MP3 to MP4: The Dos and Don’ts of Audio-Video Conversion

What Should Consider when You Convert MP3 into MP4

An easy yet powerful editor

Numerous effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

Try It Free Try It Free

Keeping in mind that there will of course be no actual imagery to go with the finished product (unless you choose to add as such), converting an MP3 into MP4 is very easy!

There are even online MP3 to MP4 converters that will allow you to do this without having to download or install anything! But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Continue reading below to learn more:

In this article

01 [Easy Steps on Convert MP3 into MP 4](#Part 1)

02 [Six Online and Free Mp3 to Mp4 Converter](#Part 2)

Part 1 Easy Steps on Convert MP3 into MP4

For the first part of this article, we’ll be covering how to use a free MP3 to MP4 converter in order to successfully change the format of your audio into a video file! There will be two examples given for this, one for the straightforward MP3 into MP4 conversion the other for the more specified MP3 to MOV conversion!

01How to Convert MP3 to MP4?

Step 1: Launch MP3 to MP4 Convert (for Windows)

For our example, we’ll be using the free MP3 to MP4 converter, EaseUS Video Converter! This is open-source software, so you can use it for free!

To start using your chosen free MP3 to MP4 converter, upload the file that you want to convert! For our example converter, it’s as simple as dragging and dropping your chosen MP3 into the interface (as pointed out in the image below.)

Step 2: Choose Output Format!

Once the MP3 file has been uploaded, choose your desired output format.

(For our example MP3 to MP4 converter, this means selecting the settings icon for the file in question and then choosing a format from the pop-up window that appears (shown in the image below).

Step 3: Start Converting!

Once you’ve chosen your desired output format (which in this case is MP3 into MP4), select the “CONVERT” button to finish up!

Step 4: Save MP3 Into MP4

Depending on your chosen free MP3 to MP4 converter, your new MP4 file may have to be downloaded manually or not.

In the case of EaseUS Video Converter, it is downloaded automatically, all you have to do is select the “Finished” tab and select “OPEN” to go directly to the file location.

02How to Convert MP3 to MOV?

We’ve also included how you can convert MP3 to MOV with the same tool! As you will surely see, much of the process is the same. Only one step is really changed!

Step 1: Uploaded MP3 File!

First, just like in the previous section, upload your MP3 file (by dragging and dropping the file onto the MP3 to MOV converter.)

Step 2: Select ‘MOV’ Format!

This is the step where things change, of course! Now, rather than choosing MP4, you should select the “MOV” format for your output type! This will ensure that your MP3 file is converted specifically to a MOV file.

Step 3: Convert!

Again, just like before, select “CONVERT” to start the conversion process from MP3 to MOV!

Step 4: Open Folder to Find File!

Then, finally, go to the “Finished” tab to find your new MOV file.

Part 2 Six Online and Free Mp3 to Mp4 Converter

For this next section, we’re going to introduce a couple of online MP3 to MP4 converters as well other general, paid, and free MP3 to MP4 converters that you can check out. A link to a video showing how the converter works, as well as brief descriptions for each converter, have also been provided to ensure that you have a good idea of how each one works!

01**Wondershare Filmora **

The first of the tools on this list is Filmora! Filmora, first and foremost, is an advanced video editor. Some might say that using it as a tool to simply convert MP3 into MP4 is a little bit of an overkill.

But, chances are, you’re not likely going to want to stop at converting your MP3 into an MP4 file anyway, right? Well, if that’s the case, then having an all-in-one tool on your side that can offer you endless options for all sorts of purposes is one way to ensure that you are starting off on the right foot from the very beginning!

02Zamzar

Zamzar is a Windows 10 app that works as a general conversion tool. It doesn’t just convert MP3 into MP4 or MP3 into MOV — it also does the job if you’re looking for a converter that will work on JPG to PNG or PDF to JPG, etc. That makes it a helpful tool to have on hand just for general conversion purposes.

03Online File Converter

Online File Converter, as you can probably guess from the name, is an online conversion tool! This tool, much like Zamzar, is a heavy-hitter when it comes to conversion inputs and outputs compatibility. So, not only are you able to do the general MP3 into MP4 conversion promised today, but you can do other things as well! Plus, no download or installation is required! All you need is an internet connection to access the website the converter is on and a little patience while you wait to upload, convert, and download the file in question.

04Any Conv

AnyConv is an alternate to the Online File Converter if you’re looking for an online solution, but you don’t like the interface of one or the other. The two are pretty much identical in terms of features. All you need to do in order to use it is to upload the file that you want to convert, choose a format, and then download the output file when you’re done!

05Uniconverter

Uniconverter is an online MP3 to MP4 tool from Wondershare (the same creators of Filmora Pro). It’s a very solid tool. And it’s quite a convenient one too. Since, just like any online converter, all you need to start using it is an internet connection.

06MConverter - Chrome Extension

Our last pick brings us back to unique solutions! Specifically, we’re delving into the realm of Chrome extensions! This tool, the MConverter, works similarly to the other converters on this list. But, of course, in this case, if you want to use it in order to convert your files, you must first download the plug-in to your Chrome browser!

Key Takeaways from This Episode

● Despite the variety of options out there for MP3 into MP4 converters, they all pretty much work the same. First, you upload the file that you want to convert. Second, you select the output format for the conversion. And finally, third, you finish the conversion!

● Most MP3 to MP4 converters work for other formats as well. For example, if you want to convert your MP3 to MOV instead — that’s possible! OR, if you want to do the opposite, and convert MP4 to MP3, that works too!

● The difference between the different audio-to-video converters is usually the type of extra features it comes with as well as from what platform you can use it. For the latter, there are software types that you download and install to your computer, online types that you access through the internet, and extensions that you plug into your browser! Pick the one that works best with your workflow.

Try It Free Try It Free

Keeping in mind that there will of course be no actual imagery to go with the finished product (unless you choose to add as such), converting an MP3 into MP4 is very easy!

There are even online MP3 to MP4 converters that will allow you to do this without having to download or install anything! But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Continue reading below to learn more:

In this article

01 [Easy Steps on Convert MP3 into MP 4](#Part 1)

02 [Six Online and Free Mp3 to Mp4 Converter](#Part 2)

Part 1 Easy Steps on Convert MP3 into MP4

For the first part of this article, we’ll be covering how to use a free MP3 to MP4 converter in order to successfully change the format of your audio into a video file! There will be two examples given for this, one for the straightforward MP3 into MP4 conversion the other for the more specified MP3 to MOV conversion!

01How to Convert MP3 to MP4?

Step 1: Launch MP3 to MP4 Convert (for Windows)

For our example, we’ll be using the free MP3 to MP4 converter, EaseUS Video Converter! This is open-source software, so you can use it for free!

To start using your chosen free MP3 to MP4 converter, upload the file that you want to convert! For our example converter, it’s as simple as dragging and dropping your chosen MP3 into the interface (as pointed out in the image below.)

Step 2: Choose Output Format!

Once the MP3 file has been uploaded, choose your desired output format.

(For our example MP3 to MP4 converter, this means selecting the settings icon for the file in question and then choosing a format from the pop-up window that appears (shown in the image below).

Step 3: Start Converting!

Once you’ve chosen your desired output format (which in this case is MP3 into MP4), select the “CONVERT” button to finish up!

Step 4: Save MP3 Into MP4

Depending on your chosen free MP3 to MP4 converter, your new MP4 file may have to be downloaded manually or not.

In the case of EaseUS Video Converter, it is downloaded automatically, all you have to do is select the “Finished” tab and select “OPEN” to go directly to the file location.

02How to Convert MP3 to MOV?

We’ve also included how you can convert MP3 to MOV with the same tool! As you will surely see, much of the process is the same. Only one step is really changed!

Step 1: Uploaded MP3 File!

First, just like in the previous section, upload your MP3 file (by dragging and dropping the file onto the MP3 to MOV converter.)

Step 2: Select ‘MOV’ Format!

This is the step where things change, of course! Now, rather than choosing MP4, you should select the “MOV” format for your output type! This will ensure that your MP3 file is converted specifically to a MOV file.

Step 3: Convert!

Again, just like before, select “CONVERT” to start the conversion process from MP3 to MOV!

Step 4: Open Folder to Find File!

Then, finally, go to the “Finished” tab to find your new MOV file.

Part 2 Six Online and Free Mp3 to Mp4 Converter

For this next section, we’re going to introduce a couple of online MP3 to MP4 converters as well other general, paid, and free MP3 to MP4 converters that you can check out. A link to a video showing how the converter works, as well as brief descriptions for each converter, have also been provided to ensure that you have a good idea of how each one works!

01**Wondershare Filmora **

The first of the tools on this list is Filmora! Filmora, first and foremost, is an advanced video editor. Some might say that using it as a tool to simply convert MP3 into MP4 is a little bit of an overkill.

But, chances are, you’re not likely going to want to stop at converting your MP3 into an MP4 file anyway, right? Well, if that’s the case, then having an all-in-one tool on your side that can offer you endless options for all sorts of purposes is one way to ensure that you are starting off on the right foot from the very beginning!

02Zamzar

Zamzar is a Windows 10 app that works as a general conversion tool. It doesn’t just convert MP3 into MP4 or MP3 into MOV — it also does the job if you’re looking for a converter that will work on JPG to PNG or PDF to JPG, etc. That makes it a helpful tool to have on hand just for general conversion purposes.

03Online File Converter

Online File Converter, as you can probably guess from the name, is an online conversion tool! This tool, much like Zamzar, is a heavy-hitter when it comes to conversion inputs and outputs compatibility. So, not only are you able to do the general MP3 into MP4 conversion promised today, but you can do other things as well! Plus, no download or installation is required! All you need is an internet connection to access the website the converter is on and a little patience while you wait to upload, convert, and download the file in question.

04Any Conv

AnyConv is an alternate to the Online File Converter if you’re looking for an online solution, but you don’t like the interface of one or the other. The two are pretty much identical in terms of features. All you need to do in order to use it is to upload the file that you want to convert, choose a format, and then download the output file when you’re done!

05Uniconverter

Uniconverter is an online MP3 to MP4 tool from Wondershare (the same creators of Filmora Pro). It’s a very solid tool. And it’s quite a convenient one too. Since, just like any online converter, all you need to start using it is an internet connection.

06MConverter - Chrome Extension

Our last pick brings us back to unique solutions! Specifically, we’re delving into the realm of Chrome extensions! This tool, the MConverter, works similarly to the other converters on this list. But, of course, in this case, if you want to use it in order to convert your files, you must first download the plug-in to your Chrome browser!

Key Takeaways from This Episode

● Despite the variety of options out there for MP3 into MP4 converters, they all pretty much work the same. First, you upload the file that you want to convert. Second, you select the output format for the conversion. And finally, third, you finish the conversion!

● Most MP3 to MP4 converters work for other formats as well. For example, if you want to convert your MP3 to MOV instead — that’s possible! OR, if you want to do the opposite, and convert MP4 to MP3, that works too!

● The difference between the different audio-to-video converters is usually the type of extra features it comes with as well as from what platform you can use it. For the latter, there are software types that you download and install to your computer, online types that you access through the internet, and extensions that you plug into your browser! Pick the one that works best with your workflow.

Try It Free Try It Free

Keeping in mind that there will of course be no actual imagery to go with the finished product (unless you choose to add as such), converting an MP3 into MP4 is very easy!

There are even online MP3 to MP4 converters that will allow you to do this without having to download or install anything! But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Continue reading below to learn more:

In this article

01 [Easy Steps on Convert MP3 into MP 4](#Part 1)

02 [Six Online and Free Mp3 to Mp4 Converter](#Part 2)

Part 1 Easy Steps on Convert MP3 into MP4

For the first part of this article, we’ll be covering how to use a free MP3 to MP4 converter in order to successfully change the format of your audio into a video file! There will be two examples given for this, one for the straightforward MP3 into MP4 conversion the other for the more specified MP3 to MOV conversion!

01How to Convert MP3 to MP4?

Step 1: Launch MP3 to MP4 Convert (for Windows)

For our example, we’ll be using the free MP3 to MP4 converter, EaseUS Video Converter! This is open-source software, so you can use it for free!

To start using your chosen free MP3 to MP4 converter, upload the file that you want to convert! For our example converter, it’s as simple as dragging and dropping your chosen MP3 into the interface (as pointed out in the image below.)

Step 2: Choose Output Format!

Once the MP3 file has been uploaded, choose your desired output format.

(For our example MP3 to MP4 converter, this means selecting the settings icon for the file in question and then choosing a format from the pop-up window that appears (shown in the image below).

Step 3: Start Converting!

Once you’ve chosen your desired output format (which in this case is MP3 into MP4), select the “CONVERT” button to finish up!

Step 4: Save MP3 Into MP4

Depending on your chosen free MP3 to MP4 converter, your new MP4 file may have to be downloaded manually or not.

In the case of EaseUS Video Converter, it is downloaded automatically, all you have to do is select the “Finished” tab and select “OPEN” to go directly to the file location.

02How to Convert MP3 to MOV?

We’ve also included how you can convert MP3 to MOV with the same tool! As you will surely see, much of the process is the same. Only one step is really changed!

Step 1: Uploaded MP3 File!

First, just like in the previous section, upload your MP3 file (by dragging and dropping the file onto the MP3 to MOV converter.)

Step 2: Select ‘MOV’ Format!

This is the step where things change, of course! Now, rather than choosing MP4, you should select the “MOV” format for your output type! This will ensure that your MP3 file is converted specifically to a MOV file.

Step 3: Convert!

Again, just like before, select “CONVERT” to start the conversion process from MP3 to MOV!

Step 4: Open Folder to Find File!

Then, finally, go to the “Finished” tab to find your new MOV file.

Part 2 Six Online and Free Mp3 to Mp4 Converter

For this next section, we’re going to introduce a couple of online MP3 to MP4 converters as well other general, paid, and free MP3 to MP4 converters that you can check out. A link to a video showing how the converter works, as well as brief descriptions for each converter, have also been provided to ensure that you have a good idea of how each one works!

