14 Best Animation Apps To Try in 2024

Navigating the world of animation apps can be a maze, especially in 2024, where choices are vast and technology is rapidly advancing.

Did you know that 76% of digital creators in the US say that creative tools are the primary catalyst for enhancing creativity?

Plus, 40% believe that more or improved access to the right tools could boost their creativity.

Whether you’re a budding animator eager to dip your toes into digital art or a seasoned pro on the hunt for powerful tools to bring complex visions to life, the challenge is real. 

Sifting through an ocean of options to find the animation apps that resonate with your skill level, project demands, and creative aspirations can be a hassle. You’re probably wondering, “What are the best animation apps of 2024?” Well, we’ve got you covered with our guide on the top animation apps to try this year.

TL;DR

• Animated storytelling has evolved, allowing more people to create dynamic and engaging content.
• Choosing the best animation apps depends on your needs, skill level, and project complexity. When selecting a tool, consider factors like ease of use, available features, template variety, and integration capabilities.
• Renderforest offers a comprehensive suite of tools for creating professional-quality animations with ease.
• Community support and educational resources are super helpful for learning and mastering the best apps for animation.

What Are the Best Animation Apps To Transform Storytelling?

Animated storytelling has come a long way since its humble beginnings with hand-drawn flipbooks. With technological advancements, animation has become more accessible and easier to create. This has led to an explosion of creativity and innovation in animation, giving rise to some truly amazing animated content. 

If you’re passionate about bringing stories to life through animation or simply want to infuse your content with dynamic visuals, stick around to discover our top tool recommendations.

Best Free Animation Apps

1. Renderforest

Pros

• The platform offers studio-quality video templates handcrafted by professional designers who don’t only focus on the visual appeal of the video but on the rules and principles of marketing and storytelling.
• You can choose from a very wide variety of video templates, including intros, promo videos, animations, explainer videos, and presentations.
• A powerful video editor helps you edit your uploaded media—such as photos, videos, and audio—and apply effects.
• You have options to record your own voice in the app or use Renderforest’s voice-over assistant to customize its language, gender, accent, speed, and so on.
• You’ll find rich stock footage and licensed audio tracks that help you make your video look even more professional.

Pricing

• Free Plan: Create HD720 videos with a limited stock library.
• Lite Plan ($9.99/mo): Unlimited HD720 videos, more than one million premium scenes, full stock access.
• Pro Plan ($19.99/mo): Unlimited HD1080 videos, extensive catalog with more than five million music and photo stock files.
• Business Plan ($29.99/mo): Unlimited 4K videos, custom watermark feature 

General Overview

The Renderforest animation maker provides users with plenty of creative services like logo design, website development, graphic design, mockups, and presentation creation. With drag-and-drop editors and pre-built templates fit for a wide range of content types, including long presentations and videos, our tools are easy to customize. Font combinations, color adjustments, animations, and backdrop choices are among the many features. Users can add their own animation logo, typefaces, and color schemes to templates to make them uniquely their own.

Using the varied selection of animated templates available on Renderforest, you can create holiday greetings, industry-specific videos, movie trailers, commercials, and more. The easy-to-use editing interface offers a real-time preview function and all the necessary tools to customize scenes. The 3D explainer film toolbox includes a huge selection of settings, characters, and modifiable components. Furthermore, using user input, an AI assistant may recommend videos.

If you appreciate a vast selection of templates, user-friendly design, and diverse creative features, Renderforest is your go-to choice for bringing your projects to life—and one of the best animation apps (free versions, that is) you can find.

2. Flipaclip

Pros

• FlipaClip provides a variety of brushes, pens, and pencils, making the drawing experience enjoyable and versatile.
• You can add sound effects, music, and even your own voice recordings to animations. The app also allows you to animate over imported images and videos.
• You can share your animations directly on social platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok or export them as MP4, GIF, or PNG sequences.

Cons

• Adding more than six layers may lead to performance issues in the app.
• While FlipaClip is available on both Android and iOS, certain features like drag-and-drop for images are only possible on iPadOS 11 and higher.

Pricing

The platform is free but with in-app purchasing options. 

General Overview

If you’ve ever dreamt about creating your cartoon without any creative skills and editing abilities, you can start your journey to being the next Walt Disney with Flipaclip. It’ll help you make cartoon animations easily using its frame-by-frame principle. 

You can also add more effects to your animations with the platform’s overlay grid and make a flipbook kind of animation from your own sketches. As for saving the files, you can do so in GIF and MP4 video formats and directly share them on social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Flipaclip is only available on the App Store.  

