Adobe After Effects Alternatives for Windows

Alternatives to Adobe After Effects for Windows with any license

Natron

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, rotoscoping, grading, animation via f-curves and 3rd party OpenFX plugin support. All contained within a familiar, intuitive interface with an XML based project file format.
- Natron can import SVG image and edit node. However, Natron cannot export SVG file. Guest • Jul 2020
- Free and open-source node based alternative to After Effects. It's pretty similar to Nuke, but doesn't cost anything. POX • Apr 2020 • 1 agrees and 1 disagrees
- Its hard to understand at first, but once you know what you're doing, every things is worth it Rotchka22 • Mar 2020 • 4 agrees and 5 disagrees
- A Node based approach for not only vector and raster image processing and animation but also for OpenGL effects and shader authoring. Also supports OFX. Mainly targeted for VFX compositing. fahadhasanpathik • Jan 2018 • 14 agrees and 2 disagrees
- 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. Guest • Aug 2017 • 27 agrees and 19 disagrees
- Its simple (when you get the arrangement) but still very powerful, easily works with Blender and its free!! Guest • Apr 2017 • 12 agrees and 15 disagrees
- It's more of like a basic thing. MrJangoon • Oct 2016 • 2 agrees and 7 disagrees
Free Open Source Mac Windows Linux
Node Based Keyframe animation Open FX Support Portable ... Vfx Video editing Video filters Add a feature

108 Like
FXhome HitFilm

HitFilm merges FXHome VisionLab Studio , FXHome Effectslab and FXHome CompositeLab into one software. HitFilm is a layer-based editing and compositing package. HitFilm Ultimate gives you blockbuster quality visual effects and compositing at an indie price. You have full control to create your own unique effects using cutting edge technology.
- it has a better alternative when it comes to editing Guest • Oct 2018 • 4 agrees and 4 disagrees
- It has some nice features to make 2D and 3D compositings. Very easy to use and free. In this case, free does not mean "cheap". Guest • May 2018 • 7 agrees and 2 disagrees
- The only one in the list that has more similarities with the After Effects Workflow Guest • Sep 2017 • 7 agrees and 4 disagrees
- It has a free version, also has a lot of built-in tools to help you achieve everything you can imagine. It has TRUE 3d space, unlike *some* other solutions. Guest • May 2017 • 5 agrees and 2 disagrees
Commercial $ $ $ Mac Windows
Vfx Video editing Ad-free Colour grading ... Compositor Create composite HDR photos Non linear editor 3d animation 3D modelling Chroma Key / Green Screen Color correction Customizable Keyframe animation Noise Reduction Special effects Unlimited Tracks Add a feature

58 Like
Blender

Blender is the free open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems under the GNU General Public License.
- 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. danielmichel • Nov 2017 • 70 agrees and 27 disagrees
- 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. sas_ja • Jun 2020 • 2 agrees and 0 disagrees
- Blender is a 3D suite and the node based compositing workflow differs a lot from after effects. Guest • Aug 2020
- It is free and u can use it for everything. You can Design you own things Guest • Jun 2020 • 2 agrees and 1 disagrees
- While Blender itself is undoubtedly a quite extensive 3D graphics software it simply does not play the same role which After Effects does. One may argue that some functions of After Effects can be replicated in Blender the overall Workflow is entirely different (and not for the better). Guest • May 2019 • 22 agrees and 8 disagrees
- Blender is free, open source, and constantly updating. Plus, there are thousands of free add-ons to expand Blender's capabilities. Guest • May 2020
- Blender is a very powerful tool, don't get me wrong, but Blender is not focused on video effects. Blender is more focused on 3d modeling and animation. Blender can do what After Effects can do, but only to a certain extent. Guest • Jun 2020
- Blender is animation software, not compositing. Just because you can edit video doesn't mean you can do VFX as well. Guest • May 2020 • 0 agrees and 1 disagrees
- New blender now had video editing Guest • Apr 2020
- Blender is a 3D creation tool, not a video editing software. Guest • Apr 2020 • 0 agrees and 1 disagrees
- Blender is mostly used for CGI and model creation. After Effects is for video editing and VFX. Yes, these two programs are sometimes used together, but they are not alternatives. Guest • Mar 2020 • 6 agrees and 6 disagrees
- Yeah, you can edit videos with it... But it's not made for it in specific and isn't it's main purpose. It has lots of purposes. Guest • Dec 2015 • 28 agrees and 2 disagrees
- Blender is for 3d more than after effects which is for a different style animation Guest • Feb 2020
- Blender is not typically used for editing and compositing videos, although it has some functionality in such Guest • Sep 2018 • 4 agrees and 0 disagrees
- Blender has a steep learning curve and it meant for 3d modeling and animation. it is a more powerful program that AE but not recommended as an alternate Guest • Nov 2018
- Blender is made for animation; After Effects is primarily made and advertised to combine animation with camerawork, not as a standalone animation creator. You can edit video on Blender, but it is sort of a loophole and very difficult to get started with. Guest • Aug 2018
- It may have a very different UI, and be 3d instead of 2d, HOWEVER it's still good for doing similar things if you can't afford After Effects. (Armature can replace puppet pin, you can choose to import images under User Preferences, etc.) Guest • Jun 2018 • 1 agrees and 1 disagrees
- Blender is mainly a 3d modeling application. After effects is focused on motion graphics, video editing and compositing. Guest • Nov 2017 • 2 agrees and 4 disagrees
- It's a multi-purpose software with capability to things that After Effects can do, like adding special effects. It is free and best video editing software for linux. Guest • Feb 2018 • 1 agrees and 3 disagrees
- It clearly doesn't look like after effects and has a pretty steep learning curve, but it can do anything that after effects can do. Guest • Jan 2016 • 19 agrees and 12 disagrees
- It can be used as an alternative to After Effects, and is more powerful since it is a full 3D graphics software. Guest • Jan 2016 • 2 agrees and 4 disagrees
Free Open Source Mac Windows Linux BSD PortableApps.com ... Haiku Steam
3D modelling 3D Sculpting Animations Compositor ... Real time rendering Keyframe animation 3d animation Community based Texturing 3D Motion Graphics 3d renderer Animation rigging Motion tracking Physically-Based Rendering Rendering with graphics card Texture painting Vfx Video editing 2D and 3D physics 3D Composing 3d sketching Animation Customizable Drawing 2D Frame by frame animation HD-Rendering Lightweight Node Based Parametric Modeling Rendering Scripting UV Unfolding Vector Drawing Built-in Image editor Extensible by Plugins/Extensions Grease Pencil Intuitive Nodes Low memory usage Mapping Non linear editor Portable Procedural modeling Procedural Texturing Realistic viewport Rendering Rotoscoping Track everything UI customization Video overlay Add a feature