01**Wondershare Filmora **

The first of the tools on this list is Filmora! Filmora, first and foremost, is an advanced video editor. Some might say that using it as a tool to simply convert MP3 into MP4 is a little bit of an overkill.

But, chances are, you’re not likely going to want to stop at converting your MP3 into an MP4 file anyway, right? Well, if that’s the case, then having an all-in-one tool on your side that can offer you endless options for all sorts of purposes is one way to ensure that you are starting off on the right foot from the very beginning!

02Zamzar

Zamzar is a Windows 10 app that works as a general conversion tool. It doesn’t just convert MP3 into MP4 or MP3 into MOV — it also does the job if you’re looking for a converter that will work on JPG to PNG or PDF to JPG, etc. That makes it a helpful tool to have on hand just for general conversion purposes.

03Online File Converter

Online File Converter, as you can probably guess from the name, is an online conversion tool! This tool, much like Zamzar, is a heavy-hitter when it comes to conversion inputs and outputs compatibility. So, not only are you able to do the general MP3 into MP4 conversion promised today, but you can do other things as well! Plus, no download or installation is required! All you need is an internet connection to access the website the converter is on and a little patience while you wait to upload, convert, and download the file in question.

04Any Conv

AnyConv is an alternate to the Online File Converter if you’re looking for an online solution, but you don’t like the interface of one or the other. The two are pretty much identical in terms of features. All you need to do in order to use it is to upload the file that you want to convert, choose a format, and then download the output file when you’re done!

05Uniconverter

Uniconverter is an online MP3 to MP4 tool from Wondershare (the same creators of Filmora Pro). It’s a very solid tool. And it’s quite a convenient one too. Since, just like any online converter, all you need to start using it is an internet connection.

06MConverter - Chrome Extension

Our last pick brings us back to unique solutions! Specifically, we’re delving into the realm of Chrome extensions! This tool, the MConverter, works similarly to the other converters on this list. But, of course, in this case, if you want to use it in order to convert your files, you must first download the plug-in to your Chrome browser!

Key Takeaways from This Episode

● Despite the variety of options out there for MP3 into MP4 converters, they all pretty much work the same. First, you upload the file that you want to convert. Second, you select the output format for the conversion. And finally, third, you finish the conversion!

● Most MP3 to MP4 converters work for other formats as well. For example, if you want to convert your MP3 to MOV instead — that’s possible! OR, if you want to do the opposite, and convert MP4 to MP3, that works too!

● The difference between the different audio-to-video converters is usually the type of extra features it comes with as well as from what platform you can use it. For the latter, there are software types that you download and install to your computer, online types that you access through the internet, and extensions that you plug into your browser! Pick the one that works best with your workflow.

Try It Free Try It Free

Keeping in mind that there will of course be no actual imagery to go with the finished product (unless you choose to add as such), converting an MP3 into MP4 is very easy!

There are even online MP3 to MP4 converters that will allow you to do this without having to download or install anything! But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Continue reading below to learn more:

In this article

01 [Easy Steps on Convert MP3 into MP 4](#Part 1)

02 [Six Online and Free Mp3 to Mp4 Converter](#Part 2)

Part 1 Easy Steps on Convert MP3 into MP4

For the first part of this article, we’ll be covering how to use a free MP3 to MP4 converter in order to successfully change the format of your audio into a video file! There will be two examples given for this, one for the straightforward MP3 into MP4 conversion the other for the more specified MP3 to MOV conversion!

01How to Convert MP3 to MP4?

Step 1: Launch MP3 to MP4 Convert (for Windows)

For our example, we’ll be using the free MP3 to MP4 converter, EaseUS Video Converter! This is open-source software, so you can use it for free!

To start using your chosen free MP3 to MP4 converter, upload the file that you want to convert! For our example converter, it’s as simple as dragging and dropping your chosen MP3 into the interface (as pointed out in the image below.)

Step 2: Choose Output Format!

Once the MP3 file has been uploaded, choose your desired output format.

(For our example MP3 to MP4 converter, this means selecting the settings icon for the file in question and then choosing a format from the pop-up window that appears (shown in the image below).

Step 3: Start Converting!

Once you’ve chosen your desired output format (which in this case is MP3 into MP4), select the “CONVERT” button to finish up!

Step 4: Save MP3 Into MP4

Depending on your chosen free MP3 to MP4 converter, your new MP4 file may have to be downloaded manually or not.

In the case of EaseUS Video Converter, it is downloaded automatically, all you have to do is select the “Finished” tab and select “OPEN” to go directly to the file location.

02How to Convert MP3 to MOV?

We’ve also included how you can convert MP3 to MOV with the same tool! As you will surely see, much of the process is the same. Only one step is really changed!

Step 1: Uploaded MP3 File!

First, just like in the previous section, upload your MP3 file (by dragging and dropping the file onto the MP3 to MOV converter.)

Step 2: Select ‘MOV’ Format!

This is the step where things change, of course! Now, rather than choosing MP4, you should select the “MOV” format for your output type! This will ensure that your MP3 file is converted specifically to a MOV file.

Step 3: Convert!

Again, just like before, select “CONVERT” to start the conversion process from MP3 to MOV!

Step 4: Open Folder to Find File!

Then, finally, go to the “Finished” tab to find your new MOV file.

Part 2 Six Online and Free Mp3 to Mp4 Converter

For this next section, we’re going to introduce a couple of online MP3 to MP4 converters as well other general, paid, and free MP3 to MP4 converters that you can check out. A link to a video showing how the converter works, as well as brief descriptions for each converter, have also been provided to ensure that you have a good idea of how each one works!

01**Wondershare Filmora **

The first of the tools on this list is Filmora! Filmora, first and foremost, is an advanced video editor. Some might say that using it as a tool to simply convert MP3 into MP4 is a little bit of an overkill.

But, chances are, you’re not likely going to want to stop at converting your MP3 into an MP4 file anyway, right? Well, if that’s the case, then having an all-in-one tool on your side that can offer you endless options for all sorts of purposes is one way to ensure that you are starting off on the right foot from the very beginning!

02Zamzar

Zamzar is a Windows 10 app that works as a general conversion tool. It doesn’t just convert MP3 into MP4 or MP3 into MOV — it also does the job if you’re looking for a converter that will work on JPG to PNG or PDF to JPG, etc. That makes it a helpful tool to have on hand just for general conversion purposes.

03Online File Converter

Online File Converter, as you can probably guess from the name, is an online conversion tool! This tool, much like Zamzar, is a heavy-hitter when it comes to conversion inputs and outputs compatibility. So, not only are you able to do the general MP3 into MP4 conversion promised today, but you can do other things as well! Plus, no download or installation is required! All you need is an internet connection to access the website the converter is on and a little patience while you wait to upload, convert, and download the file in question.

04Any Conv

AnyConv is an alternate to the Online File Converter if you’re looking for an online solution, but you don’t like the interface of one or the other. The two are pretty much identical in terms of features. All you need to do in order to use it is to upload the file that you want to convert, choose a format, and then download the output file when you’re done!

05Uniconverter

Uniconverter is an online MP3 to MP4 tool from Wondershare (the same creators of Filmora Pro). It’s a very solid tool. And it’s quite a convenient one too. Since, just like any online converter, all you need to start using it is an internet connection.

06MConverter - Chrome Extension

Our last pick brings us back to unique solutions! Specifically, we’re delving into the realm of Chrome extensions! This tool, the MConverter, works similarly to the other converters on this list. But, of course, in this case, if you want to use it in order to convert your files, you must first download the plug-in to your Chrome browser!

Key Takeaways from This Episode

● Despite the variety of options out there for MP3 into MP4 converters, they all pretty much work the same. First, you upload the file that you want to convert. Second, you select the output format for the conversion. And finally, third, you finish the conversion!

● Most MP3 to MP4 converters work for other formats as well. For example, if you want to convert your MP3 to MOV instead — that’s possible! OR, if you want to do the opposite, and convert MP4 to MP3, that works too!

● The difference between the different audio-to-video converters is usually the type of extra features it comes with as well as from what platform you can use it. For the latter, there are software types that you download and install to your computer, online types that you access through the internet, and extensions that you plug into your browser! Pick the one that works best with your workflow.

Audio Post-Production in FCPX: L-Cuts, J-Cuts, and More

Final Cut Pro X Tutorial: L-Cuts and J-Cuts

Benjamin Arango

Aug 18, 2022• Proven solutions

If you wish to edit or create videos like a pro, you do not need to be a professional. Instead, be creative, learn new things, and think out of the box. You could draw inspiration from videos and films for their great clips and animations. If you are already familiar with video making, you would know basic editing tasks like trim, crop, transitions, filters, and so on. Ever knew the term J-Cuts, and L-Cuts?

It could be surprising, but yes, your well-known Final Cut Pro X has this powerful feature still overlooked by many people. So, today, we take it on hand and shall share what L-Cuts and J-Cuts mean. You will be able to create it on your own by the end of this article.

Part 1: The Use of L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Video Editing

Ordinary images, text, subtitles, and GIF doesn’t work anymore to get followers or likes on a video on YouTube channel or Instagram. Thus, video creators are tired of trying the same filters, transitions on the video editor tool. To create amazing videos like the ones played on your television and favorite movies, all you need is the split edit type techniques, a powerful editing tool used by professional editors. Although called professional, it isn’t difficult for a beginner if you know J-Cuts and L-Cuts.

They are nothing but the transition between the video and audio at different times and are entirely separate from wipes and fades. Such video editing technique helps in maintaining visual continuity. These super basic cuts are a combination of dialogue and imagery, thus keeping the video flow without a monotonous feeling.

When you look at the above interface, you will see the basic phenomenon behind the two split cuts. In L-Cuts, although the first video ends, the audio continues to clip two as well.

Then, what is a J cut in Final Cut Pro? It is ultimately reverse or opposite of L-Cuts. Yes, the second clip’s audio starts a while before the scene of the first video ends.

Part 2: Step-by-step Guide on Using L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro X

As Final Cut Pro X comes overloaded with advanced, powerful tools, you can find it a little tricky. Hence, we are here to help you perform the Final Cut Pro L-Cuts in this session. And, yes, the Final Cut Pro J-Cuts as well.

Step 1: Import media files

Once you launch Final Cut Pro X on your Mac device, create a new project by tapping project under the new section of the “File” menu.

You can now import the video file to the workspace by executing “File > Export > Media” or by tapping the “Import Media” option on the welcome screen.

Step 2: Expand audio in video

Now, drag the videos to the timeline in the respective order, and expand or detach the video’s audio on the timeline for easy or precise working.

Step 3: Drag the second video to the left

To create the Final Cut Pro L-Cuts, make sure that the first clip’s edit point or audio fades out at the end.

Finally, drag the second clip’s edit point to the left so that the video gets the audio of the first video.

L-Cuts are now in Final Cut Pro X.

Note: Here, the L-Cuts added video clip has no audio and has related well enough to the first video clip. If the second video has audio, it must be detached first, and then you should drag the edit point.

Step 4: Final Cut Pro J-Cuts

In the case of Final Cut Pro J-Cuts, the process is reverse, where you need to detach the audio of the preceding or following video clip and drag the first video to the right.

When you look at the transition closely, you can see that it resembles the letter J.

Part 3: Final Cut Pro X Keyboard Shortcuts for L-Cuts and J-Cuts

Final Cut Pro X offers specific keyword shorts to perform Final Cut Pro L-Cuts and Final Cut Pro J-Cuts.

1. As the first step, trim the clips shorter to get the media handles. To detach audio from the video clip, you need to press “Ctrl + S” which will expand the audio.

2. Now, move or place the playhead at the endpoint of both the video clips where here are the keyboard shortcuts:

• To shift the playhead to the earlier edit point: press “Semicolon (;) or up arrow key”.
• To move the playhead to the next edit point: press “Apostrophe (‘) or down arrow key”.

3. To choose the audio or the video edit point, you can do one of the following:

• Press “**Shift-Backslash (\)**” to select both sides of the audio endpoint.
• Press “**Backslash (\)**” to pick both sides of the video endpoint.

4. Here is the actual process or the keyboard shortcut that helps accomplish final cut pro-L-cuts or final cut pro-J-cuts by nudging the edit points.

• To nudge or push the edit point to the left or right: press “**Comma (,) or period (.)**”.
• To move the edit point to the left or right with ten frames: press “**Shift-Comma (,) or Sift-Period (.)**”.
• Using timecode to add or subtract the present edit: press the “**Plus (+)” or “Minus (-)**” key with the timecode duration.

Conclusion

Are you wondering and puzzled that you are a popular Final Cut Pro X user but weren’t aware of this powerful split edit tool till now? It isn’t too late for you to start yet. Finally, as assured at the beginning of the article, we gave you detailed information on what are J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro along with L-Cuts. With practical implementation on creating Final Cut Pro L-Cuts and J-Cuts, all the best for your first video project!

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Aug 18, 2022• Proven solutions

If you wish to edit or create videos like a pro, you do not need to be a professional. Instead, be creative, learn new things, and think out of the box. You could draw inspiration from videos and films for their great clips and animations. If you are already familiar with video making, you would know basic editing tasks like trim, crop, transitions, filters, and so on. Ever knew the term J-Cuts, and L-Cuts?

It could be surprising, but yes, your well-known Final Cut Pro X has this powerful feature still overlooked by many people. So, today, we take it on hand and shall share what L-Cuts and J-Cuts mean. You will be able to create it on your own by the end of this article.

Part 1: The Use of L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Video Editing

Ordinary images, text, subtitles, and GIF doesn’t work anymore to get followers or likes on a video on YouTube channel or Instagram. Thus, video creators are tired of trying the same filters, transitions on the video editor tool. To create amazing videos like the ones played on your television and favorite movies, all you need is the split edit type techniques, a powerful editing tool used by professional editors. Although called professional, it isn’t difficult for a beginner if you know J-Cuts and L-Cuts.

They are nothing but the transition between the video and audio at different times and are entirely separate from wipes and fades. Such video editing technique helps in maintaining visual continuity. These super basic cuts are a combination of dialogue and imagery, thus keeping the video flow without a monotonous feeling.

