Free Cartoon Software For Mac

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Animated Videos have become one of the signature tools of marketers worldwide for telling a story and creating effective marketing campaigns for the future.

Depending on your purpose and skills, you can choose from different types of software available both offline and online, for professionals and amateur users, 2D, 3D, whiteboard or stop motion animation tool, etc.

  1. MonkeyJam Stop Motion Animation Software. This is a featureful stop motion animation software free for Windows and Mac computer users. On MonkeyJam you can edit your images from a webcam or digital camera by assembling them in the form of individual frames. Further, you can even use the audio or images on your computer.
  2. Best Vector Graphics Software for Mac. Explore these highest-rated tools to discover the best option for your business. Based on ratings and number of reviews, Capterra users give these tools a thumbs up.

Below are our picks for the best animation software for mac of 2019. For more background information, see a more detailed buying advice below the picks.

Part1. Whiteboard Animation Tools
Part2. 2D Animation Tools
Part3. 3D Animation Tools
Part4. Stop Motion Animation Tools
Part5. Motion Graphics Software
How to Choose the Right Animation Software for Mac

CARTOON MAKER FOR MAC Animiz is a free cartoon maker that can run on mac processing systems. Digital marketers, designers and teacheers on Mac platform can use this software to create a professional animated video in a minute.

Part1. Whiteboard Animation Tools

#1. Best Whiteboard Animation Software for Mac: VideoScribe by Sparkol

This program is produced by Sparkol and it remains one of the best whiteboard animation software programs for both Mac and PC. You can also use it on a number of mobile devices including devices that run android. There are elements of the program that works through the cloud making it very simple to upload and edit video wherever you might be.

Videoscribe works quite intuitively for building business presentations, TED talk style videos, tutorials, creative marketing solutions and more. What is produced out of this program looks hand-drawn and extremely professional for any type of marketing campaign. The best part is that you can use many of these tools to create these effects with very little animation knowledge.

Even children enjoy using this program because of its ease of use. There is a full library of stock images, animation and more as well as an extensive voiceover soundtrack that can be used with the solutions here.

The yearly and monthly subscription also ensures that there is a flexible use for the program. It also comes with a seven-day free trial with features to try before you buy.

#2. Best Free Animation Software for Mac: PowToon

This is a fantastic online presentation maker for academic use, presentations and infographics.

The program is completely free to use and has a number of animation effects on board that can make anything exported out of the program seem extremely professional.

The free templates available in the program as well as the quality of the animations that are presented within the platform make it a true favorite amongst many brands.

A number of major companies now almost exclusively trust their creative tools to Powtoon and it can be used almost anywhere where there is an Internet connection with mass compatibility.

As a fully cloud-based system there’s no use for installation or downloads to take full advantage of it. Its available for free use on any Macintosh computer as long as you are willing to use the watermark.

Part2. 2D Animation Tools

#3. Best 2D Animation Software for Mac: Toon Boom Harmony

This is a program that actually deserves some surprising recognition. The company has partnered with major film companies like Warner brothers, Disney, and Nickelodeon and it’s currently one of the best and most powerful 2-D animation suites for commercial use.

With the use of this program you can build anything from traditional animation all the way to amazing drawing tools that can produce the future of 3-D animation. The 3-D cameras and integration available in this platform can provide fundamental solutions for drawing, rendering and building beautiful projects.

There are tools and tasks available here that can suit small hobby animators all the way up to professional uses. The premium version delivers the top tool professional solutions that you might expect at of any major animation suite. The essentials level of the harmony program is designed more for hobbyists and it delivers a scaled down version of some of their more high and customization techniques.

Toon Boom not only remains one of the best 2-D animation programs for mac but it is a regular fixture in the animation world today.

#4. Runner-up, Best 2D Animation Software for Mac: Adobe Animate

Adobe is one of the successors to perhaps one of the most popular 2-D animation software is available. At the core of Animate are the flash tools that have been working to create high-quality animations since the early days of the Internet. Today the program uses vector-based publishing to produce intuitive and inexpensive animation results.

Although it may not have all of the professional animation tools that you would find in some major production suites, it’s possible to get very professional looking results.

#5. Best Free 2D Animation Software for Mac: Pencil

This is a simple and open source vector-based program that’s designed for the Mac OS X platform. It’s also available on Linux and Windows and it was originally created for producing digital comics. The platform allows animators to use the basic hand-drawn techniques that were experimented with long in the past. Pencil is an ideal program for beginners that don’t want to invest in expensive license for a program. It can teach the basic principles of animation and with a timeline feature it’s possible to add new layers to arrange fun effects.

This is one of the best programs for beginners and sketching characters as well as setting keyframes can all be done using the pen tool, fill tool and the vector layers tool. The interface on this is actually based off of some of the original Adobe flash platform’s and it produces some good quality graphics even on a tablet device. Perhaps one of the best parts of using this program is that it automatically exports everything in.FLV which gives it mass compatibility with a number of online sources. The videos that you export here will be easy to embed or upload in video sharing sources and more.

