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.
- 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 • 15 agrees and 13 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 • 6 agrees and 1 disagrees
- Its simple (when you get the arrangement) but still very powerful, easily works with Blender and its free!! Guest • Apr 2017 • 9 agrees and 12 disagrees
- It's more of like a basic thing. MrJangoon • Oct 2016 • 1 agrees and 6 disagrees
Free Open Source Mac Windows Linux
Node Based Keyframe animation Open FX Support Portable ... Video editing Video filters Add a feature

86 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
- 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 • 3 agrees and 2 disagrees
- The only one in the list that has more similarities with the After Effects Workflow Guest • Sep 2017 • 5 agrees and 2 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
Video editing Colour grading Compositor Non linear editor ... 3D modelling Chroma Key / Green Screen Color correction Customizable Keyframe animation Noise Reduction Unlimited Tracks Add a feature

52 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 • 53 agrees and 15 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 • 10 agrees and 1 disagrees
- It's MORE powerful than AAE is. Guest • Jul 2019 • 6 agrees and 6 disagrees
- While Blender offers some limited compositing capability (and is extendable), it is in no way an effective replacement for the majority of After Effects tasks. Iaian7 • Aug 2019 • 1 agrees and 0 disagrees
- Blender is not an After Effects alternative, it is a 3D modeling app, it should be removed to avoid confusion. Guest • Feb 2019 • 16 agrees and 16 disagrees
- After Effects is not a 3D modeling software, although it can have a 3D editor, its main functions are post-production and video editing. Guest • Jan 2019 • 1 agrees and 0 disagrees
- Blender is for 3d modeling and editing, not video editing.. Completely different. Guest • Dec 2018 • 1 agrees and 4 disagrees
- Adobe After Effects is created specifically for video montage, adding special effects, etc. While Blender is, first of all, a 3D-rendering software. Guest • Nov 2018 • 1 agrees and 0 disagrees
- 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
- after effects is for animation and effects.. blender is a 3d modeling / animation program Guest • Jul 2018 • 1 agrees and 2 disagrees
- 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 • 0 agrees and 1 disagrees
- its not a video editing software. Guest • Feb 2018 • 1 agrees and 2 disagrees
- Mostly because its free. But not just that, it can do much more than just video composting. For me its a win-win. Plus, did I mention it is way lighter than AE and open source? Guest • Mar 2018 • 1 agrees and 3 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 • 24 agrees and 2 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 • 0 agrees and 2 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 3 disagrees
- blender is modeling and animations, after effects is video editing Guest • Nov 2017 • 1 agrees and 3 disagrees
- Blender is a 3D editor. After Effects is a video editor. Blender has a video editor and effects but no video editing. After Effects edits videos and adds effects. Guest • Oct 2017 • 2 agrees and 7 disagrees
- Blender is a 3D modelling & game engine tool; different field. Guest • Sep 2017 • 2 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
- Has nothing to do with special effects Guest • Jan 2016 • 1 agrees and 1 disagrees
- After Effects is a VFX and MoGrahp software (focusing compositing, masking...), while Blender is a 3D computer graphics software (focusing modeling, rendering...). Guest • Jan 2016 • 3 agrees and 8 disagrees
Free Open Source Mac Windows Linux BSD PortableApps.com ... Haiku Steam
3D modelling 3D Sculpting Compositor Keyframe animation ... Real time rendering Texturing 3D Motion Graphics Motion tracking Rendering with graphics card Texture painting Video editing 2D and 3D physics 3d sketching Animation rigging Animations HD-Rendering Node Based Parametric Modeling Physically-Based Rendering Scripting Built-in Image editor Customizable Drawing 2D Extensible by Plugins/Extensions Grease Pencil Intuitive Nodes Lightweight Low memory usage Non linear editor Portable Procedural modeling Procedural Texturing Realistic viewport Rotoscoping Track everything UI customization UV Unfolding Video overlay Add a feature

1218 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.
- High level composition software. Guest • Sep 2018 • 4 agrees and 0 disagrees
- It's really powerful, but also very difficult to understand. Maxi_Mega • Nov 2017 • 5 agrees and 0 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 4 disagrees
Freemium $ $ $ Mac Windows Linux
Camera tracking Planar tracking 3D Motion Graphics Colour grading ... Deep Pixel Compositing Motion tracking Nodal Compositing Node Based Non linear editor VR support Add a feature

