The best animation software: reviewed and tested for 2D and 3D artists

When selecting the best animation software it's important to consider the multitude of tools, exporting types and compatibility with other programmes if you create across multiple apps. Each application, whether the best 2D animation software or 3D, has a different interface and tool suite, so it's important to do your research before downloading to make sure you will be comfortable learning it.

Overall, I've chosen Moho as the best 2D animation software, and coming in two versions means both newcomers and professionals are catered for. Maya remains the best 3D software and is used widely in all industries. Blender comes in at No.3 on my list is also highly recommended; it's the best free animation software and now more widely used in the film and video games industries. I'd also suggest Procreate Dreams for anyone who has an iPad; it's easy to use, tailored to Apple's tablet and affordable. Read my article on how Procreate Dreams got me back into animation.

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Adobe Animate
Adobe Animate: at Adobe

Adobe Animate is a legacy 2D animation app that enables you to create simple 2D and vector animations. It can be used to build game environments., as well as create cartoons, banners and interactive content for websites.

Pivot Animator
Pivot Animator: at pivotanimator.net

This free 2D animation app enables you to create simple stick figure and sprite animations. It features time line animation and 'hands-on' controls. While simple, Pivot Animator is a great way to learn the principles of animation.

The Foundry Modo
The Foundry Modo: at foundry.com

Modo has a unique procedural animation system that mixes traditional rigging and deformation, it will also use AI to 'fill in' the in-between frames to speed up the process. Modo also features modelling, rendering and effects workflows.

Adobe Mixamo
at mixamo.com

Mixamo is part of the Adobe family of apps and enables the creation of animation characters for video games and films. Character models can be uploaded and Mixamo will be automatically rigged, and pre-made motion capture models can also be attached. Quick and simple.

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Editor, Digital Arts & 3D

Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5.