Animation isn’t just for movies or shows. It’s a powerful tool you can use to create impactful video content for your business—whether for learning and development programs, social media, or empowering your sales team.
But with so many options on the market, where do you start?
We created a list of the best animation software for business users, particularly beginners, to help you decide which product is best suited for your needs. We made our list based on how intuitive each tool is, how many resources and tutorial materials are available to learn the software, and whether it requires beefy hardware (expensive graphics cards, CPUs, RAM, etc.).
In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the best animation software so that you can quickly create videos that grab your audience’s attention and drive success at your organization.
The best animation software of 2024
- 1. Vyond: The most comprehensive and intuitive AI-powered animation software on the market
- 2. Animaker: DIY video tool with high-res 2K and 4K downloads
- 3. Powtoon: Customizable templates and animations
- 4. Biteable: Simple-to-use animation software
- 7. Procreate: Animation for artists who love their Apple pencil
- 8. Blender: Open-source animation tool
- 9. Cinema 4D: Features photorealistic rendering and an ample toolkit
- 10. Autodesk Maya: Industry standard in film and game development
- 11. Houdini: Film quality effects with node-based workflow
Vyond is an intuitive, beginner-friendly, cloud-based animation software solution that helps companies create highly engaging animated videos for any business use case, including training, HR, internal communications, marketing, and sales. Vyond’s animated video platform features Vyond Go, an AI-powered script and video generator, and Vyond Studio, an effortless drag-and-drop interface that features a huge variety of video templates, style options, and a powerful brand management system.
With thousands of assets and customizable templates, dedicated customer support, and a robust Help Center with step-by-step tutorials, Vyond makes it easy for anyone at your company to create animated videos in a variety of business-friendly styles.
System requirements are very minimal. Regarding hardware, computers with at least 8 GB of memory running on either Windows 7 (SP1 or later) or Mac will support Vyond. For software, all you need is one of the following web browsers: Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox (version 42 or later). Also, Vyond is the only video creation software that supports enterprise-level security requirements.
Vyond pros
- Easy as using PowerPoint: Vyond is very straightforward to use. You build a video like you would a PowerPoint presentation—select options from a huge library of assets and drag and drop them into place. Beginners who are brand new to animation are able to create their first video by hand in a few hours.
- Generates results quickly: Vyond Go lets you draft rough-cut videos in literally seconds with generative AI.
- Style versatility: Vyond offers a wide range of popular animation styles, including Contemporary, Whiteboard Animation, and Business-Friendly as well as new AI-generated styles you can create with our Text to Image tool. The platform also features a wide variety of engaging non-character templates, a huge library of Shutterstock video and image assets, and allows you to upload all kinds of live footage and screen recordings and add animated elements to them.
- Simple (but powerful) video production tools: The Video to Action tool is a cheat code for animating tricky movements—just upload a real video of motion and it’ll mimic it in a Vyond style. Additionally, the Text to Prop tool lets you create objects as needed if they’re not in the 40,000-item asset library.
- Beloved by customers: Vyond’s Net Promoter Score of 63 is more than double the industry average of 30. The software also scores 260+ five-star reviews on G2, which praised its ease of use, content creation, and training resources.
- Easy to translate into multiple languages: Professional and enterprise users can instantly translate video content into 70+ languages.
- Update content quickly: No need to create brand-new videos every time your organization experiences a change that requires a content tweak. Simply update your existing video with a few clicks.
What to look out for with Vyond
- No free version beyond the free trial
- Some brand management features are available only at the Enterprise level
Key features of Vyond
One of Vyond’s key differentiators is its extreme ease of use: Vyond Go makes it possible to create short videos on any topic in less than a minute, no production experience required. And Vyond Studio’s drag-and-drop tools and giant template and asset library make creating video as easy as throwing together a PowerPoint.
Vyond pricing
Vyond offers a free two-week trial and five pricing tiers beginning at $25 per month (billed annually at $299).
Final thoughts on Vyond
Vyond is both the most sophisticated and easiest-to-use animation software on the market. Trusted by businesses of all sizes, Vyond is used by 20,000 companies, including 65% of the Fortune 500. Vyond uses its cutting-edge AI-powered platform to make professional video creation easy for anyone, not just creatives and designers.
You can try Vyond for free for two weeks when you sign up for a free trial:
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Animaker is a DIY video tool that promises to help non-technical folks get started producing animated and live-action videos in minutes. The tool has applications in learning and development, marketing and sales, and internal communication, including courses, presentations, and explainers.
