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💡 Key insights
- Behind every captivating motion graphic asset is a powerful animation software tool doing the heavy lifting. These tools put life into still images and sketches, creating engaging animations and striking visual effects.
- From advertising to web design, effective and easy-to-use motion graphics software is indispensable for graphic designers, animators, video editors, and marketing teams.
- We analyze Linearity Move, Cinema 4D, Adobe After Effects, Synfig Studio, Mocha Pro, and three other top software. Linearity Move is a compelling choice for you and your team, because its smart animation features fast-tracks your workflow and increases productivity.
Motion graphics tools are essential whether you're conveying complex information or adding animation flair to your creations. But, with many options available, how do you choose the right one?
In this article, we'll explore the top motion graphics software options suitable for beginners and experts alike. We'll cover their features, ease of use, and price range, helping you make an informed decision.
Whether you're a novice looking to get started on a simple animation or a seasoned pro creating advanced motion designs, our list will guide you to the perfect software for your needs.
In no particular order, below are the seven best motion graphics tools.
A helpful comparison table: motion graphics software
| Software | Pro | Con | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linearity Move | Advanced animation features that are easy to use. | Only available on Apple devices. | Free plan available, $11.99/month for Pro plan. Book a demo to learn more about Org plan for teams. |
| Cinema 4D | Advanced cloth simulation. | Resource-intensive. | Ranges from $1.24–$99.91/month. |
| Adobe After Effects | Adobe integrations. | Complex interface and requires in-depth training. | Starts at $24.24/month. |
| Synfig Studio | Integrates bitmap images. | Limited features. | Free and open-source. |
| Mocha Pro | Blockbuster-quality motion tracking capabilities. | High cost. | One-time fee of $295 or $37/month for the plugin. |
| Toon Boom Harmony 22 | Extensive template library. | Long ramp-up time. | Ranges from $27–$123.50/month. |
| Blender | Robust rendering capabilities. | Not beginner-friendly. | Free. |
1. Linearity Move
Graphic design software Linearity Curve (formerly known as Vectornator) offers most of the tools graphic designers and illustrators need. But many graphic designers and marketers now seek powerful, easy-to-use animation tools.
Enter Linearity Move, our innovative motion design platform for graphic designers and marketers.
With an array of animation presets and integration with various design tools, Linearity Move simplifies the animation process for professionals—and is even suitable for beginners.
The user-friendly and intuitive interface ensures a speedy onboarding experience, eliminating the long ramp-up time often associated with premium animation software. The Linearity suite allows creators of all levels to start animating quickly.
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Move enables you to import design files from Linearity Curve, Figma, and Adobe Illustrator. You choose which artboards to include, and Linearity Move neatly organizes each scene and layer within your animation timeline.
Another notable advantage is the software's seamless cross-device workability. It supports macOS, iPadOS, and iPhoneOS, ensuring you can work on your projects across various Apple devices. This multi-device capability makes it ideal for motion graphics designers and animators on the go.
The platform promises to increase production speed by 4X, which helps reduce animation minute costs by 90% and grow conversions by 80%—ultimately increasing your marketing return on investment (ROI).
To sum up, Linearity Move is a promising new motion graphics software offering advanced animation features and user-friendly design. Robust team collaboration tools and more AI-powered features are in the pipeline.
2. Cinema 4D
Cinema 4D is a popular motion graphics tool. Its capabilities include motion design, complex animation, 3D object rendering, VFX, and simulation.
Its features cater to a diverse user base:
- 3D artists
- Motion graphics designers
- Visual effects (VFX) professionals
- Game developers
Compatible with Windows and macOS, Cinema 4D offers various pricing tiers ranging from $1.24 to $99.91 per month.
With Cinema 4D, you get precise animation tools and control over your timeline. Plus, it has helpful nice-to-have features like effectors, tags, and presets. You can make detailed graphics, impressive visual effects, and character animations for video games with this platform.
The software’s resource-intensive demands and higher cost compared to other 3D animation software are significant drawbacks of this software.
Its active user community, regular updates, and extensive resources make it an excellent choice for users with professional animation experience seeking to enhance their skills despite initial interface complexity.
3. Adobe After Effects
Adobe After Effects is a powerful tool for motion graphics artists, visual effects professionals, and video editors. This versatile software can be used for motion graphics, visual effects, animations, video editing, and post-production work.
It’s compatible with Windows and macOS. The subscription-based pricing structure starts at $24.14 per month for the single app.
One of its notable strengths is its extensive library of tools, which includes 3D and cut-out animations. This software excels in motion tracking and applying special effects, making it indispensable for seasoned animators.
Adobe After Effects offers integration with third-party software via plugins, making it a highly adaptable tool for motion designers with a large tool stack.
It can function as standalone software or seamlessly integrate with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications, such as Adobe Illustrator and Premiere Pro. This can help you streamline your animation workflow if you’re already locked into the Adobe environment.
On the downside, this software requires a significant investment of time and resources from beginner designers. But Adobe After Effects is professional-grade software that remains an industry standard for motion graphics and visual effects.
Get creative with our ready-to-use templates.
Linearity offers templates for every social media platform and various use cases like ads, announcements, posters, business cards, slides, and more.
4. Synfig Studio
While Synfig Studio isn't the most well-known software, what sets it apart is its accessibility. It's free, open-source, and available on Windows, macOS, and various Linux distributions, ensuring it's within reach for all users.