When you look at the above interface, you will see the basic phenomenon behind the two split cuts. In L-Cuts, although the first video ends, the audio continues to clip two as well.

Then, what is a J cut in Final Cut Pro? It is ultimately reverse or opposite of L-Cuts. Yes, the second clip’s audio starts a while before the scene of the first video ends.

Part 2: Step-by-step Guide on Using L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro X

As Final Cut Pro X comes overloaded with advanced, powerful tools, you can find it a little tricky. Hence, we are here to help you perform the Final Cut Pro L-Cuts in this session. And, yes, the Final Cut Pro J-Cuts as well.

Step 1: Import media files

Once you launch Final Cut Pro X on your Mac device, create a new project by tapping project under the new section of the “File” menu.

You can now import the video file to the workspace by executing “File > Export > Media” or by tapping the “Import Media” option on the welcome screen.

Step 2: Expand audio in video

Now, drag the videos to the timeline in the respective order, and expand or detach the video’s audio on the timeline for easy or precise working.

Step 3: Drag the second video to the left

To create the Final Cut Pro L-Cuts, make sure that the first clip’s edit point or audio fades out at the end.

Finally, drag the second clip’s edit point to the left so that the video gets the audio of the first video.

L-Cuts are now in Final Cut Pro X.

Note: Here, the L-Cuts added video clip has no audio and has related well enough to the first video clip. If the second video has audio, it must be detached first, and then you should drag the edit point.

Step 4: Final Cut Pro J-Cuts

In the case of Final Cut Pro J-Cuts, the process is reverse, where you need to detach the audio of the preceding or following video clip and drag the first video to the right.

When you look at the transition closely, you can see that it resembles the letter J.

Part 3: Final Cut Pro X Keyboard Shortcuts for L-Cuts and J-Cuts

Final Cut Pro X offers specific keyword shorts to perform Final Cut Pro L-Cuts and Final Cut Pro J-Cuts.

1. As the first step, trim the clips shorter to get the media handles. To detach audio from the video clip, you need to press “Ctrl + S” which will expand the audio.

2. Now, move or place the playhead at the endpoint of both the video clips where here are the keyboard shortcuts:

• To shift the playhead to the earlier edit point: press “Semicolon (;) or up arrow key”.
• To move the playhead to the next edit point: press “Apostrophe (‘) or down arrow key”.

3. To choose the audio or the video edit point, you can do one of the following:

• Press “**Shift-Backslash (\)**” to select both sides of the audio endpoint.
• Press “**Backslash (\)**” to pick both sides of the video endpoint.

4. Here is the actual process or the keyboard shortcut that helps accomplish final cut pro-L-cuts or final cut pro-J-cuts by nudging the edit points.

• To nudge or push the edit point to the left or right: press “**Comma (,) or period (.)**”.
• To move the edit point to the left or right with ten frames: press “**Shift-Comma (,) or Sift-Period (.)**”.
• Using timecode to add or subtract the present edit: press the “**Plus (+)” or “Minus (-)**” key with the timecode duration.

Conclusion

Are you wondering and puzzled that you are a popular Final Cut Pro X user but weren’t aware of this powerful split edit tool till now? It isn’t too late for you to start yet. Finally, as assured at the beginning of the article, we gave you detailed information on what are J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro along with L-Cuts. With practical implementation on creating Final Cut Pro L-Cuts and J-Cuts, all the best for your first video project!

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Aug 18, 2022• Proven solutions

If you wish to edit or create videos like a pro, you do not need to be a professional. Instead, be creative, learn new things, and think out of the box. You could draw inspiration from videos and films for their great clips and animations. If you are already familiar with video making, you would know basic editing tasks like trim, crop, transitions, filters, and so on. Ever knew the term J-Cuts, and L-Cuts?

It could be surprising, but yes, your well-known Final Cut Pro X has this powerful feature still overlooked by many people. So, today, we take it on hand and shall share what L-Cuts and J-Cuts mean. You will be able to create it on your own by the end of this article.

Part 1: The Use of L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Video Editing

Ordinary images, text, subtitles, and GIF doesn’t work anymore to get followers or likes on a video on YouTube channel or Instagram. Thus, video creators are tired of trying the same filters, transitions on the video editor tool. To create amazing videos like the ones played on your television and favorite movies, all you need is the split edit type techniques, a powerful editing tool used by professional editors. Although called professional, it isn’t difficult for a beginner if you know J-Cuts and L-Cuts.

They are nothing but the transition between the video and audio at different times and are entirely separate from wipes and fades. Such video editing technique helps in maintaining visual continuity. These super basic cuts are a combination of dialogue and imagery, thus keeping the video flow without a monotonous feeling.

When you look at the above interface, you will see the basic phenomenon behind the two split cuts. In L-Cuts, although the first video ends, the audio continues to clip two as well.

Then, what is a J cut in Final Cut Pro? It is ultimately reverse or opposite of L-Cuts. Yes, the second clip’s audio starts a while before the scene of the first video ends.

Part 2: Step-by-step Guide on Using L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro X

As Final Cut Pro X comes overloaded with advanced, powerful tools, you can find it a little tricky. Hence, we are here to help you perform the Final Cut Pro L-Cuts in this session. And, yes, the Final Cut Pro J-Cuts as well.

Step 1: Import media files

Once you launch Final Cut Pro X on your Mac device, create a new project by tapping project under the new section of the “File” menu.

You can now import the video file to the workspace by executing “File > Export > Media” or by tapping the “Import Media” option on the welcome screen.

Step 2: Expand audio in video

Now, drag the videos to the timeline in the respective order, and expand or detach the video’s audio on the timeline for easy or precise working.

Step 3: Drag the second video to the left

To create the Final Cut Pro L-Cuts, make sure that the first clip’s edit point or audio fades out at the end.

Finally, drag the second clip’s edit point to the left so that the video gets the audio of the first video.

L-Cuts are now in Final Cut Pro X.

Note: Here, the L-Cuts added video clip has no audio and has related well enough to the first video clip. If the second video has audio, it must be detached first, and then you should drag the edit point.

Step 4: Final Cut Pro J-Cuts

In the case of Final Cut Pro J-Cuts, the process is reverse, where you need to detach the audio of the preceding or following video clip and drag the first video to the right.

When you look at the transition closely, you can see that it resembles the letter J.

Part 3: Final Cut Pro X Keyboard Shortcuts for L-Cuts and J-Cuts

Final Cut Pro X offers specific keyword shorts to perform Final Cut Pro L-Cuts and Final Cut Pro J-Cuts.

1. As the first step, trim the clips shorter to get the media handles. To detach audio from the video clip, you need to press “Ctrl + S” which will expand the audio.

2. Now, move or place the playhead at the endpoint of both the video clips where here are the keyboard shortcuts:

• To shift the playhead to the earlier edit point: press “Semicolon (;) or up arrow key”.
• To move the playhead to the next edit point: press “Apostrophe (‘) or down arrow key”.

3. To choose the audio or the video edit point, you can do one of the following:

• Press “**Shift-Backslash (\)**” to select both sides of the audio endpoint.
• Press “**Backslash (\)**” to pick both sides of the video endpoint.

4. Here is the actual process or the keyboard shortcut that helps accomplish final cut pro-L-cuts or final cut pro-J-cuts by nudging the edit points.

• To nudge or push the edit point to the left or right: press “**Comma (,) or period (.)**”.
• To move the edit point to the left or right with ten frames: press “**Shift-Comma (,) or Sift-Period (.)**”.
• Using timecode to add or subtract the present edit: press the “**Plus (+)” or “Minus (-)**” key with the timecode duration.

Conclusion

Are you wondering and puzzled that you are a popular Final Cut Pro X user but weren’t aware of this powerful split edit tool till now? It isn’t too late for you to start yet. Finally, as assured at the beginning of the article, we gave you detailed information on what are J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro along with L-Cuts. With practical implementation on creating Final Cut Pro L-Cuts and J-Cuts, all the best for your first video project!

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Aug 18, 2022• Proven solutions

If you wish to edit or create videos like a pro, you do not need to be a professional. Instead, be creative, learn new things, and think out of the box. You could draw inspiration from videos and films for their great clips and animations. If you are already familiar with video making, you would know basic editing tasks like trim, crop, transitions, filters, and so on. Ever knew the term J-Cuts, and L-Cuts?

It could be surprising, but yes, your well-known Final Cut Pro X has this powerful feature still overlooked by many people. So, today, we take it on hand and shall share what L-Cuts and J-Cuts mean. You will be able to create it on your own by the end of this article.

Part 1: The Use of L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Video Editing

Ordinary images, text, subtitles, and GIF doesn’t work anymore to get followers or likes on a video on YouTube channel or Instagram. Thus, video creators are tired of trying the same filters, transitions on the video editor tool. To create amazing videos like the ones played on your television and favorite movies, all you need is the split edit type techniques, a powerful editing tool used by professional editors. Although called professional, it isn’t difficult for a beginner if you know J-Cuts and L-Cuts.

They are nothing but the transition between the video and audio at different times and are entirely separate from wipes and fades. Such video editing technique helps in maintaining visual continuity. These super basic cuts are a combination of dialogue and imagery, thus keeping the video flow without a monotonous feeling.

When you look at the above interface, you will see the basic phenomenon behind the two split cuts. In L-Cuts, although the first video ends, the audio continues to clip two as well.

Then, what is a J cut in Final Cut Pro? It is ultimately reverse or opposite of L-Cuts. Yes, the second clip’s audio starts a while before the scene of the first video ends.

Part 2: Step-by-step Guide on Using L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro X

As Final Cut Pro X comes overloaded with advanced, powerful tools, you can find it a little tricky. Hence, we are here to help you perform the Final Cut Pro L-Cuts in this session. And, yes, the Final Cut Pro J-Cuts as well.

Step 1: Import media files

Once you launch Final Cut Pro X on your Mac device, create a new project by tapping project under the new section of the “File” menu.

You can now import the video file to the workspace by executing “File > Export > Media” or by tapping the “Import Media” option on the welcome screen.

Step 2: Expand audio in video

Now, drag the videos to the timeline in the respective order, and expand or detach the video’s audio on the timeline for easy or precise working.

Step 3: Drag the second video to the left

To create the Final Cut Pro L-Cuts, make sure that the first clip’s edit point or audio fades out at the end.

Finally, drag the second clip’s edit point to the left so that the video gets the audio of the first video.

L-Cuts are now in Final Cut Pro X.

Note: Here, the L-Cuts added video clip has no audio and has related well enough to the first video clip. If the second video has audio, it must be detached first, and then you should drag the edit point.

Step 4: Final Cut Pro J-Cuts

In the case of Final Cut Pro J-Cuts, the process is reverse, where you need to detach the audio of the preceding or following video clip and drag the first video to the right.

When you look at the transition closely, you can see that it resembles the letter J.

Part 3: Final Cut Pro X Keyboard Shortcuts for L-Cuts and J-Cuts

Final Cut Pro X offers specific keyword shorts to perform Final Cut Pro L-Cuts and Final Cut Pro J-Cuts.

1. As the first step, trim the clips shorter to get the media handles. To detach audio from the video clip, you need to press “Ctrl + S” which will expand the audio.

2. Now, move or place the playhead at the endpoint of both the video clips where here are the keyboard shortcuts:

• To shift the playhead to the earlier edit point: press “Semicolon (;) or up arrow key”.
• To move the playhead to the next edit point: press “Apostrophe (‘) or down arrow key”.

3. To choose the audio or the video edit point, you can do one of the following:

• Press “**Shift-Backslash (\)**” to select both sides of the audio endpoint.
• Press “**Backslash (\)**” to pick both sides of the video endpoint.

4. Here is the actual process or the keyboard shortcut that helps accomplish final cut pro-L-cuts or final cut pro-J-cuts by nudging the edit points.

• To nudge or push the edit point to the left or right: press “**Comma (,) or period (.)**”.
• To move the edit point to the left or right with ten frames: press “**Shift-Comma (,) or Sift-Period (.)**”.
• Using timecode to add or subtract the present edit: press the “**Plus (+)” or “Minus (-)**” key with the timecode duration.

Conclusion

Are you wondering and puzzled that you are a popular Final Cut Pro X user but weren’t aware of this powerful split edit tool till now? It isn’t too late for you to start yet. Finally, as assured at the beginning of the article, we gave you detailed information on what are J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro along with L-Cuts. With practical implementation on creating Final Cut Pro L-Cuts and J-Cuts, all the best for your first video project!

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Flawless Skin in FCPX: A Beginner’s Guide to Plugin-Free Retouching

Full Guide: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect with Final Cut Pro

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It’s quite common for vloggers to try to show the best of their states. However, makeup, weather, and the shooting equipment may disagree. So, how to tackle this problem?

Fortunately, we have the best solutions to fix the skin tone issue by using FCPX’s built-in tools or smooth skin plugins. You will learn how to strategically adjust your footage’s look for stylistic purposes and impress your audience with your video-editing skills. Now, let’s understand what a skin smoother effect is before learning how to add it in FCPX.

• Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?
• Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?
• Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?
• Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?
• Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?

Smoothening the skin in Final Cut Pro is very simple. Simply select the video, choose Video effects to be applied, and adjust the percentages from the Inspector pane. You will get wrinkle-free skin with an astonishing look. While multiple plugins are also available to apply a skin smoother effect, you can use the built-in features of Final Cut Pro to smoothen the skin and decrease the amount of contrast.

Here’s how you can do this:

step1Choose the starting image and edit the clip into the timeline. Press Option and make a connected copy of the clip by dragging it up. The start and end points should match for syncing. In the Effects Browser, drag Blur > Gaussian Blur to apply the blur effect on the upper clip.

step2Open the Inspector pan and select Compositing from its bottom. Switch the Blend Mode to Lighten and adjust the Opacity slider as per your desired glow. Usually, 40 to 45% is ideal.

step3Now, go to the top of the Inspector and turn on the blue checkbox next to Gaussian. Adjust the blurring effect until you achieve your desired level of skin softening. It is highly recommended to blur using the horizontal setting to soften the skin while keeping the eyes sharp. Here, the glow is controlled by Opacity while skin softening is controlled by the Blue Amount.