1303 Like
Blackmagic Design Fusion

Blackmagic Fusion (formerly known as Fusion and eyeon Fusion) is an image compositing software program created by eyeon Software Inc, now developed by Blackmagic Design. It is typically used to create visual effects and digital compositing for movies, TV-series and commercials. It employs a node-based interface in which complex processes are built up by connecting a flowchart or schematic of many nodes, each of which represents a simpler process, such as a blur or color correction.
- Great software and well integrated with DaVinci Resolve. POX • Apr 2020 • 3 agrees and 0 disagrees
- High level composition software. Guest • Sep 2018 • 6 agrees and 0 disagrees
- It's really powerful, but also very difficult to understand. Maxi_Mega • Nov 2017 • 7 agrees and 1 disagrees
- It may not be entirely free, but still works VERY WELL if I could only understand it XD Guest • Jun 2016 • 8 agrees and 5 disagrees
Freemium $ $ $ Mac Windows Linux
Camera tracking Planar tracking 3d animation 3D Motion Graphics ... 3d renderer Colour grading Deep Pixel Compositing Motion tracking Nodal Compositing Node Based Non linear editor Vfx VR support Add a feature

38 Like
NUKE

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. If you are in the business of creating high-quality digital images Nuke is a production proven visual effects tool that brings speed, functionality and flexibility to your VFX pipeline.
- There is a free commercial version, nuke is also more industry standard for compositing Guest • Dec 2016 • 11 agrees and 7 disagrees
Commercial Mac Windows Linux
Nodal Compositing Node Based Video Masking 3D modelling ... Color correction File Versioning Motion tracking MultiTrack Real time collaboration Vfx Add a feature

27 Like
Hitfilm Express

Free video-editing and video-composition software in one, with the option of buying fx-packs.
- Because it can do precisely similar things to what things Adobe After Effects can do. Guest • Jun 2019 • 2 agrees and 1 disagrees
- It's free I have used black magic's da'vinchi resolve. After effects is mainly for vfx. Hitfilm too is! As per its latest update it has been optimised to a high level.no lag. It's really good.its forums are very active! I don't think any free software can compete with hitfilm express in case of VFX:) Guest • Feb 2019 • 5 agrees and 1 disagrees
Free Mac Windows
3D modelling Intuitive Interface Vfx Video editing Add a feature

12 Like
Houdini

Houdini covers all the major areas of 3D production, including: * Modeling - All standard geometry entities including Polygons, (Hierarchical) NURBs/Bezier Curves/Patches & Trims, Metaballs * Animation - Keyframed animation and raw channel manipulation (CHOPs), motion capture support * Particles * Dynamics - Rigid Body Dynamics, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Wire (Curve) Dynamics, Cloth Simulation * Lighting - node-based shader authoring, lighting and re-lighting in an IPR viewer *...
- Houdini is a fantastic application for simulation and 3D graphics. It may have some niche functionality overlap with After Effects but the intended use of the application is wildly different. Guest • Jun 2020 • 1 agrees and 0 disagrees
- While one could argue that many 3D packages include functionality similar to the one of After Effects, that alone does not make said package a valid alternative. The overall workflow of the application has to taken into account too, and that is where things diverge greatly. Guest • May 2019 • 3 agrees and 4 disagrees
Commercial Mac Windows Linux
3d animation 3D modelling 3d renderer 3D Sculpting ... Animation Motion Capture Simulation Vfx Add a feature

26 Like
EbSynth

EbSynth brings art to life with 2D motion capture. It's a tool for converting video footage into stylised 'motion paintings'.

Free Open Source Mac Windows Linux
Animation Cartoon-style Keyframe animation Motion tracking ... Neural network Vfx Add a feature

2 Like
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Cavalry

Cavalry is a brand new 2d animation application combining the power and flexibility of 3d with the ease of use of 2d.
- Wow! Cavalry is one of the closest free softwares I have seen with a similar interface and flow to After Effects. Although Cavalry doesn't contain all the bells and whistles of After Effects, it is a great and free software that allows you to create advanced compositions. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to composite within 2d and doesn't want to pay the expensive fee of After Effects. Mosrod • May 2020
Freemium Mac Windows
Attribute Editor Add a feature

2 Like
ParticleIllusion

particleIllusion 3.0: award-winning standalone particle effects application that enables you to quickly and easily add a huge variety of particle effects to your images, animation, or video.

Commercial Mac Windows Adobe After Effects
Animation Video editing Add a feature

6 Like