 

3. MotionBook

Pros

• MotionBook is an animation app that allows motion-sensitive input, providing a different approach to creating animations.
• It enables the inclusion of motion-based elements in animations, which can add a new layer of interactivity and dynamics to the creative process.
• The app offers customization options such as adjustable frame rates and pressure sensitivity, catering to the preferences of individual users.

Cons

• The app may be costlier than simpler animation tools due to its advanced features, which could be a factor for users on a budget.
• Users new to animation or those accustomed to traditional methods might initially find MotionBook challenging to navigate.
• MotionBook might demand more from a device’s processing power and storage, potentially limiting its use on older or less capable devices.

Pricing

The app is free but comes with in-app purchasing options.

General Overview

MotionBook’s Draw & Animate tool is one of the best free animation apps that employs a flipbook format, which could be appealing to beginners due to its familiar interface. Unlike typical flipbook animation apps, MotionBook offers additional features that users might find useful as they delve deeper into the app. These features include a selection of pens, pencils, brushes, and erasers, as well as the ability to customize scenes using onion skinning. Users can also copy their drawings to use in subsequent scenes.

4. Synfig

Pros

• The app has a vector tweening feature that seamlessly transforms any vector shape into another. It gives full control over vector artwork, with key positions set and in-between frames calculated automatically.
• Synfig provides over 50 layers for creating complex artwork and animations. These layers include geometric, gradients, filters, distortions, transformations, fractals, and more.
• It includes a full-featured bone system for cutout animation using bitmap images or for controlling vector artwork. You can use the Skeleton Distortion layer to apply complex deformations to bitmap artwork.

Cons

• The app is resource heavy.
• It has no auto-save feature.

Pricing

You can download and use the app for free.

General Overview

Synfig is an animation-focused free and open-source video program that comes with a decent set of animation capabilities. It is a well-made, user-friendly app for short films, layers, and vector graphics. Its interface is different from that of many other apps. You won’t experience any problems with it once you get used to its peculiarities, and that’s because a vibrant community is available for tips and guidance.

Synfig is still a work in progress, though. It uses many resources and crashes more frequently than we’d like. Nevertheless, if you’ve dealt with graphic design previously, this is a wonderful animation program to “get your feet wet.” Being one of the best animation apps, it is perfect for small projects that don’t require a lot of work or detail.

5. Blender

Pros

• Blender provides an extensive toolset for 3D modeling and digital sculpting, making it ideal for creating detailed models and textures.
• It offers a comprehensive animation toolset, including a character animation pose editor, NLA for independent movements, forward/inverse kinematics, and sound synchronization. The app also comes with advanced rigging tools like an envelope, skeleton, and automatic skinning—just to name a few.
• Blender features Cycles, a high-end production path tracer, allowing for the creation of jaw-dropping renders.

Cons

• Blender’s extensive feature set comes with a steep learning curve for beginners.
• Depending on the complexity of the projects, Blender can be resource-intensive and may require a reasonably powerful computer to run smoothly.
• While it’s beneficial for innovation and responsiveness, Being open-source and community-driven can sometimes lead to inconsistencies or lack of standardization in certain areas.

Pricing

Blender is completely free.

General Overview

Blender is a free and open-source 3D creation suite that supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline. It is known for its versatility and extensive range of features, making it suitable for various applications in 3D modeling, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, motion tracking, and even video editing and game creation. 

Best Paid Animation Apps

6. Adobe Express

Pros

• Adobe Express includes a large stock image and music library, various fonts, and numerous design templates.
• The app supports seamless project syncing across multiple devices, allowing for automatic updates and smooth transitions between mobile and desktop.
• Designed for simplicity, Adobe Express is accessible and easy to navigate for users at all skill levels.
• Users can upload personal files and personalize their projects with their own images, music, and more.

Cons

• While Adobe Express offers a free version, access to its full range of features may require a subscription. This can be an issue for users on a tight budget or those who only need the tool occasionally.
• Beginners may initially find some of the more advanced features challenging. The interface itself is user-friendly, but mastering all the app’s capabilities can take some time.
• As a cloud-based service, Adobe Express needs an internet connection to work. This can be a limitation in areas with poor connectivity or for users who prefer offline access to their tools.

Pricing

• The subscription starts at $9.99 per month.

General Overview

Adobe Express, a versatile and user-friendly creative tool, combines many features to cater to diverse creative needs. It boasts an extensive array of tools, including a large library of stock images and music, numerous fonts, and various design templates. This makes it a valuable resource for any project. 

The cross-platform synchronization adds to its appeal, allowing for a seamless transition and continuous workflow across multiple devices. In other words, your work is automatically updated when you switch from mobile to desktop or vice versa.

