Animations are everywhere, right from TV to Computers to Movies. If you are looking for free animation software for your PC, then this post will help you. Here, we discussed some of the best free 2D and 3D animation software for Windows 11/10.
What is Animation, and Where is it used?
Animation involves the manipulation of still images to appear as moving images are used extensively in short films, special effects, video games, and other media that are fanatical in displaying the moving images. While traditional animation involved hand-painting on transparent sheets, like cells, later exhibited in films, present-day animation has moved to CGI, or Computer-Generated Imagery.
Small companies and individual freelance artists can now produce professional-grade feature films, art, and games on their home computers using animation software. Thanks to the increased availability of CGI software and computer network speeds that have contributed to creating class-leading animations.
Moreover, independent video games (indie games) are on the rise. The close association between the animation and gaming industries has only given rise to immense demand for CGI software. Software like CGI helps the small-term animators in generating these indie games that are created by small teams without significant financial support.
Computer animations can be 3D computer animations or 2D animations. If you are planning to create an animation by yourself, you may be looking for proper animation software. Earlier, we have seen a free Pencil animation and cartoon software for Windows, which is a good tool for beginners planning to learn animation.
Free Animation Software for Windows PC
As we all know, commercial applications like Adobe Flash offer loads of features folded together. Most of the available features are never used by anyone, and they may not even know they even exist. So I’d recommend using these applications if you are a beginner – to get a brief overview of the animation.
Free 2D Animation Software
1] Plastic Animation Paper
Plastic Animation Paper(PAP) is a powerful software animation package for hand-drawn animation. It is efficient and offers a super-responsive interface that is extremely easy for real-time workflow. PAP provides an easy interface, taking all the advantages of the computer, thus helping traditional animators to draw completely on the computer. In this way, users can save a major chunk of time. The Plastic Animation Paper will also let users save the finished projects in various formats, such as PNG, AVI, GIF, and others.
The software is useful for everyone, be it a professional animator or an independent team; it offers an easy-to-use interface for creating animation on a home system. The software is available for free download on macOS, iOS, and Windows PCs. Download it here.
2] Stykz
Stykz is a freeware tool for generating 2D animations. It is available for free download for Mac OS X, Linux, and Windows. The software offers an easy and powerful interface that aids in generating animations all from your home desktop. Stykz is a frame-based software that allows you to customize individual frames and alter the previous frames using Onion skins.
The Stykz is a tool that will assist in sketching the characters and the landscape before moving on to the next steps. The interface is user-friendly and also intuitive at its best. The software allows you to save the files in .stl format, which is compatible with other animation tools. Download it here at stykz.net.
3] Pencil2D
Pencil2D is a freeware animation software that offers a user-friendly interface to generate 2D animation. It is an open-source tool that can be used on Linux, macOS, and Windows. It is basically a Pencil application created by Pascal Naidon that uses a bitmap/ vector drawing interface. While it offers fewer features compared to other tools, this is extensively used to generate 2D drawings comprehensively. The software uses Vector and bitmap graphics to represent the images in computer graphics. Download it here.
4] Victorian Giotto
Giotto comes packed with more than 50 great animated effects that can be applied to both shapes and text without coding! Play with Flash effects through the effect editor, and see the amazing animations immediately on the screen. It is a lightweight application having an interface similar to Adobe Flash. Giotto requires no coding or animation script to make effects, and can be used to make attractive effects for your website by integrating flash effects. Download Victorian Giotto here.
Read: Create interesting 2D animations with OpenToonz, a free animation software.
Free 3D Animation Software
1] Aurora 3D Animation Maker
Aurora 3D Animation Maker is free animation software that offers templates for adding graphics assets to create animations. This tool is for everyone, a professional filmmaker or an individual, and provides high-end templates to develop animations. The software offers extensive preloaded effects and features for creating complex animations and simple presentations.
Auro lets users add their own logo and watermark to the images. Aurora 3D Animation Maker is also used to create 3D video titles and text. Additionally, features like duration and playback rate help users create cool animations. Other captivating effects include fireworks, flames, and movements like bounce and twist. Moreover, the software also supports a ton of file formats, including GIF. Download it here.
2] Blender
Blender has a relatively small installation size and runs on several popular computing platforms. It has a large feature collection providing high-level tools for 3D modeling, Animation, Effects, and much more. Its features include basic non-linear video/audio editing. Blender’s animation system supports a variety of techniques and tasks, allowing the creation of complex animations.
It is good for 3D animation and a post-processing tool that offers a plethora of features. It is excellent for learners and experienced animators and offers real-time 3D/game creation, 3D wrapping, Edge rendering, and collision simulation. The software is an open-source tool that lets users make changes and even add new features. It is available for free download here.
TIP: Take a look at Express Animate too.
3] Clara.IO
Unlike other animation tools, Clara.IO is a cloud-based, fully functional animation software. The software runs directly in your browser without any downloads or configuration setup. The software offers free plans for 3D enthusiasts, including polygonal modeling and skeletal animation.
The tool is available in different browsers, including Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. Clara.IO permits editing by multiple users through simultaneous collaboration and versioning. It offers easy sharing, VRay cloud rendering, a modern interface, and offers a user-friendly multiplatform. Additionally, The tool also allows users to export and import files from other formats like Blender, Babylons, STL, FBX, and more. Download it here.
4] Anim8or
Anim8or is a lightweight, portable application for 3D animation. Anim8or is very simple to install and run. It consists of a single executable file that can be placed anywhere on your disk.
Anim8or’s interface is separated into four sections, each with its own toolset:
- Object editor
- Figure editor
- Sequence editor
- Scene editor.
Anim8or is completely open-source and can be downloaded as a zip file here.
If you want to recommend any other freeware animation maker, please share in the comments.
Read: Best Free AI Video Generators
Which is the best free 2D and 3D animation software for PC?
Pencil2D and Anim8or are among the finest. Pencil2D offers a user-friendly interface to generate 2D animation. Anim8or is a lightweight, portable application for 3D animation.
Read next: Pencil Animation and Cartoon Software for Windows.