Animaker is easy to navigate and offers a library of templates, assets, music, and sound effects. Users who prefer more realism than 2D animation styles can also upload and edit their own live-action videos in the tool.
Additionally, Animaker works on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems and requires the basics of a modern computer to run, including a web browser (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge), sufficient RAM, and a good processor for a smooth performance.
Animaker pros
- High-resolution 2K and 4K downloads
- Library of templates and video styles, including explainers, whiteboard presentations, and company communications
- Robust resource section with tutorials, tips and hacks, and product updates
Animaker cons
- Animation styles offer fewer character types, action options, and facial expressions than some competitors
- Its AI features are far less advanced than competitors
- Users on G2 complain about occasional glitches and lagging speeds
- Free plan offers limited downloads, video lengths, and other features
- Users must subscribe to a paid plan in order to access watermark-free videos
Key features of Animaker
Animaker offers video production for non-designers and non-technical folks. The tool is simple to understand and offers a variety of pricing plans. All but the lowest two tiers offer at least 2K resolution; enterprise users can create 4K resolution videos.
Animaker pricing
Animaker offers four paid plans starting at $12.50 per month (billed annually at $150) and a limited free plan with fewer features and watermarked videos. Pro and enterprise users can create 2K and 4K resolution videos and access a broader range of assets and features.
Final thoughts on Animaker
Business users who are just getting their feet wet in the world of AI-assisted video production will enjoy Animaker’s self-explanatory interface and sizable template library. However, the tool does offer more limited animation options than some of its competitors, and accessing advanced features will require a paid subscription.
Powtoon is a video animation platform that allows newbies to create professional-quality presentations, explainers, and educational videos. Choose from multiple templates in categories like Marketing & Sales, Internal Comms, Education, and HR, import assets and files, or use AI-powered script and production assistant tools to streamline your process.
This tool comes with a QuickStart Guide full of bite-size how-to videos, making it simple to pick up. Also, similar to Vyond and Animaker, it requires the basics of a modern computer to run (i.e., the latest version of your internet browser, a Windows, Mac, or Linux operating system, adequate RAM, and a good processor).
Powtoon pros
- AI-powered script, text-to-speech, and video creator tools
- Powtoon Capture tool allows video recording from webcam or screen
- Convenient interface and easy-to-use tools
Powtoon cons
- There are fewer character and expression options in animations than in some competitors
- Features like text-to-speech, character and font customization, and reseller rights are only available with the highest-level package
- Limited storage and video lengths at lower tiers
Key features of Powtoon
Powtoon offers a library of customizable templates and animations, plus the option to import assets from Photoshop and Powerpoint. The Powtoon Capture tool allows users to create presentations from their webcam or screen.
Powtoon pricing
Powtoon offers an extremely limited free version as well as three tiers of paid plans ranging from $15 per month (billed annually at $180) to $125 per month (billed annually at $1,500). All paid versions come with priority support, privacy control, and commercial use. The top tiers offer advanced AI tools and increased storage.
Final thoughts on Powtoon
Powtoon is easy to use and offers a good range of templates and options. However, some users may find animation options to be limited and experience slower speeds at longer video lengths.
Biteable is a cloud-based video and animation software platform that offers more than 1,700 templates, 2.4 million stock footage clips, and a text-to-video AI tool, among other features.
For first-time users, Biteable offers several resources to help you get started, including a product demo, Quick Start Guide, and Help Center. It requires minimal hardware (a decent RAM and standard processor) and is a web-based application that runs on most browsers. Supported by Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.
Biteable pros
- Straightforward and user-friendly interface
- Well-organized library of templates and assets
- Helpful resources, including a quick-start guide and product demo
Biteable cons
- Only a 7-day free trial, shorter than the free trial tier offered by many competitors
- Paid plans start at $49 per month (billed at $588 annually), which may be too steep for some SMBs and entrepreneurs
- Limited customization options compared with competing applications
Key features of Biteable
Biteable’s most significant advantage is its streamlined interface. Biteable also offers an extensive template library, branding options, and AI tools like text-to-video.
Biteable pricing
Users can access a free 7-day trial. Paid plans start at $49 per year (billed annually at $588).
Final thoughts on Biteable
Biteable is a solid video tool and animation software package—as long as you have the budget for it. It’s user-friendly and offers various templates and customization options.
