Animation films take us to wonderful places that are beyond our imagination. All of these films are made from the best 2D and 3D animation software which animators create animation projects through designing and animation tools. Animators create animations through this software so that we can immerse ourselves in these imaginary worlds created by animators. Here are some of the best 2D and 3D animation software available right now.

11+ 2D And 3D Animation Software

1. Maya Autodesk

maya autodesk

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Rating: 5/5

Price: $215/month

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2. Maxon Cinema 4D

maxon cinema 4d

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Rating: 5/5

Price: Custom

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3. Moho

moho

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Rating: 5/5

Price: Custom

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4. Synfig Studio

synfig studio

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Rating: 5/5

Price: Custom

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5. Pencil 2D

pencil 2d

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Rating: 5/5

Price: Custom

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6. Blender

blender

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Rating: 5/5

Price: Custom

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7. Dragonframe

dragonframe

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Rating: 5/5

Price: Custom

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8. IStopMotion

istopmotion

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Rating: 4.5/5

Price: Custom

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9. Toon Boom Harmony

toon boom harmony

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Rating: 5/5

Price: Custom

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10. FlipBook

flipbook

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Rating: 5/5

Price: $44/month

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11. OpenToonz

opentoonz

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Rating: 5/5

Price: Custom

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12. TupiTube

tupitube

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Rating: 5/5

Price: Custom

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What Is 2D and 3D Animation Software?

2D and 3D animation software is a motion graphics software that animators use to design moving objects, which can be rendered in either 2D, 3D, or both. This is one of the fundamental software to use for animators who want to create animation projects, which is either a short animation short or a full-length animation feature.

Benefits

Animation is one of the most popular entertainment mediums, so 2D and 3D animation empower animators, both amateurs and professionals, to create animation projects which can be either be animated short or full-length animation features. The software has tools that allow animators to design and animate objects. The misconception that 2D and 3D animation don’t mix can be debunked with this software alone as it provides both 2D and 3D animation tools that allow animators to design hybrid animations projects by mixing 2D and 3D animation.

The software also connects to other software used by animators such as cartoon drawing software and video editing software, making it easy to execute animation projects with the use of external programs that integrates easily with the 2D and 3D animation software.

Features

2D and 3D animation software have the tools animators need to design and animate their 2D or 3D objects. Depending on the difficulty of the software, the software may have basic or extensive tools for animation. The software should be able to render these objects into video files or images depending on the outcome. The software should be able to connect with other third-party software such as video editing software to help execute animation projects better.

  • Design and drawing tools
  • Render animated objects into video or images
  • Integration with other third-party software commonly used by animators

Top 10 2D and 3D Animation Software

1. Pencil 2D

Pencil 2D’s 2D cartoon animation software provides simple tools for animators to draw and animate their hand-draw animation projects. Pencil 2D has 28 employees.

2. Maya Autodesk

Maya Autodesk provides animators with their 3D visual effects offers extensive tools in creating complex 3D animation projects. Autodesk has 13,359 employees and earned $3.8 billion in revenue in the recent quarter of 2021.

3. OpenToonz

OpenToonz allows 2D animators to create hand-drawn animations that are easy to use even for amateur animators! OpenToonz is owned and developed by Dwango Co, which the parent company has 202 employees and earns annual revenue of $29.3 million.

4. Maxon Cinema 4D

Maxon Cinema 4D provides filmmakers and animators extensive 3D computer animation tools that can transform their animation projects into reality. Maxon Computer has 123 employees and earns annual revenue of $17.8 million.

5. Toon Boom Harmony

Toon Boom Harmony empowers animators to create impactful animation projects that can move their audience with its 2D cartoon maker software. Toon Boom Harmony has 112 employees and earns annual revenue of $16.2 million.

6. FlipBook

FlipBook allows animators to convert PDF files into a digital flipbook that can create compelling flipbook animation videos. FlipBook is owned and developed by FlippingBook, which the parent company has 51 employees and earns annual revenue of $7.4 million.

7. Moho

Moho provides 2D animation software that allows amateur and professional animators to create their animation projects with ease. Moho is owned and developed by Lost Marble, which the parent company has around 25 employees and earns a revenue of around $5 million.

8. IStopMotion

IStopMotion provides animators with software that allows them to create stop motion animation projects. IStopMotion is owned and developed by Boinx Software, which the parent company has 10 employees and earns annual revenue of $1.5 million.

9. Blender

Blender allows animators to not only create animation projects but also highly customize the software with its open source 3D animation software that can maximize their animation potential. Blender Foundation has around 25 employees. As a non-profit organization, they rely on donations and contributions from its users for revenue.

10. Synfig Studio

Synfig Studio provides tools to animators to create highly layered, complex animation projects. Synfig Studio has around 25 employees.

FAQs

Which is more difficult to animate? 2D or 3D animation?

Tackling an animation project, whether it’s 2D or 3D, is no easy task and each animation format comes with its own set of challenges. When animators design an animation project, they must have patience and commitment to finish these projects as there is an audience and community full of animators and animation fans alike.

Can 2D and 3D animation software animation projects be in the cloud?

Some 2D and 3D animation software may be able to save and store animation projects in the cloud to allow animators to continue animation projects on another device. Although, this may depend on the software’s storage capacity as animation projects are generally heavy to store with its enormous data size. It’s best that animators store their projects in an external hard drive for safekeeping.

How much does 2D and 3D animation software cost?

Pricing for 2D and 3D animation software can range from $44 per month to $215 per month or more, with custom pricing available for some software. Pricing varies depending on the features available, the difficulty of the software, and its intended target audience. Amateur animators may benefit more from using free or low-cost 2D and 3D animation software while professional animators can benefit more from high-cost software.

Creating animation projects can be quite time-consuming and challenging. However, the rewards of finishing an animation project are satisfying thanks to 2D and 3D animation software. As the animation genre has its own fan community, every animation project through the software is already guaranteed to have its own audience.

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