New In 2024, Mac Video Editing Software 10 Alternatives to Vegas Pro You Need to Know

New In 2024, Mac Video Editing Software 10 Alternatives to Vegas Pro You Need to Know

Amelia Lv12

Mac Video Editing Software: 10 Alternatives to Vegas Pro You Need to Know

For creating high-grade dynamic videos, simply shooting or recording a clip is not enough. Finding the best Sony Ve gas alternatives for Mac is essential since the software mainly targets Windows users.

Thanks to developers, there are many free and paid options to start your video editing journey on a Mac. Let’s first have a look at alternative software you could consider.

  1. Lightworks
  2. Wondershare Filmora
  3. Adobe Premiere Pro
  4. HitFilm Express
  5. Kdenlive
  6. OpenShot
  7. Blender
  8. Jahshaka
  9. Final Cut Pro
  10. Cyberlink PowerDirector 365

Part 1: Sony Vegas Pro Alternatives & Competitors Overview

Here is a list of the top 10 tools we found after research. For an easier understanding, the following are the essential points of difference between alternative video editing software types for Sony Vegas Pro in a tabular form.

Software Supported OS Price Editor’s Verdict
Lightworks Windows, Mac, Linux Create-$9.99/month, Pro-$23.99/month Medium-Difficult
Wondershare Filmora Windows, Mac Annual-$49.99, Perpetual-$79.99 Easy
Adobe Premiere Pro Windows, Mac $20.99/month Easy-Medium
HitFilm Express Windows, Mac Free Easy
Kdenlive Windows, Mac, Linux Free Medium-Difficult
OpenShot Windows, Mac, Linux, OsX Free Medium-Difficult
Blender Windows, Mac, Linux Free Easy
Jahshaka Windows, Linux, OsX Free Easy-Medium
Final Cut Pro Mac Lifetime-$299.99 Easy-Medium
Cyberlink PowerDirector 365 Windows, Mac Lifetime-$52.50 Easy-Medium

Part 2: Top 10 Sony Vegas (Vegas Pro) Alternatives & Competitors

Now that you know the primary differences between the Sony Vegas Pro alternatives. Are you find anything you like? Let’s move on to more details for your further consideration.

1. Lightworks

With Lightworks, using the independent timeline codec, format, and resolution alteration in videos is extremely simple. In addition, you can use the multi-cam editing feature for real-time, high-quality editing work. Moreover, drag and drop elements into videos for optimized video editing work, including pre-existing Storyboard points.

lightworks interface

Main Features:

  • Industry-grade features like QC, transcoding, and automated transfer are available.
  • Edit files at different FPS limits and use three-point editing for recording/source files.
  • Insert files and overwrite on a new project, replace, backfill, and fit to fill your video clips.
  • Attach Storyboard tiles and match-frame clips/sub-clips easily.

Pros

  • Flexible functionality and speedy transfers
  • Edit files with professional movie-like quality
  • Auto Sync feature for automatic timeline re-syncing is available

Cons

  • Direct X is only available on the Windows version
  • TotalFX plugin is not available for free- you have to upgrade to use them

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac , Linux

Best For: Editing experts creating visually animated and professional-looking short videos can work with Lightworks.

What users say:

For professional-level video editing work, Lightworks brings a lot of resources and elements to users. According to reviews , people who have tried it have experienced better video editing functionality with these resources.

2. Wondershare Filmora

The top Vegas Pro alternative that both Windows and Mac users can opt for is Filmora. The software has advanced AI-incorporated editing functions for automated editing work, including preset effects from FX plugins. Besides that, you can easily add pre-set transitions, audio clips, text, images, and more.

Beginners find it simple to navigate through its interface and can opt for the Instant Mode function for automatic video edits .

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Download Filmora9 Mac Version

wondershare filmora interface

For a better idea of how this works, you should check out this tutorial video: https://filmora.wondershare.com/get-creative/make-a-video-quickly.html

Main Features:

  • Instant Mode is available for automatic video/audio project editing out of 6 shorter clips.
  • Support Advanced editing tools like Chroma Key and AI Portrait.
  • Record voiceover, apply speech-to-text/text-to-speech functions, and more audio editing features.
  • OpenFX plugins like BorisFX and NewBlue FX for a better list of pre-set effects.

Pros

  • Simple to use and navigate on the editor timeline, especially with drag-and-drop support
  • Output your editing files in different video/audio formats
  • Quickly share the file on Vimeo or YouTube, besides downloading it on the local hard drive

Cons

  • Free trial users cannot bring their Instant Mode-created videos into the editor timeline
  • 4K support only with selected MKV, MOV, M4V (for Mac), and MP4 codecs

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5

Best For: All types of users like educators, students, homeowners, businesses, and video editors for comprehensive video editing tools and uses.

What users say:

Filmora is extremely simple to use, with advanced features available for top-level video editing work. Users mention in reviews how they have benefitted from the simple functionality and dynamic AI-based features available here for video editing.

3. Adobe Premiere Pro

If you are looking for high-quality programs like Sony Vegas, Adobe Premiere Pro is a reliable choice. This editing software allows you to easily create, delete, and move big video projects. Moreover, you can work on multiple files simultaneously and use shortcuts for faster editing work.

Preset filters and editing features are also available here, especially if they choose the Adobe Creative Cloud option.

adobe premiere pro interface

Main Features:

  • Multiple pre-set transitions and effects are available for quick thematic changes.
  • Add graphics, titles, and captions.
  • Color grading and correction tools are available.
  • It is possible to add keyframing and animation elements.

Pros

  • Opting for group plans for video editing practice and learning using Adobe Premiere Pro is possible
  • Aligns audio with videos instantly during editing
  • Utilize Quick Export functionality for video files in some taps

Cons

  • Windows High Contrast Mode is supported but to a limited extent, like with menus and title bars
  • HDR workflows can only be handled on the Windows version with DisplayHDR 400 support

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best For: Professional editors and trainers can use the various plans under Adobe Premiere Pro for video/audio editing.

What users say:

Advertisers and videographers enjoy high-grade video editing features and like the simple effects and interface quality. The motion graphics support in Adobe Premiere Pro is high-grade as well.

4. HitFilm Express

A capable Sony Vegas free alternative that you should check out is HitFilm Express. With this, you can expect many prepared designs for quick video edits. Additionally, you can manually customize the video files you are working on with high-grade personalization features available in the timeline.

hitfilm express interface

Main Features:

  • Pre-set customizable designs are available.
  • Built-in sound effects and soundtracks are usable for free.
  • Cache renders in timelines are optimized.
  • The New Grade Clips feature allows users to apply varying effects to many video clips.

Pros

  • Stable process of switching between timelines with an active orbit tool
  • Easy to switch between 2D/3D timelines while using the text tool
  • Simple to use for an unlimited period

Cons

  • Does not work on older versions than Windows 10 and macOS 10.14
  • Users cannot integrate this with Vegas Pro like before

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac

TechRadar Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best For: This software is a high-quality video editor for custom video editing work, fit for beginners and professionals alike.

