Computer animation has come a long way since its invention in 1960. Cartoon Animation Software was built on a diagram of the human body inside an airplane cockpit created by the first computer graphics designer, William Fetter. Although the intention was to improve the efficacy of Boeing’s cockpits, it also paved the way for computer-generated animation by allowing for more intricate process processes.
The first Cartoon Animation Software should be credited to MIT alumni Ivan Sutherland. He had no idea that his idea would eventually become a multibillion-dollar business.
Top Cartoon Animation Software for Businesses & Personal Uses
1. Adobe Character Animator
One of the most significant development businesses in the world produced this Cartoon Animation Software, & it lives up to high expectations. This straightforward animation program, a recent addition to the Adobe family, employs facial recognition, gesture detection, etc., to animate cartoon creatures.
The Character Animator is a real-time animator that creates animated characters using your facial expressions, hand motions, whole-body motion capture, & several other inputs. You may live broadcast your development process to share work with team members or your audience, and it is rapid & smooth.
Connect your webcam & microphone to begin animating! Using the built-in Adobe Sensei, you can make a character from your artwork with a few mouse clicks.
2. DigiCel FlipBook
Although this 2D animation tool is simple to use, don’t be fooled by its ease of use. Despite being designed for beginners, this animation software allows you to accomplish many things. DigiCel created FlipBook, which works with both Windows & macOS.
Since the method it uses involves designing one frame at a time, this software can also be called “frame-by-frame animation software.”
The learning curve is easy, so that you can jump into animation. You may quickly scan your artwork from paper & upload it to the software with this tool. If you like, you can even create stop-motion movies.
3. Animaker
Beginners, experts, & aficionados of animation can all utilize the browser-based cartoon animation software free Animaker. It is a fantastic tool for creating instructional videos, whiteboard videos, handmade videos, quick marketing clips, & animated infographic films.
Animaker’s impressive list of clients, which includes household names like Dell, Siemens, & Amazon, speaks for itself. You can use a range of tools & features in Animaker to create 2D and 2.5D videos. Depending on your demands, you can select from a variety of plans.
Animaker supports Full HD and both horizontal & vertical layouts. Excellent animation capabilities, including record, curve, camera in/out, multimove, transition effects, & enter/exit effects, are available in Animaker.
The animation tool also contains a deck function that enables users to use animations as films or presentations in addition to these.
4. Movavi
For inexperienced editors & passionate video content developers, Movavi Video Editor and Animation Tool is excellent software. It has a straightforward user interface & brief tutorial suggestions to get you up and running quickly.
Additionally, it has drag & drop functionality, which is ideal for quickly combining numerous video segments into one cohesive piece. You can produce slideshows, video lessons, & game videos for YouTube.
More advanced video editing tools are available with the animation tool. Advanced tools like panning & zooming, animating an item, making stop motion, using slow motion, and tracking moving objects are available to users.
5. Toon Boom Harmony
Both amateurs & experts can use the Cartoon Animation Software Toon Boom by Harmony. The user can enjoy classic animation’s fluidity, flexibility, & smoothness thanks to the program.
The software is designed for both pros & beginners; therefore, the learning curve is moderate. Leading animation studios have been using the program for more than 25 years.
A line stabilizer, pressure responsiveness, tilt & angle responsiveness, and stylus pressure responsiveness are some of the new features that come with the most recent version.
6. Moho Debut 13.5
A good animation program for novices who want to master the craft is called Moho Debut. You can animate quite quickly, thanks to the intuitive interface. However, this software’s power & robustness are still maintained by its simplicity.
The software has the capacity to handle English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and Japanese & comes with multilingual assistance. The tool offers powerful & cutting-edge freehand tools.
It is compatible with both macOS & Windows. Keyframe choices, animated effects for shapes and layers, brushes that are simple to edit & animate, PSD compatibility, bone rigging, pen pressure support for tablets, & more features are available.
7. Pencil2D
For those who enjoy the look & feel of classic hand-drawn animation, this is a terrific free cartoon animation software.
You can use the software to work with both raster & vector drawings. The interface’s simple layout makes it simple & streamlined to use. One of the benefits of using this free program is the uncluttered UI/UX.
Pencil2D is a cross-platform app that runs on Windows, macOS, & Linux. Because the tool is open source, a wonderful & supportive community has sprung up around it. Numerous helpful animation tools & choices are available in the software.
One benefit of being open source is that you may contribute your Pencil2D creation to assist in the development of the program.
8. Powtoon
Powtoon is a free web-based Cartoon Animation Software aimed at novices but may also be used by more experienced animators. Making dynamic video presentations is possible with it. Powtoon is a well-known program that can be used to create exciting infographic videos & marketing gimmicks.
Companies like Microsoft, IBM, Google, Adobe, Coca-Cola, eBay, Cisco, & Starbucks use it. Continuing with the visual communication theme, animation software is a fantastic tool for marketing, hiring, change management, & internal communications.
Powtoon is another tool colleges & institutions can utilize to create instructional tutorials and infographic videos for their students. A tool like this might help reach out to coworkers & team members during times like now when the world is battling COVID-19.
Some Honorable Mentions
It is almost impossible to list all the Cartoon Animation Software available today. Apart from the ones mentioned above, here are more you can consider:
- Visme.
- Adobe Animate.
- Blender.
- Autodesk Maya.
- Cinema 4D.
- OpenToonz.
- Unity.
- SideFX (Houdini).
- VistaCreate.
- Adobe Creative Cloud Express.
- PosterMyWall.
- PixTeller.
- Animatron Studio.
- Biteable.
- Canva.
- Easil.
FAQ
Q: Are these Cartoon Animation Software for free?
A: Many of these tools have a free version & freemium version.
Q: What kind of expertise do I need to use these tools?
A: You need basic computer knowledge, the ability to create content and imagination.
Q: Do I need other editing tools to adjust the size of the video for social media?
A: Many of these tools come with editing features.