10 Best Adobe After Effects Alternatives in 2024 [Free & Paid]

Are you on the hunt for the perfect Adobe After Effects alternative to bring your video projects to life? Look no further! In 2024, the landscape of video editing and motion graphics software is more vibrant and accessible than ever. Whether you’re a budding filmmaker on a budget, a seasoned animator looking to explore new tools, or simply in need of a change, we’ve got you covered.

Adobe After Effects has long been the go-to for professionals and hobbyists alike, but its subscription model and complexity can be daunting for some. Imagine being held back by software that doesn’t fit your budget or learning curve, stifling your creativity and slowing down your project timelines. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best Adobe After Effects alternatives of 2024, both free and paid. These alternatives promise to unleash your creative potential without breaking the bank or your spirit. From user-friendly interfaces to robust feature sets that cater to all skill levels, prepare to transform your ideas into stunning visuals with the perfect tool for you. Let’s dive into a world of possibilities and find your next video editing companion!

What is Adobe After Effects?

Adobe After Effects is software for animation, visual effects, and motion picture compositing. After-effects are used to make movies videos and series more impacting and real.

These after-effects are added in the process of post-production to manipulate graphics. This allows you to combine layers of video and images into the same scene and add special effects to your film or videos. They make the content exciting and visually pleasing for the user. This tool is one of the most powerful creative tools in the animation and graphics industry providing precision and quality output by also simplifying the process.

10 Best Adobe After Effects Alternatives 

Blender

First on our list of 10 best Adobe After Effects alternatives is Blender. It is one of the most popular software in this field and popularly known for its 3D animation features.

Features

• It provides Digital sculpting tools that provide flexibility and power required at different stages.
• It includes multiple animation tool features .
• Provide VFX options for post production edits.
• Includes large Library of industry standard stimulation tools.

Pros

• Video editor tool provide a range  of basic to advanced tools.
• It is a free and open source software .

Cons 

• It does not have a user-friendly interface .
• It can have bugs at several times.

Pricing       

• Free open-source software            

Link – https://www.blender.org/

Download – https://www.blender.org/download/

Natron

Next on our list is Natron. It is one of the most effective Adobe After Effects alternatives. Popularly known for its visual graphics and motion graphics.

Features 

• Powerful 2D and planner tracker for tracking jobs 
• Natron offers various keying tools for your production needs.
• It has a Powerful curve and dope-sheet Editor with the fluid interface.         

Pros                

• It has a great processing speed making it easy to use.
• It is a free and open-source software.

Cons 

• It can be unstable especially with heavy networks.
• It is inconvenient to work with colors.

Pricing 

• Free and open-source software 

Link – https://natrongithub.github.io/

Motion – Final Cut Pro

Motion is third on our list of 10 Best Adobe After Effects alternatives. It is Apple’s most popular animation software. It is a professional tool to create stunning visual effects.

Features

• It helps create an amazing depth-of-field effect.
• Helps to quickly import 3-D models and adjust their position precisely.
• It makes it easy to create 2D,3D, and 360° titles and realistic effects.

Pros 

• There are multiple third-party plugins to add numerous effects to the video.
• Supports 360° footage and wife color spaces .

Cons

• Software experience crashes several times which interrupts user experience 
• It does not support depth of features for complex animation

Pricing 

• Free trial available 
• ₹29,900 (one-time payment)

Link – https://www.apple.com/in/final-cut-pro/motion/

Nuke 

Fourth on the list of 10 best Adobe After Effects alternative stands Nuke. It is one of the best alternatives for Adobe After effects as per their customization features with both 2-D and 3-D effects.

Features

• It provides Advanced compositing tools.
• Provides flexible usage of 3-D and 2-D elements.
• Includes over 200 nodes and a scalable node graph and image processing engine.

Pros 

• It has a high degree of customization options available.
• It allows real time working for a fast and efficient performance

Cons

• The user interface is a little complex for new user 
• Some newer file formats are not supported and additional plugins are required

Pricing

• Free trial available 
• Industry-standard compositing -$3469 / year 
• Advanced industry-standard compositing -$ 4729/ year 
• Multi-shot management, editorial, compositing, and review – $ 5779 / year 
• Render license: floating or node-locked -$ 419/ year 

Link – https://www.foundry.com/products/nuke-family/nuke

HitFilm

Fifth on our list of 10 Adobe After Effects alternatives comes Hitfilm. It is a video editing software that lets you edit and create special animation effects that will enhance your film and videos.

Features

• It supports 360 ° video animation and editing.
• Contains multiple animation options.
• Includes audio modulation and balancing features

Pros 

• Multiple color correction and color grading tools are available 
• 3-D animation features included.