For better results, add a Vignette by selecting and combining the two clips into a Compound Clip. From the Effects Browser, select Stylize > Vignette and adjust drag the vignette. Now, customize the compound clip settings in the Inspector pane until you achieve your desired look. Compare the results between two images before and after editing

Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?

Plugins make it easy for beginners and users with limited expertise to add a skin smoother effect in Final Cut Pro X. You can find both free and paid skin smoother plugins for FCPX online. Given below are some popular skin smoothening plugins for Final Cut Pro X.

1. Skin Smoother 2

Skin Smoother 2 is a powerful and easy-to-use plugin that allows you to smooth out unwanted skin details and enhance your facial appearance.

Price: $19.99 (One-time Charges)

Software Requirements: FCP 10.2 or later

Features:

• Enhanced control over facial adjustments with fine-tuning giving more natural results;
• Precise color sampling without a need to match up with present skin tones; and
• 3 to 5 times faster rendering.

1. Color Finale

Color Finale is a user-friendly, fine-tuned, and fully-featured professional skin smoother plugin purpose bit for FCP.

Price: $152

Software Requirements: FCP 10.4.8 - 10.5.1

Features:

• Color wheels, curves, and LUT utilities;
• A complete professional color toolset for videographers, colorists, and editors; and
• Allows personal preference on the interface.

1. Universe

A comprehensive FCP tool with 89 individual plugins to apply the next-generation skin smoothening and facial improvement effects.

Price: $199/year

Software Requirements: FCPX 10.5 or later

Features:

• Advanced transitions and effects and motion graphics tools;
• A variety of cool presents and text generators; and
• Number counters, chromatic aberration, VHS looks, camera shake, glitch effects.

Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?

Follow these steps to use the Skin Smooth 2 Plugin for Final Cut Pro X:

1. Purchase and download the Skin Smoother 2 plugin. Go to downloads, unzip the folder containing the plugin and install it on your computer.
2. Open the FCPX, go to Effects, and click on Skin Smoother 2. A list of options will appear. Import the image or video you want to edit.
3. To apply the skin-smoothing effect, click on Add Color Mask, and select the areas of the face where the color mask has to be added.
4. Adjust the Skin Smoothing, Smoothing Mix, and the Softness of the color mask as per your requirements.
5. Finally, click on Add Shape Mask, two circles will appear on the image. Adjust the covering area of both circles for Shape Mask 1 to add a smiling face.

Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?

Wondershare Filmora features advanced tuning tools and a variety of video filters and overlays. Learn how to smooth skin or beautify your face in the video with this advanced video-editing software.

1. Open Filmora, open New Project and click Import to load your videos to the timeline.
2. Double click on the video to open the editing window. Open the Color panel and adjust parameters according to your preference such as white balance, tone, and 3D LUT, etc.
3. Open the toolbar, click the Advanced Color Tuning icon, go to the advanced color tuning window, and adjust the white balance, color tint and temperature, HSL, 3D LUT, Vignette, and Light. If you are a beginner, try applying the present templates.
4. To set a specific tone or beautify your video, open the Tools tab and click the Color Correction option to change the color tones.
5. Open Effects and Transitions and select the skin smooth filter. Hover the cursor over the filter and click the plus icon in the middle to add that effect. You can also apply the effect to the whole clip by dragging and dropping it directly onto the video clip.

Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Given below are simple steps to create a face matter, control the skin smoothing, adjust color correction, and correct the skin glow in Adobe Pro by using the Beauty Studio Effect:

1. Applying the Beauty Studio effect smoothens all parts of the image including the background. However, it will make your footage look artificial, which is not desired. Hence, turn on the Pixel Chooser, pick two colors with the eye dropper tool. Color A for the darker area and Color B for the lighter area.
2. Underneath the Mocha Matte, use the eyedropper tool to select colors on the skin of the subject in your footage.
3. Now, click on View Matte/Mask to visualize the image areas where you are applying the skin smoothing effect. The Beauty Studio will affect the smoothing effect in the white area while the black area will remain unsmoothed.
4. Adjust the Saturation, Hue, and Luma softness to enhance the appearance of the skin, eyes, and mouth.
5. To prevent the rest of the image from getting affected, create a Mocha mask around the face by clicking on the Mocha logo and drawing a mask with the X-Spline tool. Make sure the mask moves as the subject is moved after your track forward and back.
6. Beauty Studio offers four levels of skin smoothing. You can adjust these levels as per your situation by lowering the smoothing amount for each level. For better results, adjust the levels at 70 or below.
7. For the final touch, adjust the sharpening between 10-20 points, add saturation between 3 to 8 points for color correction, and add 5 to 10 points of glow. Your image is ready, compare the results before and after applying the effect.

Conclusion

Smooth skin with clear facial expressions attracts everyone. You can apply a skin smooth effect in your video by using advanced video editing tools like Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premium, and Wondershare Filmora.

There are two methods to add a skin smooth effect with FCPX: By using in-built software settings, or by using plugins like Skin Smoother 2, Color Finale, and Universe. Use Beauty Studio Effect in Adobe Pro to smooth skin and improve facial appearance. Finally, you can beautify the face in your video by adding transitions, making color adjustments, and applying different effects with Wondershare Filmora.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It’s quite common for vloggers to try to show the best of their states. However, makeup, weather, and the shooting equipment may disagree. So, how to tackle this problem?

Fortunately, we have the best solutions to fix the skin tone issue by using FCPX’s built-in tools or smooth skin plugins. You will learn how to strategically adjust your footage’s look for stylistic purposes and impress your audience with your video-editing skills. Now, let’s understand what a skin smoother effect is before learning how to add it in FCPX.

• Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?
• Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?
• Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?
• Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?
• Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?

Smoothening the skin in Final Cut Pro is very simple. Simply select the video, choose Video effects to be applied, and adjust the percentages from the Inspector pane. You will get wrinkle-free skin with an astonishing look. While multiple plugins are also available to apply a skin smoother effect, you can use the built-in features of Final Cut Pro to smoothen the skin and decrease the amount of contrast.

Here’s how you can do this:

step1Choose the starting image and edit the clip into the timeline. Press Option and make a connected copy of the clip by dragging it up. The start and end points should match for syncing. In the Effects Browser, drag Blur > Gaussian Blur to apply the blur effect on the upper clip.

step2Open the Inspector pan and select Compositing from its bottom. Switch the Blend Mode to Lighten and adjust the Opacity slider as per your desired glow. Usually, 40 to 45% is ideal.

step3Now, go to the top of the Inspector and turn on the blue checkbox next to Gaussian. Adjust the blurring effect until you achieve your desired level of skin softening. It is highly recommended to blur using the horizontal setting to soften the skin while keeping the eyes sharp. Here, the glow is controlled by Opacity while skin softening is controlled by the Blue Amount.

For better results, add a Vignette by selecting and combining the two clips into a Compound Clip. From the Effects Browser, select Stylize > Vignette and adjust drag the vignette. Now, customize the compound clip settings in the Inspector pane until you achieve your desired look. Compare the results between two images before and after editing

Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?

Plugins make it easy for beginners and users with limited expertise to add a skin smoother effect in Final Cut Pro X. You can find both free and paid skin smoother plugins for FCPX online. Given below are some popular skin smoothening plugins for Final Cut Pro X.

1. Skin Smoother 2

Skin Smoother 2 is a powerful and easy-to-use plugin that allows you to smooth out unwanted skin details and enhance your facial appearance.

Price: $19.99 (One-time Charges)

Software Requirements: FCP 10.2 or later

Features:

• Enhanced control over facial adjustments with fine-tuning giving more natural results;
• Precise color sampling without a need to match up with present skin tones; and
• 3 to 5 times faster rendering.

1. Color Finale

Color Finale is a user-friendly, fine-tuned, and fully-featured professional skin smoother plugin purpose bit for FCP.

Price: $152

Software Requirements: FCP 10.4.8 - 10.5.1

Features:

• Color wheels, curves, and LUT utilities;
• A complete professional color toolset for videographers, colorists, and editors; and
• Allows personal preference on the interface.

1. Universe

A comprehensive FCP tool with 89 individual plugins to apply the next-generation skin smoothening and facial improvement effects.

Price: $199/year

Software Requirements: FCPX 10.5 or later

Features:

• Advanced transitions and effects and motion graphics tools;
• A variety of cool presents and text generators; and
• Number counters, chromatic aberration, VHS looks, camera shake, glitch effects.

Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?

Follow these steps to use the Skin Smooth 2 Plugin for Final Cut Pro X:

1. Purchase and download the Skin Smoother 2 plugin. Go to downloads, unzip the folder containing the plugin and install it on your computer.
2. Open the FCPX, go to Effects, and click on Skin Smoother 2. A list of options will appear. Import the image or video you want to edit.
3. To apply the skin-smoothing effect, click on Add Color Mask, and select the areas of the face where the color mask has to be added.
4. Adjust the Skin Smoothing, Smoothing Mix, and the Softness of the color mask as per your requirements.
5. Finally, click on Add Shape Mask, two circles will appear on the image. Adjust the covering area of both circles for Shape Mask 1 to add a smiling face.

Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?

Wondershare Filmora features advanced tuning tools and a variety of video filters and overlays. Learn how to smooth skin or beautify your face in the video with this advanced video-editing software.

1. Open Filmora, open New Project and click Import to load your videos to the timeline.
2. Double click on the video to open the editing window. Open the Color panel and adjust parameters according to your preference such as white balance, tone, and 3D LUT, etc.
3. Open the toolbar, click the Advanced Color Tuning icon, go to the advanced color tuning window, and adjust the white balance, color tint and temperature, HSL, 3D LUT, Vignette, and Light. If you are a beginner, try applying the present templates.
4. To set a specific tone or beautify your video, open the Tools tab and click the Color Correction option to change the color tones.
5. Open Effects and Transitions and select the skin smooth filter. Hover the cursor over the filter and click the plus icon in the middle to add that effect. You can also apply the effect to the whole clip by dragging and dropping it directly onto the video clip.

Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Given below are simple steps to create a face matter, control the skin smoothing, adjust color correction, and correct the skin glow in Adobe Pro by using the Beauty Studio Effect:

1. Applying the Beauty Studio effect smoothens all parts of the image including the background. However, it will make your footage look artificial, which is not desired. Hence, turn on the Pixel Chooser, pick two colors with the eye dropper tool. Color A for the darker area and Color B for the lighter area.
2. Underneath the Mocha Matte, use the eyedropper tool to select colors on the skin of the subject in your footage.
3. Now, click on View Matte/Mask to visualize the image areas where you are applying the skin smoothing effect. The Beauty Studio will affect the smoothing effect in the white area while the black area will remain unsmoothed.
4. Adjust the Saturation, Hue, and Luma softness to enhance the appearance of the skin, eyes, and mouth.
5. To prevent the rest of the image from getting affected, create a Mocha mask around the face by clicking on the Mocha logo and drawing a mask with the X-Spline tool. Make sure the mask moves as the subject is moved after your track forward and back.
6. Beauty Studio offers four levels of skin smoothing. You can adjust these levels as per your situation by lowering the smoothing amount for each level. For better results, adjust the levels at 70 or below.
7. For the final touch, adjust the sharpening between 10-20 points, add saturation between 3 to 8 points for color correction, and add 5 to 10 points of glow. Your image is ready, compare the results before and after applying the effect.

Conclusion

Smooth skin with clear facial expressions attracts everyone. You can apply a skin smooth effect in your video by using advanced video editing tools like Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premium, and Wondershare Filmora.

There are two methods to add a skin smooth effect with FCPX: By using in-built software settings, or by using plugins like Skin Smoother 2, Color Finale, and Universe. Use Beauty Studio Effect in Adobe Pro to smooth skin and improve facial appearance. Finally, you can beautify the face in your video by adding transitions, making color adjustments, and applying different effects with Wondershare Filmora.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It’s quite common for vloggers to try to show the best of their states. However, makeup, weather, and the shooting equipment may disagree. So, how to tackle this problem?

Fortunately, we have the best solutions to fix the skin tone issue by using FCPX’s built-in tools or smooth skin plugins. You will learn how to strategically adjust your footage’s look for stylistic purposes and impress your audience with your video-editing skills. Now, let’s understand what a skin smoother effect is before learning how to add it in FCPX.

• Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?
• Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?
• Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?
• Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?
• Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?

Smoothening the skin in Final Cut Pro is very simple. Simply select the video, choose Video effects to be applied, and adjust the percentages from the Inspector pane. You will get wrinkle-free skin with an astonishing look. While multiple plugins are also available to apply a skin smoother effect, you can use the built-in features of Final Cut Pro to smoothen the skin and decrease the amount of contrast.

Here’s how you can do this:

step1Choose the starting image and edit the clip into the timeline. Press Option and make a connected copy of the clip by dragging it up. The start and end points should match for syncing. In the Effects Browser, drag Blur > Gaussian Blur to apply the blur effect on the upper clip.

step2Open the Inspector pan and select Compositing from its bottom. Switch the Blend Mode to Lighten and adjust the Opacity slider as per your desired glow. Usually, 40 to 45% is ideal.

step3Now, go to the top of the Inspector and turn on the blue checkbox next to Gaussian. Adjust the blurring effect until you achieve your desired level of skin softening. It is highly recommended to blur using the horizontal setting to soften the skin while keeping the eyes sharp. Here, the glow is controlled by Opacity while skin softening is controlled by the Blue Amount.

For better results, add a Vignette by selecting and combining the two clips into a Compound Clip. From the Effects Browser, select Stylize > Vignette and adjust drag the vignette. Now, customize the compound clip settings in the Inspector pane until you achieve your desired look. Compare the results between two images before and after editing

Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?

Plugins make it easy for beginners and users with limited expertise to add a skin smoother effect in Final Cut Pro X. You can find both free and paid skin smoother plugins for FCPX online. Given below are some popular skin smoothening plugins for Final Cut Pro X.

1. Skin Smoother 2

Skin Smoother 2 is a powerful and easy-to-use plugin that allows you to smooth out unwanted skin details and enhance your facial appearance.