If you’re looking to give your business communications videos a cinematic look and feel, video software stalwart Adobe After Effects may be able to help you. The tool is helpful in creating animated characters and videos; however, beginners are unlikely to find it as intuitive to use as some competitors on this list—plus, you’ll need to be prepared to devote significant storage resources to the app.
Here are some of Adobe’s recommended system requirements for the 2024 version:
- Processors: For Windows, Intel 11th Gen or newer with Quick Sync (or AMD Ryzen 3000 Series or Threadripper 2000 series or newer). For Mac, Apple silicon M1 or newer.
- Supported operating systems: Windows 10 (64-bit) version 22H2 or later or Windows 11; macOS Monterey (version 12) or later.
- RAM: For Windows, 16 GB for HD media; 32 GB+ for 4K+. For Mac, 16 GB of unified memory.
- GPU: For Windows, 4 GB for HD and some 4K media; 6 GB+ for 4K+. For Mac, 16 GB of unified memory.
- Storage: 8 GB for installation; fast internal SSD for app installation and cache, and additional high-speed drive(s) for media.
- Monitor resolution: 1920 x 1080 or greater
Adobe After Effects pros
- Robust visual effects, 2D and 3D animation, and graphics
- Helpful tutorials and resources on the Adobe site and elsewhere online, generated by consumers
- Excellent product support
Adobe After Effects cons
- Made for professional animators; steep learning curve for newbies
- Expensive compared to some competitors
- Requires more storage resources than some other applications
Key features of Adobe After Effects
Adobe After Effects features top-quality 2D and 3D animation and built-in visual effects. It’s also available as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, which includes Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Firefly, and other apps.
Adobe After Effects pricing
Prices start at $22.99 per month, paid yearly, or $34.49 per month with no annual commitment. Membership starts with a free 14-day trial. Alternatively, users can opt to sign up for Creative Cloud All Apps, which starts at $59.99 per month paid yearly, and includes After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe Premiere Pro, and more.
Final thoughts on Adobe After Effects
Although it may take a while for beginners to get up to speed, Adobe After Effects offers stunning visual effects and animation for those who are willing to put in the time to learn.
Want to stick with just 2D animation? Adobe Animate, previously known as Adobe Flash, has you covered. You can import characters from another app or create them directly on the platform, synchronize audio, and add visual effects.
Similar to After Effects, this tool is more challenging to learn and is ideal for ambitious beginners with free time. Thankfully, Adobe has a massive library of tutorials, although mastering the nuances of the software may require some research beyond these resources at times.
As far as system requirements, Adobe recommends the following at a minimum for running Animate (2023 version):
- Processors: For Windows, Intel Pentium 4, Intel Centrino, Intel Xeon, or Intel Core Duo (or compatible) processor (2GHz or faster processor). For Mac, a Multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support or ARM-based Apple silicon processor.
- Supported operating systems: Windows 10 version v22H2, Windows 11 version v21H2, v22H2; macOS version 12 (Monterey) or version 13 (Ventura).
- RAM: 16 GB recommended
- GPU: OpenGL version 3.3 or higher
- Storage: For Windows, 4 GB is required for installation plus more during installation. For Mac, 6 GB is required for installation plus more during installation.
- Monitor resolution: 1280 x 1024 recommended
Adobe Animate pros
- More powerful and capable than some competitors (but at a usability cost)
- Wide range of animated features and content
- Excellent customer support
Adobe Animate cons
- Beginners may find it challenging to get started
- Creating a video can be time-consuming in this application
- Desktop-only
- Significant storage requirements
Key features of Adobe Animate
Adobe Animate features a versatile toolkit that includes traditional frame-by-frame animation, a virtual camera feature, and timeline controls.
Adobe Animate pricing
Adobe Animate offers a 14-day free trial on paid packages that begin at $22.99 per month paid yearly and $34.49 per month with no annual commitment.
Final thoughts on Adobe Animate
Adobe Animate has lower storage requirements than some Adobe apps and plenty of attractive features for users who are focused on making 2D animated videos for their business. The platform also integrates with the larger Creative Cloud suite of applications.
Ideal for beginners who have the time to learn technical animation skills and for those whose jobs already incorporate a degree of advanced graphic design in their day-to-day.
Do you have a background in arts or design? If you can sketch on your iPad, you can use Procreate, which offers a robust app for drawing and rendering animated videos. Additionally, Procreate offers a handy Beginner Series of tutorial videos on their site to help you pick up the fundamentals.
