Last Updated on April 17, 2024 by Jawad Ali

Every professional animator was once a noob himself, don’t ever forget that! If you think creating moving images is difficult, you’re very well right. Even experienced animators need quite a lot of time to finish an animated video. So, if a beginner needs a whole week or even months to finish their work, it’s normal and not shameful at all. 

There are a number of software that are suitable for beginner animators, some are paid and some won’t cost you a dime. Before presenting you the ten best animation software (paid and free) for beginners in 2022, first, let’s check out some tips below to level up your skill!

How to Choose Animation Software?

Choosing the best animation software for you can’t be done recklessly. Whether you want to use one or two or more software, it has to be suitable for your needs and goals. Let’s find out what should be considered when you choose animation software.

Know your goal

Before all else, you have to figure out your goals. For example, do you want to make 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional animation? This has to be narrowed down from the beginning to help you focus more on your work. Find reasons why you choose one type of animation rather than the others.

If you’re still puzzled to decide your goals, research and watch as many examples as you need. Find the one that you think suits you best. If you want to make animations to apply for a job, researching the company’s profile and works will be a good idea.

The animation software that is going to be mentioned below is well known to have easy interfaces, that’s why they are newbie-friendly. Without further adieu, here are the ten most popular animation software which is suitable for beginners.

1. Adobe Animate

Adobe Animate is perhaps one of the most recommended animation software for beginners. It’s one of the most popular 2D software to create cartoons, animations, games, doodles, and more. Adobe Animate is also perfect for those who like to draw animation frame-by-frame, like creating an animated commercial.

Equipped with basic features, Adobe Animate is suitable for beginners to learn each of its tools and functions. Users can try using vector drawing tools, scalable, and artworks. Most importantly, the basic interface is easy to pick up even for newbies.

Adobe Animate is suitable for operating systems Windows 10 version 1703 and later, macOS 10.12 Sierra and later, iPad 13 and later. However, you can’t get the app for free, you can sign up for a monthly subscription for $20.99.

2. Pencil2D

If you’re looking for an open-source that provides animation software for free, Pencil 2D is a great option. It has an easy interface and lightweight tools that are perfect for beginners. You can practice sketching ink and painting using basic features.

Pencil 2D is suitable for Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. Everyone can access it for free and can be used for commercial business. It also has a feature to review your work by using flipping or rolling techniques. Last but not least, Pencil 2D allows users to import images as new layers and supports TIFF (Tagged Image File Format).

3. Synfig Studio

Synfig Studio is another open-source 2D animation software that is accessible for free. It’s easy to use and good for creating simple animation, in other words, perfect for beginners. It’s supported by automatic animation tools to make moving images way easier.

Users can also import vectors and pictures to different formats, and also add sounds in WAV and MP3 formats. Synfig Studio also supports working with high dynamic range HDRI which is a winning feature that can’t be found in other open-source animation software. If you consider using it, there are versions for Windows, iMac, and Linux.

4. Blender

Blender is an animation software that can be used for making 3D animation. It’s open-source software so anyone can use it for free. It allows users to do a lot of things, such as making animated movies, motion graphics, and even video games. 

The software is equipped with features such as 3D modeling, UV mapping, digital drawing, rigging and skinning, sculpting, animating, rendering, texturing, basically all tools you need to finish a project. Moreover, its easy interface makes it even more popular among beginners. Blender can run in Windows, iMac, and Linux operating systems.

5. Powtoon

Powtoon is another good animation software for beginners. Not only for making animation, projects as simple as creating presentations can also be done in Powtoon. Users can access media resources, such as stock images, videos, and music or audio. Equipped with an easy interface, Powtoon is not only good for learning tools, but experts can also use it for making videos for marketing, training, or educational purposes.

However, Powtoon is not a free resource. To unlock its feature, users need to do a monthly subscription starting at $89,00. If the price seems a bit too high for you, Powtoons also offers pay per export. For example, you can pay a certain amount of money to create and download a certain set amount of videos you make. The price will depend on the number of videos exported, video length and storage capacity.

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