Price: $19.99 (One-time Charges)

Software Requirements: FCP 10.2 or later

Features:

• Enhanced control over facial adjustments with fine-tuning giving more natural results;
• Precise color sampling without a need to match up with present skin tones; and
• 3 to 5 times faster rendering.

1. Color Finale

Color Finale is a user-friendly, fine-tuned, and fully-featured professional skin smoother plugin purpose bit for FCP.

Price: $152

Software Requirements: FCP 10.4.8 - 10.5.1

Features:

• Color wheels, curves, and LUT utilities;
• A complete professional color toolset for videographers, colorists, and editors; and
• Allows personal preference on the interface.

1. Universe

A comprehensive FCP tool with 89 individual plugins to apply the next-generation skin smoothening and facial improvement effects.

Price: $199/year

Software Requirements: FCPX 10.5 or later

Features:

• Advanced transitions and effects and motion graphics tools;
• A variety of cool presents and text generators; and
• Number counters, chromatic aberration, VHS looks, camera shake, glitch effects.

Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?

Follow these steps to use the Skin Smooth 2 Plugin for Final Cut Pro X:

1. Purchase and download the Skin Smoother 2 plugin. Go to downloads, unzip the folder containing the plugin and install it on your computer.
2. Open the FCPX, go to Effects, and click on Skin Smoother 2. A list of options will appear. Import the image or video you want to edit.
3. To apply the skin-smoothing effect, click on Add Color Mask, and select the areas of the face where the color mask has to be added.
4. Adjust the Skin Smoothing, Smoothing Mix, and the Softness of the color mask as per your requirements.
5. Finally, click on Add Shape Mask, two circles will appear on the image. Adjust the covering area of both circles for Shape Mask 1 to add a smiling face.

Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?

Wondershare Filmora features advanced tuning tools and a variety of video filters and overlays. Learn how to smooth skin or beautify your face in the video with this advanced video-editing software.

1. Open Filmora, open New Project and click Import to load your videos to the timeline.
2. Double click on the video to open the editing window. Open the Color panel and adjust parameters according to your preference such as white balance, tone, and 3D LUT, etc.
3. Open the toolbar, click the Advanced Color Tuning icon, go to the advanced color tuning window, and adjust the white balance, color tint and temperature, HSL, 3D LUT, Vignette, and Light. If you are a beginner, try applying the present templates.
4. To set a specific tone or beautify your video, open the Tools tab and click the Color Correction option to change the color tones.
5. Open Effects and Transitions and select the skin smooth filter. Hover the cursor over the filter and click the plus icon in the middle to add that effect. You can also apply the effect to the whole clip by dragging and dropping it directly onto the video clip.

Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Given below are simple steps to create a face matter, control the skin smoothing, adjust color correction, and correct the skin glow in Adobe Pro by using the Beauty Studio Effect:

1. Applying the Beauty Studio effect smoothens all parts of the image including the background. However, it will make your footage look artificial, which is not desired. Hence, turn on the Pixel Chooser, pick two colors with the eye dropper tool. Color A for the darker area and Color B for the lighter area.
2. Underneath the Mocha Matte, use the eyedropper tool to select colors on the skin of the subject in your footage.
3. Now, click on View Matte/Mask to visualize the image areas where you are applying the skin smoothing effect. The Beauty Studio will affect the smoothing effect in the white area while the black area will remain unsmoothed.
4. Adjust the Saturation, Hue, and Luma softness to enhance the appearance of the skin, eyes, and mouth.
5. To prevent the rest of the image from getting affected, create a Mocha mask around the face by clicking on the Mocha logo and drawing a mask with the X-Spline tool. Make sure the mask moves as the subject is moved after your track forward and back.
6. Beauty Studio offers four levels of skin smoothing. You can adjust these levels as per your situation by lowering the smoothing amount for each level. For better results, adjust the levels at 70 or below.
7. For the final touch, adjust the sharpening between 10-20 points, add saturation between 3 to 8 points for color correction, and add 5 to 10 points of glow. Your image is ready, compare the results before and after applying the effect.

Conclusion

Smooth skin with clear facial expressions attracts everyone. You can apply a skin smooth effect in your video by using advanced video editing tools like Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premium, and Wondershare Filmora.

There are two methods to add a skin smooth effect with FCPX: By using in-built software settings, or by using plugins like Skin Smoother 2, Color Finale, and Universe. Use Beauty Studio Effect in Adobe Pro to smooth skin and improve facial appearance. Finally, you can beautify the face in your video by adding transitions, making color adjustments, and applying different effects with Wondershare Filmora.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It’s quite common for vloggers to try to show the best of their states. However, makeup, weather, and the shooting equipment may disagree. So, how to tackle this problem?

Fortunately, we have the best solutions to fix the skin tone issue by using FCPX’s built-in tools or smooth skin plugins. You will learn how to strategically adjust your footage’s look for stylistic purposes and impress your audience with your video-editing skills. Now, let’s understand what a skin smoother effect is before learning how to add it in FCPX.

• Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?
• Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?
• Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?
• Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?
• Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?

Smoothening the skin in Final Cut Pro is very simple. Simply select the video, choose Video effects to be applied, and adjust the percentages from the Inspector pane. You will get wrinkle-free skin with an astonishing look. While multiple plugins are also available to apply a skin smoother effect, you can use the built-in features of Final Cut Pro to smoothen the skin and decrease the amount of contrast.

Here’s how you can do this:

step1Choose the starting image and edit the clip into the timeline. Press Option and make a connected copy of the clip by dragging it up. The start and end points should match for syncing. In the Effects Browser, drag Blur > Gaussian Blur to apply the blur effect on the upper clip.

step2Open the Inspector pan and select Compositing from its bottom. Switch the Blend Mode to Lighten and adjust the Opacity slider as per your desired glow. Usually, 40 to 45% is ideal.

step3Now, go to the top of the Inspector and turn on the blue checkbox next to Gaussian. Adjust the blurring effect until you achieve your desired level of skin softening. It is highly recommended to blur using the horizontal setting to soften the skin while keeping the eyes sharp. Here, the glow is controlled by Opacity while skin softening is controlled by the Blue Amount.

For better results, add a Vignette by selecting and combining the two clips into a Compound Clip. From the Effects Browser, select Stylize > Vignette and adjust drag the vignette. Now, customize the compound clip settings in the Inspector pane until you achieve your desired look. Compare the results between two images before and after editing

Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?

Plugins make it easy for beginners and users with limited expertise to add a skin smoother effect in Final Cut Pro X. You can find both free and paid skin smoother plugins for FCPX online. Given below are some popular skin smoothening plugins for Final Cut Pro X.

1. Skin Smoother 2

Skin Smoother 2 is a powerful and easy-to-use plugin that allows you to smooth out unwanted skin details and enhance your facial appearance.

Price: $19.99 (One-time Charges)

Software Requirements: FCP 10.2 or later

Features:

• Enhanced control over facial adjustments with fine-tuning giving more natural results;
• Precise color sampling without a need to match up with present skin tones; and
• 3 to 5 times faster rendering.

1. Color Finale

Color Finale is a user-friendly, fine-tuned, and fully-featured professional skin smoother plugin purpose bit for FCP.

Price: $152

Software Requirements: FCP 10.4.8 - 10.5.1

Features:

• Color wheels, curves, and LUT utilities;
• A complete professional color toolset for videographers, colorists, and editors; and
• Allows personal preference on the interface.

1. Universe

A comprehensive FCP tool with 89 individual plugins to apply the next-generation skin smoothening and facial improvement effects.

Price: $199/year

Software Requirements: FCPX 10.5 or later

Features:

• Advanced transitions and effects and motion graphics tools;
• A variety of cool presents and text generators; and
• Number counters, chromatic aberration, VHS looks, camera shake, glitch effects.

Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?

Follow these steps to use the Skin Smooth 2 Plugin for Final Cut Pro X:

1. Purchase and download the Skin Smoother 2 plugin. Go to downloads, unzip the folder containing the plugin and install it on your computer.
2. Open the FCPX, go to Effects, and click on Skin Smoother 2. A list of options will appear. Import the image or video you want to edit.
3. To apply the skin-smoothing effect, click on Add Color Mask, and select the areas of the face where the color mask has to be added.
4. Adjust the Skin Smoothing, Smoothing Mix, and the Softness of the color mask as per your requirements.
5. Finally, click on Add Shape Mask, two circles will appear on the image. Adjust the covering area of both circles for Shape Mask 1 to add a smiling face.

Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?

Wondershare Filmora features advanced tuning tools and a variety of video filters and overlays. Learn how to smooth skin or beautify your face in the video with this advanced video-editing software.

1. Open Filmora, open New Project and click Import to load your videos to the timeline.
2. Double click on the video to open the editing window. Open the Color panel and adjust parameters according to your preference such as white balance, tone, and 3D LUT, etc.
3. Open the toolbar, click the Advanced Color Tuning icon, go to the advanced color tuning window, and adjust the white balance, color tint and temperature, HSL, 3D LUT, Vignette, and Light. If you are a beginner, try applying the present templates.
4. To set a specific tone or beautify your video, open the Tools tab and click the Color Correction option to change the color tones.
5. Open Effects and Transitions and select the skin smooth filter. Hover the cursor over the filter and click the plus icon in the middle to add that effect. You can also apply the effect to the whole clip by dragging and dropping it directly onto the video clip.

Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Given below are simple steps to create a face matter, control the skin smoothing, adjust color correction, and correct the skin glow in Adobe Pro by using the Beauty Studio Effect:

1. Applying the Beauty Studio effect smoothens all parts of the image including the background. However, it will make your footage look artificial, which is not desired. Hence, turn on the Pixel Chooser, pick two colors with the eye dropper tool. Color A for the darker area and Color B for the lighter area.
2. Underneath the Mocha Matte, use the eyedropper tool to select colors on the skin of the subject in your footage.
3. Now, click on View Matte/Mask to visualize the image areas where you are applying the skin smoothing effect. The Beauty Studio will affect the smoothing effect in the white area while the black area will remain unsmoothed.
4. Adjust the Saturation, Hue, and Luma softness to enhance the appearance of the skin, eyes, and mouth.
5. To prevent the rest of the image from getting affected, create a Mocha mask around the face by clicking on the Mocha logo and drawing a mask with the X-Spline tool. Make sure the mask moves as the subject is moved after your track forward and back.
6. Beauty Studio offers four levels of skin smoothing. You can adjust these levels as per your situation by lowering the smoothing amount for each level. For better results, adjust the levels at 70 or below.
7. For the final touch, adjust the sharpening between 10-20 points, add saturation between 3 to 8 points for color correction, and add 5 to 10 points of glow. Your image is ready, compare the results before and after applying the effect.

Conclusion

Smooth skin with clear facial expressions attracts everyone. You can apply a skin smooth effect in your video by using advanced video editing tools like Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premium, and Wondershare Filmora.

There are two methods to add a skin smooth effect with FCPX: By using in-built software settings, or by using plugins like Skin Smoother 2, Color Finale, and Universe. Use Beauty Studio Effect in Adobe Pro to smooth skin and improve facial appearance. Finally, you can beautify the face in your video by adding transitions, making color adjustments, and applying different effects with Wondershare Filmora.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

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

Best 12 Free Download Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money no matter it is 2D animation software or 3D animation editor. The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to make different animation types easily.

That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Whether you are a professional editor or just a beginner to start making animation, you will find the tools listed below are easy to use without watermark and won’t cost money to improve your skills.

The best part is you will find these free animation programs are also very useful for content creation on Mac and Windows. Besides, we have listed the pros and cons of each software. Keep reading!

• Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
• Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
• Part 3: FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Here we have made a table of 12 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS. Take a look.

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

5K-3DMiddleIt is a great tool for 3D artists6KritaDifficultPerfect software for 2D animation

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	Synfig Studio	Easy	Calculate vector shape to animation automatically
2	Pencil2D Animation	Easiest	Straightforward interface for beginners
3	Tupi	Middle	Its community is active to offer solutions
4	Blender	Difficult	It is a powerful animation tool to render and make modeling

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	DAZ Studio	Difficult	For professional users with the fast animation process
2	Terragen	Middle	It can make realistic CG environments
3	Anim8or	Difficult	3D animation is Anim8or’s main function
4	Seamless3d	Easy	It has many features for 3d modeling
5	OpenToonz	Middle	Make cartoon animation with plugins
6	Stykz	Easy	Quickly make animation if you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Looking for a simple while powerful Mac video editing tool ? We recommend using Wondershare Filmora. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes, or anything you like for YouTube videos.

The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.

Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try! Or learn more from Wondershare Video Community .

Key features

• Create various shapes that you like
• Add keyframing to make it move
• Fine-tuning to make it smooth
• Add visual effects/text/color before export it

You can even create photo cut animation which has been very trendy on Tiktok and Instagram. Here is a video to present you how you can do it in Filmora.

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

Listed below is free animation software on Mac. Take a look.

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: You can create many layers once a time and sync audio for your animation.

Con: This one needs much time to learn, especially for beginners.

An open-source 2D animation software that works on Macs, Synfig Studio delivers multiple players while you are creating content. Whether you want to add geometric, filters, distortions, or transformations, it is all possible! And thanks to the high-end bone system, you can create cut-out videos using bitmap images!

The thoughtful part is there are two download versions on the homepage: the stable version and the development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package gives you access to the use of the latest features.

For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipedia and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch, and French for a video course.

You can free download its latest version 1.3.11. The upcoming version is 1.4.

Features:

• It offers support for many layers within the animation.
• The program’s bone system means that you can easily create animations with bitmap images or vector artwork.
• It allows you to sync your creative work with any sound that you want. Has a full-featured audio editor.

02 Pencil2D Animation - Animation Program for 2D Pencil Lover

Difficulty Level: Easiest

Pro: Easy to start and make animation as the interface is user-friendly for many people.

Con: You need to set your preference every time to open it up, so it takes up some time

Pencil2D Animation is one of the simplest 2D hand-drawn tools available. It will work flawlessly on Mac computers. It is ideal for beginners, as the commands and interface are very easy to understand.