With a user-friendly interface, the app makes it easy for you to navigate and use its features. It offers a high degree of customization and flexibility, allowing users to personalize their projects by uploading their own images and music.

7. Visme

Pros

• Visme allows you to create various types of content, including presentations, infographics, documents, videos, graphics, printables, charts, and graphs. This versatility makes it perfect for various applications.
• The app has a large collection of customizable templates available for different uses, such as social media graphics, branded templates, survey results, reports, proposals, invoices, flyers, ebooks, brochures, and logo animation templates.
• Users get access to free educational content, including video tutorials, ebooks, webinars, and online courses for boosting their design skills.
• The platform is designed to be accessible to both designers and non-designers, making it easy to create professional-looking content without extensive design experience.

Cons

• Some advanced features come with a learning curve for new users.
• Full access to Visme’s extensive features requires a paid subscription, which can be costly for budget-conscious users or small organizations.
• If you have slower internet connection or an older computer, you may experience lag or performance hitches—particularly with complex designs.
• While there are a good amount of templates to choose from, some categories may have limited choices or require more customization to truly fit specific needs.

Pricing

• Basic Plan: Free
• Personal Plan: $12.25 per month 
• Business Plan: $24.75 per month

General Overview

Founded in 2013, Visme currently supports over 4.5 million users in 120 countries. It is a one-stop solution for creating, storing, and sharing beautiful content. The platform provides many templates and assets, making it a versatile tool for various content creation needs.

8. PicsArt Animator

Pros

• The app is user-friendly, making it a good choice for beginners in animation. It simplifies the animation process and is more fun to use compared to some other apps.
• PicsArt Animator includes tools for drawing frame-by-frame animations, managing frames, and using multi-layering for complex animations. You can also create animated selfies by drawing on your photos.
• You have access to advanced drawing and sketching tools, with the ability to control the animation’s length.

Cons

• The app does not support content flipping when the device orientation changes. It can be inconvenient for users who need to charge their devices while working.
• Some users have reported glitches and crashes, especially when working on longer animations. There have been requests for bug fixes, improvements in dot drawing, and additional features like content flipping when the device is rotated.
• The app’s privacy practices include handling data like location, user content, usage data, and diagnostics, but this data is not linked to your identity.

Pricing

• Gold Plan: $55.99
• Team Plan: $74.98 
• Monthly Option: $11.99

General Overview

With PicsArt Animator, creating impressive animated videos, GIFs, and cartoon animation are a breeze. It lets you draw your animation frame by frame and use the 3D camera app and 3D animation tools.

Features like frame duplication, special effects, background music options, and animated stickers will make your job easier and help you design animations with many layers and complex scenes. And well, if you’re not interested in that, you can animate your selfies and other photos with a few clicks and strokes of a brush. PicsArt Animator also has an Emoji Me feature that you can use to create your animated emoji.  

9. Animoto

Pros

• Animoto allows you to create various types of videos, including marketing videos, ads, how-to videos, slideshow videos, social media and promo videos, birthday videos, and more. This makes it great for business, education, real estate, non-profit, and various other purposes.
• The platform is designed to be easy to use—even for those without professional video editing experience.
• Animoto offers a photo video maker, a music library, an online video editor, a video commenting tool, and a screen recorder. These features provide flexibility and creative freedom in video production.

Cons

• While Animoto is user-friendly, it offers limited customization options compared to more advanced video editing tools. This might not satisfy users looking for detailed editing capabilities.
• Videos you create with the free version of Animoto include a watermark, which you can only remove with a paid subscription. This potentially impacts the professional appearance of the videos.
• To access premium features like HD quality export and more extensive music and template libraries, users must subscribe to higher-tier plans, which may not be ideal for casual or infrequent users.

Pricing

• The prices start at $8 per month (billed annually).

General Overview

Animato is an animation app available only on iOS devices. It offers storyboard templates for creating animated videos, so you don’t need design skills to complete the task. 

The animation app is famous for its explainer videos, which you can create on mobile by adjusting the color, style, animated text, and other parts of their templates.

10. Cinema 4D

Pros

• The app is easy to use, making it ideal for those new to 3D modeling and animation.
• It offers advanced tools for creating complex animations, particularly popular in motion graphics.
• You have sophisticated rendering options like global illumination and ambient occlusion.
• The platform is suitable for various applications, like VFX, game development, and more.
• Extensive tutorials and webinars are available for learning and improving skills.

Cons

• The software is on the expensive side, which can be a significant barrier for individual artists, small businesses, or those just starting in 3D animation.
• Cinema 4D demands considerable system resources, particularly for complex projects. This can lead to performance issues on less powerful computers.
• The wide variety of tools and features in Cinema 4D—while perfect for professionals—can be overwhelming for users who need to create simple 3D models or animations.

Pricing

• Cinema 4D is available for $59.91 per month.

General Overview

A complex and well-made 3D animation program, Cinema 4D provides users with an abundance of tools to create a wide range of professional projects. The platform offers weekly webinars and tutorials to help consumers explore its plethora of possibilities. It’s also  user-friendly so novices can get up and running fast.

The feature list of Cinema 4D is quite impressive, especially the integrated Adobe connection. To use this application, your computer must be powerful—with the RAM and other hardware to match. 

11. Animation Desk

Pros

• Animation Desk provides an interface that guides you through the basic animation process. This makes it suitable for users of all skill levels.
• The app includes various drawing tools like brushes, erasers, and onion skinning. It also offers layers, frame tags, rulers, and a frame viewer and timeline for creating precise animations.
• You can create animations from scratch or over videos, images, and Photoshop layers. The app supports multiple export formats, including video, GIF, PDF, PSD, or image sequences.
• You get access to features like captioning, customizable aspect ratios, FPS settings, color palettes, and the ability to add music to animations.

Cons

• While it’s great for beginners and intermediates, Animation Desk lacks advanced features that professional animators look for. This potentially limits its appeal to users with more sophisticated needs.
• There are limited export options, affecting the ability to share or use animations in various formats or platforms.
• Despite the availability of a free version, access to many essential features requires in-app purchases or a subscription.
• The user interface may feel cluttered or less intuitive to some users, especially when compared to other animation software.

Pricing

• The app costs $15.99 per month and is billed annually.

General Overview

Animation Desk is one of the best apps for animation drawing. It allows you to draw animations on your videos and images using different types of brushes. You can create cartoons, sketches, animated sequences, and storyboards. With Animation Desk, you can choose between drawing on your phone or tablet using the Apple pencil or even a pencil rubber. 

12. Stop Motion Studio

Pros

• The app includes a powerful masking tool that helps remove unwanted objects from your animations, like strings used to hang objects during capture.
• It boasts a great image editor for fine-tuning color-level composition and applying filter effects, all with non-destructive editing.
• Stop Motion Studio offers a variety of beautifully designed credits and title cards, as well as an editor for creating custom credits and titles with advanced typography features.

Cons

• Although the app is a good choice for beginners and hobbyists, it lacks the depth of advanced features that professional filmmakers and animators seek.
• Some users may find the resolution options limited, which could impact the quality of the final output—especially for those looking to produce high-definition content.
• Access to full functionality typically requires in-app purchases or upgrading to the pro version. This may deter users looking for a comprehensive free tool. 

Pricing

Stop Motion Studio requires a one-time payment of $4.99. It offers a free trial, too. 

General Overview

Stop Motion Studio is one of the best animation apps with a unique, full-featured, easy-to-use interface. With this app, you can create professional stop-motion animations and add filters, backgrounds, and foregrounds to your videos without having any necessary skills. 

The app also allows you to adjust the focus of your video, shutter speed, exposure, ISO, white balance, and time interval. If used correctly, these features will improve the quality of your animation and take it to another level.

But that’s not all. One of the best tools is the rotoscope which allows you to import video files and images and start drawing over them. 

13. Adobe Character Animator

Pros

• The Character Animator tool uses your movement to animate characters. This includes live-streaming capabilities and automatic lip-sync, which saves significant time in creating high-quality animations.
• The works with other Adobe apps like After Effects, Animate, Photoshop, and Illustrator, allowing for a streamlined workflow.
• The software comes with a motion library with over 350 professional full-body animations covering a wide range of actions like dancing, walking, and more. You can blend these together for seamless performances.

Cons

• As with most Adobe products, there’s a bit of a learning curve for those new to animation or the Adobe ecosystem.
• Being a professional tool means that it may require a relatively powerful computer system, especially for more complex projects.
• The app follows a subscription-based pricing model, which may not be the best choice if you’re looking for a one-time purchase software.

Pricing

• The software costs $59.99 per month.

General Overview

Adobe Character Animator is designed to simplify the process of 2D character animation. It uses real-time motion capture—using your webcam, microphone, and mouse—to animate characters based on your facial expressions and movements. This makes it user-friendly and efficient for animators who want to bring characters to life quickly and with a high degree of expressiveness. It’s particularly useful in contexts where live animation and real-time performance capture are needed, such as live streaming or interactive media. Needless to say, Character Animator is one of the best animation apps on the market. 

