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.

filter to find the best alternatives

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, Motion Graphics, Windows + Free and Mac. 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

     207 likes
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    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

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Natron screenshot 1
     
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    9
    236
    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

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    3 of 9 comments
    Adobe After Effects Icon
    Natron icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Natron is a great Adobe After Effects alternative.

    • Natron is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Adobe After Effects.

    • Natron is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Adobe After Effects.

    • Natron is Free and Open SourceAdobe After Effects is Paid and Proprietary
  2. Blender icon

    Blender

     1743 likes
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    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.

    139 Blender alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    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
    248
    Comments about Blender as an Alternative to Adobe After Effects
    Comment summary: Blender is mainly recognized as a 3D modeling and animation tool, with capabilities that extend to video editing and compositing. However, many users highlight that its primary focus differs significantly from Adobe After Effects, which is designed for VFX and motion graphics. While Blender is praised for being open-source and versatile, it isn't typically seen as a direct alternative to After Effects for video effects work. Some users appreciate Blender's potential for specific tasks, but note its steep learning curve and differing workflow.
    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
    48

    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.
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    3 of 29 comments
    Adobe After Effects Icon
    Blender icon

    • Some users think Blender is a great Adobe After Effects alternative, some don't.

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

    17 Blackmagic Design Fusion alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Blackmagic Design Fusion screenshot 1
     
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    6
    83
    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
    0

    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.
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    3 of 6 comments
    Adobe After Effects Icon
    Blackmagic Design Fusion icon

    • Most users think Blackmagic Design Fusion is a great Adobe After Effects alternative.

    • Blackmagic Design Fusion is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe After Effects is Paid and Proprietary
  5. NUKE icon

    NUKE

     36 likes
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    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

    • Pay once or Subscription
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    NUKE screenshot 1
     
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    1
    43
    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.
    Adobe After Effects Icon
    NUKE icon

    • Most users think NUKE is a great Adobe After Effects alternative.

    • NUKE is the most popular commercial alternative to Adobe After Effects.

    • NUKE is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe After Effects is also Paid and Proprietary
  6. Apple Motion icon

    Apple Motion

     23 likes
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    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

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Apple Motion screenshot 1
     
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    3
    37
    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.
    Adobe After Effects Icon
    Apple Motion icon

    • Most users think Apple Motion is a great Adobe After Effects alternative.

    • Apple Motion is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe After Effects is also Paid and Proprietary
  7. TiXL icon

    TiXL

     17 likes
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    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

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    TiXL screenshot 1
     
  9. Autodesk Flame icon

    Autodesk Flame

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

    Cost / License

    • Pay once or Subscription
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

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

    PopcornFX

     4 likes
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    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
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    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.

    19 ButtleOFX alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Linux
    ButtleOFX screenshot 1
     
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    11
  12. Notch icon

    Notch

     6 likes
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    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

    • Subscription
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Notch screenshot 1
     
  13. Talos VFX icon

    Talos VFX

     2 likes
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    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

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

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

    Action Pro

     1 like
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    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

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

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