What users say:

HitFilm Express is easy to use and efficient in the market for professional-level editing. The tutorial is available here for quick learning about the steps, and expandable features are well-admired by users.

5. Kdenlive

A high-quality Sony Vegas open-source variety that you should seriously consider is Kdenlive. The video editor comes with MLT framework support and holds many tools for optimizing video editing.

To simplify, you can arrange and adjust various video/audio tracks and mute or lock specific ones as needed. Add everything from filters, texts, and transitions using this editor for high-grade video projects.

kdenlive interface

Main Features:

  • Get an automatic backup of your video project while you are editing it.
  • Use proxy editing to create low-resolution source clip copies and render them later on computers.
  • Multiple video/audio scopes are available for monitoring projects like vectorscope, waveform, and RDB Parade.
  • Many transition and effect choices to use.

Pros

  • Flexibility with themes to add with multiple options
  • Pre-render specific timeline parts for preview
  • Effects are simple to use with keyframing quality

Cons

  • Complex for completely non-technical users to adapt to
  • Only supports 64-bit versions in regards to Windows-based compatibility

Trustpilot Rating: 3.7 out of 5

Best For: High-level editing experts who need strong video editing and monitoring features in an open-source platform.

What users say:

Kdenlive, as an open-source video editing software, assures quick and straightforward usability with projects. Per reviews , users like the ability to make simple video edits without bugs in this editor and quickly export finished projects.

6. OpenShot

OpenShot is a high-quality cross-platform video editor that you can use on different devices for quick but dynamic video project edits. Use keyframing ability here to adjust the animated elements you add to the file.

Moreover, cut the videos with simple steps and add many audio tracks/background videos/watermarks in layers. Also, get several video effects to optimize the video look easily.

openshot interface

Main Features:

  • Adjust video speed in reverse motion, fast forward, and slow motion.
  • Render effects and 3D animated elements into the video project.
  • Get title templates and edit them as needed.
  • Visualize the background audio beats with waveform support.

Pros

  • Very user-friendly interface with a simple navigation guarantee
  • Supports more than 70 languages that you can translate as well using LaunchPad
  • Drag-and-drop functionality is supported for adding images, audio, and videos into the OpenShot editor timeline

Cons

  • Some bug issues can occur
  • Slightly complex learning curve

OS Compatibility: Windows , Linux , OsX

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5

Best For: Professional-level video editing experts can opt for this cross-platform free software for high-quality video creations.

What users say:

The OpenShot software is suitable for high-quality video editing across different devices and operating systems. Users like the lack of automated watermarks on all videos, its simple dashboard, and its multi-track editing ability, all available for free.

7. Blender

Blender is free video editing software like Sony Vegas that users can use for video editing, but it is also effective for game development with animations. Indeed, you can create and render dynamic-looking scenes with features like Cycles.

Furthermore, the software has a rich modelling toolset with solutions like curves and sculpting tools.

blender interface

Main Features:

  • Completely customization-friendly UI, shortcuts, and window layout here.
  • Customization and scripting are possible to do with this software due to the Python API support.
  • Supports access and integration of many pipeline tools for projects.
  • Comes with advanced simulation-based features available in MantaFlow and Bullet libraries.

Pros

  • Basic and advanced tools for quick video edits
  • Strong composition and masking ability with object-based motion tracking benefits
  • Easily create short animations with Blender

Cons

  • Data under the standalone games created here fall under GPL conditions
  • Strict licensing rules are applicable here

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac , Linux

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best For: Game developers and videographers for companies can use this open-source platform for creation and editing.

What users say:

Blender is a capable software for animation-based editing, with high-quality game-based features and interactive elements that make editing simple. As per reviews , users like the simple animation-based tools and fast rendering it offers.

8. Jahshaka

Users of Jahshaka can experience an inclusive, collaborative environment for metaverse-level editing work. This free editing software, like Sony Vegas, focuses mainly on VR-based editing functions and comes with powerful tools for project management and content creation.

Take the help of other team members to collaborate on dynamic virtual world building, editing, and publishing.

jahshaka interface

Main Features:

  • Compatible player for different desktop and mobile devices.
  • Create diversified worlds and scenes with one comprehensive platform.
  • Immersive software 3D video development.
  • Access to pre-built content and libraries of scenes and assets

Pros

  • Easily share and distribute your virtual projects
  • Deliver final projects offline and online
  • An interactive multi-user engine is available

Cons

  • Usable for a niche audience and does not include standard video editing tools
  • Jahshaka V2 legacy support is no longer active

OS Compatibility: Windows , Linux , OsX

SourceForge Rating: 4.4 out of 5

Best For: Professional video editors who want a collaborative experience in VR-based development and publishing.

What users say:

Jahshaka is a suitable program for optimized VR-based editing with many preset features and themes to choose from. Most users enjoy the new features and worlds and can work with them efficiently.

9. Final Cut Pro

One of the top Sony Vegas alternatives Mac users can safely turn to is Final Cut Pro, which has powerful modern video editing features. With this software, you will access Cinematic Mode, which you can use to create stylish and thematic video scenes.

Similarly, the Object Tracker features utilize ML technology to automatically detect objects and faces in moving videos. It can align effects and titles accurately with the graphical elements in videos.

final cut pro interface

Main Features:

  • Object Tracker feature for using color correction and adding texts into moving videos.
  • Accelerated functional for motion tracking with Apple Neural Engine.
  • Add high-quality effects and titles into videos with Cinematic Mode support.
  • Preset audio tracks and royalty-free sound effects are available for editing.

Pros

  • Handle color grading for optimized scene quality
  • Adjust the field depth and focus depth in clips
  • Share projects across iOS and macOS platforms

Cons

  • Not valid for Windows users
  • Relatively high cost to avail the paid version with all advanced features

OS Compatibility: Mac

TrustRadius Rating: 4.8 out of 5

Best For: Professional video editors, students, and filmmakers who want to create cinematic-quality video projects.

What users say:

Final Cut Pro is an efficient Mac-based video editing tool with easy sharing and editing capabilities, rich effects/transitions options, and fast rendering ability. Customers enjoy the intuitive non-linear editor, easy accessibility to social media platforms for file exporting, and live scrubbing, as noted in one review .

Another Sony Vegas mac alternative for Windows you should give a try is PowerDirector 365 from Cyberlink. This software removes or compiles video clips and uses masking features like image/custom masks.

Preset special effects, blending modes, and sound effects are available here for quick editing. Additionally, the AI-powered Motion Tracking traces objects in clips and adds graphics, animations, and text quickly in line with it.

cyberlink powerdirector 365 interface

Main Features:

  • You can create and remove videos with masking features.
  • Drag and drop the pre-set effects and texts into videos.
  • Adjust video clips with tools for border, gradation, and shadowing.
  • Multiple animations, callouts, graphics, and stickers to add to videos.

