free Learn More >

iOS Android

Try It Free >>

What Does Music Recording Software Do?

A music recording software helps producers develop clean and professional audio tracks for their video projects and podcasts. The software eliminates the need to invest in expensive hardware used to produce quality audio.

Now musicians just need their regular outbound gear and the music recording software for producing professional soundtracks. The following points explain the use of Music recording software:

1. Record Voices and Live Instruments:

You can use free music recording software to record live voices and instrument sounds. The sounds can be recorded and edited for further refinement and clarity, paired with a good microphone.

2. Add Audio Effects to Sound Files:

Free music recording software can be used to add audio effects and plugins. This enables you to add and create reverbs, delays, chorus and even autotune.

3. Record Virtual Instruments:

Virtual instruments can also record music in a free music recording software if you don’t have access to real instruments. Most music recording software have built-in virtual tools for recording sounds digital.

4. Edit and Mix Audio Tracks:

You can edit and mix audio tracks with free music recording software for adding to your video projects. You can slice, move, and crossfade audio elements before mixing or polishing the audio tracks to improve the audio quality.

5. Add and Create Audio Loops:

A good music recording software includes a digital library of audio loops that you can add to your music tracks. You can even use the free music recording software for creating your own audio loops.

How to Choose the Right Music Recording Software?

A great music recording software is necessary for producers as they help create, record, edit and export audio. The produced audios can be used by professionals for their video projects of any kind.

There are many music recording software but choosing the right one depends on what kind of audio you want to record. Here are a few key points you should look out for in a music recording software:

1. Audio Plugin Compatibility:

Before selecting the right music recording software, you need to check out the audio plugin compatibility. They can be of two types: native PC and native mac plugins. Virtual Studio Technology (VST) is the most commonly used plugin compatible with mac and PC.

2. Supported Operating System:

Be sure to check out the supported operating systems of your music recording software. It would be better if free music recording software works on both Mac and Windows.

3. Audio Recording Features:

Music recording software comes with numerous features, a sound library, and plugins that can help improve your audio.

4. Pricing and Packages:

Free music recording software also has a premium version for some cost with added features and benefits. Compare the prices with the free software features to select the best one.

5. Customer Support:

Music recording software companies offer customer support that helps with your audio. Check the level of support you can expect from the company in case of queries or complaints.

Best Video Editor to Create MV – Filmora

Now that you know about the various free music recording software you can use for audio recording and editing, you need to know about Filmora to add the audios to video.

Filmora is the best video and audio editor for beginners and semi-professionals. It has a simple and easy-to-use interface that can help you create beautiful videos with the correct audio. It is available for both Windows and macOS.

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

Best Source to Download Audio – Filmstock

Filmstock is your ultimate one-stop shop for all stock media, including audio, sound effects, video effects, stock footage, photos, and even royalty-free music. It is the best source to download audio files for editing and adding to your video projects.

The Filmstock library is full of creative resources and is continually growing. It is, without a doubt, a valuable source for any beginner and professional artist. Filmstock has three subscription options: free, standard, and premium.

The free version gives you access to the free library that’ssupdated frequently with royalty-free stock media. The standard version costs $9.99 a month and gives you access to the free plus standard library updated weekly.

Lastly, the premium version costs $49.99 a month with access to the free, standard, and premium library updated daily.

Conclusion

Audio recording software is essential for audio production, which has many applications. It can be used for business podcasts, video projects, creating music, and more.

Filmora is undoubtedly the best video editing software for adding audio to video. Both beginners and professionals can use it to create high-quality videos that keep your audience engaged.

We hope this article helped you find the best music recording software. Let us know about your favorite audio recording software in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Free Animation Software Roundup: Windows and Mac Compatible

Best 12 Free Download Animation Software for Windows and Mac

author avatar

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!

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

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

Download Filmora9 Mac Version

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.

free animation software Pencil2D

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.

TupiTube free animation software mac

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.

free download 3D animation software blender

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.

K-3D

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.

Krita

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.

Download Win Version

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.

anireel animation software

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!

DAZ animation software

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.

Terragen animation software

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.

Anim8or video animation software

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.

animation software for windows Seamless3d

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.

OpenToonz animation program

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.

Stykz best free animation software

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 .

author avatar

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!

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

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

Download Filmora9 Mac Version

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.

free animation software Pencil2D

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.

TupiTube free animation software mac

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.

free download 3D animation software blender

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.

K-3D

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.

Krita

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.

Download Win Version

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.

anireel animation software

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!

DAZ animation software

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.

Terragen animation software

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.

Anim8or video animation software

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.

animation software for windows Seamless3d

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.

OpenToonz animation program

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.

Stykz best free animation software

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 .

author avatar

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!

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

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

Download Filmora9 Mac Version

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.

free animation software Pencil2D

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.

TupiTube free animation software mac

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.

free download 3D animation software blender

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.

K-3D

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.

Krita

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.

Download Win Version

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.

anireel animation software

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!

DAZ animation software

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.

Terragen animation software

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.

Anim8or video animation software

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.

animation software for windows Seamless3d

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.

OpenToonz animation program

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.

Stykz best free animation software

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 .

author avatar

Shanoon Cox

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

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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!