The hardware and software requirements are unique compared to those of the previous tools on this list. Procreate is only supported on specific iPad models and, as of the time of publishing this article, needs iPadOS 15.4.1 or newer.
Procreate pros
- Relatively simple to use with an efficient workflow
- Timelapse workflow feature is convenient for creators who enjoy sharing their work progress
- Ideal for illustrators
- Only a one-time fee of $12.99 for the basic app
Procreate cons
- iPad only (Procreate Pocket works on certain iPhone models)
- Primarily for illustrators and artists
- Not geared toward business-related training videos
Key features of Procreate
Procreate bills itself as the complete art studio and offers a suite of features including Quickshape, Animation Assist, and Streamline, as well as over 200 brushes.
Procreate pricing
In contrast with its competitors, Procreate offers one-time pricing. Procreate Pocket, the iPhone app, costs $5.99; Procreate for iPad costs $12.99; and Procreate Dreams, the enhanced animation tool, costs $19.99.
Final thoughts on Procreate
Procreate is firmly geared toward users with previous design experience and has limitations, including only being available on iPad and iPhone. However, some users may really enjoy the app’s flexibility, intuitive interface, and professional, artistic results.
Unlike the other tools on this list, Blender is a free, open-source 3D animation software package that works on Windows, Mac, and Linux and supports everything from video creation to game production. Popular users of this tool include game developers, VFX and 3D artists, and architects and designers.
If you have no prior 3D animation experience, be prepared—Blender will take some time to learn and even more time to master. However, it may be worth it if your organization would benefit from having someone in-house with an advanced 3D modeling skillset.
Blender’s current recommended system requirements include:
- Processors: For Windows or Linux, 8 cores; for Mac, Apple Silicon.
- Supported operating systems: Windows 10 or Windows 11, macOS 14 (Sonoma), or Linux distribution with glibc 2.28 or newer (64-bit).
- RAM: 32 GB recommended
- GPU: For Windows or Linux, 8 GB VRAM; for Mac, GPU with Metal 2.2.
Blender pros
- Free for all users
- Large community offering a wealth of resources and tutorials
- Advanced rendering capabilities, including realistic lighting and global illumination
- A variety of animation tools, including keyframe animation and inverse kinematics
Blender cons
- The tool can be difficult to learn, especially for newbies
- Complex interface
- High system requirements
- Due to the crowd-sourced nature of support documentation, it may be occasionally challenging to find answers to questions
Key features of Blender
Blender is well-known for the quality of its sculpting and simulation tools and customizable user interface. Plus, it’s free and open-source.
Blender pricing
As an open-source product, Blender is free.
Final thoughts on Blender
If you have some design experience and are a patient learner, you’ll likely enjoy Blender’s rendering, modeling, and video editing tools. Certainly, you can’t beat the price.
Cinema 4D is a professional 3D animation software developed by Maxon. Frequent users include motion graphics designers and 3D artists, and they typically use it to create graphics or visual effects for film, television, or advertising.
Beginners and experts alike find the interface pretty user-friendly, though the advanced features are more difficult for new users to learn—especially for those without design experience.
To run Cinema 4D (2024) on your computer, you’ll need:
- Processors: For Windows, Intel 64-bit CPU or AMD 64-bit CPU with AVX2 support; for Mac, Intel-based Apple Macintosh with SSE4.2 support or Apple M1/M2-powered Mac. For Linux, 64-bit Linux distribution with glibc 2.17 or later.
- Supported operating systems: Windows 10 Version 20H2 or higher, Windows 11, macOS 11.7.7+ (Big Sur), 12.6+ (Monterey) or 13.3+ (Ventura), or Linux distribution with glibc 2.28 or newer (64-bit).
- RAM: 24 GB recommended
- GPU: For Windows, any of the following as a minimum: NVIDIA Maxwell GPU, AMD Polaris (AMD GCN 4), or Intel Kaby Lake or newer supporting DirectX 12 with feature level 11.0. For Mac, Metal: v2 (Mac2) or higher or Apple 7 (M1) or higher.
- Monitor resolution: 1920 x 1080 recommended minimum
Cinema 4D pros
- High-quality graphics, toolset, and render engine
- Clean, comfortable workspace
- Supports third-party renderers like Arnold and OctaneRender
Cinema 4D cons
- Steep learning curve for advanced features
- Expensive compared to competitors
- Relatively high system requirements
Key features of Cinema 4D
Cinema 4D helps even relatively new users create professional quality 3D graphics, animated videos, and VFX. The tool is also well known for its photorealistic rendering, substantial toolset, and easy-to-use interface.
