14 of the best After Effects plugins

The Adobe After Effects logo representing the best After Effects plugins
(Image credit: Adobe / Future)

The best After Effects plugins can transform the way you work with Adobe's leading motion graphic and compositing software. Whether you're a graphic and motion designer, animator or 3D artist, there's a plugin that can help speed up your workflow, boost your creativity, or both.

As we note in our After Effects review, Adobe's software is already powerful and feature-rich. And a quick glance at the best After Effects tutorials will reveal just how much you can do with it, out of the box. But like with many programs, it can be improved and made more efficient through the use of third-party tools. So in this article, we've collected together the best After Effects plugins, as recommended by experienced designers and animators contributing to Creative Bloq.

Download a 7-day free trial of After Effects for PC or Mac

Download a 7-day free trial of After Effects for PC or Mac
Try the latest release of After Effects free with this seven-day trial from Adobe. If you like it you can convert to a paid subscription during the trial, or after it’s expired. There’s no obligation to buy the software, but the onus is on you to cancel before the end of the trial.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Mike Griggs

Mike Griggs is a veteran digital content creator and technical writer. For nearly 30 years, Mike has been creating digital artwork, animations and VR elements for multi-national companies and world-class museums. Mike has been a writer for 3D World Magazine and Creative Bloq for over 10 years, where he has shared his passion for demystifying the process of digital content creation.

With contributions from
Read more
Best animation software; app logos
The best animation software: reviewed and tested by professional 3D artists
Best animation software; logos for animation software on a pink background
The best animation software: reviewed and tested for 2D and 3D artists
The logos of three of the best video editing software programs, Premiere Pro, CyberLink Power Director and Davini Resolve
The best video editing software
The logos of the best software for editing videos for YouTube on a blue background
The best software for editing videos for YouTube
Adobe software list
Adobe software list: which apps to use for different creative tasks
The logos of three of the best rendering software: V-Ray, Arnold and OctaneRender
The best rendering software
Latest in Graphic Design Software
CorelDRAW Go
Corel just stealth launched its most exciting app in years
Canva logo
Hey Canva, AI isn’t a valid reason to increase your prices by 300%
Illustrated header
Adobe Illustrator 2024 review: new AI tools are a workflow boon but still a work in progress
Canva
Canva review
Download Adobe Animate
Download Adobe Animate as a free trial or with Creative Cloud
The logos of three of the best After Effects alternatives
The best After Effects alternatives
Latest in Features
Pittura, a short film made at ArtFX
"We wanted to talk about AI and its relationship to art" – how we made 2025’s VES Student Award-winning animation Pittura
Stanley 'Artgerm' Lau; a vibrant, dynamic illustration showcases Spider-Gwen in a dynamic action pose amidst a cityscape, radiating a sense of energy and playful confidence
"Art is not easy. You have to suffer in joy" – Stanley 'Artgerm' Lau reflects on what it takes to succeed in comic art
Your House indie game art interview; A stylised illustration depicts a young woman seated, seemingly contemplative, in a setting that combines elements of a comic book panel and a vintage aesthetic
"This is a game you can read, or a book you can play” – solving the visual design of Your House, a detective game crossed with a Daniel Clowes comic
one.com
How to build a website for your creative business quickly and easily
AI generated images of a male creative director and a female parent
AI's gender bias is even worse than reality
Augustinas Paukšte waving out of a window
"I tried to be a human orchestra": a day in the life of creative director Augustinas Paukšte