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

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

Download Filmora9 Mac Version

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.

free animation software Pencil2D

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.

TupiTube free animation software mac

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.

free download 3D animation software blender

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.

K-3D

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.

Krita

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.

Download Win Version

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.

anireel animation software

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!

DAZ animation software

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.

Terragen animation software

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.

Anim8or video animation software

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.

animation software for windows Seamless3d

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.

OpenToonz animation program

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.

Stykz best free animation software

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 .

author avatar

Shanoon Cox

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

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Bokeh Effects Unleashed: Top iOS and Android Apps for Photography

Best Bokeh Effects Apps in 2024

author avatar

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It’s no secret that DSLR cameras can help you achieve this blurred effect, but now there are dozens of apps that allow you to get the same outcome without spending hundreds on a new camera. This article will provide you with the 10 best Bokeh apps for iPhones and Androids, based on our own testing, so that you can start editing right away.


Part 1: What is the Bokeh Effect and Why Should I Be Using it?

The word “Bokeh”or “boke” refers to the Japanese concept of “blur.” It is, in its simplest form, a style of photography where one object is the primary focus, and everything else is strategically blurred.

Using the Bokeh effect is an excellent way to separate the focal point of your photo from non-focal points. It not only serves the purpose of highlighting the focus of the image, but can also help when you’re looking to get rid of an unpleasant or unwanted background. The blurred background is meant to keep your focal point at the absolute center of your audience’s attention.

Part 2: Top 10 Best Apps to Achieve the Bokeh Effect for iOS and Android

As mentioned, there are other ways to achieve the Bokeh effect without an expensive and often fidget DSLR camera. The following apps have been deemed the best based on a variety of characteristics which will be mentioned below.

1. Focos -iOS - FREE

The Focos app for iPhones is a free resource that uses computational photography and light-field camera settings to help you achieve the perfect blur. It offers users the option to apply the Bokeh effect to both the background and foreground of your image, with a variety of options for adjusting size and transparency.

To create the Bokeh effect in Focos:

  1. Download App via App Store and allow it access to your camera and camera roll;
  2. Import the image you wish you use, or take a photo using the app’s camera;
  3. Adjust your focal point and transparency of the blur using their sliding bar feature;

add bokeh effects with Focos app

  1. To add more Bokeh effects, select the star Effect feature in the bottom right of the screen.

add more bokeh effects with Focos app

  1. Once you’re happy with the effect, this app allows you to save to your camera roll or share to other apps, including Instagram.

2. Photo Editor Pro - Android - FREE

add more bokeh effects with Photo Editor Pro app

Photo Editor Pro is a free application that allows users to achieve the Bokeh effect with 4 different camera modes. Users can also adjust the transparency of the bokeh effect chosen.

To create the Bokeh effect in Photo Editor Pro:

  1. Download the app and allow access to camera and camera roll;
  2. Select your desired image either via camera or camera roll;
  3. Choose between a variety of backgrounds and blending tools and adjust using the apps adjustable features, and download to camera roll or upload to a third-party app.

3. Auto Blur Background - Android - FREE

add more bokeh effects with  Auto Blur Background app

The Auto Blur Background app for iOS and Android is another free resource for creating an image with the Bokeh effect. The app allows users to select the size and desired amount of blur for your background, giving the user a lot of control over the outcome of their photo. It enables users to add overlays in addition to the bokeh effect to enhance the overall outcome.

To create the Bokeh effect in Auto Blur Background app:

  1. Import or take your photo on the Auto Blur Background application;
  2. Edit as desired using a variety of tools offered at the bottom of your screen, and add bokeh effect to the video;
  3. To export, select the Share icon in the bottom right hand corner;
  4. From this step you can either import directly to Instagram, or export to camera roll. If exported to camera roll, open Instagram app and add a new story, select photo from camera roll and hit add to story!

4. SnapSeed- iOS & Android - FREE

SnapSeed is one of the ultimate editing apps to help you achieve the Bokeh effect on iOS and Android devices. This app, owned by Google, provides an array of advanced editing tools to help improve your photography and editing capabilities.

To create the Bokeh effect in SnapSeed:

  1. Download the app in the app store and allow access to camera and camera roll;
  2. Import or take desired image and choose between a variety of filters;

add filters with SnapSeed app

  1. After selecting your filter, choose Tools and select the Lens Blur Option , and adjust your blur strength accordingly**;**

add  bokeh effects with SnapSeed app

  1. Export and save to camera roll or upload to a third-party site.

5. AfterFocus -iOS & Android - $0.99

AfterFocus helps users achieve the Bokeh effect by letting you define the focal area and adjusting the blur of the surrounding regions.

add  bokeh effects with AfterFocus app

To create the Bokeh effect in AfterFocus:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll, and select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. Once you’ve selected your image, the app will prompt you to select whether you want to manually select the focus area or if you want their software to detect it for you;
  3. Several blurring tools will appear, use the focus selector tool to select the regions in which you’d like your image to be focused;
  4. Then use the background selector tool to select the background of your photo, and choose between lens, motion and zoom blur

6. Real Bokeh -iOS & Android - $2.99

Real Bokeh allows users on both the iPhone and Android to add Bokeh light features to their photos. It includes 36 Bokeh shapes, 33 light leak effects, 23 image filters and much more.

add  bokeh effects with Real Bokeh app

To create the Bokeh effect in Real Bokeh:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll and select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. Choose between different filters, shapes and effects to add to your image;
  3. Adjust the transparency of your bokeh effect on the sliding bar provided by the app, and export to camera roll or to a third party site.

