The Ultimate Guide to Motion Graphics Software

Motion graphics are an incredibly versatile and popular element of digital design, as well as social media marketing. They can be used for all kinds of projects, and they lend dynamic and visual interest. While dipping your toes into animation might seem daunting, a good, beginner-friendly motion graphics software will help you get the hang of it.

What are motion graphics?

Motion graphics and animation are often used synonymously, however, motion graphics are more accurately defined as a subset of animation. Motion graphics are animations that prominently feature geometric shapes, letters, and numbers

Aside from drawing users’ attention, motion graphics also help in getting users to engage with your content and website. Some companies have reported a 10% to 50% increase in conversion rates since incorporating motion graphics into their social media marketing strategy.

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Best motion graphics software

If you have some experience with design, or are willing to dedicate time to learn motion graphic design, you might want to try creating designs for yourself. A good motion graphic requires skill and thought, so be prepared for lots of trial and error.

What is the best software for motion graphics depends on what kind of tools and features you want from your motion graphics software. There are tools that specialize in 3D models animation, which tend to be bulkier and more powerful. There’s also terrific software designed around 2D animation.

Here’s a roundup of some of the best motion graphics software and their features.

1. Synfig Studio

Good free graphic design tools are the lifeblood of independent designers and everyone looking to gain experience in graphic design.

Synfig Studio is one of the best free motion graphic software you can find. It’s an open source software, which is great for freelancers and designers just starting out. Synfig can help you create amazing motion graphics, with only a little effort.

It’s compatible with Windows, MacOS, and Linux, so you will have no problem with downloading and running the software. 

However, as with almost all animation tools, there is a learning curve, especially if you’ve never tackled animation before. The bright side is that there are tons of resources, such as how tos and tutorials to help you along the way. Synfig also has a great community which will also be of enormous help for a newbie.

Pricing

• Free 

Best for

• 2D animation, vector animation
• Startups, hobbyists and independent animators

2. DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve is a powerful professional graphic animation tool. A considerable number of Hollywood professionals use it, and it’s easy to see why. It has a ton of amazing features, such as digital sculpting. This makes it perfect for 3D motion graphics for projects such as YouTube videos, as well as more ambitious projects like video games, or even feature films.

The downside to DaVinci Resolve is that it can be quite bulky and require a lot of system resources. It's a complex software that can be tricky to master, but you can use the free version to get a hang of the program, before committing to the full version purchase.

Pricing

• Free: limited features, up to 60 fps in resolutions as high as Ultra HD 3840 x 2160
• $295 one-time fee

Best for

• Video editing
• Color grading
• Visual effects (VXF)

3. Blender

Are there any open source motion graphics software? Blender is an amazing open source free motion graphics software you should definitely make a note of. It’s a 3D animation tool, which can help you create fabulous motion graphics. It allows you to create wonderful digitally sculpted animations and motion graphics that are bound to impress.

It’s a powerful tool for digital sculpting and 3D animation. This makes it a  versatile choice for all sorts of projects. As we’ve mentioned, it’s free to use, which makes it perfect if you’re looking for a useful animation tool.

Pricing

• Free

Best for

• 3D modeling
• Character animation

4. Adobe Animate (formerly Flash)

Adobe is the industry-standard when it comes to design software. Adobe Animate, formerly known as Adobe Flash, is an animation tool that brings all that tried and true quality we’ve come to expect from Adobe products.

Animate has a powerful set of features, which are primarily focused on 2D animation. However, it can be used for basic 3D rendering, as well. It’s vector-based, so scalability isn’t a problem either.

However, the issue with most of the tools in the Adobe suite is pricing. If you have a higher budget, this could be the tool for you, but if you’re only just starting, or have a limited amount of funds you can spare, you should consider more affordable or free motion graphic software options.

Pricing

• Single App Plan ($20.99 per month): This includes 100 GB of cloud storage, access to Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Portfolio.
• All Apps Plan ($54.00 per month): For access to all 20 Adobe Creative Cloud apps

Good for

• 2D and 3D animation
• Web animation (interactions)
• Game development
• Professional designers experienced with other Adobe products

5. ZBrush

This is another powerhouse 3D sculpting and graphic animation tool. It offers a wide range of features, one of the best being its relative light weight compared to some other motion graphic software, which means it won’t impact your computer speed as much.

ZBrush has superb tools for 3D sculpting such as different and versatile texture brushes, which can help you create textile, stone, and clay textures with ease. Perfect if you’re looking to create fun claymation videos without the complicated process!

However, one downside is that the rendering process can be a bit slow, which can throw off your workflow. 

Pricing

• Monthly subscription: $39 per month
• Annual subscription: $359 per year

Best for

• Digital sculpting
• Character and game design 
• Digital artists looking to create more detailed animation or motion graphics

6. Cavalry

As a relative newcomer to the world of motion design software, there’s been a lot of talk about Cavalry. It has been hailed as the swiss army knife of animation, and many designers opt for it when they need to make quality motion graphics.

However, it’s not only an animation tool. While it does have amazing, and some would even say game-changing 2D animation features, you can also use it to tinker with your existing projects.

Cavalry is based on procedural animation, which allows for a much smoother workflow. The interface is also quite similar to After Effects, which was a staple in animation for many years, and a great deal of designers will appreciate the similar feel.

