5 Free Programs That Will Help You Get Started with Animation

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Animation has come a long way since the days of Walt Disney. Not long ago, creating high-quality animation required massive studio spaces, large teams, and a ton of money. And while films like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Inside Out 2 still require more resources and manpower than most of us have access to, you’d be surprised how easy it is to get started in animation.

The technology needed to create animation, whether it’s 2D, 3D, or stop-motion, often requires nothing more than a modern computer, tablet, or even smartphone to get started. Furthermore, with the rapidly growing demand for animated content across platforms, the animation process has been drastically improved over the years to the point where it’s entirely feasible for one person to be at the forefront of an entire animated project.

However, depending on your budget or experience level, diving into one of the bigger programs may not be the smartest move. While industry-standard software like Autodesk Maya, ToonBoom Harmony, and Adobe Animate are relatively easy to find and download, many of them have high-priced subscription plans. If you’re new to animation, it’s better to hone your skills than worry about having the fanciest software. Fortunately, as with video editing, there are plenty of affordable software options for beginners.

Blender can compete with paid 3D options

Completely free 3D software options are given short shrift. Programs like Cinema 4D and even Autodesk Maya offer free trials, while a program like Daz 3D is somewhat basic in its features. Fortunately, Blender has more than enough to meet the needs of both seasoned professionals and beginners, and it’s all completely free.

Blender is a powerful open source platform that enables a wide range of features, with almost everything you need for production. It includes high-quality digital modeling and sculpting tools with real-time feedback to further streamline the process. You can then create and animate your characters using the Character Pose Editor, and even draw poses using the Grease Pencil feature. You can also refine your design by adding visual effects and simulations, sound, color grading, and more in post-production with Blender.

That’s just scratching the surface of the technical and artistic feats that have been achieved with Blender, which you can see in all their glory in Blender Open Movies , a series of short films of varying styles, all created using the program. Be warned, though, that if you’re a beginner, there’s a steep learning curve to overcome, largely due to the software’s use of node-based animation as opposed to more traditional layer-based programs. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of YouTube tutorials that can guide you along the way, regardless of your experience level.

Synfig Studio will help you get started with 2D rigging

When you think of 2D animation, you probably imagine skilled draftsmen working for hours to create drawing after meticulous drawing. While this is still a common practice, most 2D animation today is done using rigging and puppeteering techniques to manipulate character features individually, rather than doing it frame by frame, saving a ton of time. While paid programs like ToonBoom Harmony are best known for this, there is a free gateway to the modern era of 2D animation with Synfig Studio software.

Synfig lets you create 2D vector and bitmap-based animations with a variety of features designed to give you more control. Once you’ve drawn your character, you can use the program’s bone system to carve out and equip their body with control points, which you can then use to keyframe your animation. This feature is surprisingly versatile, whether you’re trying to convey simple head or body movements or want to create slightly more complex character animation. Additionally, you can use Synfig’s facial controls to enable talking and lip-syncing.

This is another program that may take some getting used to for beginners, so it’s best to start with it after you’ve got a handle on the basics of animation. But for those ready to take their skills a step or two and dive into 2D puppetry, Synfig is a multi-faceted, safe way to get your hands dirty.

Stop Motion Studio brings a proven art form into the modern era

Stop-motion animation has been around as long as film itself, with the earliest examples dating back to the late 19th century. The tactical quality of the technique has a unique appeal, and films and specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Chicken Run, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Coraline, among countless others, remain time-tested fan favorites.

It’s probably the easiest animation medium to get into, as it bypasses many of the technical hurdles that come with animating in 2D or 3D, requiring only a simple table setup and an inanimate object you want to move. Best of all, the tools you need to create high-quality stop-motion animation are in the palm of your hand, thanks to the versatile smartphone app, Stop Motion Studio.

Stop Motion Studio offers an easy-to-use interface that’s packed with features. You can connect it to your phone or tablet’s camera and adjust ISO, white balance, shutter speed, and more. Once you’ve adjusted your smartphone to take the best photos possible, you can capture your animations. The cool thing is that you can replay your progress, and once you’re done, the app even lets you change the frame rate and do some editing by adding music, titles, transitions, and even simple 2D animations. While there’s a paid version of the app, the free version offers more than enough to meet the needs of most users.

Pencil2D Animation is a great animation for fans of classic animation

While 2D puppet animation is undoubtedly a desirable skill set, there’s no denying the appeal of traditional frame-by-frame animation. Even 3D animators can benefit from starting with traditional 2D animation, as it’s the best and most thorough way to learn important animation principles. Pencil2D Animation is a simple way to dive in, allowing you to easily and freely create your own 2D animations.

Pencil2D has a simple interface that lets you draw, edit, and check frame progress with ease. You’re not limited to just creating simple line drawings, though, as Pencil2D allows for versatile color options, as well as the ability to add camera movements and lighting effects to enhance your animations. There are a variety of adjustments to customize the workspace to your needs, including support for raster and vector workflows to better customize the quality of specific layers, toolbar customization for better tracking of brushes and other elements, and a variety of video and image export settings.

For those looking for a more advanced option, you won’t find much here, as the selection of tools can be frustratingly limited. Still, Pencil2D is a great option for those who want to go beyond animating on a phone or tablet and don’t have the budget for a paid 2D program.

Flipaclip lets you create and share 2D artwork from your smartphone

Think you need an expensive graphics tablet to get started in 2D animation? Think again. While paid iPad drawing apps like Procreate are popular choices, Flipaclip has earned its own particular reputation as a great frame-by-frame 2D animation app with a strong social aspect. Its simple interface and fun features make it a great choice for animation newbies.

As its name suggests, Flipaclip was created to recreate the fun of classic animated flip books, and it certainly delivers on that front. It’s a simple program that lets you draw each frame directly on the screen, and has playback features to keep track of your progress. You also have the ability to draw or insert backgrounds, onion skin to better guide your drawings, and customize your drawing tool. You can then change the number of frames in your animation and export it as an MP4, GIF, or PNG sequence. Flipaclip is very keen to engage with its community, with tons of tutorials, templates, and contests.

The free version of Flipaclip limits you from using some of the more advanced brush and image features, and your videos will have a small watermark in the corner when you export them. Nevertheless, the free version is still a desirable app for learning the basics of animation.

Why we chose these animation programs

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I work as a professional stop-motion animator and have experience with both 2D and 3D animation during my tenure at Savannah College of Art and Design. This, along with suggestions from close colleagues working professionally in the industry, primarily influenced the choices on this list. Of course, I also looked for additional sources on platforms like Reddit and Oberlo to see if there were any programs I had missed.

My goal in choosing these programs was to find options that could help you develop tangible industry skills. Many free programs offer little more than a few cheap, pre-made character and background assets that become frustratingly generic. It’s true that most of the software on this list isn’t as dynamic as the industry-standard alternatives, but they’re pretty darn close. Ultimately, I wanted these choices to be ones where you can go in and create a high-quality project from scratch, because that’s the best way to really learn and find your style as an animator.

No matter what medium you want to work in or what technology you have at your disposal, there’s probably something on this list you can download and start using today. At the end of the day, what you know is much more important than what you use, because the skills you learn in these programs will serve you well as you move on to more advanced projects in the future.