Whether you want to create a simple one, or you want something with many layers for videos on YouTube, you can use Pencil2D animation to get it done. Its timeline is easy to use at first glance. You can add and duplicate different frames on a different track.

The frequency of releasing the new version is very fast as Pencil2D is committed to bringing the lasted features to each user. The newest version is v0.6.4 (as of August 2019). Its user guide is informative with video tutorials, FAQs, and manual material.

Features:

• Lightweight and minimalistic design that makes it very easy for beginners.
• Features raster and vector workflows, with easy switching between them. You can paint and sketch as you want!
• Will run on all platforms - Mac, Windows, and Linux.
• Completely free and open source.

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It supports vector illustrations. Besides, various formats are available.

Con: If you want to make 3D animation, it will fail. You can only make 2D effects.

A free software application for YouTube, Tupi will allow you to create 2D animations to your heart’s content. The tool was started by animators who wanted to create something that others could use.

It is an open-source tool, which means that users can make tweaks to the program if they have some interesting ideas. The program works on both Windows and Mac. You need to use Tupi and Papagayo to make lip-sync animation with different mouth shapes.

It also offers a solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support, and ads-free, so many schools choose to use this one to teach kids how to make an animation video.

Features:

• Support for vector illustrations. You can add rectangles, lines, polygons, and other shapes as you please. To fill areas, just use the paint bucket.
• You can import raster images using this program.
• You can export all your finished images into different file formats.
• Support for tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations.

04 Blender - Need Some Time to Learn This Animation Tool

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Really powerful software that you can make for professional users.

Con: It is not easy to make image animation as it focuses on 3D.

Blender is an open-source 3D animation creation suite without a watermark. If you find that 2D is a little bit limiting, we think that you will be very happy with what this free program offers. You can take your projects to a whole new level when you can use this program on your Mac.

You can use Blender to make a video game, modeling, and high-quality animation. However, it involves a steep learning curve. Luckily, there are many tutorials to guide you through the journey. You can also ask for help in the Blender community that millions of talented people like you are there.

Features:

• Creating renders is no problem with this program.
• Modeling, such as sculpting, retopology, and creating curves is not an issue either.
• VFX and animation features are better than any option on the market.
• It offers powerful simulation tools.
• Integration with pipeline tools is easy.

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

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: Ideal for designing simple 3D animations and models.

Con: It has an old-fashioned interface. Also, the built-render (RenderMan) feature is difficult to use by beginners.

K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. You can download this tool for free on your Mac. Besides, you can also install and run it on your Windows and Linux systems. If you look at the design, you will find that the software is quite old. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Why so? It is because K-3D is one of the strongest and most versatile tools for 3D artists with many options.

For example, K-3D offers extremely systematic and methodological workflows. You can easily adjust the properties of the features in real-time and get instant results. It has a node-oriented visualization pipeline to enjoy more freedom. That means you can create animation using a variety of combinations.

One of the best things about K-3D is that it has three subdivisions of animation. You can work on your model on one side while showing the other side in a mirrored form. Then, experience the final result combined together. And in case you need to make the changes to the end results, you can simply work on the first subdivision and savor automatic changes to the results.

K-3D has an advanced redo and undo mechanism to ensure you can go back or move forward to make corrections or amendments without limits. Additionally, the tool is developed keeping in mind all the industrial standards. For instance, it has complete support and integration of native RenderMan™ to its user interface. This is an excellent feature because most free animation software for Mac requires third-party render plugins.

Features:

• Parametric workflow.
• 2D and 3D animation tools.
• Allows Python and K3DScript scripting.

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Advanced tools with numerous animation options and online training material.

Con: Not suitable for beginners.

If you love 2D animation, then you’ll surely love Krita. It is entirely free software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Also, it offers a full platform for drawing and frame-by-frame animation.

The number one reason for adoring Krita is its brush library. There are more than 100 professional brushes to give you a wide range of effects. Moreover, the strokes are pretty amazing and similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Another great thing about Krita is the brush stabilization feature designed for shaky hands. You can add a stabilizer to your chosen brush to smoothen its flow. Besides, there’s a special Dynamic Brush tool to make animation more fun. At the same time, you can also customize your brushes through different brush engines, including filter engines, color smudge engines, and many more.

Apart from the basic brush options, the preloaded vector tools are next to admire. These tools help you make great comic panels. All you need to do is choose and drag the word bubble template on your canvas. Then, make changes with the anchor point to make new shapes. At the same time, you can also add text to your animation by using the text tool.

Last but not least, there’s a wrap-around mode to create seamless patterns and textures. That means the image or drawing makes its own references along the x-axis and y-axis. This gives you the freedom to continue painting and enjoy updates to your animation instantly.

Features:

• HDR painting.
• PSD support.
• Python scripting.
• Selection and transformation tools.
• Proper group, filter, vector, and file layer management.
• Complete color management for extraordinary results.
• Drawing assistant to help you with straight lines and vanishing points.

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

Below is free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Anireel is a simple yet powerful Video Creativity tool used to make 2D animated explainer videos. Developed by Wondershare, one of the most popular Windows software and tool developers, Anireel uses rich, ready-to-use, and diverse assets to help one effortlessly make animated videos.

Features:

• There are tons of drag and drop characters, actions, props, text, and audio assets.
• Easy Text-to-Speech conversion via deep studying technology.
• Animate integrated and imported assets.
• Tons of templates that match many script types.

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: You can make game animation for fun. It also supports GPU accelerated real-time rendering.

Con: It has a high demand for the device, but owns a steep learning curve.

Daz 3d is a powerful and completely free 3D creation tool that will let you create the short videos that you want. Whether you are using this for business or pleasure, you will find the program is very easy to understand. Within a day, you will be completely used to its interface.

3D effects are the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build a model, render, and pose animation within the skin texture level. It has a high requirement for the device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.

Features:

• Options for 3D morphing, animation, and rendering.
• GPU accelerated real-time rendering, which delivers the best results.
• Interactive tutorials to help you become a better 3D artist.
• Everything you make is yours, royalty-free!

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us make animation.

Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.

A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!

Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.

For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.

Features:

• Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
• Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
• Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
• Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.

Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.

Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.

It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.

Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.

Features:

• A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
• Features support for TrueType fonts.
• Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is an open-source 3D modeling package. The good thing is the handy infinite Undo/Redo operation.

Con: Some advanced features are missing like drawing.

Seamless3d, an open-source 3D modeling software that you can download, is among the best animation worktables if you want to create specialized images, animated videos, or 3D characters.

It supports FFmpeg video format, so you can use AVI, MP4, and more. Besides, the forum is not active compared with before, but you still can find answers from many tutorials .

Features:

• It comes with infinite undo and redo options for complete flexibility to correct mistakes.
• It allows for partitioned and seamless texture mapping for YouTube videos.
• Has a specialized tree view interface.

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.

Con: The plug-in effects are limited.

This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.

Features:

• You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
• Smooth correction without frame losing.
• Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is the best stick figure animation if you want to make this kind of video.

Con: The UI is not modern to use and needs time to adapt to using it.

Stykz is completely free to use and without a watermark. If you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator, then you will find Stykz is similar to it, but you can import the previous .stk files to animate it again. You can use it to make animation smooth frame by frame.

With its frame-based feature, Stykz is easy to customize each frame. You can change previous and current frames to get what you want. You can download it to have a try considering its easy-to-use features.

Features:

• There is some animes file on this website, so you can have a reference.
• Edit animation in the software without using another editing window.
• You can share the final work with others including information.

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

To be frank, Mac is a better choice to make animation if you want to have a smooth animation experience. For example, screen resolution is a crucial factor to make excellent animation. The good is Mac’s screen will never let you disappointed.

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

The best animation software on mac includes Synfig Studio, Pencil2D Animation, Tupi, Blender, and more. Mentioned are free-to-use. Maya is also worth considering animation software if you are a professional user. Maya offers a 1-month free trial. After it is ended, the paid plans are month, 1-year, and 3-year.

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Yes, you can make basic animation in Photoshop. However, it only supports frame-based animation making. In this case, you need to use other professional software to make animation. But, you still can use Photoshop to meet your needs if you are a beginner.

Conclusion

With any of these free animation maker programs on Mac and Windows, you will have an easy time creating your next 2D or 3D video. Ensure you choose the program that has the features and compatibility that you desire. Then it is up to your creative mind to come up with stunning animations! If you want to make animation easily, you can also find inspiration through classical animated cartoon types with examples .

Shanoon Cox

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

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money no matter it is 2D animation software or 3D animation editor. The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to make different animation types easily.

That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Whether you are a professional editor or just a beginner to start making animation, you will find the tools listed below are easy to use without watermark and won’t cost money to improve your skills.

The best part is you will find these free animation programs are also very useful for content creation on Mac and Windows. Besides, we have listed the pros and cons of each software. Keep reading!

• Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
• Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
• Part 3: FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Here we have made a table of 12 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS. Take a look.

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

5K-3DMiddleIt is a great tool for 3D artists6KritaDifficultPerfect software for 2D animation

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	Synfig Studio	Easy	Calculate vector shape to animation automatically
2	Pencil2D Animation	Easiest	Straightforward interface for beginners
3	Tupi	Middle	Its community is active to offer solutions
4	Blender	Difficult	It is a powerful animation tool to render and make modeling

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	DAZ Studio	Difficult	For professional users with the fast animation process
2	Terragen	Middle	It can make realistic CG environments
3	Anim8or	Difficult	3D animation is Anim8or’s main function
4	Seamless3d	Easy	It has many features for 3d modeling
5	OpenToonz	Middle	Make cartoon animation with plugins
6	Stykz	Easy	Quickly make animation if you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Looking for a simple while powerful Mac video editing tool ? We recommend using Wondershare Filmora. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes, or anything you like for YouTube videos.

The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.

Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try! Or learn more from Wondershare Video Community .

Key features

• Create various shapes that you like
• Add keyframing to make it move
• Fine-tuning to make it smooth
• Add visual effects/text/color before export it

You can even create photo cut animation which has been very trendy on Tiktok and Instagram. Here is a video to present you how you can do it in Filmora.

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

Listed below is free animation software on Mac. Take a look.

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: You can create many layers once a time and sync audio for your animation.

Con: This one needs much time to learn, especially for beginners.

An open-source 2D animation software that works on Macs, Synfig Studio delivers multiple players while you are creating content. Whether you want to add geometric, filters, distortions, or transformations, it is all possible! And thanks to the high-end bone system, you can create cut-out videos using bitmap images!

The thoughtful part is there are two download versions on the homepage: the stable version and the development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package gives you access to the use of the latest features.

For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipedia and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch, and French for a video course.

You can free download its latest version 1.3.11. The upcoming version is 1.4.

Features:

• It offers support for many layers within the animation.
• The program’s bone system means that you can easily create animations with bitmap images or vector artwork.
• It allows you to sync your creative work with any sound that you want. Has a full-featured audio editor.

02 Pencil2D Animation - Animation Program for 2D Pencil Lover

Difficulty Level: Easiest

Pro: Easy to start and make animation as the interface is user-friendly for many people.

Con: You need to set your preference every time to open it up, so it takes up some time

Pencil2D Animation is one of the simplest 2D hand-drawn tools available. It will work flawlessly on Mac computers. It is ideal for beginners, as the commands and interface are very easy to understand.

Whether you want to create a simple one, or you want something with many layers for videos on YouTube, you can use Pencil2D animation to get it done. Its timeline is easy to use at first glance. You can add and duplicate different frames on a different track.

The frequency of releasing the new version is very fast as Pencil2D is committed to bringing the lasted features to each user. The newest version is v0.6.4 (as of August 2019). Its user guide is informative with video tutorials, FAQs, and manual material.

Features:

• Lightweight and minimalistic design that makes it very easy for beginners.
• Features raster and vector workflows, with easy switching between them. You can paint and sketch as you want!
• Will run on all platforms - Mac, Windows, and Linux.
• Completely free and open source.

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It supports vector illustrations. Besides, various formats are available.

Con: If you want to make 3D animation, it will fail. You can only make 2D effects.

A free software application for YouTube, Tupi will allow you to create 2D animations to your heart’s content. The tool was started by animators who wanted to create something that others could use.

It is an open-source tool, which means that users can make tweaks to the program if they have some interesting ideas. The program works on both Windows and Mac. You need to use Tupi and Papagayo to make lip-sync animation with different mouth shapes.

It also offers a solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support, and ads-free, so many schools choose to use this one to teach kids how to make an animation video.

Features:

• Support for vector illustrations. You can add rectangles, lines, polygons, and other shapes as you please. To fill areas, just use the paint bucket.
• You can import raster images using this program.
• You can export all your finished images into different file formats.
• Support for tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations.

04 Blender - Need Some Time to Learn This Animation Tool

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Really powerful software that you can make for professional users.

Con: It is not easy to make image animation as it focuses on 3D.

Blender is an open-source 3D animation creation suite without a watermark. If you find that 2D is a little bit limiting, we think that you will be very happy with what this free program offers. You can take your projects to a whole new level when you can use this program on your Mac.

You can use Blender to make a video game, modeling, and high-quality animation. However, it involves a steep learning curve. Luckily, there are many tutorials to guide you through the journey. You can also ask for help in the Blender community that millions of talented people like you are there.

Features:

• Creating renders is no problem with this program.
• Modeling, such as sculpting, retopology, and creating curves is not an issue either.
• VFX and animation features are better than any option on the market.
• It offers powerful simulation tools.
• Integration with pipeline tools is easy.

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

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: Ideal for designing simple 3D animations and models.

Con: It has an old-fashioned interface. Also, the built-render (RenderMan) feature is difficult to use by beginners.

K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. You can download this tool for free on your Mac. Besides, you can also install and run it on your Windows and Linux systems. If you look at the design, you will find that the software is quite old. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Why so? It is because K-3D is one of the strongest and most versatile tools for 3D artists with many options.

For example, K-3D offers extremely systematic and methodological workflows. You can easily adjust the properties of the features in real-time and get instant results. It has a node-oriented visualization pipeline to enjoy more freedom. That means you can create animation using a variety of combinations.