It also offers a free plan, which is great news for indie and freelance artists, as well as students. The paid version isn’t eye-wateringly expensive either, at just under $20 a month. Cavalry is a fantastic choice if you want to become a motion graphics creator, but don’t want to spend a fortune on a program.

Pricing

• Free Tier: Timited renders to full HD resolution and lacks advanced features.
• Professional Plan: £16 per month (about $20); additional features like Google Sheets import, Forge Dynamics, audio export, and dynamic rendering
• Teams Plan: This plan is tailored for organizations and offers volume licensing and enterprise features, along with unified billing.

Best for

• Motion graphics
• Independent artists and motion graphic design newbies

7. Biteable

This is a nifty little tool for creating motion graphics. Its main strength is the speed you can make motion graphics. As such, it's one of the best motion graphics software for creating short-form video content for social media.

Another great quality of Biteable is how user-friendly it is. Many inexperienced creators struggle with complex interfaces. The best program for motion graphics won’t be of much use if you can’t get the hang of all the features.

Biteable also offers a vast library of templates and ready-made animations, which are easy to customize to suit your needs and aesthetic.

Pricing

• Free Plan: Includes basic features and allows you to create videos with Biteable's watermark. It's a good option for trying out the platform or making simple videos.
• Pro Plan ($29 per month): Includes features like access to premium templates, removal of watermarks, and higher-quality exports. 
• Premium Plan ($99 per month): Designed for collaborative work with up to 3 users, this plan often includes additional features like team management, more advanced customization options, and priority support. 
• Business Plan (pricing upon request): This plan is aimed at larger organizations and includes everything in the Team Plan plus advanced features like brand customization, increased video export limits, and possibly custom integrations.

Best for

• Marketing videos
• Social media videos
• Design beginners thanks to a library of templates

8. Natron

Natron is a wonderful choice for any motion graphics creator, as well as animation and video creators in general. It’s an open-source free motion graphics software that’s on par with the best competitors in the industry.

It is a powerful video editing software, which also has a built-in animation tool. That makes it a great choice if you’re looking for a versatile program that’s full of amazing features. Natron also has a great community of creators which can be of immense help for anyone tackling motion graphics on a regular basis.

But, it can be rather bulky in terms of system requirements so make sure you have plenty of space and power to run it.

Pricing

• Free

Best for

• Video editing
• Motion graphics
• Startups and small businesses with a tight budget.

9. Adobe After Effects 

After Effects is Adobe’s tool for 2D animation. It’s not as powerful as Adobe Animate for video editing and character animation. It’s designed with motion graphics in mind, so it’s pretty perfect for this use.

It integrates well with other Adobe products, like Premiere Pro for video editing, Photoshop for graphic design, and Illustrator for vector artwork.

It also comes with a seven-day free trial. The free trial is the official, full version of the app. It includes all the features and updates in the latest version of After Effects and After Effects (Beta).

Pricing

• Single App Subscription ($20.99 per month)
• Creative Cloud Subscription ($54.99 per month)

Best for

• 2D Animation
• Text animation and motion graphics
• Designers or design teams that use other Adobe products

10. Houdini 

Houdini is a 3D animation software, often used for creating high-quality visual effects for movies and ads.

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It’s node-based, which means that Instead of directly editing objects or animations in a traditional way, Houdini uses a system of interconnected nodes. Each node represents an operation, such as creating an object, applying a transformation, or generating a visual effect. These nodes can be connected to build complex systems and effects. This approach makes it easy to tweak or change specific aspects of a project without starting over from scratch.

As you might expect, this tool is pretty difficult to master. Some sources say you’d need a whole year to get hang of the basics, while mastering more advanced features will take several years. So, opt for this motion design tool, only if you have considerable design knowledge already. 

Pricing

• Houdini Apprentice: Free for students, artists, and hobbyists. However, it has limitations on features and output formats.
• Houdini Indie: Costs $269 for a 1-year rental or $399 for 2 years, aimed at independent artists and small studios earning less than $100,000 annually.
• Houdini Core: Perpetual License: $1,995 (node-locked) or $2,995 (floating); Rental Options start from $355 for 30 days to $1,995 for a year.‍
• Houdini FX: This is the full version, ideal for large-scale simulations and VFX. Perpetual License costs $4,495 (node-locked) or $6,995 (floating). Rental Options: start from $875 for 30 days to $4,995 for a year.‍
• Houdini Engine: Focuses on running Houdini simulations without the full interface, available for $499 annually, with shorter-term rentals available too.

Best for

• Complex animation and visual effects
• Smoke and fluid simulations
• Big production studios or experienced video editors

Conclusion

We hope this list gives you some encouragement to venture out and try to learn the ropes of motion graphics design 

Only you can decide what is the best software for motion graphics that will fit your budget, projects and the type of animation you want to do. Rather than just googling “are there any open source motion graphic software” (as we’ve explained, there most certainly are), it’s worth considering motion graphics software as a big-picture investment.

Of course, there’s also a way to get professional motion design, without having to learn how to use motion graphics software yourself.

An on-demand graphic design service like ManyPixels allows you to get unlimited motion graphics at a flat monthly rate. 

And not just that - a single monthly subscription covers all the designs you could possibly need: logos, websites, ads, presentations, illustrations, and much much more.

Don’t waste your time and money on motion graphics software and sloppy DIY design. Get started today for pixel-perfect graphics done by pros.