Cons

• It is not beginner-friendly.
• Some of the effects can’t be previewed 

Pricing

• Free trial available 
• Creator -$7.99 / month
• Pro -$12.99/month             

Link – https://fxhome.com/product/hitfilm

3ds Max

3ds Max is a professional 3D modeling, rendering, and animation software that enables you to create expansive worlds and premium designs. It holds the Sixth position on our list of 10 Best Adobe After Effects Alternatives.

Features

• It allows the user to create realistic 3D designs with powerful tools
• It provides a user-rich experience by producing high-quality 3D rendering.
• It creates parametric and organic objects with polygon, subdivision surface, and spline-based modeling features.

Pros

• It supports multiple file formats 
• Multiple options for programming and customization

Cons

• Some interface windows do not expand properly.
• It is not beginner-friendly.

Pricing 

• Free Trial available 
• ₹1,06,200/year (for 1 user)

Link – https://www.autodesk.in/products/3ds-max/overview?term=1-YEAR&tab=subscription

Adobe Animate

Seventh on the list is Adobe Animate. It is an animation and editing software that can be used as an Adobe After Effects Alternative.

Features

• Animations for games, educational purposes, and videos can be created.
• Provide tutorials for beginners to learn basic animations.
• Eazy import and export support.

Pros

• Very Beginner friendly interface.
• Provides multiple tutorials.

Cons

• Only 2-D animation options are there
• Realistic animations are not possible using this 

Pricing

• Free Trial available 
• Adobe Animate Single App-₹ 1834.90/ month 
• Creative Cloud all apps -₹4630.32/ month 
• Student and teacher-₹1596.54/ month 
• Business -₹2435 / month 

Link –https://www.adobe.com/in/products/animate.html

Filmora Pro

Filmora Pro is a powerful industrial-level video editing software by Wondershare. It is in eighth place on our list of 10 best Adobe After EffectProfessional-level alternative tools.

Features

• It provides both video and audio editing tools.
• It has various animation tools for the user to use 
• Professional-level video editing features.

Pros 

• It has multiple options for each effect.
• This is suitable for beginners.

Cons

• They have poor customer support.
• Some tools perform very poorly.

Pricing

• Free trial available
• Subscription plan -$49.99/ year 
• Cross-platform plan -$59.99/ year
• Perpetual plan -$79.99 / year  

Link – https://filmora.wondershare.net/filmora-video-editor.html

Fusion 18 

Fusion is one of the most advanced compositing software for visual effects artists, broadcast and motion graphic designers, and 3D animators. It deserves a place on our list of Adobe After Effects alternatives.

Features 

• It has a massive range of tools, and incredible VR and 3D support.
• Specialized in  creating exciting broadcast graphics, dramatic titles
• Provide tools for eye-catching visual effects.

Pros 

• It has custom vector shape options.
• Various personalization options are available

Cons

• The processing speed is slower than other similar platforms.
• Color management and processing are not up to the mark.

Pricing 

• Free trial available 
• Subscription – ₹300000 / year 

Link – https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/in/products/fusion

DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve by Blackmagic Designs is tenth on our list. It can be used as an Adobe After Effects alternative to animate and create visual effects.

Features

• It provides a multi-user collaboration feature.
• VFX, motion graphics, and audio editing tools are also included.
• Multiple audio editing features are available

 Pros

• It supports multiple file formats.
• Provides industrial-level color grading 

 Cons

• The user interface is a little complex to understand.
• Not properly integrated with outside software

Pricing 

• Free trial available 
•  Subscription -₹28,908

Link – https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/in/products/davinciresolve

Which is the best Adobe After Effects Alternative of 2024?

Blender is a perfect Adobe After Effects alternative. Blender is a free and open-source 3D computer graphics software toolset used for creating animated films, visual effects, art, 3D-printed models, motion graphics, interactive 3D applications, virtual reality, and, formerly, video games.

It is a free open-source platform that will enable you to create magnificent, dynamic, and impactful industrial-level animation and visual effects. Which will leave your viewers to have a jaw-dropping experience.

Conclusion

Animation, VFX, and Visual effects all are the key features in a film or show that make it binge-worthy. It creates a sense of excitement and thriller in the hearts of its viewers and with Adobe After Effects alternatives, we can create all those breathtaking action and dramatic animations ourselves. These software enables creative minds to create wonderful After Effects in our films and series.

FAQs – Best Adobe After Effects Alternatives

Is there a free alternative to Adobe After Effects?

Blender is a free alternative to Adobe After Effects.

Is there a free Adobe After Effects?

No, After Effects is only available as part of a Creative Cloud membership.

Is Filmora better than After Effects?

Both are good but After Effects has a little edge over filmora.