One of the best things about K-3D is that it has three subdivisions of animation. You can work on your model on one side while showing the other side in a mirrored form. Then, experience the final result combined together. And in case you need to make the changes to the end results, you can simply work on the first subdivision and savor automatic changes to the results.

K-3D has an advanced redo and undo mechanism to ensure you can go back or move forward to make corrections or amendments without limits. Additionally, the tool is developed keeping in mind all the industrial standards. For instance, it has complete support and integration of native RenderMan™ to its user interface. This is an excellent feature because most free animation software for Mac requires third-party render plugins.

Features:

• Parametric workflow.
• 2D and 3D animation tools.
• Allows Python and K3DScript scripting.

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Advanced tools with numerous animation options and online training material.

Con: Not suitable for beginners.

If you love 2D animation, then you’ll surely love Krita. It is entirely free software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Also, it offers a full platform for drawing and frame-by-frame animation.

The number one reason for adoring Krita is its brush library. There are more than 100 professional brushes to give you a wide range of effects. Moreover, the strokes are pretty amazing and similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Another great thing about Krita is the brush stabilization feature designed for shaky hands. You can add a stabilizer to your chosen brush to smoothen its flow. Besides, there’s a special Dynamic Brush tool to make animation more fun. At the same time, you can also customize your brushes through different brush engines, including filter engines, color smudge engines, and many more.

Apart from the basic brush options, the preloaded vector tools are next to admire. These tools help you make great comic panels. All you need to do is choose and drag the word bubble template on your canvas. Then, make changes with the anchor point to make new shapes. At the same time, you can also add text to your animation by using the text tool.

Last but not least, there’s a wrap-around mode to create seamless patterns and textures. That means the image or drawing makes its own references along the x-axis and y-axis. This gives you the freedom to continue painting and enjoy updates to your animation instantly.

Features:

• HDR painting.
• PSD support.
• Python scripting.
• Selection and transformation tools.
• Proper group, filter, vector, and file layer management.
• Complete color management for extraordinary results.
• Drawing assistant to help you with straight lines and vanishing points.

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

Below is free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Anireel is a simple yet powerful Video Creativity tool used to make 2D animated explainer videos. Developed by Wondershare, one of the most popular Windows software and tool developers, Anireel uses rich, ready-to-use, and diverse assets to help one effortlessly make animated videos.

Features:

• There are tons of drag and drop characters, actions, props, text, and audio assets.
• Easy Text-to-Speech conversion via deep studying technology.
• Animate integrated and imported assets.
• Tons of templates that match many script types.

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: You can make game animation for fun. It also supports GPU accelerated real-time rendering.

Con: It has a high demand for the device, but owns a steep learning curve.

Daz 3d is a powerful and completely free 3D creation tool that will let you create the short videos that you want. Whether you are using this for business or pleasure, you will find the program is very easy to understand. Within a day, you will be completely used to its interface.

3D effects are the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build a model, render, and pose animation within the skin texture level. It has a high requirement for the device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.

Features:

• Options for 3D morphing, animation, and rendering.
• GPU accelerated real-time rendering, which delivers the best results.
• Interactive tutorials to help you become a better 3D artist.
• Everything you make is yours, royalty-free!

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us make animation.

Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.

A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!

Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.

For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.

Features:

• Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
• Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
• Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
• Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.

Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.

Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.

It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.

Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.

Features:

• A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
• Features support for TrueType fonts.
• Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is an open-source 3D modeling package. The good thing is the handy infinite Undo/Redo operation.

Con: Some advanced features are missing like drawing.

Seamless3d, an open-source 3D modeling software that you can download, is among the best animation worktables if you want to create specialized images, animated videos, or 3D characters.

It supports FFmpeg video format, so you can use AVI, MP4, and more. Besides, the forum is not active compared with before, but you still can find answers from many tutorials .

Features:

• It comes with infinite undo and redo options for complete flexibility to correct mistakes.
• It allows for partitioned and seamless texture mapping for YouTube videos.
• Has a specialized tree view interface.

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.

Con: The plug-in effects are limited.

This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.

Features:

• You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
• Smooth correction without frame losing.
• Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is the best stick figure animation if you want to make this kind of video.

Con: The UI is not modern to use and needs time to adapt to using it.

Stykz is completely free to use and without a watermark. If you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator, then you will find Stykz is similar to it, but you can import the previous .stk files to animate it again. You can use it to make animation smooth frame by frame.

With its frame-based feature, Stykz is easy to customize each frame. You can change previous and current frames to get what you want. You can download it to have a try considering its easy-to-use features.

Features:

• There is some animes file on this website, so you can have a reference.
• Edit animation in the software without using another editing window.
• You can share the final work with others including information.

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

To be frank, Mac is a better choice to make animation if you want to have a smooth animation experience. For example, screen resolution is a crucial factor to make excellent animation. The good is Mac’s screen will never let you disappointed.

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

The best animation software on mac includes Synfig Studio, Pencil2D Animation, Tupi, Blender, and more. Mentioned are free-to-use. Maya is also worth considering animation software if you are a professional user. Maya offers a 1-month free trial. After it is ended, the paid plans are month, 1-year, and 3-year.

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Yes, you can make basic animation in Photoshop. However, it only supports frame-based animation making. In this case, you need to use other professional software to make animation. But, you still can use Photoshop to meet your needs if you are a beginner.

Conclusion

With any of these free animation maker programs on Mac and Windows, you will have an easy time creating your next 2D or 3D video. Ensure you choose the program that has the features and compatibility that you desire. Then it is up to your creative mind to come up with stunning animations! If you want to make animation easily, you can also find inspiration through classical animated cartoon types with examples .

Shanoon Cox

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

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money no matter it is 2D animation software or 3D animation editor. The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to make different animation types easily.

That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Whether you are a professional editor or just a beginner to start making animation, you will find the tools listed below are easy to use without watermark and won’t cost money to improve your skills.

The best part is you will find these free animation programs are also very useful for content creation on Mac and Windows. Besides, we have listed the pros and cons of each software. Keep reading!

• Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
• Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
• Part 3: FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Here we have made a table of 12 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS. Take a look.

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

5K-3DMiddleIt is a great tool for 3D artists6KritaDifficultPerfect software for 2D animation

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	Synfig Studio	Easy	Calculate vector shape to animation automatically
2	Pencil2D Animation	Easiest	Straightforward interface for beginners
3	Tupi	Middle	Its community is active to offer solutions
4	Blender	Difficult	It is a powerful animation tool to render and make modeling

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	DAZ Studio	Difficult	For professional users with the fast animation process
2	Terragen	Middle	It can make realistic CG environments
3	Anim8or	Difficult	3D animation is Anim8or’s main function
4	Seamless3d	Easy	It has many features for 3d modeling
5	OpenToonz	Middle	Make cartoon animation with plugins
6	Stykz	Easy	Quickly make animation if you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Looking for a simple while powerful Mac video editing tool ? We recommend using Wondershare Filmora. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes, or anything you like for YouTube videos.

The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.

Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try! Or learn more from Wondershare Video Community .

Key features

• Create various shapes that you like
• Add keyframing to make it move
• Fine-tuning to make it smooth
• Add visual effects/text/color before export it

You can even create photo cut animation which has been very trendy on Tiktok and Instagram. Here is a video to present you how you can do it in Filmora.

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

Listed below is free animation software on Mac. Take a look.

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: You can create many layers once a time and sync audio for your animation.

Con: This one needs much time to learn, especially for beginners.

An open-source 2D animation software that works on Macs, Synfig Studio delivers multiple players while you are creating content. Whether you want to add geometric, filters, distortions, or transformations, it is all possible! And thanks to the high-end bone system, you can create cut-out videos using bitmap images!

The thoughtful part is there are two download versions on the homepage: the stable version and the development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package gives you access to the use of the latest features.

For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipedia and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch, and French for a video course.

You can free download its latest version 1.3.11. The upcoming version is 1.4.

Features:

• It offers support for many layers within the animation.
• The program’s bone system means that you can easily create animations with bitmap images or vector artwork.
• It allows you to sync your creative work with any sound that you want. Has a full-featured audio editor.

02 Pencil2D Animation - Animation Program for 2D Pencil Lover

Difficulty Level: Easiest

Pro: Easy to start and make animation as the interface is user-friendly for many people.

Con: You need to set your preference every time to open it up, so it takes up some time

Pencil2D Animation is one of the simplest 2D hand-drawn tools available. It will work flawlessly on Mac computers. It is ideal for beginners, as the commands and interface are very easy to understand.

Whether you want to create a simple one, or you want something with many layers for videos on YouTube, you can use Pencil2D animation to get it done. Its timeline is easy to use at first glance. You can add and duplicate different frames on a different track.

The frequency of releasing the new version is very fast as Pencil2D is committed to bringing the lasted features to each user. The newest version is v0.6.4 (as of August 2019). Its user guide is informative with video tutorials, FAQs, and manual material.

Features:

• Lightweight and minimalistic design that makes it very easy for beginners.
• Features raster and vector workflows, with easy switching between them. You can paint and sketch as you want!
• Will run on all platforms - Mac, Windows, and Linux.
• Completely free and open source.

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It supports vector illustrations. Besides, various formats are available.

Con: If you want to make 3D animation, it will fail. You can only make 2D effects.

A free software application for YouTube, Tupi will allow you to create 2D animations to your heart’s content. The tool was started by animators who wanted to create something that others could use.

It is an open-source tool, which means that users can make tweaks to the program if they have some interesting ideas. The program works on both Windows and Mac. You need to use Tupi and Papagayo to make lip-sync animation with different mouth shapes.

It also offers a solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support, and ads-free, so many schools choose to use this one to teach kids how to make an animation video.

Features:

• Support for vector illustrations. You can add rectangles, lines, polygons, and other shapes as you please. To fill areas, just use the paint bucket.
• You can import raster images using this program.
• You can export all your finished images into different file formats.
• Support for tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations.

04 Blender - Need Some Time to Learn This Animation Tool

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Really powerful software that you can make for professional users.

Con: It is not easy to make image animation as it focuses on 3D.

Blender is an open-source 3D animation creation suite without a watermark. If you find that 2D is a little bit limiting, we think that you will be very happy with what this free program offers. You can take your projects to a whole new level when you can use this program on your Mac.

You can use Blender to make a video game, modeling, and high-quality animation. However, it involves a steep learning curve. Luckily, there are many tutorials to guide you through the journey. You can also ask for help in the Blender community that millions of talented people like you are there.

Features:

• Creating renders is no problem with this program.
• Modeling, such as sculpting, retopology, and creating curves is not an issue either.
• VFX and animation features are better than any option on the market.
• It offers powerful simulation tools.
• Integration with pipeline tools is easy.

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

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: Ideal for designing simple 3D animations and models.

Con: It has an old-fashioned interface. Also, the built-render (RenderMan) feature is difficult to use by beginners.

K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. You can download this tool for free on your Mac. Besides, you can also install and run it on your Windows and Linux systems. If you look at the design, you will find that the software is quite old. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Why so? It is because K-3D is one of the strongest and most versatile tools for 3D artists with many options.

For example, K-3D offers extremely systematic and methodological workflows. You can easily adjust the properties of the features in real-time and get instant results. It has a node-oriented visualization pipeline to enjoy more freedom. That means you can create animation using a variety of combinations.

One of the best things about K-3D is that it has three subdivisions of animation. You can work on your model on one side while showing the other side in a mirrored form. Then, experience the final result combined together. And in case you need to make the changes to the end results, you can simply work on the first subdivision and savor automatic changes to the results.

K-3D has an advanced redo and undo mechanism to ensure you can go back or move forward to make corrections or amendments without limits. Additionally, the tool is developed keeping in mind all the industrial standards. For instance, it has complete support and integration of native RenderMan™ to its user interface. This is an excellent feature because most free animation software for Mac requires third-party render plugins.

Features:

• Parametric workflow.
• 2D and 3D animation tools.
• Allows Python and K3DScript scripting.

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Advanced tools with numerous animation options and online training material.

Con: Not suitable for beginners.

If you love 2D animation, then you’ll surely love Krita. It is entirely free software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Also, it offers a full platform for drawing and frame-by-frame animation.

The number one reason for adoring Krita is its brush library. There are more than 100 professional brushes to give you a wide range of effects. Moreover, the strokes are pretty amazing and similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Another great thing about Krita is the brush stabilization feature designed for shaky hands. You can add a stabilizer to your chosen brush to smoothen its flow. Besides, there’s a special Dynamic Brush tool to make animation more fun. At the same time, you can also customize your brushes through different brush engines, including filter engines, color smudge engines, and many more.

Apart from the basic brush options, the preloaded vector tools are next to admire. These tools help you make great comic panels. All you need to do is choose and drag the word bubble template on your canvas. Then, make changes with the anchor point to make new shapes. At the same time, you can also add text to your animation by using the text tool.

Last but not least, there’s a wrap-around mode to create seamless patterns and textures. That means the image or drawing makes its own references along the x-axis and y-axis. This gives you the freedom to continue painting and enjoy updates to your animation instantly.

Features:

• HDR painting.
• PSD support.
• Python scripting.
• Selection and transformation tools.
• Proper group, filter, vector, and file layer management.
• Complete color management for extraordinary results.
• Drawing assistant to help you with straight lines and vanishing points.

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

Below is free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Anireel is a simple yet powerful Video Creativity tool used to make 2D animated explainer videos. Developed by Wondershare, one of the most popular Windows software and tool developers, Anireel uses rich, ready-to-use, and diverse assets to help one effortlessly make animated videos.

Features:

• There are tons of drag and drop characters, actions, props, text, and audio assets.
• Easy Text-to-Speech conversion via deep studying technology.
• Animate integrated and imported assets.
• Tons of templates that match many script types.

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: You can make game animation for fun. It also supports GPU accelerated real-time rendering.

Con: It has a high demand for the device, but owns a steep learning curve.

Daz 3d is a powerful and completely free 3D creation tool that will let you create the short videos that you want. Whether you are using this for business or pleasure, you will find the program is very easy to understand. Within a day, you will be completely used to its interface.