Cinema 4D pricing
Maxon bundles Cinema 4D with Redshift, its rendering tool, for $81.91 per month (billed annually at $983.00). You can also access a 14-day free trial.
Final thoughts on Cinema 4D
Cinema 4D offers powerful tools and an intuitive interface, and users rave about the end results. However, it’s pricey compared with competitors and may be more advanced than some organizations need.
Autodesk Maya is beloved by large, professional animation studios (including Disney!) but smaller studios may also find a lot to love here, including robust features and realistic characters. Many animators regard Maya as the industry standard in film, television, and game development.
However, for businesses interested in making animated videos for everyday training and communications use cases, Maya offers more features and complexity than necessary.
The system requirements for the 2024 version of Maya include:
- Processors: For Windows, 64-bit Intel or AMD with SSE4.2 instruction set; for Mac, Apple Silicon arm64 or Intel x86.
- Supported operating systems: Windows 10 (version 1809 or higher), Windows 11, Apple macOS 13.x, 12.x, 11.x, Linux Red Hat Enterprise 8.7 WS or 9.3 WS, or Rocky Linux 8.7 or 9.3.
- RAM: 16 GB recommended
- Disk space: 7 GB of free disk space for install
- GPU: See the system requirements link above for details
- Pointing device: Three-button mouse
Maya pros
- Wide range of tools, including modeling, rendering, simulation, and animation
- Gorgeous graphics
- Realistic characters
Maya cons
- Fairly niche audience
- High cost likely puts this tool out of reach for SMBs and entrepreneurs
- Multitude of features may be overwhelming for new users
Key features of Maya
Maya offers incredibly realistic animations and motion graphics, as well as interactive, customizable workflows.
Maya pricing
Maya’s prices start at $235 per month. You can also opt for one-year ($1,875) or three-year packages ($5,625).
Final thoughts on Maya
Maya’s extensive feature set and industry-standard status make it an excellent tool for film, TV, and game development professionals. However, its sophistication can be challenging for beginners and unnecessary for businesses that don’t focus solely on animation.
Of all the tools on this list, Houdini is by far the most “not for the faint of heart” tool.
Like Maya, Houdini is highly advanced animation software that’s heavily node-based—meaning that each “node” acts as a point of control or manipulation for data. It’s known for producing extremely fluid simulations for smoke, fire, fluids, and cloth, and may be difficult or more than is needed for beginners outside of the animation studio world to pick up.
If you’re brave and interested in learning the ropes of Houdini, ensure you have the following setup (detailed on their system requirements page):
- Processors: For Windows, Intel or AMD x64 CPU with SSE 4.2.
- Supported operating systems: Any of the 64-bit only Windows, Mac, or Linux operating systems detailed on the link above.
- RAM: 12 GB recommended; 64 GB highly recommended for fluid simulations
- Disk space: 5 GB of free disk space for install
- GPU: See the system requirements link above for details
- Pointing device: Three-button mouse
Houdini pros
- Workflow stores actions for potential savings
- Ability to integrate visual effects into live-action video
- Ample documentation
Houdini cons
- Geared toward artists; business users may prefer an app that’s designed for their needs
- Learning curve is very steep for beginners and even for some experienced industry professionals
- Expensive for high-end licenses
Key features of Houdini
Houdini’s claim to fame is its awe-inspiring rendering of complex textures like fire, smoke, water, hair, etc. Houdini also offers a flexible, node-based workflow, asset creation tools, and the ability to share assets with other users.
Houdini pricing
While students and hobbyists can use Houdini for free, studios may pay as much as $4,995 per year, depending on the product variation they prefer. However, the “indie” level is available for as little as $269 per year.
Final thoughts on Houdini
Houdini is advanced animation software that’s geared toward creatives, artists, and film studios. As such, it may be more than many business users need.
What is the best animation software?
With so many animation software options on the market, it can be hard to know which animation software is the best for your business, especially if you haven’t shopped for software like this before.
But for most companies looking to communicate and train more effectively, the best tool:
- Features a wide range of styles, making it easier to appeal to a wide range of audiences
- Requires minimal technical requirements
- Is reasonably priced
- And most importantly, is intuitive enough that anyone at your company—even total beginners—can easily use it
Want to see if Vyond’s AI-powered animated video platform is right for you? Try it free for 14 days:
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