Professionals and simple enthusiasts can create animations, games, animated videos, movies, cartoons, visual novels using a computer and a professional program, which does not necessarily have to be paid.
In fact, different types of free software are available to create animations, which can be more or less difficult to use, powerful or light, fun or professional quality, perfect for every creative.
In this list, we see the best animation programs for Windows, Mac and Linux PCs, which are completely free to download and use, indicating the main features.
READ ALSO: Best free graphics programs
1) Synfig
Synfig is another open source program to create 2D animations that can be downloaded and installed on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Synfig supports various types of layers: gradients, filters, distortions, transformations, fractals and some others, it has fundamental functions to synchronize animations with the soundtrack using the Sound Layer.
The complete system offers the possibility to create an animation using bitmap images using complex deformations.
As you can see on the official website, you can create real manga cartoons with this software.
2) Daz Studio
Daz Studio is another very popular program among digital drawing enthusiasts, which is used a lot to draw in 3D and create animations.
On the internet you can find many artists who use Daz Studio to draw beautiful female avatars and 3D visual novels.
with Daz Studio you can also create animations, 3D Morphing, GPU-accelerated real-time rendering, realistic photo results and much more.
The program is complex, but you can find many interactive and free tutorials by searching on Google.
Daz 3D content can be easily imported into other 3D software modeling tools such as 3D Studio Max, Mudbox and Maya.
3) Blender
Blender is one of the most powerful 3D animation tools that can be found, completely free and used by graphic designers around the world.
Blender is the free and open source 3D creation suite that supports 3D models, animations, simulations, rendering, motion tracking, video editing and game creation. It is supported by developers around the world and each version adds other features to the program which is on the same level as any professional software.
I wrote in the past on Blender talking about drawing and 3D graphics with animation, modeling and polygonal objects
4) Renderman Pixar
This is Pixar's program for creating 3D cartoons like Cars, which you can download and use for free.
5) Pencil2D
Pencil2D is a free, cross-platform and open source animation software for bitmap and vector graphics.
The program for Windows, Mac and Linux allows you to create hand-drawn animations (cartoon) using a rather simple interface, with the functions necessary to create the animations inside.
6) Clara.io
Clara.io is a complete cloud-based 3D modeling, animation and rendering software, which runs directly in the web browser, without downloading anything.
The web application allows you to create complex 3D models, draw beautiful photorealistic representations and share them without installing any software on any computer you want to use.
7) Animation Paper
Animation Paper is a powerful 2D animation tool for PC Window, very modern and not difficult to use, where you can draw by hand, which can export animations to avi / mov / mp4 files.
8) OpenToonz
OpenToonz is a free Open Source 2D animation software for Windows, full of features, but at the same time easy to use.
Animations can be created in several ways, including scanning hands or even using a simple drawing of anything.
9) Stykz
Stykz is a different program for Windows PCs, which I had already mentioned in the past to create simple animations with stick men.
10) Applications to create cartoons online .
In fact, different types of free software are available to create animations, which can be more or less difficult to use, powerful or light, fun or professional quality, perfect for every creative.
In this list, we see the best animation programs for Windows, Mac and Linux PCs, which are completely free to download and use, indicating the main features.
READ ALSO: Best free graphics programs
1) Synfig
Synfig is another open source program to create 2D animations that can be downloaded and installed on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Synfig supports various types of layers: gradients, filters, distortions, transformations, fractals and some others, it has fundamental functions to synchronize animations with the soundtrack using the Sound Layer.
The complete system offers the possibility to create an animation using bitmap images using complex deformations.
As you can see on the official website, you can create real manga cartoons with this software.
2) Daz Studio
Daz Studio is another very popular program among digital drawing enthusiasts, which is used a lot to draw in 3D and create animations.
On the internet you can find many artists who use Daz Studio to draw beautiful female avatars and 3D visual novels.
with Daz Studio you can also create animations, 3D Morphing, GPU-accelerated real-time rendering, realistic photo results and much more.
The program is complex, but you can find many interactive and free tutorials by searching on Google.
Daz 3D content can be easily imported into other 3D software modeling tools such as 3D Studio Max, Mudbox and Maya.
3) Blender
Blender is one of the most powerful 3D animation tools that can be found, completely free and used by graphic designers around the world.
Blender is the free and open source 3D creation suite that supports 3D models, animations, simulations, rendering, motion tracking, video editing and game creation. It is supported by developers around the world and each version adds other features to the program which is on the same level as any professional software.
I wrote in the past on Blender talking about drawing and 3D graphics with animation, modeling and polygonal objects
4) Renderman Pixar
This is Pixar's program for creating 3D cartoons like Cars, which you can download and use for free.
5) Pencil2D
Pencil2D is a free, cross-platform and open source animation software for bitmap and vector graphics.
The program for Windows, Mac and Linux allows you to create hand-drawn animations (cartoon) using a rather simple interface, with the functions necessary to create the animations inside.
6) Clara.io
Clara.io is a complete cloud-based 3D modeling, animation and rendering software, which runs directly in the web browser, without downloading anything.
The web application allows you to create complex 3D models, draw beautiful photorealistic representations and share them without installing any software on any computer you want to use.
7) Animation Paper
Animation Paper is a powerful 2D animation tool for PC Window, very modern and not difficult to use, where you can draw by hand, which can export animations to avi / mov / mp4 files.
8) OpenToonz
OpenToonz is a free Open Source 2D animation software for Windows, full of features, but at the same time easy to use.
Animations can be created in several ways, including scanning hands or even using a simple drawing of anything.
9) Stykz
Stykz is a different program for Windows PCs, which I had already mentioned in the past to create simple animations with stick men.
10) Applications to create cartoons online .