3D effects are the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build a model, render, and pose animation within the skin texture level. It has a high requirement for the device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.

Features:

• Options for 3D morphing, animation, and rendering.
• GPU accelerated real-time rendering, which delivers the best results.
• Interactive tutorials to help you become a better 3D artist.
• Everything you make is yours, royalty-free!

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us make animation.

Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.

A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!

Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.

For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.

Features:

• Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
• Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
• Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
• Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.

Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.

Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.

It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.

Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.

Features:

• A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
• Features support for TrueType fonts.
• Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is an open-source 3D modeling package. The good thing is the handy infinite Undo/Redo operation.

Con: Some advanced features are missing like drawing.

Seamless3d, an open-source 3D modeling software that you can download, is among the best animation worktables if you want to create specialized images, animated videos, or 3D characters.

It supports FFmpeg video format, so you can use AVI, MP4, and more. Besides, the forum is not active compared with before, but you still can find answers from many tutorials .

Features:

• It comes with infinite undo and redo options for complete flexibility to correct mistakes.
• It allows for partitioned and seamless texture mapping for YouTube videos.
• Has a specialized tree view interface.

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.

Con: The plug-in effects are limited.

This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.

Features:

• You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
• Smooth correction without frame losing.
• Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is the best stick figure animation if you want to make this kind of video.

Con: The UI is not modern to use and needs time to adapt to using it.

Stykz is completely free to use and without a watermark. If you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator, then you will find Stykz is similar to it, but you can import the previous .stk files to animate it again. You can use it to make animation smooth frame by frame.

With its frame-based feature, Stykz is easy to customize each frame. You can change previous and current frames to get what you want. You can download it to have a try considering its easy-to-use features.

Features:

• There is some animes file on this website, so you can have a reference.
• Edit animation in the software without using another editing window.
• You can share the final work with others including information.

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

To be frank, Mac is a better choice to make animation if you want to have a smooth animation experience. For example, screen resolution is a crucial factor to make excellent animation. The good is Mac’s screen will never let you disappointed.

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

The best animation software on mac includes Synfig Studio, Pencil2D Animation, Tupi, Blender, and more. Mentioned are free-to-use. Maya is also worth considering animation software if you are a professional user. Maya offers a 1-month free trial. After it is ended, the paid plans are month, 1-year, and 3-year.

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Yes, you can make basic animation in Photoshop. However, it only supports frame-based animation making. In this case, you need to use other professional software to make animation. But, you still can use Photoshop to meet your needs if you are a beginner.

Conclusion

With any of these free animation maker programs on Mac and Windows, you will have an easy time creating your next 2D or 3D video. Ensure you choose the program that has the features and compatibility that you desire. Then it is up to your creative mind to come up with stunning animations! If you want to make animation easily, you can also find inspiration through classical animated cartoon types with examples .

Shanoon Cox

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

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money no matter it is 2D animation software or 3D animation editor. The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to make different animation types easily.

That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Whether you are a professional editor or just a beginner to start making animation, you will find the tools listed below are easy to use without watermark and won’t cost money to improve your skills.

The best part is you will find these free animation programs are also very useful for content creation on Mac and Windows. Besides, we have listed the pros and cons of each software. Keep reading!

• Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
• Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
• Part 3: FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Here we have made a table of 12 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS. Take a look.

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

5K-3DMiddleIt is a great tool for 3D artists6KritaDifficultPerfect software for 2D animation

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	Synfig Studio	Easy	Calculate vector shape to animation automatically
2	Pencil2D Animation	Easiest	Straightforward interface for beginners
3	Tupi	Middle	Its community is active to offer solutions
4	Blender	Difficult	It is a powerful animation tool to render and make modeling

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	DAZ Studio	Difficult	For professional users with the fast animation process
2	Terragen	Middle	It can make realistic CG environments
3	Anim8or	Difficult	3D animation is Anim8or’s main function
4	Seamless3d	Easy	It has many features for 3d modeling
5	OpenToonz	Middle	Make cartoon animation with plugins
6	Stykz	Easy	Quickly make animation if you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Looking for a simple while powerful Mac video editing tool ? We recommend using Wondershare Filmora. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes, or anything you like for YouTube videos.

The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.

Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try! Or learn more from Wondershare Video Community .

Key features

• Create various shapes that you like
• Add keyframing to make it move
• Fine-tuning to make it smooth
• Add visual effects/text/color before export it

You can even create photo cut animation which has been very trendy on Tiktok and Instagram. Here is a video to present you how you can do it in Filmora.

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

Listed below is free animation software on Mac. Take a look.

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: You can create many layers once a time and sync audio for your animation.

Con: This one needs much time to learn, especially for beginners.

An open-source 2D animation software that works on Macs, Synfig Studio delivers multiple players while you are creating content. Whether you want to add geometric, filters, distortions, or transformations, it is all possible! And thanks to the high-end bone system, you can create cut-out videos using bitmap images!

The thoughtful part is there are two download versions on the homepage: the stable version and the development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package gives you access to the use of the latest features.

For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipedia and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch, and French for a video course.

You can free download its latest version 1.3.11. The upcoming version is 1.4.

Features:

• It offers support for many layers within the animation.
• The program’s bone system means that you can easily create animations with bitmap images or vector artwork.
• It allows you to sync your creative work with any sound that you want. Has a full-featured audio editor.

02 Pencil2D Animation - Animation Program for 2D Pencil Lover

Difficulty Level: Easiest

Pro: Easy to start and make animation as the interface is user-friendly for many people.

Con: You need to set your preference every time to open it up, so it takes up some time

Pencil2D Animation is one of the simplest 2D hand-drawn tools available. It will work flawlessly on Mac computers. It is ideal for beginners, as the commands and interface are very easy to understand.

Whether you want to create a simple one, or you want something with many layers for videos on YouTube, you can use Pencil2D animation to get it done. Its timeline is easy to use at first glance. You can add and duplicate different frames on a different track.

The frequency of releasing the new version is very fast as Pencil2D is committed to bringing the lasted features to each user. The newest version is v0.6.4 (as of August 2019). Its user guide is informative with video tutorials, FAQs, and manual material.

Features:

• Lightweight and minimalistic design that makes it very easy for beginners.
• Features raster and vector workflows, with easy switching between them. You can paint and sketch as you want!
• Will run on all platforms - Mac, Windows, and Linux.
• Completely free and open source.

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It supports vector illustrations. Besides, various formats are available.

Con: If you want to make 3D animation, it will fail. You can only make 2D effects.

A free software application for YouTube, Tupi will allow you to create 2D animations to your heart’s content. The tool was started by animators who wanted to create something that others could use.

It is an open-source tool, which means that users can make tweaks to the program if they have some interesting ideas. The program works on both Windows and Mac. You need to use Tupi and Papagayo to make lip-sync animation with different mouth shapes.

It also offers a solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support, and ads-free, so many schools choose to use this one to teach kids how to make an animation video.

Features:

• Support for vector illustrations. You can add rectangles, lines, polygons, and other shapes as you please. To fill areas, just use the paint bucket.
• You can import raster images using this program.
• You can export all your finished images into different file formats.
• Support for tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations.

04 Blender - Need Some Time to Learn This Animation Tool

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Really powerful software that you can make for professional users.

Con: It is not easy to make image animation as it focuses on 3D.

Blender is an open-source 3D animation creation suite without a watermark. If you find that 2D is a little bit limiting, we think that you will be very happy with what this free program offers. You can take your projects to a whole new level when you can use this program on your Mac.

You can use Blender to make a video game, modeling, and high-quality animation. However, it involves a steep learning curve. Luckily, there are many tutorials to guide you through the journey. You can also ask for help in the Blender community that millions of talented people like you are there.

Features:

• Creating renders is no problem with this program.
• Modeling, such as sculpting, retopology, and creating curves is not an issue either.
• VFX and animation features are better than any option on the market.
• It offers powerful simulation tools.
• Integration with pipeline tools is easy.

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

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: Ideal for designing simple 3D animations and models.

Con: It has an old-fashioned interface. Also, the built-render (RenderMan) feature is difficult to use by beginners.

K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. You can download this tool for free on your Mac. Besides, you can also install and run it on your Windows and Linux systems. If you look at the design, you will find that the software is quite old. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Why so? It is because K-3D is one of the strongest and most versatile tools for 3D artists with many options.

For example, K-3D offers extremely systematic and methodological workflows. You can easily adjust the properties of the features in real-time and get instant results. It has a node-oriented visualization pipeline to enjoy more freedom. That means you can create animation using a variety of combinations.

One of the best things about K-3D is that it has three subdivisions of animation. You can work on your model on one side while showing the other side in a mirrored form. Then, experience the final result combined together. And in case you need to make the changes to the end results, you can simply work on the first subdivision and savor automatic changes to the results.

K-3D has an advanced redo and undo mechanism to ensure you can go back or move forward to make corrections or amendments without limits. Additionally, the tool is developed keeping in mind all the industrial standards. For instance, it has complete support and integration of native RenderMan™ to its user interface. This is an excellent feature because most free animation software for Mac requires third-party render plugins.

Features:

• Parametric workflow.
• 2D and 3D animation tools.
• Allows Python and K3DScript scripting.

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Advanced tools with numerous animation options and online training material.

Con: Not suitable for beginners.

If you love 2D animation, then you’ll surely love Krita. It is entirely free software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Also, it offers a full platform for drawing and frame-by-frame animation.

The number one reason for adoring Krita is its brush library. There are more than 100 professional brushes to give you a wide range of effects. Moreover, the strokes are pretty amazing and similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Another great thing about Krita is the brush stabilization feature designed for shaky hands. You can add a stabilizer to your chosen brush to smoothen its flow. Besides, there’s a special Dynamic Brush tool to make animation more fun. At the same time, you can also customize your brushes through different brush engines, including filter engines, color smudge engines, and many more.

Apart from the basic brush options, the preloaded vector tools are next to admire. These tools help you make great comic panels. All you need to do is choose and drag the word bubble template on your canvas. Then, make changes with the anchor point to make new shapes. At the same time, you can also add text to your animation by using the text tool.

Last but not least, there’s a wrap-around mode to create seamless patterns and textures. That means the image or drawing makes its own references along the x-axis and y-axis. This gives you the freedom to continue painting and enjoy updates to your animation instantly.

Features:

• HDR painting.
• PSD support.
• Python scripting.
• Selection and transformation tools.
• Proper group, filter, vector, and file layer management.
• Complete color management for extraordinary results.
• Drawing assistant to help you with straight lines and vanishing points.

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

Below is free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Anireel is a simple yet powerful Video Creativity tool used to make 2D animated explainer videos. Developed by Wondershare, one of the most popular Windows software and tool developers, Anireel uses rich, ready-to-use, and diverse assets to help one effortlessly make animated videos.

Features:

• There are tons of drag and drop characters, actions, props, text, and audio assets.
• Easy Text-to-Speech conversion via deep studying technology.
• Animate integrated and imported assets.
• Tons of templates that match many script types.

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: You can make game animation for fun. It also supports GPU accelerated real-time rendering.

Con: It has a high demand for the device, but owns a steep learning curve.

Daz 3d is a powerful and completely free 3D creation tool that will let you create the short videos that you want. Whether you are using this for business or pleasure, you will find the program is very easy to understand. Within a day, you will be completely used to its interface.

3D effects are the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build a model, render, and pose animation within the skin texture level. It has a high requirement for the device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.

Features:

• Options for 3D morphing, animation, and rendering.
• GPU accelerated real-time rendering, which delivers the best results.
• Interactive tutorials to help you become a better 3D artist.
• Everything you make is yours, royalty-free!

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us make animation.

Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.

A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!

Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.

For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.

Features:

• Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
• Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
• Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
• Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.

Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.

Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.

It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.

Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.

Features:

• A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
• Features support for TrueType fonts.
• Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is an open-source 3D modeling package. The good thing is the handy infinite Undo/Redo operation.

Con: Some advanced features are missing like drawing.

Seamless3d, an open-source 3D modeling software that you can download, is among the best animation worktables if you want to create specialized images, animated videos, or 3D characters.

It supports FFmpeg video format, so you can use AVI, MP4, and more. Besides, the forum is not active compared with before, but you still can find answers from many tutorials .

Features:

• It comes with infinite undo and redo options for complete flexibility to correct mistakes.
• It allows for partitioned and seamless texture mapping for YouTube videos.
• Has a specialized tree view interface.

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.

Con: The plug-in effects are limited.

This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.

Features:

• You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
• Smooth correction without frame losing.
• Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is the best stick figure animation if you want to make this kind of video.

Con: The UI is not modern to use and needs time to adapt to using it.

Stykz is completely free to use and without a watermark. If you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator, then you will find Stykz is similar to it, but you can import the previous .stk files to animate it again. You can use it to make animation smooth frame by frame.

With its frame-based feature, Stykz is easy to customize each frame. You can change previous and current frames to get what you want. You can download it to have a try considering its easy-to-use features.

Features:

• There is some animes file on this website, so you can have a reference.
• Edit animation in the software without using another editing window.
• You can share the final work with others including information.

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

To be frank, Mac is a better choice to make animation if you want to have a smooth animation experience. For example, screen resolution is a crucial factor to make excellent animation. The good is Mac’s screen will never let you disappointed.

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

The best animation software on mac includes Synfig Studio, Pencil2D Animation, Tupi, Blender, and more. Mentioned are free-to-use. Maya is also worth considering animation software if you are a professional user. Maya offers a 1-month free trial. After it is ended, the paid plans are month, 1-year, and 3-year.

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Yes, you can make basic animation in Photoshop. However, it only supports frame-based animation making. In this case, you need to use other professional software to make animation. But, you still can use Photoshop to meet your needs if you are a beginner.

Conclusion

With any of these free animation maker programs on Mac and Windows, you will have an easy time creating your next 2D or 3D video. Ensure you choose the program that has the features and compatibility that you desire. Then it is up to your creative mind to come up with stunning animations! If you want to make animation easily, you can also find inspiration through classical animated cartoon types with examples .

Shanoon Cox

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

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Also read: