11 BEST After Effects Alternatives in 2021 (Free & Paid)

After Effects is a digital visual effects and motion graphics software developed by Adobe. It is widely used for the production process of film making. After Effects provide high-quality virtual effects, this tool helps you to easily remove elements in the film.

However, it has some limitations related to 3D animation and sound synchronization. Here, is a curated list of Top tools that are capable of replacing After Effects. The list contains both open source(free) and commercial(paid) software.

1) Camtasia Studio

Camtasia Studio is a video editor that makes it simple to create professional-looking videos based on Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. This software helps you record your meeting, how-to videos, YouTube videos, and demo videos.

Features:

• You can capture and cut crisp audio and video from a desktop.
• Camtasia provides you pre-made animations that can be easily customized.
• It offers eye-catching tiles, annotations, and callouts.
• This tool allows you to add zoom in, zoom out, and pan animation.
• You can add quiz questions and interactivity to measure learning video.
• Camtasia Studio enables you to record and import your presentations.
• It provides a range of music and sound effects.

2) Filomra9

Filmora is a video making application having an intuitive user interface, and tons of video effects. This tool has advanced editing modes and much greater control, including keyframing, over your video.

Features:

• This tool provides fast processing, proxy files, and adjustable preview quality, which help you be more productive.
• You can fix camera problems like camera shake and fisheye.
• It allows you to change the aesthetic of your video with one click.
• You can share your story online.
• Organize your media in 100 full video tracks.
• It has PC/Mac cross-compatibility.

3) Apple Motion

Apple Motion is a tool that allows you to create cinematic 2D and 3D titles, fluid transactions, add realistic effects in real time. Six family members can use this software.

Features:

• You can import 360° media and design 360° titles, generators, and effects.
• Provides High Dynamic Range graphics.
• You can adjust hue, brightness, and saturation with the same advanced color wheels.
• Drag and drop feature to assemble animations with a choice of 200 filters.

4) Autodesk 3DS Max

Autodesk 3DS Max is a powerful 3D modeling and animation software. It can be used by game developers, visual effects artists, and graphic designers to create high-quality scenes, and engaging VR experiences.

Features:

• This tool allows you to create and render striking scenes with integrated Arnold renderer.
• You can scale your workflow with automated processes.
• Easer to manipulate fur and hair directly in viewports with selection and styling tools.
• You can use vertex, edge, and face information to make changes in your models.
• Efficiently create organic and parametric objects with a polygon subdivision surface.
• Create sophisticated particle effects such as water, spray, snow, and fire.

5) Fusion 16

Fusion 16 is an animation tool that provides visual effects, VR, motion graphics, and 3D solutions. It allows you to easily create effects by connecting different types of photograph processing software together.

Features:

• This tool provides supports for major VR (Virtual Reality) headsets.
• It analyzes camera motion of live-action shots and reconstructs 3D camera movement.
• It automatically finds the tracking details of the image.
• You can remove background color by using advanced matte controls.
• It provides a multi-shot timeline with support for custom storyboards, playlists, annotation notes, version tracking, and more.
• Improved performance with additional GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) acceleration.

Download Link: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/in/products/fusion/

6) Nuke

Nuke is designed to streamline everyday workflow. It is a flexible, efficient, and feature-packed toolset. This tool can be used by compositors and animators.

Features:

• It includes vector paint tools, color correction, rotoscope, and more.
• This tool allows you to work with images that contain multiple opacity and color.
• You can track and correct various objects quickly and accurately.
• It accurately handles Lens distortion.
• This tool helps you to preview change in a 3D environment.
• Nuke allows you to create cleaner images with ease.

Download Link: https://www.foundry.com/products/nuke

7) Continuum

Continuum is a plugin developed by Boris Fx. It allows you to streamline workflow with 17 creative effects. It provides cinema 4D integration.

Features:

• It supports for FX browser applications and Title Studio.
• It contains tons of presets to start the project.
• You can add depth to any object by obscuring particles.
• This plugin helps you to accomplish advanced Visual effects (VFX).
• It gives you a range of options for color correcting and color matching.
• The film style unit allows you to create a classic look of film.
• You can add spotlights to stage performances as well as moody rays.

Download Link: https://borisfx.com/products/continuum/

8) Corel VideoStudio Pro X6

Corel VideoStudio Pro X6 is a video editing software that allows you to develop professional-looking videos. It supports the new video editing technologies that help you to quickly create your own movies.

Features:

• You can track specific elements in your video like license plates, bouncing a ball, or walking man in just a few clicks.
• You can customize the movement of titles, graphics, video clips, or objects.
• The program lets you view files in 4K video format.
• It automatically detects voice in video and converts them to subtitle segments.
• You can specify the frame rate during screen capture.

Download Link: https://www.videostudiopro.com/en/pages/videostudio-x6/

9) Blender

Blender is an open-source 3D creation suite that supports animation, motion tracking, video editing, 2D animation, etc. This tool allows you to customize the application using the blender's API for Python script.

Features:

• It helps the user to create jaw-dropping renders.
• The user can change animation pose editor.
• The tool has the ability to rendering to multilayer OpenEXR files.
• The user can easily combine 2D images with 3D.
• It provides animation support with onion skinning.
• Blender allows the user to customize window layout and shortcuts.

Download Link: https://www.blender.org/download/

10) Natron

Natron is an open-source and cross-platform tool that can handle your 2D/2.5D needs. It has a keying, roto/roto paint, 2D tracking facility that requires visual effects.

Features:

• This tool offers a powerful curve and dope sheet editor.
• It provides a powerful 2D and planner tracker.
• It has Natron has GPU and rendering capability.
• Support for tons of free and open-source OpenFX plugin.
• You can save images in various formats like PNG, JPG, SVG, and PSD.

Download Link: https://natrongithub.github.io/

11) Hitfilm

Hitfilm is all in one editor compositor and having 800+ visual effects. This software enables you to create professional-looking videos and fix your audio with ease.

Features:

• You can transform your title from 2D to 3D.
• It supports lights, shadows, and environment maps that make your text appear like real-world natural objects.
• The tool has a surface studio effect that enables you to generate animated texture.
• It enables you to add text to your video.
• The tool provides audio visualization.
• You can integrate your objects with lights and shadows for a more realistic look.

Download Link: https://fxhome.com/hitfilm-pro