Pros

  • Use green screen functionality for quick background removal or editing
  • Automatic audio mastering and mixing functionality are available
  • Keyframing benefits for customized animations like scaling and positioning

Cons

  • Dolby Digital-centric audio codec is not available for users
  • Users can try features like Room Echo Removal and NVIDIA A/V Denoise only on Windows 11

OS Compatibility: Windows

TechRadar Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best For: Professional videographers and regular users who want a Windows-based video editing software for standard video clip editing.

What users say:

Cyberlink PowerDirector is a powerful video editor with standard editing functions many users have tried and benefited from. According to customers , the program has high-quality video and audio editing benefits for presentations, with additional effects/splitting/cropping features.

Part 3: What are the limitations when using Sony Vegas (Vegas Pro) on Mac?

Yes, with the given Sony Vegas alternatives, Mac and Windows users can benefit heavily. But why is it important to try for a replacement when Sony Vegas Pro is relatively efficient software?

To know the answer, you should take the time to understand its limitations, which do exist.

It only works for Windows users

The Sony Vegas Pro software is not available for Mac or other operating systems besides Windows. In addition, it’ll be really complex and time-consuming, even if you opt for virtual machine software or handle dual booting techniques to configure the software on your Mac or Linux.

You need to invest in other hardware

Sony Vegas Pro does do not work within one comprehensive platform like other capable video editing software types, like Wondershare Filmora . You have to acquire a powerful PC and tools to operate it separately. The software works very slowly on older devices.

Not incredibly unique

The functions of Sony Vegas Pro match somewhat with other options in the market. So, users would not expect much value in purchasing this software’s plans that they want to upgrade from their previous system, but on the other hand, the available features are mostly standard-level in functionality as well.

Hot FAQs about Vegas Pro Alternatives

After knowing these details, many users still have specific common queries about opting for a Sony Vegas Pro alternatively. So these are some common FAQs about this- answered.

1. Can Sony Vegas be used on a Mac?

No, it is impossible to directly use Sony Vegas on macOS devices since it does not support it. Instead, you have to separately use a dual boot strategy or virtual machine software to activate the video editor on Mac devices, but the process for that is complex.

2. Is Wondershare Filmora or Vegas Pro better?

Wondershare Filmora and Vegas Pro are top-level options in video and audio editing projects with professional-level editing accuracy. However, Filmora has a cohesive ecosystem with rich AI and standard functions and comes with Mac/Windows support. So, in that sense, Filmora is comparatively a better choice.

Final Words

In place of Sony Vegas Pro, any of these options would also give you a great user experience. Out of them, Filmora is one that we will recommend due to its multi-faceted benefits and features for Mac and Windows users. Ultimately, make your decision based on your particular needs.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Part 1: Sony Vegas Pro Alternatives & Competitors Overview

Here is a list of the top 10 tools we found after research. For an easier understanding, the following are the essential points of difference between alternative video editing software types for Sony Vegas Pro in a tabular form.

Software Supported OS Price Editor’s Verdict
Lightworks Windows, Mac, Linux Create-$9.99/month, Pro-$23.99/month Medium-Difficult
Wondershare Filmora Windows, Mac Annual-$49.99, Perpetual-$79.99 Easy
Adobe Premiere Pro Windows, Mac $20.99/month Easy-Medium
HitFilm Express Windows, Mac Free Easy
Kdenlive Windows, Mac, Linux Free Medium-Difficult
OpenShot Windows, Mac, Linux, OsX Free Medium-Difficult
Blender Windows, Mac, Linux Free Easy
Jahshaka Windows, Linux, OsX Free Easy-Medium
Final Cut Pro Mac Lifetime-$299.99 Easy-Medium
Cyberlink PowerDirector 365 Windows, Mac Lifetime-$52.50 Easy-Medium

Part 2: Top 10 Sony Vegas (Vegas Pro) Alternatives & Competitors

Now that you know the primary differences between the Sony Vegas Pro alternatives. Are you find anything you like? Let’s move on to more details for your further consideration.

1. Lightworks

With Lightworks, using the independent timeline codec, format, and resolution alteration in videos is extremely simple. In addition, you can use the multi-cam editing feature for real-time, high-quality editing work. Moreover, drag and drop elements into videos for optimized video editing work, including pre-existing Storyboard points.

lightworks interface

Main Features:

  • Industry-grade features like QC, transcoding, and automated transfer are available.
  • Edit files at different FPS limits and use three-point editing for recording/source files.
  • Insert files and overwrite on a new project, replace, backfill, and fit to fill your video clips.
  • Attach Storyboard tiles and match-frame clips/sub-clips easily.

Pros

  • Flexible functionality and speedy transfers
  • Edit files with professional movie-like quality
  • Auto Sync feature for automatic timeline re-syncing is available

Cons

  • Direct X is only available on the Windows version
  • TotalFX plugin is not available for free- you have to upgrade to use them

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac , Linux

Best For: Editing experts creating visually animated and professional-looking short videos can work with Lightworks.

What users say:

For professional-level video editing work, Lightworks brings a lot of resources and elements to users. According to reviews , people who have tried it have experienced better video editing functionality with these resources.

2. Wondershare Filmora

The top Vegas Pro alternative that both Windows and Mac users can opt for is Filmora. The software has advanced AI-incorporated editing functions for automated editing work, including preset effects from FX plugins. Besides that, you can easily add pre-set transitions, audio clips, text, images, and more.

Beginners find it simple to navigate through its interface and can opt for the Instant Mode function for automatic video edits .

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Download Filmora9 Mac Version

wondershare filmora interface

For a better idea of how this works, you should check out this tutorial video: https://filmora.wondershare.com/get-creative/make-a-video-quickly.html

Main Features:

  • Instant Mode is available for automatic video/audio project editing out of 6 shorter clips.
  • Support Advanced editing tools like Chroma Key and AI Portrait.
  • Record voiceover, apply speech-to-text/text-to-speech functions, and more audio editing features.
  • OpenFX plugins like BorisFX and NewBlue FX for a better list of pre-set effects.

Pros

  • Simple to use and navigate on the editor timeline, especially with drag-and-drop support
  • Output your editing files in different video/audio formats
  • Quickly share the file on Vimeo or YouTube, besides downloading it on the local hard drive

Cons

  • Free trial users cannot bring their Instant Mode-created videos into the editor timeline
  • 4K support only with selected MKV, MOV, M4V (for Mac), and MP4 codecs

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5

Best For: All types of users like educators, students, homeowners, businesses, and video editors for comprehensive video editing tools and uses.

What users say:

Filmora is extremely simple to use, with advanced features available for top-level video editing work. Users mention in reviews how they have benefitted from the simple functionality and dynamic AI-based features available here for video editing.

3. Adobe Premiere Pro

If you are looking for high-quality programs like Sony Vegas, Adobe Premiere Pro is a reliable choice. This editing software allows you to easily create, delete, and move big video projects. Moreover, you can work on multiple files simultaneously and use shortcuts for faster editing work.