Part3. 3D Animation Tools

#6. Best 3D Animation Software for Mac: Maya

Autodesk Maya remains one of the best 3-D modeling software programs that’s designed for Mac, Windows and Linux. The program itself has migrated many of the tools away from Autodesk Mud and now has features that you would normally find in several different pieces of software for creating highly detailed 3-D models. Autodesk Maya is a 3-D modeling software that is designed mostly for professional artists but with the templates that are available for download and the massive amount of tutorials online, it is possible to see quite a difference with this software when you are working with it over time.

#7. Runner-up, Best Free 3D Animation Software for Mac: Blender

Blender is a program that is designed with open source technology for 3-D modeling and it’s made mostly for beginners that want the option to learn how to play and get comfortable with reading modeling on their Mac computer. This open-source program does feature many of the basic features that you can expect to find including rigging, animation, architectural support and even the option to create full games. The philosophy that’s behind it allows for the inclusion of many different templates and it is very well suited to use by a number of creators. Blender remains some of the best 3-D modeling software for creative artists with its completely free use.

Part4. Stop Motion Animation Tools

#8. Best for Making Stop Motion Videos: Dragonframe

Dragonframe remains one of the best stop motion software solutions for mac today. It’s one of the top choices for many of the world’s largest studios like Laika and Aardman. It can produce high-quality masterpieces in stop motion animation and it is a perfectly suited set of professional tools. The program allows for easy capture of a number of precise movements and you can also compose in light various angles using the camera controls on board. Editing images as well as performing advanced image review techniques can all be done through the program as well.

The process of inserting and editing audio can be done according to a characters needs and based off of the animation that you want to create. The advantage to using some of the precise movements and controls in this program is that you can have a wide array of improvements at your fingertips for professional products.

#9. Runner-up: Stop Motion in Movavi Video Editor

We selected this is our runner up because with this program there’s no need to pay for a dedicated piece of stop motion software. This is an open source piece of technology that delivers a full-featured video editor that suitable for many beginners.

The program itself is perfect for getting all of the features that are often teased in many full license software programs. Because it’s open source there are also a number of templates that can make it easy to use. The full-featured video editor is excellent for its features and for the newest features that are being added by the community regularly to keep up with the stop motion technology of today.

Part5. Motion Graphics Software

#10. Best Motion Graphic Animation Software for Mac: After Effects

With a number of motion graphic animation software programs available for Mac, after effects sets itself apart.

Adobe After Effects is truly one of the most masterful programs for any motion graphic artist. Of course many of the features of aftereffects can be found in other Adobe programs, but there is no other piece of software that can be so versatile for the creation of motion graphics. The way to the menus are set up and the way that the program behaves makes it an intuitive leap for 3-D modeling and 2.5 D animation.

The whole goal of aftereffects is to help you produce almost any type of animation that you may want without having to involve 3-D modeling. After effects remains one of the primary pieces of software for motion graphic work in storyboards, motion comics and more. There are elements in this program that are close to Photoshop and illustrator but they have been optimized for the purpose of creating motion graphics here.

How to Choose the Right Animation Software for Mac

When it comes down to choosing the program that you may want to purchase a license for or download on your computer, you need to be very focused into the types of animation that you are looking for and what you need out of any program. The first thing you need to understand is the various styles and techniques for animation and what you might want out of a program:

2d animation

This is the traditional style of animation that comes from the idea of cell shading or digital cell shading. In the past animators would draw images on transparent pieces of paper and then later than one frame at a time to create motion. Today drawings can be rendered and layered on top of one another using a digital timeline and computer vector animations.

3d animation

This is a completely new and different way to look at traditional animation that requires understanding the basic principles of composition, movement and 3-D modeling. Creating 3-D graphics can involve scanning objects or even piecing together various 3-D models to create characters, share complex ideas and then animate all of the items along a storyboard.

Motion graphics

A motion graphic is considered to be one of the newest forms of animation. These motion graphics are fairly common in items like banner ads, short comics and more. Usually these types of graphics are designed for commercial purposes.

Stop motion

Stop motion involves taking photos of an object and manipulating it ever so slightly to eventually produce a storyboard of motion. Completing and repeating this process over and over eventually gives the full allusion of movement. This is a very time-consuming process that often involves manipulating objects slowly over hours of movement to create just a few seconds of animation.

Presentation or whiteboard style

This is a popular style of animation that has taken off over the past few years. The online marketing videos that are produced and the specific programs that have been created for building whiteboard videos are proving that this is a format that truly keeps people engaged and remains a trend for school projects, business presentations and more.

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Free Animation Software for Mac: Making the animated movies voiced by you with your favorite cartoon character is really a fun, isn’t it? Right, we can understand your feeling and creativity, you may be a student or employee who want to make a career in this field.

No matter you are a beginner or an expert in the field of animation you always need a great animation software. There are many animation software available online which are available they are not free of cost but are also equally effective and competent.

Free Animation Software for Mac Download

The free alternatives do an excellent job when it comes to meet your requirements for the animation projects that you want to work for. You can create some excellent animation using different tools they offer. You can also transport tools in various formats, make use of image animation tool and much more.