7. Bokeh Lens -iOS - $0.99

This app, designed for the iPhone, is a magnifying glass for photos, allowing users to create their own Bokeh effect without the use of a DSLR camera. The Bokeh level on this app is also customizable, making it great if you’re looking to get detailed.

add  bokeh effects with  Bokeh Lens app

To create the Bokeh effect in Bokeh Lens:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll, and select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. Using the image below, follow the focus area tools, adjustable bokeh level and more to achieve your perfect photo, and then export to camera roll or third party app

8. Blur Photo - iOS & Android - FREE

Blur photo uses a one click method to achieve auto blurred backgrounds to help you achieve the Bokeh effect. It also allows you to manually adjust the settings to your own liking. Users can increase or decrease the blur effect, add filters to photos, and add emojis and text.

add bokeh effects with  Blur Photo app

To create the Bokeh effect in Blur Photo:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll, and select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. You are given a variety of image sizing options, once completed, select Blur, from here you are able to adjust the size and amount of blur and your image is blurred by using your finger to glide over desired areas;
  3. Upon completion, export and save to camera roll or third-party app.

9. PhotoDirector -iOS & Android - FREE

PhotoDirector is an app available on the iPhone and Android that offers extensive editing options, including the Bokeh effect. You can add animated overlays, animated decorations, sky placement, photo retouching, and much, much more.

To create the Bokeh effect in PhotoDirector:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll and then select the image given your options (camera, camera roll) ;
  2. To find and utilize the Bokeh effect, click the Live button, from there, choose where you want the image to focus, which Bokeh effects you want and how animated you want them to be;
  3. Upon completion, export and save to camera roll or third-party app.

10. Tadaa SLR - iOS - $3.99

Although this app is the most expensive on the list, it also offers some of the best depth-of-field and bokeh effects. It is ultra-precise and easy to navigate.

add bokeh effects with Tadaa SLR app

To create the Bokeh effect in Tadaa SLR:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll, and then select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. Once image is imported, select the Mask tool, which you can use to select the portion of the image you’d like to keep in focus;
  3. You may then adjust the aperture, range, gloss and highlights via the modification tools provided at the bottom of the screen.
  4. Adjust to your liking and export!

Part 3: Creating the Bokeh Effect Using the Portrait Mode Function on Your iPhone

If using a third-party app seems like too much effort, or you don’t find the app that achieves the exact blur to focus ratio you’re looking for, consider using the Portrait Mode feature available on newer iPhone models.

Portrait mode is a camera function that allows users to create the depth of field effect we know as Bokeh. When used, the focal image will be crisp and sharp, while the background will be blurred nicely so as to not cause a distraction to the focal point.

To achieve the Bokeh effect through Portrait Mode, you must:

  1. Open up your camera app and along the bottom of your screen find and select Portrait, and select from a variety of portrait mode options, including Natural light, studio light, contour light, stage light, stage light mono, high key light mono;

add bokeh effects with Portrait Mode on iPhone

  1. Portrait mode will then allow you to choose your focal point, and do the rest of the work when it comes to blurring the background to create the Bokeh effect;
  2. The different modes offered will allow users to achieve different types of blur.

Note: If you want to add the bokeh effect to video on the desktop computer, you should try Wondershare Filmora , which provides tilt-shift circle and tilt-shift linear effects for creating the bokeh effect, as well as some bokeh effect overlay. For more details, you can check how to add bokeh effects to the video with Filmora.

Download Filmora  Win Version Download Filmora   Mac Version

Takeaway

Using the Bokeh effect can add a layer to your photography that takes it to the next level. While there are a variety of tools you can use to achieve this, I have covered the 10 best apps for iOS and Android users to accomplish Bokeh. And if third-party apps aren’t for you, don’t forget that iPhone user can also use Portrait Mode to achieve a great Bokeh outcome.

author avatar

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It’s no secret that DSLR cameras can help you achieve this blurred effect, but now there are dozens of apps that allow you to get the same outcome without spending hundreds on a new camera. This article will provide you with the 10 best Bokeh apps for iPhones and Androids, based on our own testing, so that you can start editing right away.


Part 1: What is the Bokeh Effect and Why Should I Be Using it?

The word “Bokeh”or “boke” refers to the Japanese concept of “blur.” It is, in its simplest form, a style of photography where one object is the primary focus, and everything else is strategically blurred.

Using the Bokeh effect is an excellent way to separate the focal point of your photo from non-focal points. It not only serves the purpose of highlighting the focus of the image, but can also help when you’re looking to get rid of an unpleasant or unwanted background. The blurred background is meant to keep your focal point at the absolute center of your audience’s attention.

Part 2: Top 10 Best Apps to Achieve the Bokeh Effect for iOS and Android

As mentioned, there are other ways to achieve the Bokeh effect without an expensive and often fidget DSLR camera. The following apps have been deemed the best based on a variety of characteristics which will be mentioned below.

1. Focos -iOS - FREE

The Focos app for iPhones is a free resource that uses computational photography and light-field camera settings to help you achieve the perfect blur. It offers users the option to apply the Bokeh effect to both the background and foreground of your image, with a variety of options for adjusting size and transparency.

To create the Bokeh effect in Focos:

  1. Download App via App Store and allow it access to your camera and camera roll;
  2. Import the image you wish you use, or take a photo using the app’s camera;
  3. Adjust your focal point and transparency of the blur using their sliding bar feature;

add bokeh effects with Focos app

  1. To add more Bokeh effects, select the star Effect feature in the bottom right of the screen.

add more bokeh effects with Focos app

  1. Once you’re happy with the effect, this app allows you to save to your camera roll or share to other apps, including Instagram.

2. Photo Editor Pro - Android - FREE

add more bokeh effects with Photo Editor Pro app

Photo Editor Pro is a free application that allows users to achieve the Bokeh effect with 4 different camera modes. Users can also adjust the transparency of the bokeh effect chosen.

To create the Bokeh effect in Photo Editor Pro:

  1. Download the app and allow access to camera and camera roll;
  2. Select your desired image either via camera or camera roll;
  3. Choose between a variety of backgrounds and blending tools and adjust using the apps adjustable features, and download to camera roll or upload to a third-party app.

3. Auto Blur Background - Android - FREE

add more bokeh effects with  Auto Blur Background app

The Auto Blur Background app for iOS and Android is another free resource for creating an image with the Bokeh effect. The app allows users to select the size and desired amount of blur for your background, giving the user a lot of control over the outcome of their photo. It enables users to add overlays in addition to the bokeh effect to enhance the overall outcome.

To create the Bokeh effect in Auto Blur Background app:

  1. Import or take your photo on the Auto Blur Background application;
  2. Edit as desired using a variety of tools offered at the bottom of your screen, and add bokeh effect to the video;
  3. To export, select the Share icon in the bottom right hand corner;
  4. From this step you can either import directly to Instagram, or export to camera roll. If exported to camera roll, open Instagram app and add a new story, select photo from camera roll and hit add to story!

4. SnapSeed- iOS & Android - FREE

SnapSeed is one of the ultimate editing apps to help you achieve the Bokeh effect on iOS and Android devices. This app, owned by Google, provides an array of advanced editing tools to help improve your photography and editing capabilities.

To create the Bokeh effect in SnapSeed:

  1. Download the app in the app store and allow access to camera and camera roll;
  2. Import or take desired image and choose between a variety of filters;

add filters with SnapSeed app

  1. After selecting your filter, choose Tools and select the Lens Blur Option , and adjust your blur strength accordingly**;**

add  bokeh effects with SnapSeed app

  1. Export and save to camera roll or upload to a third-party site.

5. AfterFocus -iOS & Android - $0.99

AfterFocus helps users achieve the Bokeh effect by letting you define the focal area and adjusting the blur of the surrounding regions.

add  bokeh effects with AfterFocus app

To create the Bokeh effect in AfterFocus:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll, and select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. Once you’ve selected your image, the app will prompt you to select whether you want to manually select the focus area or if you want their software to detect it for you;
  3. Several blurring tools will appear, use the focus selector tool to select the regions in which you’d like your image to be focused;
  4. Then use the background selector tool to select the background of your photo, and choose between lens, motion and zoom blur

6. Real Bokeh -iOS & Android - $2.99

Real Bokeh allows users on both the iPhone and Android to add Bokeh light features to their photos. It includes 36 Bokeh shapes, 33 light leak effects, 23 image filters and much more.

add  bokeh effects with Real Bokeh app

To create the Bokeh effect in Real Bokeh:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll and select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. Choose between different filters, shapes and effects to add to your image;
  3. Adjust the transparency of your bokeh effect on the sliding bar provided by the app, and export to camera roll or to a third party site.

7. Bokeh Lens -iOS - $0.99

This app, designed for the iPhone, is a magnifying glass for photos, allowing users to create their own Bokeh effect without the use of a DSLR camera. The Bokeh level on this app is also customizable, making it great if you’re looking to get detailed.

add  bokeh effects with  Bokeh Lens app

To create the Bokeh effect in Bokeh Lens:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll, and select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. Using the image below, follow the focus area tools, adjustable bokeh level and more to achieve your perfect photo, and then export to camera roll or third party app

8. Blur Photo - iOS & Android - FREE

Blur photo uses a one click method to achieve auto blurred backgrounds to help you achieve the Bokeh effect. It also allows you to manually adjust the settings to your own liking. Users can increase or decrease the blur effect, add filters to photos, and add emojis and text.

add bokeh effects with  Blur Photo app

To create the Bokeh effect in Blur Photo:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll, and select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. You are given a variety of image sizing options, once completed, select Blur, from here you are able to adjust the size and amount of blur and your image is blurred by using your finger to glide over desired areas;
  3. Upon completion, export and save to camera roll or third-party app.

9. PhotoDirector -iOS & Android - FREE

PhotoDirector is an app available on the iPhone and Android that offers extensive editing options, including the Bokeh effect. You can add animated overlays, animated decorations, sky placement, photo retouching, and much, much more.

To create the Bokeh effect in PhotoDirector:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll and then select the image given your options (camera, camera roll) ;
  2. To find and utilize the Bokeh effect, click the Live button, from there, choose where you want the image to focus, which Bokeh effects you want and how animated you want them to be;
  3. Upon completion, export and save to camera roll or third-party app.

10. Tadaa SLR - iOS - $3.99

Although this app is the most expensive on the list, it also offers some of the best depth-of-field and bokeh effects. It is ultra-precise and easy to navigate.

add bokeh effects with Tadaa SLR app

To create the Bokeh effect in Tadaa SLR:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll, and then select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. Once image is imported, select the Mask tool, which you can use to select the portion of the image you’d like to keep in focus;
  3. You may then adjust the aperture, range, gloss and highlights via the modification tools provided at the bottom of the screen.
  4. Adjust to your liking and export!

Part 3: Creating the Bokeh Effect Using the Portrait Mode Function on Your iPhone

If using a third-party app seems like too much effort, or you don’t find the app that achieves the exact blur to focus ratio you’re looking for, consider using the Portrait Mode feature available on newer iPhone models.

Portrait mode is a camera function that allows users to create the depth of field effect we know as Bokeh. When used, the focal image will be crisp and sharp, while the background will be blurred nicely so as to not cause a distraction to the focal point.

To achieve the Bokeh effect through Portrait Mode, you must:

  1. Open up your camera app and along the bottom of your screen find and select Portrait, and select from a variety of portrait mode options, including Natural light, studio light, contour light, stage light, stage light mono, high key light mono;

add bokeh effects with Portrait Mode on iPhone

  1. Portrait mode will then allow you to choose your focal point, and do the rest of the work when it comes to blurring the background to create the Bokeh effect;
  2. The different modes offered will allow users to achieve different types of blur.

Note: If you want to add the bokeh effect to video on the desktop computer, you should try Wondershare Filmora , which provides tilt-shift circle and tilt-shift linear effects for creating the bokeh effect, as well as some bokeh effect overlay. For more details, you can check how to add bokeh effects to the video with Filmora.

Download Filmora  Win Version Download Filmora   Mac Version

Takeaway

Using the Bokeh effect can add a layer to your photography that takes it to the next level. While there are a variety of tools you can use to achieve this, I have covered the 10 best apps for iOS and Android users to accomplish Bokeh. And if third-party apps aren’t for you, don’t forget that iPhone user can also use Portrait Mode to achieve a great Bokeh outcome.

author avatar

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It’s no secret that DSLR cameras can help you achieve this blurred effect, but now there are dozens of apps that allow you to get the same outcome without spending hundreds on a new camera. This article will provide you with the 10 best Bokeh apps for iPhones and Androids, based on our own testing, so that you can start editing right away.


Part 1: What is the Bokeh Effect and Why Should I Be Using it?

The word “Bokeh”or “boke” refers to the Japanese concept of “blur.” It is, in its simplest form, a style of photography where one object is the primary focus, and everything else is strategically blurred.

Using the Bokeh effect is an excellent way to separate the focal point of your photo from non-focal points. It not only serves the purpose of highlighting the focus of the image, but can also help when you’re looking to get rid of an unpleasant or unwanted background. The blurred background is meant to keep your focal point at the absolute center of your audience’s attention.

Part 2: Top 10 Best Apps to Achieve the Bokeh Effect for iOS and Android

As mentioned, there are other ways to achieve the Bokeh effect without an expensive and often fidget DSLR camera. The following apps have been deemed the best based on a variety of characteristics which will be mentioned below.

1. Focos -iOS - FREE

The Focos app for iPhones is a free resource that uses computational photography and light-field camera settings to help you achieve the perfect blur. It offers users the option to apply the Bokeh effect to both the background and foreground of your image, with a variety of options for adjusting size and transparency.

To create the Bokeh effect in Focos:

  1. Download App via App Store and allow it access to your camera and camera roll;
  2. Import the image you wish you use, or take a photo using the app’s camera;
  3. Adjust your focal point and transparency of the blur using their sliding bar feature;

add bokeh effects with Focos app

  1. To add more Bokeh effects, select the star Effect feature in the bottom right of the screen.

add more bokeh effects with Focos app

  1. Once you’re happy with the effect, this app allows you to save to your camera roll or share to other apps, including Instagram.

2. Photo Editor Pro - Android - FREE

add more bokeh effects with Photo Editor Pro app

Photo Editor Pro is a free application that allows users to achieve the Bokeh effect with 4 different camera modes. Users can also adjust the transparency of the bokeh effect chosen.

To create the Bokeh effect in Photo Editor Pro:

  1. Download the app and allow access to camera and camera roll;
  2. Select your desired image either via camera or camera roll;
  3. Choose between a variety of backgrounds and blending tools and adjust using the apps adjustable features, and download to camera roll or upload to a third-party app.

3. Auto Blur Background - Android - FREE

add more bokeh effects with  Auto Blur Background app

The Auto Blur Background app for iOS and Android is another free resource for creating an image with the Bokeh effect. The app allows users to select the size and desired amount of blur for your background, giving the user a lot of control over the outcome of their photo. It enables users to add overlays in addition to the bokeh effect to enhance the overall outcome.

To create the Bokeh effect in Auto Blur Background app:

  1. Import or take your photo on the Auto Blur Background application;
  2. Edit as desired using a variety of tools offered at the bottom of your screen, and add bokeh effect to the video;
  3. To export, select the Share icon in the bottom right hand corner;
  4. From this step you can either import directly to Instagram, or export to camera roll. If exported to camera roll, open Instagram app and add a new story, select photo from camera roll and hit add to story!

4. SnapSeed- iOS & Android - FREE

SnapSeed is one of the ultimate editing apps to help you achieve the Bokeh effect on iOS and Android devices. This app, owned by Google, provides an array of advanced editing tools to help improve your photography and editing capabilities.

To create the Bokeh effect in SnapSeed:

  1. Download the app in the app store and allow access to camera and camera roll;
  2. Import or take desired image and choose between a variety of filters;

add filters with SnapSeed app

  1. After selecting your filter, choose Tools and select the Lens Blur Option , and adjust your blur strength accordingly**;**

add  bokeh effects with SnapSeed app

  1. Export and save to camera roll or upload to a third-party site.

5. AfterFocus -iOS & Android - $0.99

AfterFocus helps users achieve the Bokeh effect by letting you define the focal area and adjusting the blur of the surrounding regions.

add  bokeh effects with AfterFocus app

To create the Bokeh effect in AfterFocus:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll, and select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. Once you’ve selected your image, the app will prompt you to select whether you want to manually select the focus area or if you want their software to detect it for you;
  3. Several blurring tools will appear, use the focus selector tool to select the regions in which you’d like your image to be focused;
  4. Then use the background selector tool to select the background of your photo, and choose between lens, motion and zoom blur

6. Real Bokeh -iOS & Android - $2.99

Real Bokeh allows users on both the iPhone and Android to add Bokeh light features to their photos. It includes 36 Bokeh shapes, 33 light leak effects, 23 image filters and much more.

add  bokeh effects with Real Bokeh app

To create the Bokeh effect in Real Bokeh:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll and select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. Choose between different filters, shapes and effects to add to your image;
  3. Adjust the transparency of your bokeh effect on the sliding bar provided by the app, and export to camera roll or to a third party site.

7. Bokeh Lens -iOS - $0.99

This app, designed for the iPhone, is a magnifying glass for photos, allowing users to create their own Bokeh effect without the use of a DSLR camera. The Bokeh level on this app is also customizable, making it great if you’re looking to get detailed.

add  bokeh effects with  Bokeh Lens app

To create the Bokeh effect in Bokeh Lens:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll, and select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. Using the image below, follow the focus area tools, adjustable bokeh level and more to achieve your perfect photo, and then export to camera roll or third party app

8. Blur Photo - iOS & Android - FREE

Blur photo uses a one click method to achieve auto blurred backgrounds to help you achieve the Bokeh effect. It also allows you to manually adjust the settings to your own liking. Users can increase or decrease the blur effect, add filters to photos, and add emojis and text.

add bokeh effects with  Blur Photo app

To create the Bokeh effect in Blur Photo:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll, and select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. You are given a variety of image sizing options, once completed, select Blur, from here you are able to adjust the size and amount of blur and your image is blurred by using your finger to glide over desired areas;
  3. Upon completion, export and save to camera roll or third-party app.

9. PhotoDirector -iOS & Android - FREE

PhotoDirector is an app available on the iPhone and Android that offers extensive editing options, including the Bokeh effect. You can add animated overlays, animated decorations, sky placement, photo retouching, and much, much more.

To create the Bokeh effect in PhotoDirector:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll and then select the image given your options (camera, camera roll) ;
  2. To find and utilize the Bokeh effect, click the Live button, from there, choose where you want the image to focus, which Bokeh effects you want and how animated you want them to be;
  3. Upon completion, export and save to camera roll or third-party app.

10. Tadaa SLR - iOS - $3.99

Although this app is the most expensive on the list, it also offers some of the best depth-of-field and bokeh effects. It is ultra-precise and easy to navigate.

add bokeh effects with Tadaa SLR app

To create the Bokeh effect in Tadaa SLR:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll, and then select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. Once image is imported, select the Mask tool, which you can use to select the portion of the image you’d like to keep in focus;
  3. You may then adjust the aperture, range, gloss and highlights via the modification tools provided at the bottom of the screen.
  4. Adjust to your liking and export!

Part 3: Creating the Bokeh Effect Using the Portrait Mode Function on Your iPhone

If using a third-party app seems like too much effort, or you don’t find the app that achieves the exact blur to focus ratio you’re looking for, consider using the Portrait Mode feature available on newer iPhone models.

Portrait mode is a camera function that allows users to create the depth of field effect we know as Bokeh. When used, the focal image will be crisp and sharp, while the background will be blurred nicely so as to not cause a distraction to the focal point.

To achieve the Bokeh effect through Portrait Mode, you must:

  1. Open up your camera app and along the bottom of your screen find and select Portrait, and select from a variety of portrait mode options, including Natural light, studio light, contour light, stage light, stage light mono, high key light mono;

add bokeh effects with Portrait Mode on iPhone

  1. Portrait mode will then allow you to choose your focal point, and do the rest of the work when it comes to blurring the background to create the Bokeh effect;
  2. The different modes offered will allow users to achieve different types of blur.

Note: If you want to add the bokeh effect to video on the desktop computer, you should try Wondershare Filmora , which provides tilt-shift circle and tilt-shift linear effects for creating the bokeh effect, as well as some bokeh effect overlay. For more details, you can check how to add bokeh effects to the video with Filmora.

Download Filmora  Win Version Download Filmora   Mac Version

Takeaway

Using the Bokeh effect can add a layer to your photography that takes it to the next level. While there are a variety of tools you can use to achieve this, I have covered the 10 best apps for iOS and Android users to accomplish Bokeh. And if third-party apps aren’t for you, don’t forget that iPhone user can also use Portrait Mode to achieve a great Bokeh outcome.

author avatar

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It’s no secret that DSLR cameras can help you achieve this blurred effect, but now there are dozens of apps that allow you to get the same outcome without spending hundreds on a new camera. This article will provide you with the 10 best Bokeh apps for iPhones and Androids, based on our own testing, so that you can start editing right away.


Part 1: What is the Bokeh Effect and Why Should I Be Using it?

The word “Bokeh”or “boke” refers to the Japanese concept of “blur.” It is, in its simplest form, a style of photography where one object is the primary focus, and everything else is strategically blurred.

Using the Bokeh effect is an excellent way to separate the focal point of your photo from non-focal points. It not only serves the purpose of highlighting the focus of the image, but can also help when you’re looking to get rid of an unpleasant or unwanted background. The blurred background is meant to keep your focal point at the absolute center of your audience’s attention.

Part 2: Top 10 Best Apps to Achieve the Bokeh Effect for iOS and Android

As mentioned, there are other ways to achieve the Bokeh effect without an expensive and often fidget DSLR camera. The following apps have been deemed the best based on a variety of characteristics which will be mentioned below.

1. Focos -iOS - FREE

The Focos app for iPhones is a free resource that uses computational photography and light-field camera settings to help you achieve the perfect blur. It offers users the option to apply the Bokeh effect to both the background and foreground of your image, with a variety of options for adjusting size and transparency.

To create the Bokeh effect in Focos:

  1. Download App via App Store and allow it access to your camera and camera roll;
  2. Import the image you wish you use, or take a photo using the app’s camera;
  3. Adjust your focal point and transparency of the blur using their sliding bar feature;

add bokeh effects with Focos app

  1. To add more Bokeh effects, select the star Effect feature in the bottom right of the screen.

add more bokeh effects with Focos app

  1. Once you’re happy with the effect, this app allows you to save to your camera roll or share to other apps, including Instagram.

2. Photo Editor Pro - Android - FREE

add more bokeh effects with Photo Editor Pro app

Photo Editor Pro is a free application that allows users to achieve the Bokeh effect with 4 different camera modes. Users can also adjust the transparency of the bokeh effect chosen.

To create the Bokeh effect in Photo Editor Pro:

  1. Download the app and allow access to camera and camera roll;
  2. Select your desired image either via camera or camera roll;
  3. Choose between a variety of backgrounds and blending tools and adjust using the apps adjustable features, and download to camera roll or upload to a third-party app.

3. Auto Blur Background - Android - FREE

add more bokeh effects with  Auto Blur Background app

The Auto Blur Background app for iOS and Android is another free resource for creating an image with the Bokeh effect. The app allows users to select the size and desired amount of blur for your background, giving the user a lot of control over the outcome of their photo. It enables users to add overlays in addition to the bokeh effect to enhance the overall outcome.

To create the Bokeh effect in Auto Blur Background app:

  1. Import or take your photo on the Auto Blur Background application;
  2. Edit as desired using a variety of tools offered at the bottom of your screen, and add bokeh effect to the video;
  3. To export, select the Share icon in the bottom right hand corner;
  4. From this step you can either import directly to Instagram, or export to camera roll. If exported to camera roll, open Instagram app and add a new story, select photo from camera roll and hit add to story!

4. SnapSeed- iOS & Android - FREE

SnapSeed is one of the ultimate editing apps to help you achieve the Bokeh effect on iOS and Android devices. This app, owned by Google, provides an array of advanced editing tools to help improve your photography and editing capabilities.

To create the Bokeh effect in SnapSeed:

  1. Download the app in the app store and allow access to camera and camera roll;
  2. Import or take desired image and choose between a variety of filters;

add filters with SnapSeed app

  1. After selecting your filter, choose Tools and select the Lens Blur Option , and adjust your blur strength accordingly**;**

add  bokeh effects with SnapSeed app

  1. Export and save to camera roll or upload to a third-party site.

5. AfterFocus -iOS & Android - $0.99

AfterFocus helps users achieve the Bokeh effect by letting you define the focal area and adjusting the blur of the surrounding regions.

add  bokeh effects with AfterFocus app

To create the Bokeh effect in AfterFocus:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll, and select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. Once you’ve selected your image, the app will prompt you to select whether you want to manually select the focus area or if you want their software to detect it for you;
  3. Several blurring tools will appear, use the focus selector tool to select the regions in which you’d like your image to be focused;
  4. Then use the background selector tool to select the background of your photo, and choose between lens, motion and zoom blur

6. Real Bokeh -iOS & Android - $2.99

Real Bokeh allows users on both the iPhone and Android to add Bokeh light features to their photos. It includes 36 Bokeh shapes, 33 light leak effects, 23 image filters and much more.

add  bokeh effects with Real Bokeh app

To create the Bokeh effect in Real Bokeh:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll and select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. Choose between different filters, shapes and effects to add to your image;
  3. Adjust the transparency of your bokeh effect on the sliding bar provided by the app, and export to camera roll or to a third party site.

7. Bokeh Lens -iOS - $0.99

This app, designed for the iPhone, is a magnifying glass for photos, allowing users to create their own Bokeh effect without the use of a DSLR camera. The Bokeh level on this app is also customizable, making it great if you’re looking to get detailed.

add  bokeh effects with  Bokeh Lens app

To create the Bokeh effect in Bokeh Lens:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll, and select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. Using the image below, follow the focus area tools, adjustable bokeh level and more to achieve your perfect photo, and then export to camera roll or third party app

8. Blur Photo - iOS & Android - FREE

Blur photo uses a one click method to achieve auto blurred backgrounds to help you achieve the Bokeh effect. It also allows you to manually adjust the settings to your own liking. Users can increase or decrease the blur effect, add filters to photos, and add emojis and text.

add bokeh effects with  Blur Photo app

To create the Bokeh effect in Blur Photo:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll, and select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. You are given a variety of image sizing options, once completed, select Blur, from here you are able to adjust the size and amount of blur and your image is blurred by using your finger to glide over desired areas;
  3. Upon completion, export and save to camera roll or third-party app.

9. PhotoDirector -iOS & Android - FREE

PhotoDirector is an app available on the iPhone and Android that offers extensive editing options, including the Bokeh effect. You can add animated overlays, animated decorations, sky placement, photo retouching, and much, much more.

To create the Bokeh effect in PhotoDirector:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll and then select the image given your options (camera, camera roll) ;
  2. To find and utilize the Bokeh effect, click the Live button, from there, choose where you want the image to focus, which Bokeh effects you want and how animated you want them to be;
  3. Upon completion, export and save to camera roll or third-party app.

10. Tadaa SLR - iOS - $3.99

Although this app is the most expensive on the list, it also offers some of the best depth-of-field and bokeh effects. It is ultra-precise and easy to navigate.

add bokeh effects with Tadaa SLR app

To create the Bokeh effect in Tadaa SLR:

  1. Download the app and allow the app access to your camera and camera roll, and then select the image given your options (camera, camera roll);
  2. Once image is imported, select the Mask tool, which you can use to select the portion of the image you’d like to keep in focus;
  3. You may then adjust the aperture, range, gloss and highlights via the modification tools provided at the bottom of the screen.
  4. Adjust to your liking and export!

Part 3: Creating the Bokeh Effect Using the Portrait Mode Function on Your iPhone

If using a third-party app seems like too much effort, or you don’t find the app that achieves the exact blur to focus ratio you’re looking for, consider using the Portrait Mode feature available on newer iPhone models.

Portrait mode is a camera function that allows users to create the depth of field effect we know as Bokeh. When used, the focal image will be crisp and sharp, while the background will be blurred nicely so as to not cause a distraction to the focal point.

To achieve the Bokeh effect through Portrait Mode, you must:

  1. Open up your camera app and along the bottom of your screen find and select Portrait, and select from a variety of portrait mode options, including Natural light, studio light, contour light, stage light, stage light mono, high key light mono;

add bokeh effects with Portrait Mode on iPhone

  1. Portrait mode will then allow you to choose your focal point, and do the rest of the work when it comes to blurring the background to create the Bokeh effect;
  2. The different modes offered will allow users to achieve different types of blur.

Note: If you want to add the bokeh effect to video on the desktop computer, you should try Wondershare Filmora , which provides tilt-shift circle and tilt-shift linear effects for creating the bokeh effect, as well as some bokeh effect overlay. For more details, you can check how to add bokeh effects to the video with Filmora.

Download Filmora  Win Version Download Filmora   Mac Version

Takeaway

Using the Bokeh effect can add a layer to your photography that takes it to the next level. While there are a variety of tools you can use to achieve this, I have covered the 10 best apps for iOS and Android users to accomplish Bokeh. And if third-party apps aren’t for you, don’t forget that iPhone user can also use Portrait Mode to achieve a great Bokeh outcome.

author avatar

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Also read:

  • Title: 2024 Approved IMovie Not Available on Windows? Try These Top Alternatives
  • Author: Amelia
  • Created at : 2024-04-29 20:00:56
  • Updated at : 2024-04-30 20:00:56
  • Link: https://ai-driven-video-production.techidaily.com/2024-approved-imovie-not-available-on-windows-try-these-top-alternatives/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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2024 Approved IMovie Not Available on Windows? Try These Top Alternatives