Preset filters and editing features are also available here, especially if they choose the Adobe Creative Cloud option.

adobe premiere pro interface

Main Features:

  • Multiple pre-set transitions and effects are available for quick thematic changes.
  • Add graphics, titles, and captions.
  • Color grading and correction tools are available.
  • It is possible to add keyframing and animation elements.

Pros

  • Opting for group plans for video editing practice and learning using Adobe Premiere Pro is possible
  • Aligns audio with videos instantly during editing
  • Utilize Quick Export functionality for video files in some taps

Cons

  • Windows High Contrast Mode is supported but to a limited extent, like with menus and title bars
  • HDR workflows can only be handled on the Windows version with DisplayHDR 400 support

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best For: Professional editors and trainers can use the various plans under Adobe Premiere Pro for video/audio editing.

What users say:

Advertisers and videographers enjoy high-grade video editing features and like the simple effects and interface quality. The motion graphics support in Adobe Premiere Pro is high-grade as well.

4. HitFilm Express

A capable Sony Vegas free alternative that you should check out is HitFilm Express. With this, you can expect many prepared designs for quick video edits. Additionally, you can manually customize the video files you are working on with high-grade personalization features available in the timeline.

hitfilm express interface

Main Features:

  • Pre-set customizable designs are available.
  • Built-in sound effects and soundtracks are usable for free.
  • Cache renders in timelines are optimized.
  • The New Grade Clips feature allows users to apply varying effects to many video clips.

Pros

  • Stable process of switching between timelines with an active orbit tool
  • Easy to switch between 2D/3D timelines while using the text tool
  • Simple to use for an unlimited period

Cons

  • Does not work on older versions than Windows 10 and macOS 10.14
  • Users cannot integrate this with Vegas Pro like before

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac

TechRadar Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best For: This software is a high-quality video editor for custom video editing work, fit for beginners and professionals alike.

What users say:

HitFilm Express is easy to use and efficient in the market for professional-level editing. The tutorial is available here for quick learning about the steps, and expandable features are well-admired by users.

5. Kdenlive

A high-quality Sony Vegas open-source variety that you should seriously consider is Kdenlive. The video editor comes with MLT framework support and holds many tools for optimizing video editing.

To simplify, you can arrange and adjust various video/audio tracks and mute or lock specific ones as needed. Add everything from filters, texts, and transitions using this editor for high-grade video projects.

kdenlive interface

Main Features:

  • Get an automatic backup of your video project while you are editing it.
  • Use proxy editing to create low-resolution source clip copies and render them later on computers.
  • Multiple video/audio scopes are available for monitoring projects like vectorscope, waveform, and RDB Parade.
  • Many transition and effect choices to use.

Pros

  • Flexibility with themes to add with multiple options
  • Pre-render specific timeline parts for preview
  • Effects are simple to use with keyframing quality

Cons

  • Complex for completely non-technical users to adapt to
  • Only supports 64-bit versions in regards to Windows-based compatibility

Trustpilot Rating: 3.7 out of 5

Best For: High-level editing experts who need strong video editing and monitoring features in an open-source platform.

What users say:

Kdenlive, as an open-source video editing software, assures quick and straightforward usability with projects. Per reviews , users like the ability to make simple video edits without bugs in this editor and quickly export finished projects.

6. OpenShot

OpenShot is a high-quality cross-platform video editor that you can use on different devices for quick but dynamic video project edits. Use keyframing ability here to adjust the animated elements you add to the file.

Moreover, cut the videos with simple steps and add many audio tracks/background videos/watermarks in layers. Also, get several video effects to optimize the video look easily.

openshot interface

Main Features:

  • Adjust video speed in reverse motion, fast forward, and slow motion.
  • Render effects and 3D animated elements into the video project.
  • Get title templates and edit them as needed.
  • Visualize the background audio beats with waveform support.

Pros

  • Very user-friendly interface with a simple navigation guarantee
  • Supports more than 70 languages that you can translate as well using LaunchPad
  • Drag-and-drop functionality is supported for adding images, audio, and videos into the OpenShot editor timeline

Cons

  • Some bug issues can occur
  • Slightly complex learning curve

OS Compatibility: Windows , Linux , OsX

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5

Best For: Professional-level video editing experts can opt for this cross-platform free software for high-quality video creations.

What users say:

The OpenShot software is suitable for high-quality video editing across different devices and operating systems. Users like the lack of automated watermarks on all videos, its simple dashboard, and its multi-track editing ability, all available for free.

7. Blender

Blender is free video editing software like Sony Vegas that users can use for video editing, but it is also effective for game development with animations. Indeed, you can create and render dynamic-looking scenes with features like Cycles.

Furthermore, the software has a rich modelling toolset with solutions like curves and sculpting tools.

blender interface

Main Features:

  • Completely customization-friendly UI, shortcuts, and window layout here.
  • Customization and scripting are possible to do with this software due to the Python API support.
  • Supports access and integration of many pipeline tools for projects.
  • Comes with advanced simulation-based features available in MantaFlow and Bullet libraries.

Pros

  • Basic and advanced tools for quick video edits
  • Strong composition and masking ability with object-based motion tracking benefits
  • Easily create short animations with Blender

Cons

  • Data under the standalone games created here fall under GPL conditions
  • Strict licensing rules are applicable here

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac , Linux

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best For: Game developers and videographers for companies can use this open-source platform for creation and editing.

What users say:

Blender is a capable software for animation-based editing, with high-quality game-based features and interactive elements that make editing simple. As per reviews , users like the simple animation-based tools and fast rendering it offers.

8. Jahshaka

Users of Jahshaka can experience an inclusive, collaborative environment for metaverse-level editing work. This free editing software, like Sony Vegas, focuses mainly on VR-based editing functions and comes with powerful tools for project management and content creation.

Take the help of other team members to collaborate on dynamic virtual world building, editing, and publishing.

jahshaka interface

Main Features:

  • Compatible player for different desktop and mobile devices.
  • Create diversified worlds and scenes with one comprehensive platform.
  • Immersive software 3D video development.
  • Access to pre-built content and libraries of scenes and assets

Pros

  • Easily share and distribute your virtual projects
  • Deliver final projects offline and online
  • An interactive multi-user engine is available

Cons

  • Usable for a niche audience and does not include standard video editing tools
  • Jahshaka V2 legacy support is no longer active

OS Compatibility: Windows , Linux , OsX

SourceForge Rating: 4.4 out of 5

Best For: Professional video editors who want a collaborative experience in VR-based development and publishing.

What users say:

Jahshaka is a suitable program for optimized VR-based editing with many preset features and themes to choose from. Most users enjoy the new features and worlds and can work with them efficiently.

9. Final Cut Pro

One of the top Sony Vegas alternatives Mac users can safely turn to is Final Cut Pro, which has powerful modern video editing features. With this software, you will access Cinematic Mode, which you can use to create stylish and thematic video scenes.

Similarly, the Object Tracker features utilize ML technology to automatically detect objects and faces in moving videos. It can align effects and titles accurately with the graphical elements in videos.

final cut pro interface

Main Features:

  • Object Tracker feature for using color correction and adding texts into moving videos.
  • Accelerated functional for motion tracking with Apple Neural Engine.
  • Add high-quality effects and titles into videos with Cinematic Mode support.
  • Preset audio tracks and royalty-free sound effects are available for editing.

Pros

  • Handle color grading for optimized scene quality
  • Adjust the field depth and focus depth in clips
  • Share projects across iOS and macOS platforms

Cons

  • Not valid for Windows users
  • Relatively high cost to avail the paid version with all advanced features

OS Compatibility: Mac

TrustRadius Rating: 4.8 out of 5

Best For: Professional video editors, students, and filmmakers who want to create cinematic-quality video projects.

What users say:

Final Cut Pro is an efficient Mac-based video editing tool with easy sharing and editing capabilities, rich effects/transitions options, and fast rendering ability. Customers enjoy the intuitive non-linear editor, easy accessibility to social media platforms for file exporting, and live scrubbing, as noted in one review .

Another Sony Vegas mac alternative for Windows you should give a try is PowerDirector 365 from Cyberlink. This software removes or compiles video clips and uses masking features like image/custom masks.

Preset special effects, blending modes, and sound effects are available here for quick editing. Additionally, the AI-powered Motion Tracking traces objects in clips and adds graphics, animations, and text quickly in line with it.

cyberlink powerdirector 365 interface

Main Features:

  • You can create and remove videos with masking features.
  • Drag and drop the pre-set effects and texts into videos.
  • Adjust video clips with tools for border, gradation, and shadowing.
  • Multiple animations, callouts, graphics, and stickers to add to videos.

Pros

  • Use green screen functionality for quick background removal or editing
  • Automatic audio mastering and mixing functionality are available
  • Keyframing benefits for customized animations like scaling and positioning

Cons

  • Dolby Digital-centric audio codec is not available for users
  • Users can try features like Room Echo Removal and NVIDIA A/V Denoise only on Windows 11

OS Compatibility: Windows

TechRadar Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best For: Professional videographers and regular users who want a Windows-based video editing software for standard video clip editing.

What users say:

Cyberlink PowerDirector is a powerful video editor with standard editing functions many users have tried and benefited from. According to customers , the program has high-quality video and audio editing benefits for presentations, with additional effects/splitting/cropping features.

Part 3: What are the limitations when using Sony Vegas (Vegas Pro) on Mac?

Yes, with the given Sony Vegas alternatives, Mac and Windows users can benefit heavily. But why is it important to try for a replacement when Sony Vegas Pro is relatively efficient software?

To know the answer, you should take the time to understand its limitations, which do exist.

It only works for Windows users

The Sony Vegas Pro software is not available for Mac or other operating systems besides Windows. In addition, it’ll be really complex and time-consuming, even if you opt for virtual machine software or handle dual booting techniques to configure the software on your Mac or Linux.

You need to invest in other hardware

Sony Vegas Pro does do not work within one comprehensive platform like other capable video editing software types, like Wondershare Filmora . You have to acquire a powerful PC and tools to operate it separately. The software works very slowly on older devices.

Not incredibly unique

The functions of Sony Vegas Pro match somewhat with other options in the market. So, users would not expect much value in purchasing this software’s plans that they want to upgrade from their previous system, but on the other hand, the available features are mostly standard-level in functionality as well.

Hot FAQs about Vegas Pro Alternatives

After knowing these details, many users still have specific common queries about opting for a Sony Vegas Pro alternatively. So these are some common FAQs about this- answered.

1. Can Sony Vegas be used on a Mac?

No, it is impossible to directly use Sony Vegas on macOS devices since it does not support it. Instead, you have to separately use a dual boot strategy or virtual machine software to activate the video editor on Mac devices, but the process for that is complex.

2. Is Wondershare Filmora or Vegas Pro better?

Wondershare Filmora and Vegas Pro are top-level options in video and audio editing projects with professional-level editing accuracy. However, Filmora has a cohesive ecosystem with rich AI and standard functions and comes with Mac/Windows support. So, in that sense, Filmora is comparatively a better choice.

Final Words

In place of Sony Vegas Pro, any of these options would also give you a great user experience. Out of them, Filmora is one that we will recommend due to its multi-faceted benefits and features for Mac and Windows users. Ultimately, make your decision based on your particular needs.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

No More Reddit Roulette: Reliable Filmora Discounts Here

Stop Looking for Filmora Coupon Code on Reddit - We’ve Got it Here

author avatar

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you are looking for Filmora coupon codes on Reddit, they might not be available on this site. Reddit does aggregate social news and has several discussion threads and content that viewers find useful. This is a site where people sign up to share content such as links, videos, images, text posts, and others. As a result, many people share coupon code links on this forum as well. However, there is no guarantee as to how valid these links are. Often people who look for Filmora or other coupon code links here find them to be outdated or not functional.

filmora coupon code on reddit

It is not surprising that there aren’t so many results of the Filmora coupon code on Reddit. To find valid and working coupon codes for Filmora, here are some websites to try.

5 Best Sites to Get Filmora Promo Code Instead of Reddit

1. Filmora Official Website

Filmora is a useful tool for many, whether they are beginners or professionals. This video editing tool offers an efficient platform with many editing features. It has a user-friendly design that makes it easy for most people to find their way around the editing platform.

If you are looking to make high-quality videos or edit such software, this is a popular and useful tool to use. It even supports the editing of 4K videos. The product is affordable and comes with tools for audio and video edits. It also comes with several options for adding effects, styling as well as customizing videos.

Of course, to use all features of this software you need to subscribe. To get a discounted price when you make a purchase it is best to hunt for the best deals available.

You can log onto the official website and make the purchase instead of looking for the Filmora coupon code Reddit. They also have attractive discounts and offers for customers on the site.

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

2. Groupon

filmora promo code Groupon

Groupon is an eCommerce site that acts as an online marketplace with great deal offers. As per the country site, you log into, there are local merchants who offer travel, activities, services, and goods. The site has its presence across 15 countries. Groupon has been operational since 2008 and it features local restaurants, spa deals as well as discount coupons on services, online purchases, and others.

Pros

  • Easy to sign up.
  • Deals of the day every day.
  • Wide variety of local products and services.

Cons

  • Time-limited deals.
  • Online deals are limited.

3. CouponzGuru

CouponzGuru is a leading eCommerce marketplace, especially for online goods and services. If you wish to order food, groceries, or do shopping online, this is a site to visit first. That is because it ties up with popular online merchants for each country where it has a domain. As a result, you will find discounts and deals across several categories and of your local brands and online stores. You can search by brand or use the search panel to look for a product. Instead of looking for the Filmora coupon code Reddit, you can look up the same on CouponzGuru. Once you find the offer you wish to take up, you can click on the same and get the coupon code. It also redirects you to the site where you wish to make the purchase, making the transactions smooth and swift.

Pros

  • Clean, well-designed layout.
  • The website is easy to browse.
  • No need to subscribe.

Cons

  • Cash-back offers are limited.

4. JoinHoney

This website is run by Honey Science Corp which is headquartered in Los Angeles. It operates the site as a browser extension. This then aggregates different coupon deals from different eCommerce sites. A site is a subsidiary unit of PayPal. This retailer gains commission by redirecting customers to partner retailer sites.

Unlike most coupon websites this site adds an extension to your web browser. It is a free application that you can simply add as an extension to Chrome or any other browser application. You can then look up codes of a variety of services and products on select websites through this extension bar. It also helps you find codes across 3000 and more websites.

  • Easy to install.
  • No need to pay the subscription fee.
  • Supports multiple products and stores.
  • Not marketed well.

5. CouponFollow

This is an online platform that features coupon codes for online merchants. It is part of a venture formed in 2009 by Marc Mezzacca. Also, the website is headquartered in New Jersey. This site, formed in 2009, earns commission when customers click and follow links to complete transactions on partner sites. If you are looking for the latest Filmora coupon code Reddit it is best to use the search function here.

  • CouponFollow provides an easy-to-use web interface.
  • Reliable customer service.
  • Dependable website.

Conclusion

There are different discount deals to use to get off on Filmora subscription plans. If you wish to make the most of the latest offers, log onto sites such as the coupon websites mentioned above instead of the Filmora coupon code Reddit. They will redirect you to the official website where you can avail of the discount when purchasing a subscription plan as per your requirement.

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

If you are looking for Filmora coupon codes on Reddit, they might not be available on this site. Reddit does aggregate social news and has several discussion threads and content that viewers find useful. This is a site where people sign up to share content such as links, videos, images, text posts, and others. As a result, many people share coupon code links on this forum as well. However, there is no guarantee as to how valid these links are. Often people who look for Filmora or other coupon code links here find them to be outdated or not functional.

filmora coupon code on reddit

It is not surprising that there aren’t so many results of the Filmora coupon code on Reddit. To find valid and working coupon codes for Filmora, here are some websites to try.

5 Best Sites to Get Filmora Promo Code Instead of Reddit

1. Filmora Official Website

Filmora is a useful tool for many, whether they are beginners or professionals. This video editing tool offers an efficient platform with many editing features. It has a user-friendly design that makes it easy for most people to find their way around the editing platform.

If you are looking to make high-quality videos or edit such software, this is a popular and useful tool to use. It even supports the editing of 4K videos. The product is affordable and comes with tools for audio and video edits. It also comes with several options for adding effects, styling as well as customizing videos.

Of course, to use all features of this software you need to subscribe. To get a discounted price when you make a purchase it is best to hunt for the best deals available.

You can log onto the official website and make the purchase instead of looking for the Filmora coupon code Reddit. They also have attractive discounts and offers for customers on the site.

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

2. Groupon

filmora promo code Groupon

Groupon is an eCommerce site that acts as an online marketplace with great deal offers. As per the country site, you log into, there are local merchants who offer travel, activities, services, and goods. The site has its presence across 15 countries. Groupon has been operational since 2008 and it features local restaurants, spa deals as well as discount coupons on services, online purchases, and others.

Pros

  • Easy to sign up.
  • Deals of the day every day.
  • Wide variety of local products and services.

Cons

  • Time-limited deals.
  • Online deals are limited.

3. CouponzGuru

CouponzGuru is a leading eCommerce marketplace, especially for online goods and services. If you wish to order food, groceries, or do shopping online, this is a site to visit first. That is because it ties up with popular online merchants for each country where it has a domain. As a result, you will find discounts and deals across several categories and of your local brands and online stores. You can search by brand or use the search panel to look for a product. Instead of looking for the Filmora coupon code Reddit, you can look up the same on CouponzGuru. Once you find the offer you wish to take up, you can click on the same and get the coupon code. It also redirects you to the site where you wish to make the purchase, making the transactions smooth and swift.

Pros

  • Clean, well-designed layout.
  • The website is easy to browse.
  • No need to subscribe.

Cons

  • Cash-back offers are limited.

4. JoinHoney

This website is run by Honey Science Corp which is headquartered in Los Angeles. It operates the site as a browser extension. This then aggregates different coupon deals from different eCommerce sites. A site is a subsidiary unit of PayPal. This retailer gains commission by redirecting customers to partner retailer sites.

Unlike most coupon websites this site adds an extension to your web browser. It is a free application that you can simply add as an extension to Chrome or any other browser application. You can then look up codes of a variety of services and products on select websites through this extension bar. It also helps you find codes across 3000 and more websites.

  • Easy to install.
  • No need to pay the subscription fee.
  • Supports multiple products and stores.
  • Not marketed well.

5. CouponFollow

This is an online platform that features coupon codes for online merchants. It is part of a venture formed in 2009 by Marc Mezzacca. Also, the website is headquartered in New Jersey. This site, formed in 2009, earns commission when customers click and follow links to complete transactions on partner sites. If you are looking for the latest Filmora coupon code Reddit it is best to use the search function here.

  • CouponFollow provides an easy-to-use web interface.
  • Reliable customer service.
  • Dependable website.

Conclusion

There are different discount deals to use to get off on Filmora subscription plans. If you wish to make the most of the latest offers, log onto sites such as the coupon websites mentioned above instead of the Filmora coupon code Reddit. They will redirect you to the official website where you can avail of the discount when purchasing a subscription plan as per your requirement.

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

If you are looking for Filmora coupon codes on Reddit, they might not be available on this site. Reddit does aggregate social news and has several discussion threads and content that viewers find useful. This is a site where people sign up to share content such as links, videos, images, text posts, and others. As a result, many people share coupon code links on this forum as well. However, there is no guarantee as to how valid these links are. Often people who look for Filmora or other coupon code links here find them to be outdated or not functional.

filmora coupon code on reddit

It is not surprising that there aren’t so many results of the Filmora coupon code on Reddit. To find valid and working coupon codes for Filmora, here are some websites to try.

5 Best Sites to Get Filmora Promo Code Instead of Reddit

1. Filmora Official Website

Filmora is a useful tool for many, whether they are beginners or professionals. This video editing tool offers an efficient platform with many editing features. It has a user-friendly design that makes it easy for most people to find their way around the editing platform.

If you are looking to make high-quality videos or edit such software, this is a popular and useful tool to use. It even supports the editing of 4K videos. The product is affordable and comes with tools for audio and video edits. It also comes with several options for adding effects, styling as well as customizing videos.

Of course, to use all features of this software you need to subscribe. To get a discounted price when you make a purchase it is best to hunt for the best deals available.

You can log onto the official website and make the purchase instead of looking for the Filmora coupon code Reddit. They also have attractive discounts and offers for customers on the site.

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

2. Groupon

filmora promo code Groupon

Groupon is an eCommerce site that acts as an online marketplace with great deal offers. As per the country site, you log into, there are local merchants who offer travel, activities, services, and goods. The site has its presence across 15 countries. Groupon has been operational since 2008 and it features local restaurants, spa deals as well as discount coupons on services, online purchases, and others.

Pros

  • Easy to sign up.
  • Deals of the day every day.
  • Wide variety of local products and services.

Cons

  • Time-limited deals.
  • Online deals are limited.

3. CouponzGuru

CouponzGuru is a leading eCommerce marketplace, especially for online goods and services. If you wish to order food, groceries, or do shopping online, this is a site to visit first. That is because it ties up with popular online merchants for each country where it has a domain. As a result, you will find discounts and deals across several categories and of your local brands and online stores. You can search by brand or use the search panel to look for a product. Instead of looking for the Filmora coupon code Reddit, you can look up the same on CouponzGuru. Once you find the offer you wish to take up, you can click on the same and get the coupon code. It also redirects you to the site where you wish to make the purchase, making the transactions smooth and swift.

Pros

  • Clean, well-designed layout.
  • The website is easy to browse.
  • No need to subscribe.

Cons

  • Cash-back offers are limited.

4. JoinHoney

This website is run by Honey Science Corp which is headquartered in Los Angeles. It operates the site as a browser extension. This then aggregates different coupon deals from different eCommerce sites. A site is a subsidiary unit of PayPal. This retailer gains commission by redirecting customers to partner retailer sites.

Unlike most coupon websites this site adds an extension to your web browser. It is a free application that you can simply add as an extension to Chrome or any other browser application. You can then look up codes of a variety of services and products on select websites through this extension bar. It also helps you find codes across 3000 and more websites.

  • Easy to install.
  • No need to pay the subscription fee.
  • Supports multiple products and stores.
  • Not marketed well.

5. CouponFollow

This is an online platform that features coupon codes for online merchants. It is part of a venture formed in 2009 by Marc Mezzacca. Also, the website is headquartered in New Jersey. This site, formed in 2009, earns commission when customers click and follow links to complete transactions on partner sites. If you are looking for the latest Filmora coupon code Reddit it is best to use the search function here.

  • CouponFollow provides an easy-to-use web interface.
  • Reliable customer service.
  • Dependable website.

Conclusion

There are different discount deals to use to get off on Filmora subscription plans. If you wish to make the most of the latest offers, log onto sites such as the coupon websites mentioned above instead of the Filmora coupon code Reddit. They will redirect you to the official website where you can avail of the discount when purchasing a subscription plan as per your requirement.

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

If you are looking for Filmora coupon codes on Reddit, they might not be available on this site. Reddit does aggregate social news and has several discussion threads and content that viewers find useful. This is a site where people sign up to share content such as links, videos, images, text posts, and others. As a result, many people share coupon code links on this forum as well. However, there is no guarantee as to how valid these links are. Often people who look for Filmora or other coupon code links here find them to be outdated or not functional.

filmora coupon code on reddit

It is not surprising that there aren’t so many results of the Filmora coupon code on Reddit. To find valid and working coupon codes for Filmora, here are some websites to try.

5 Best Sites to Get Filmora Promo Code Instead of Reddit

1. Filmora Official Website

Filmora is a useful tool for many, whether they are beginners or professionals. This video editing tool offers an efficient platform with many editing features. It has a user-friendly design that makes it easy for most people to find their way around the editing platform.

If you are looking to make high-quality videos or edit such software, this is a popular and useful tool to use. It even supports the editing of 4K videos. The product is affordable and comes with tools for audio and video edits. It also comes with several options for adding effects, styling as well as customizing videos.

Of course, to use all features of this software you need to subscribe. To get a discounted price when you make a purchase it is best to hunt for the best deals available.

You can log onto the official website and make the purchase instead of looking for the Filmora coupon code Reddit. They also have attractive discounts and offers for customers on the site.

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

2. Groupon

filmora promo code Groupon

Groupon is an eCommerce site that acts as an online marketplace with great deal offers. As per the country site, you log into, there are local merchants who offer travel, activities, services, and goods. The site has its presence across 15 countries. Groupon has been operational since 2008 and it features local restaurants, spa deals as well as discount coupons on services, online purchases, and others.

Pros

  • Easy to sign up.
  • Deals of the day every day.
  • Wide variety of local products and services.

Cons

  • Time-limited deals.
  • Online deals are limited.

3. CouponzGuru

CouponzGuru is a leading eCommerce marketplace, especially for online goods and services. If you wish to order food, groceries, or do shopping online, this is a site to visit first. That is because it ties up with popular online merchants for each country where it has a domain. As a result, you will find discounts and deals across several categories and of your local brands and online stores. You can search by brand or use the search panel to look for a product. Instead of looking for the Filmora coupon code Reddit, you can look up the same on CouponzGuru. Once you find the offer you wish to take up, you can click on the same and get the coupon code. It also redirects you to the site where you wish to make the purchase, making the transactions smooth and swift.

Pros

  • Clean, well-designed layout.
  • The website is easy to browse.
  • No need to subscribe.

Cons

  • Cash-back offers are limited.

4. JoinHoney

This website is run by Honey Science Corp which is headquartered in Los Angeles. It operates the site as a browser extension. This then aggregates different coupon deals from different eCommerce sites. A site is a subsidiary unit of PayPal. This retailer gains commission by redirecting customers to partner retailer sites.

Unlike most coupon websites this site adds an extension to your web browser. It is a free application that you can simply add as an extension to Chrome or any other browser application. You can then look up codes of a variety of services and products on select websites through this extension bar. It also helps you find codes across 3000 and more websites.

  • Easy to install.
  • No need to pay the subscription fee.
  • Supports multiple products and stores.
  • Not marketed well.

5. CouponFollow

This is an online platform that features coupon codes for online merchants. It is part of a venture formed in 2009 by Marc Mezzacca. Also, the website is headquartered in New Jersey. This site, formed in 2009, earns commission when customers click and follow links to complete transactions on partner sites. If you are looking for the latest Filmora coupon code Reddit it is best to use the search function here.

  • CouponFollow provides an easy-to-use web interface.
  • Reliable customer service.
  • Dependable website.

Conclusion

There are different discount deals to use to get off on Filmora subscription plans. If you wish to make the most of the latest offers, log onto sites such as the coupon websites mentioned above instead of the Filmora coupon code Reddit. They will redirect you to the official website where you can avail of the discount when purchasing a subscription plan as per your requirement.

author avatar

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Bring Your Ideas to Life with These 12 Free Animation Software Options

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

Home Movie Magic: Pro Tips for Editing Like a Pro

Home Video Editing Tips - How to Make a Great Home Movie

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Many people have camcorders and shoot a lot of movies and want to preserve home movies for long lasting memories. If you’d like to make some home movies that can be treasured and liked by the families, try to follow the home video editing tips below.

Home video editing tips for better home movie making

1. Know your camcorder well

Make sure that you are very familiar with your camcorder before recording so that you can shoot good videos and photos. If you are not, read the manual and practice shooting before you going to shoot the videos for your home movie.

2. Make a home movie plan

Keep in mind what your home movie is going to be adorable and pay much attention to the content. And when you record the videos, take the plan into consideration. By doing this, you can make your home movie more coherent.