32 Like
Camtasia Studio

Produce videos for the web using the industry-leading H.264 format. No tweaks or technospeak, just sparkling HD-quality video with compact file sizes...every single time. Two existing production presets (blog and web) and three new presets (YouTube, HD display, and Screencast.com) take advantage of the new format. Create eye-catching training, presentation and demo videos…the easy way. Camtasia screen recording software is streamlined, intuitive and makes you look like a pro.
- AE had more tools. But camtasia is more simplified program. Guest • Jul 2019 • 2 agrees and 0 disagrees
Commercial Mac Windows
Screenshot Tools Built-in editor Interface Overlay Video editing ... Animations Built-in Screen Capture Chroma Key / Green Screen Graphical component Support for HD videos Screen recording Swiping from all window edges Capture Video Add a feature

199 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 • 8 agrees and 6 disagrees
Commercial Mac Windows Linux
3D modelling Color correction File Versioning Motion tracking ... MultiTrack Nodal Compositing Node Based Real time collaboration 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
- 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 • 2 agrees and 0 disagrees
Free Mac Windows
Video editing Intuitive Interface Add a feature

7 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 *...
- 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 • 1 agrees and 0 disagrees
Commercial Mac Windows Linux
3D modelling 3D Sculpting Motion Capture Simulation Add a feature

23 Like
Liconcomp

Liconcomp can compose videos, text, and camera images live and play them back in real time. It's perfect for the playback of content on large screens, LED walls, scrolling LED displays, LED perimeter systems, and screens in custom formats. Liconcomp can combine different content like videos or tickers and output them to the screen. Control is based on scripts, that is, your programmer can customize the software to your exact needs.
- Discontinued The project seems to be no longer developed. Last version, 1.2.2, released in March 2011, can be still downloaded from the official website.
Free Open Source Windows
Scriptable Add a feature

9 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
Video editing Add a feature

6 Like
BluffTitler

BluffTitler is a Windows desktop app for creating, rendering and playing 3D video effects. With BluffTitler you can create short, spectacular 3D animations: -video titles -intro videos -outros -bumpers -promos -special effects -logo animations

Commercial Windows
Logo animation Add a feature

9 Like
PhotoAnim

PhotoAnim is a free Windows program to edit and animate photos. Resulting animations and videos can be published on http://3dthis.com

Free Windows
No features added Add a feature

3 Like
Simmetri

Simmetri is a creative toolbench and sandbox for building interactive 3D experiences for VR and screens. It's powerful enough for stadium-filling professional VJ's, while accessible and educational enough for VR-creation-hungry students, designers, artists, programmers, and educators.

Commercial $ $ $ Windows Steam
No features added Add a feature

1 Like
Sensei Format

Sensei Format & the Blender Crash Course were created with each other in mind (blendersensei.com/blender-crash-course). The idea being, make Blender easier to learn and use. Sensei Format removes tedious and difficult to remember steps from hundreds of common 3D modeling and animation tasks. Learning a 3D program is similar to learning a programming language. Once learned, transferring your skills is fairly simple. Sensei Format helps you learn core CG disciplines faster.

Commercial $ $ $ Mac Windows Linux Blender
3D modelling 3D Sculpting Texture painting User interface Add a feature

3 Like
Notch

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.

Commercial $ $ $ Windows
Chroma Key / Green Screen Motion Capture Motion tracking Real-time Add a feature

4 Like
TimeLineFX

Export the particle effects as static animations onto sprite sheets, animation strips or image sequences in PNG format, or if you develop for the iPhone or iPad, you can export using the PVRTC format (Mac only). If you program games using the powerful Blitzmax programming language, you can also use the effects directly using the TimelineFX Module.

Commercial Mac Windows BlitzMax
Timeline Add a feature

3 Like
Solar

Lightstream Solar is a new GPU-accelerated high-end compositor for VFX work. The software provides a node and tree-based workflow, and offers the range of tools one would expect in an app of this type, including layer management tools, colour correction and grading, and additional tools like particle systems and caustics. The system is compatible with standard editing hardware, including Bluefish, AJA and Blackmagic Design boards.

Commercial Windows
Video editing Add a feature

1 Like
Tooll

Tooll 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.

Free Personal Open Source Windows
Node Based Add a feature

0 Like
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Action Pro

Record and build 3D animations in one piece of software using Action Pro Beta. Make your move, build your animation Tired of tedious keyframing? Take animating into your own hands (literally) with our brand-new motion-building software: Action Pro Beta. Easily transform real-world motion (from your mousepad or Leap Motion device!) into professional 2D and 3D animations. No clunky graphs. No numbers. Record your moves and watch your animation come to life.

Commercial $ $ $ Mac Windows
3d Drawing Motion Capture Add a feature

0 Like