Synfig Studio empowers creators with rich features for crafting impressive animations. It employs vector graphics for smooth and scalable designs and offers a bone system (Skeleton Layer and Skeleton Deformation Layer) for precise control over character and object movements.
More experienced animators will appreciate the advanced capabilities that Synfig Studio provides, including parameter linking for layers and a distortion layer for creative designs. Extensive online tutorials are readily available to facilitate the software training, making it great software for beginners.
While it may require some time to master, Synfig Studio is a powerful vector-based animation tool that accommodates various animation styles and techniques. A major drawback of this software is that its feature set doesn't compare to that of premium motion design software.
Certain advanced features may require scripting or plugins, and official documentation and tutorials are somewhat limited.
5. Mocha Pro
Mocha Pro (developed by Boris FX) is a powerful tool for high-quality animation, advanced visual effects, and meticulous cleanup work. It removes unwanted objects, achieves realistic screen inserts, and provides top-notch camera stabilization.
Beyond motion graphics, Mocha Pro is widely used by Hollywood special effects artists. Its motion tracking features have been used for blockbuster films like Birdman, Black Swan, Harry Potter, The Hobbit, and Star Wars.
Motion graphics experts value Mocha Pro for its exceptional features, including planar tracking, rotoscoping, and masking tools, enabling them to enhance the environment in their animations. It's garnered a reputation as the gold standard for motion tracking.
The software's versatility is a standout feature. It’s available as a plugin, standalone product, or integrated directly into Adobe After Effects. For those comfortable with Adobe Photoshop, its seamless integration with this image compositing software allows for a smooth workflow.
Mocha Pro also has a few drawbacks. This motion design tool's pricing can be off-putting to those just getting started or on a tight budget. Pricing options include a one-time fee of $295 or $37 per month for the plugin version. The standalone product, featuring multiple host plugins, is available at $595 per year or $75 per month.
This might not be the best tool for beginners because it requires many hours of training to gain a basic understanding of the software.
6. Toon Boom Harmony 22
Toon Boom Harmony 22 is another robust 2D animation software. It primarily caters to professional animators and filmmakers. It has carved out a niche in the industry, focusing on delivering high-quality animations which can also be used for explainer videos and other marketing assets.
This versatile software supports macOS and Windows, ensuring accessibility across operating systems. Pricing options range from $27 to $123.50 per month, offering flexibility to a range of users.
Its user-friendly interface has made it a top choice among industry professionals. Toon Boom Harmony 22 offers three packages to meet varying levels of animation expertise: Harmony Essentials, Harmony Advanced, and Harmony Premium.
While Toon Boom Harmony 22 is a powerful tool, it may have a longer ramp-up time and is better suited for those with prior animation experience. The investment required to use it is relatively high. But its extensive template library and compatibility with external devices like Wacom tablets may offset this.
Users can seamlessly integrate Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop into their workflow for added convenience. Additional benefits include rigging and onion-skinning features, although some users might find certain motion design processes time-consuming.
7. Blender
Blender is an advanced, free, open-source motion graphics software that caters to a diverse audience. It’s used by 3D artists, animators, visual effects professionals, and game developers.
It offers a comprehensive suite of features for both 2D and 3D content creation, making it an essential part of the video game industry's toolkit.
Blender is equipped with a robust rendering engine that can produce high-quality images and videos. It allows users to fine-tune rendering parameters to achieve realistic effects. Notably, it supports frame animations, enabling the creation of intricate and lifelike animations for games and other applications.
It offers a wide range of visual effects (VFX) options, including compositing and particle simulations. Its simulation capabilities encompass everything from fog and smoke to rain, fire, and even liquids. These effects enable you to add depth and realism to video projects quickly.
While Blender is an advanced tool that may have an overwhelming learning time for beginners and complex features for advanced users, it’s free and open-source with an active development community.
And, despite some compatibility issues with external plugins, its adaptability and comprehensive 3D animation tools make it a top choice for motion graphics and 3D animation tasks in various industries.
Select the right tool for your motion graphics needs
Whatever role you play in the motion graphics industry, having access to powerful software is essential for creating captivating content.
This article has explored seven of the best motion graphics software options available, each offering a unique range of features tailored to the diverse needs of designers, animators, and visual effects professionals.
- Adobe After Effects stands as a stalwart, seamlessly integrating with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications and providing a comprehensive suite of tools for creating interactive animations and engaging visual effects.
- Cinema 4D impresses with its advanced capabilities and wide range of motion graphics features.
- Toon Boom Harmony 22 shines as an industry standard for creating 2D and 3D content.
- Mocha Pro specializes in advanced visual effects and invisible cleanup work, making it indispensable for professionals in the field.
- Synfig Studio's accessibility and vector-based animation capabilities offer a cost-effective solution for enthusiasts.
- Blender's free and open-source nature and extensive 3D animation tools make it a versatile choice for various industries.
- Linearity Move offers simplified, powerful animation workflows for marketing designers of all levels.
Are you ready to take your designs to the next level with new and innovative animation software? Get started for free with Linearity Move, or check out our pricing plans for professionals.
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Tracey Che King
Tracey is a Content Writer, specializing in content for SaaS and B2C companies. She combines her expertise in marketing with a passion for creating engaging and strategic content.