3. Shoot good videos

Make sure your videos have plenty of light and are not blurry. And be conscious of the background sound, and try to control it as much as possible. Besides, try to shoot scenes from different angles.

4. Add video editing effects

When you are editing your movies using some video editing software , you can trim, split, rotate, split videos before or after using the PIP, Jump-cut, Face Off effects, but do not use too many transition effects.

5. Combine photos and videos together

To make your home video more advanced, you can insert some still photos to the videos or use some advanced video effects such as picture in picture effect in iMovie. They will surely make you video more interesting.

6. Don’t make the home video too long

Most home videos are long and boring. However, people usually don’t like to see very trifle. So make your home video short, sweet and attractive. Get the best scenes and discard those trivial things.

7. Get some humor

Successful TV commercials are with good humor and make people happy. Adding some humor to your home videos will bring them to the next level instantly. You can find some funny video online and find some inspirations from them on how to make the video funny and attractive.

Remember that great home videos should be short, funny, tight and easy to watch. Here are just simple home video editing tips. The following is the trial version of Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor) (Windows and Mac version), which can achieve all your dreams about video editing software.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://download.wondershare.com/mac-video-editor%5Ffull718.dmg )

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

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

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Many people have camcorders and shoot a lot of movies and want to preserve home movies for long lasting memories. If you’d like to make some home movies that can be treasured and liked by the families, try to follow the home video editing tips below.

Home video editing tips for better home movie making

1. Know your camcorder well

Make sure that you are very familiar with your camcorder before recording so that you can shoot good videos and photos. If you are not, read the manual and practice shooting before you going to shoot the videos for your home movie.

2. Make a home movie plan

Keep in mind what your home movie is going to be adorable and pay much attention to the content. And when you record the videos, take the plan into consideration. By doing this, you can make your home movie more coherent.

3. Shoot good videos

Make sure your videos have plenty of light and are not blurry. And be conscious of the background sound, and try to control it as much as possible. Besides, try to shoot scenes from different angles.

4. Add video editing effects

When you are editing your movies using some video editing software , you can trim, split, rotate, split videos before or after using the PIP, Jump-cut, Face Off effects, but do not use too many transition effects.

5. Combine photos and videos together

To make your home video more advanced, you can insert some still photos to the videos or use some advanced video effects such as picture in picture effect in iMovie. They will surely make you video more interesting.

6. Don’t make the home video too long

Most home videos are long and boring. However, people usually don’t like to see very trifle. So make your home video short, sweet and attractive. Get the best scenes and discard those trivial things.

7. Get some humor

Successful TV commercials are with good humor and make people happy. Adding some humor to your home videos will bring them to the next level instantly. You can find some funny video online and find some inspirations from them on how to make the video funny and attractive.

Remember that great home videos should be short, funny, tight and easy to watch. Here are just simple home video editing tips. The following is the trial version of Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor) (Windows and Mac version), which can achieve all your dreams about video editing software.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://download.wondershare.com/mac-video-editor%5Ffull718.dmg )

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

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

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Many people have camcorders and shoot a lot of movies and want to preserve home movies for long lasting memories. If you’d like to make some home movies that can be treasured and liked by the families, try to follow the home video editing tips below.

Home video editing tips for better home movie making

1. Know your camcorder well

Make sure that you are very familiar with your camcorder before recording so that you can shoot good videos and photos. If you are not, read the manual and practice shooting before you going to shoot the videos for your home movie.

2. Make a home movie plan

Keep in mind what your home movie is going to be adorable and pay much attention to the content. And when you record the videos, take the plan into consideration. By doing this, you can make your home movie more coherent.

3. Shoot good videos

Make sure your videos have plenty of light and are not blurry. And be conscious of the background sound, and try to control it as much as possible. Besides, try to shoot scenes from different angles.

4. Add video editing effects

When you are editing your movies using some video editing software , you can trim, split, rotate, split videos before or after using the PIP, Jump-cut, Face Off effects, but do not use too many transition effects.

5. Combine photos and videos together

To make your home video more advanced, you can insert some still photos to the videos or use some advanced video effects such as picture in picture effect in iMovie. They will surely make you video more interesting.

6. Don’t make the home video too long

Most home videos are long and boring. However, people usually don’t like to see very trifle. So make your home video short, sweet and attractive. Get the best scenes and discard those trivial things.

7. Get some humor

Successful TV commercials are with good humor and make people happy. Adding some humor to your home videos will bring them to the next level instantly. You can find some funny video online and find some inspirations from them on how to make the video funny and attractive.

Remember that great home videos should be short, funny, tight and easy to watch. Here are just simple home video editing tips. The following is the trial version of Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor) (Windows and Mac version), which can achieve all your dreams about video editing software.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://download.wondershare.com/mac-video-editor%5Ffull718.dmg )

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

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

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Many people have camcorders and shoot a lot of movies and want to preserve home movies for long lasting memories. If you’d like to make some home movies that can be treasured and liked by the families, try to follow the home video editing tips below.

Home video editing tips for better home movie making

1. Know your camcorder well

Make sure that you are very familiar with your camcorder before recording so that you can shoot good videos and photos. If you are not, read the manual and practice shooting before you going to shoot the videos for your home movie.

2. Make a home movie plan

Keep in mind what your home movie is going to be adorable and pay much attention to the content. And when you record the videos, take the plan into consideration. By doing this, you can make your home movie more coherent.

3. Shoot good videos

Make sure your videos have plenty of light and are not blurry. And be conscious of the background sound, and try to control it as much as possible. Besides, try to shoot scenes from different angles.

4. Add video editing effects

When you are editing your movies using some video editing software , you can trim, split, rotate, split videos before or after using the PIP, Jump-cut, Face Off effects, but do not use too many transition effects.

5. Combine photos and videos together

To make your home video more advanced, you can insert some still photos to the videos or use some advanced video effects such as picture in picture effect in iMovie. They will surely make you video more interesting.

6. Don’t make the home video too long

Most home videos are long and boring. However, people usually don’t like to see very trifle. So make your home video short, sweet and attractive. Get the best scenes and discard those trivial things.

7. Get some humor

Successful TV commercials are with good humor and make people happy. Adding some humor to your home videos will bring them to the next level instantly. You can find some funny video online and find some inspirations from them on how to make the video funny and attractive.

Remember that great home videos should be short, funny, tight and easy to watch. Here are just simple home video editing tips. The following is the trial version of Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor) (Windows and Mac version), which can achieve all your dreams about video editing software.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://download.wondershare.com/mac-video-editor%5Ffull718.dmg )

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

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

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Also read:

  • Title: New In 2024, Mac Video Editing Software 10 Alternatives to Vegas Pro You Need to Know
  • Author: Amelia
  • Created at : 2024-04-29 19:49:01
  • Updated at : 2024-04-30 19:49:01
  • Link: https://ai-driven-video-production.techidaily.com/new-in-2024-mac-video-editing-software-10-alternatives-to-vegas-pro-you-need-to-know/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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New In 2024, Mac Video Editing Software 10 Alternatives to Vegas Pro You Need to Know