After effects programs like

Not by a long shot. After Effects provides users with a robust and wide-ranging set of tools that will enable both professionals and new users to create stunning visual effects. Cross-platform — available for macOS, Windows, Linux — and incredibly versatile, Blender is much loved by many users. You can use Blender for film, video or video game design. The rendering quality is also incredibly realistic, really helping you create effective video FX. Wax is available for free, for personal or business use.

Wax is a flexible piece of software, adept at video compositing and visual effects. You can easily create, save and use presets in Wax which can then be used as a chain to help create unique effects, much like in AceMovi , another handy video editor. Features available when using Wax include graphic acceleration enabling effects in realtime, unlimited tracks for audio or video which enable different compositing modes, and plug ins that enable full 3D compositing and 3D modeling, texturing and shadow manipulation, to name just a few.

Natron is another free piece of cross-platform software to consider as an alternative to After Effects. A node-based application designed to specialise in real time compositing, you can use Natron to create visual effects, with over ready-made plugins to utilise. Though it supports both 2D and 2. Natron is comparable to Nuke in terms of usability and interface. Hitfilm Express not only functions as free video editing software, but also includes professional VFX tools, making it a very viable Adobe After Effects alternative.

With Hitfilm Express you can create all manner of content, edit films, perform basic color correction or polish professional-looking FX. A really creative tool, the features include high-speed FX making, 2D and 3D compositing, tracking without limits and a professional video editor so you can integrate your workflow.

Perfect for beginners, Hitfilm Express also has an active forum ready to support you. A paid-for version — Hitfilm Pro — is also available and widely used by professionals. ButtleOFX is open-source compositing software available for Linux, so free to download and use. It can be used to create visual effects for both photography and video. Features include a parameters editor, a dedicated effects interface, and a graph editor enabling you to connect nodes. The idea behind ButtleOFX was to make sure it was simple and easy to use — but effective too.

As such, this Adobe After Effects alternative is a perfect piece of video editing and effects software for beginners or anyone looking for a streamlined user experience. You may think that After Effects sets the standard for professional digital visual effects. Founded in , Blender is open source 3D software that was once considered strictly for amateurs and students.

But like the proverbial tortoise racing the hare, Blender has emerged in recent years to become quite an impressive powerhouse, despite being free. Blender's feature set covers pretty much anything an animator or filmmaker could desire, from rigging and skinning to fluid and smoke simulations. It even offers a basic node-based compositing feature which you can use, for example, for keying and blurring effects.

Remember, though, that Blender is primarily a 3D tool: it would be pretty challenging to use for, say, 2D editing. None of its features rival After Effects in terms of sophistication. But on the plus side, the community surrounding Blender couldn't be more supportive and friendly. And the fact remains that most of what you can do in AE, you can do in Blender, without spending any money at all. Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology.

He was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. Hitfilm Pro. Specifications Platform: Mac, Windows. Free trial: Unlimited. Free version: Yes. Reasons to avoid - Not cheap. Apple Motion. Specifications Platform: Mac. Free trial: No. Free version: No. Reasons to avoid - Lacks advanced features - Mac only. You can use it for 30 days freely. With this After Effects alternative, you can make effects directly without leaving the timeline.

You can even make 3D text effects. Adobe After Effects is its level of spectacular — and you would be forgiven for thinking that it is the only sophisticated program of its type.

It is available for a free trial, but you will be asked to pay for it before long. HitFilm is the alternative to After Effects. The most up-to-date will allow you access to a wide range of features, as well as optional free online plugins to make it do anything else that you need it to.

Filmora is good enough to be used by both beginners and pros. This After Effects alternative is one of the best-rated on the market and should provide you with all the features you need to animate any artwork that you want to.

EduCBA has voted Wondershare's program to be the best alternative available — and they represent the online standard when it comes to digital technology and learning capabilities.

You can use Blender as an After Effects alternative; however, it is not usually the first choice. Reasons for this include the sheer overwhelming number of features on Blender. They do not have the same walk-through's, online tutorials, or libraries that help you understand.

We would advise you only to try to replace After Effects with Blender if you are a competent film animator. Some people have suggested that they do not use newer versions of Blender because of the complexity. Above are the 10 After Effects alternatives, so which one you like?

If you still don't know which one to choose, here we recommend FilmoraPro. It is designed for intermediate users. It is easy to use than After Effects, yet with powerful features to make effects.

Download it now! Besides, some of the video effects are totally free to download for your AE project. Filmstock is a one-stop-shop for royalty-free video effects, music and sound effects, stock video footage, and more stock media. You can download both free and paid after effects templates for Adobe After Effects on Filmstock as well as some free stock video and photos and royalty-free music and sound effect. Birthday templates is a great help for making videos.