14. Moho Animation

Pros

• The latest version, Moho 14, includes an advanced graphics engine that optimizes GPU usage, offering better performance and real-time previews of various effects.
• The software provides an enhanced drawing experience with intuitive tools like the Freehand, Blob Brush, and Eraser. It also supports traditional animation techniques alongside powerful rigging systems.
• You can create and animate soft shapes for elemental animation and character rigging, operating in real-time for dynamic results.

Cons

• As with many professional animation software programs, there is a learning curve—especially for those new to 2D animation or rigging.
• Given its advanced features, Moho requires a robust computer system for optimal performance.

Pricing

• Moho Pro 14: $399.99 as a one-time purchase
• Moho Debut 14: $59.99
• Upgrade Options: Moho Pro 13 to 14 costs $99.99 with a limited-time offer

General Overview

Moho Animation is known for its unique vector system optimized for animation and rigging, allowing consistent shape movement. It boasts the most powerful 2D rigging on the market with advanced features like Forward and Inverse kinematics, Pin bones, and automatic squash and stretch for bones. These features, in addition to its compatibility with various file types and robust drawing tools, make Moho an excellent choice for both professional animators and those just starting in the field.

How to Choose the Best Animation Apps

Choosing the right animation app can seriously impact the quality and efficiency of your animation projects. Here are some quick tips to keep in mind when trying to choose the best animation apps for you:

Identify Your Needs

Figure out the style and complexity of the animations you plan to create. Different apps cater to various needs, from simple 2D animations to complex 3D models.

Consider Ease of Use

If you’re a beginner, look for an app with an intuitive interface and helpful tutorials. Advanced users may prefer apps with more customization options and advanced tools.

Look for Integration Capabilities

Check if the app integrates seamlessly with other software you use—like video editing or graphic design tools—to streamline your workflow.

Check the Feature Set

What features does the app offer? Look for key functionalities like rigging, texturing, lighting effects, and real-time rendering that align with your project requirements.

Community and Support Options

A strong user community and good customer support can come in handy, especially when you’re learning new software or troubleshooting issues.

Understand the Pricing Options

Account for the software’s cost and whether it fits your budget. Some apps offer a one-time purchase, while others operate on a subscription model.

Considering Renderforest?

If you’re looking for a user-friendly and versatile animation app, consider Renderforest’s Animation Maker. It comes with tons of features built for creating professional-quality animations, including a vast library of templates and an easy-to-use interface. Renderforest is especially useful for crafting animated videos, intros, and explainer videos with minimal effort.

Watch our easy-to-follow tutorial below to learn how to create videos with Renderforest!

Want to dive deeper? Visit our YouTube channel for more tutorials and examples to discover all that Renderforest has to offer.

Wrapping It Up

The world of video creation is changing—so why shouldn’t you? Join the innovation with Renderforest, your handy companion in creating standout animations with ease and flair.

Our platform stands out in the world of animation as the best free animation app, offering an intuitive experience and countless templates. Whether you’re starting your first project or a seasoned creator, Renderforest brings your visions to life. It’s your go-to toolkit for animation that makes an impact.

With Renderforest, your next masterpiece is just a few clicks away!

Best Animation Apps FAQ

Which is the no. 1 animation app?

The number one animation app can vary based on user preferences and needs. However, the article highlights Renderforest as a top choice due to its comprehensive suite of tools for creating professional-quality animations, ease of use, and a vast library of templates.

Is there a free animation app?

Yes, there are several free animation apps available. For example, Renderforest offers a free plan that allows you to create HD720 videos with limited stock library access. Other free apps include Flipaclip, MotionBook, Synfig, and Blender, each with its own set of features and capabilities.

What app do most animators use?

Animators use a variety of apps depending on their specific needs and the complexity of their projects. Apps like Adobe Character Animator, Blender, and Cinema 4D are popular among professionals for their advanced features and versatility. Meanwhile, beginners or those looking for simpler solutions might prefer apps like Flipaclip or Renderforest.

What do YouTubers use to animate?

YouTubers use various animation apps based on their content needs and skill levels. Animoto, known for its ease of use and suitability for creating marketing videos and social media content, is a popular choice. Adobe Character Animator is another favored option for its real-time motion capture and animation capabilities, especially useful for creating animated characters and storytelling.

How do I choose the best animation app?

• Identify your needs: Consider the type and complexity of animations you want to create.
• Consider ease of use: Choose apps with user-friendly interfaces and tutorials if you’re a beginner.
• Look for integration capabilities: Ensure the app integrates well with other software you use.
• Check the feature set: Look for essential features that match your animation requirements.
• Community and support options: A strong user community and support can be invaluable.
• Understand the pricing options: Choose an app that fits your budget, considering one-time purchases or subscription models.