Adobe After Effects AlternativesOnly apps categorised as VFX Software

The best VFX alternative to Adobe After Effects is Natron, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Adobe After Effects and 16 are VFX Software so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting VFX Software alternatives to Adobe After Effects are Blender, Blackmagic Design Fusion, NUKE and Apple Motion.

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Adobe After Effects alternatives are mainly VFX Software, but if you're looking for Motion Graphics Software or 3D Animators you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Free, Linux, Android, Windows + Free, Mac and Online. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Adobe After Effects.
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Alternatives list

  1. Natron icon

    Natron

     209 likes

    Natron is an open source, cross platform nodal compositing application. It is built around industry standard open source tech such as OpenFX, OpenEXR, OpenColorIO and OpenImageIO. The feature set includes realtime playback/RAM cache, multi-threaded rendering, 2d tracking...

    18 Natron alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Natron screenshot 1
     
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    9
    Comments about Natron as an Alternative to Adobe After Effects
    Top Positive Comment
    Paul
    4

    Free and open-source node based alternative to After Effects. It's pretty similar to Nuke, but doesn't cost anything.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    10

    Awful documentation (blank page); The versions change so much that the old tutorials don't help at all; Difficult to learn by just messing around; High learning curve.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    ahmed52
    Positive
    2

    free ,open source a bit hard to use at first

    3 of 9 comments
    Natron icon
    Natron icon
    • Natron is Free and Open SourceAdobe After Effects is Paid and Proprietary
  2. Blender icon

    Blender

     1752 likes

    A comprehensive open-source 3D software suite for modeling, UV unwrapping, texturing, rigging, and animating. It supports renderings, simulations including fluid and cloth dynamics, complex compositing, video editing, and Python scripting, running across all major operating systems.

    140 Blender alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • Steam
    • Flatpak
    • Snapcraft
    Splash Artwork for Blender 4.3
     
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    29
    Comments about Blender as an Alternative to Adobe After Effects
    Top Positive Comment
    sas_ja
    5

    Blender is has a bit different workflow, that doesn't make it worse than AE. People think that Blender is only a 3D program, but it fact it has greasepencil (2d animation tool), and it also includes node-based compositing, video editing and video tracking. With Blender you can combine 2d animations, 3d renderings and video footage without using any external program.

    Top Negative Comment
    danielmichel
    49

    AE's main purpose: Video effect editing. Blender has a whole range of possibilities, but it's hard to get into and it's not designed to be used solely for video effect editing.

    Guest
    Negative
    0

    It’s not a video editor anymore, they removed that feature.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 29 comments
    Blender icon
    Blender icon
    • Blender is Free and Open SourceAdobe After Effects is Paid and Proprietary
    • Blender is Customizable, Lightweight and Privacy focusedAdobe After Effects is not according to our users
  4. Blackmagic Design Fusion icon

    Blackmagic Design Fusion

     52 likes

    Fusion is the world’s most advanced compositing software for visual effects artists, broadcast and motion graphic designers and 3D animators.

    20 Blackmagic Design Fusion alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Blackmagic Design Fusion screenshot 1
     
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    6
    Comments about Blackmagic Design Fusion as an Alternative to Adobe After Effects
    Top Positive Comment
    Paul
    4

    Great software and well integrated with DaVinci Resolve.

    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Great node-based alternative if you require an advanced control over your compositions. It supports OFX plugins, macros, and software-specific plugins/scripts(Lua & Python)

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    7

    High level composition software.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 6 comments
    Blackmagic Design Fusion icon
    Blackmagic Design Fusion icon
    • Blackmagic Design Fusion is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe After Effects is Paid and Proprietary
  5. NUKE icon

    NUKE

     36 likes

    NUKE is a powerful compositing application that delivers unparalleled speed, an efficient multi-channel scanline rendering engine, and a first-class feature set that is unrivalled in the desktop market.

    18 NUKE alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    NUKE screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about NUKE as an Alternative to Adobe After Effects
    Guest
    Positive
    7

    There is a free commercial version, nuke is also more industry standard for compositing

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    NUKE icon
    NUKE icon
    • NUKE is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe After Effects is also Paid and Proprietary
  6. Apple Motion icon

    Apple Motion

     23 likes

    Designed for video editors, Motion is a powerful motion graphics tool that makes it easy to create cinematic 2D and 3D titles, fluid transitions, and realistic effects in real time.

    27 Apple Motion alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Apple Motion screenshot 1
     
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    3
    Comments about Apple Motion as an Alternative to Adobe After Effects
    Guest
    Positive
    8

    Cheap, not free, and there are some plugins.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Paul
    Positive
    0

    A great software for motion design and 2D/3D animation, especially if you're already using Final Cut Pro.

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    better than ae and one-time payed

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Apple Motion icon
    Apple Motion icon
    • Apple Motion is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe After Effects is also Paid and Proprietary
  7. TiXL icon

    TiXL

     17 likes

    TiXL is an open-source solution for creating interactive 3d content and animations. It combines the best aspects of animation, compositing, and coding into a lightweight and intuitive UI. Your designs can be shared as executable or rendered to movies.

    10 TiXL alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    TiXL screenshot 1
     
  9. Autodesk Flame icon

    Autodesk Flame

     2 likes

    Autodesk Flame software is a powerful finishing and visual effects solution with an integrated environment that accelerates creative workflows.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Autodesk Flame screenshot 1
     
  10. PopcornFX icon

    PopcornFX

     4 likes

    A suite of tools dedicated to real-time visual effects creation, along with ready-to-run mainstream game engine integrations and a runtime simulation framework for custom integration.

    25 PopcornFX alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Mac
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    PopcornFX screenshot 1
     
  11. ButtleOFX icon

    ButtleOFX

     16 likes

    ButtleOFX is a simple, user-friendly and open source compositing software. It is based on TuttleOFX, an open source, modular and sustainable image processing architecture.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Linux
    ButtleOFX screenshot 1
     
  12. Notch icon

    Notch

     6 likes

    Notch is the game-changing real-time visual creation engine that keeps up with your ideas. From motion graphics to interactive installations to VR experiences to the largest performances on earth, it helps creators rediscover the joy of creating.

    11 Notch alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Notch screenshot 1
     
  13. Talos VFX icon

    Talos VFX

     2 likes

    Talos is an open source, node based particle effect editor that can be used in game development. It features a powerful but intuitive, drag-and-drop interface with the ability to import legacy LibGDX files for easy, visual editing.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Java
    Talos VFX screenshot 1
     
  14. Action Pro icon

    Action Pro

     1 like

    Action Pro is cutting-edge technology that lets you effortlessly create animated movement using familiar (mouse and joypad) and cutting-edge (Leap Motion) input devices.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    Action Pro screenshot 1
     
12 of 16 Adobe After Effects alternatives