If you are a creative person, you can turn your ideas into reality. By using these best free animation software for window users. Here we are going to mention free animation software in this article.

Best Animation Software for Mac 2018

The program that changes the position, size and visibility of layers. For each layer, you can add an infinite number of Linear Motions and Fixed Positions. During the playback, the program performs the motion sequence for each layer.

Animation Software creates motion on a frame-by-frame basis. Each frame appears like a single drawing or an image. Usually, the frames are created within the software, on the other, hand most animation software allows frames to be bought from external sources. The frames are strung together and you can view back seamlessly in a movie format. Once everything is done the resulting frames are transferred to a hard drive rather than film.

Types of Animation Software

There are two types of Animation software. The 2-dimensional or 2D and another is 3-dimensional or 3D.

2D Animation Software

It represents everything in a cell and has only a width and a height. Simply it is flat, this animation has little in the way of shadows, shading and perspective. The examples, of this type of animation software, can be seen in The Simpsons and The Lion King.

With 2D text, you have character-level control over all text attributes, including its color, outline and filling. You will be able to draw with a shadow and live effects using any font that your device contains. Font preview allows you to see a font before selecting the same.

3D Animation Software

3D represents everything in a cell which is having width height and depth. It tries to mimic real life. 3D animation also has shadows, shading and perspective. The examples, of 3D animation, are Finding Dory and The Lego Movie, Kung Fu Panda they started with 2D dream scene and then moves to 3D.

Cartoon

The 3D text is a three-dimensional text string. You can change the thickness and font of 3D text. You can rotate it, resize it and draw it with a texture. This program contains two types of lights Direct and Omni. The lights can be placed in any place and have any color. The 3D text can be animated with the rotation and dynamic lightning.

Top 10 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

1. Pencil

Bring your creativity out with a simple but innovative tool through colorful 2D graphics. It is free open-source software through which you can create 2D animation without of any effort. It is the most versatile program in the 2D category and offers the stunning features without charging any amount.

The interface of pencil looks extremely simple and immaculate. The Pencil comes stuffed with all important tools that are offered by some of the paid programs in this category. It aids bitmap and vector image, it also supports multiple slabs and owns an inbuilt set of design tools that help you to bring in graphic images or draw them on the sport prior to the animation part.

Features of Pencil Free Animation Software

1) Determines the frame rate
2) Sound and image import
3) Adding the colors
4) Export your graphics
5) Get the .FLV, Flash videos Movie etc. formats.

2. Creatoon

It is a simple, instinctive and user friendly software that facilitates you to create 2D animation in cut out fashion and add various special effects to the same. The interface is quite simple and out-of-date, but the software carries out some of the complex tasks that can produce remarkable results.

It has menu of each side of the working area which helps you to quick access to the main features. Despite the interface is not customizable you can properly arrange for you to have a clear view of the project in process. It allows you to determine the frame rate per second along with the height and the width. You can select the format of the project file.

You can add special effect to your animation using Creatoon, conveniently store your work manually or simply just allow it save your tasks automatically every five minutes. You can enjoy the option to personalize the drawing tool and make it work according to you. This program allows you segregate your animation elements in slabs that helps you to make the required changes swiftly.

Free 3D Animation Software for Mac

Features of Creatoon

1) Create animation effortlessly.
2) The perfect solution even beginners can use it.
3) Stores your tasks manually or simply as you want to save them.
4) Allows quick access to the main features.

3. Plastic Animation Paper

Plastic Animation Paper provides you simple and powerful tools to convert your imaginations into beautiful cartoon characters and animation in 2D without paying anything. This program is the creation of those expert animators who need a quick and compelling solution. This software is simple as well easy to work with.

You will get the real-time suggestions and an easy process that facilitates you to analyze your concepts for a specific movement quickly. The specific movement character or your upcoming action sequence helps you to easily create it with your hand. It manages Swift sketching movements, Control the Process of rough sketches and Manage Space where you animate

Features of Plastic Animation Paper

1) Sketching space.
2) Adding colors to the sketch
3) Setting the frame speed
4) Zooming in and out
5) Insert music
6) Save the drawing in various formats such as AVI, PNG, TGA, GIF etc.

4. Synfig Studio

It is an open source and a multi-platform free software which allows you to create animations in 2D. The design made by Synfig is quite close to that of Pencil. Due to its sharp learning curve to its avant-garde features and awesome results which will definitely get the results once you have mastered using its tools at a professional grade.

The interface of Synfig studio is segregated into four separate windows such as tools windows, editing window, navigator window and parameter window. Once you learn the skills of using the features efficiently, you will be able to create superior quality cartoons, movies and animations. This program is based on the vector and bitmap technique.

Features of Synfig Studio

1) Helps the animator to insert the soft shading.
2) Draw effortlessly without any sketching.
3) Animate on each frame separately.
4) Offers a host of layers including gradients, fractal, geometric etc.

Free 2D Animation Software for Mac

5. Stykyz

You can get the Stykz if completely free of cost which enables you to create compelling 2D animations. It supports mostly all OS such as Mac, Linux and Windows. You can download the full version of this program without of any cost. It offers plenty of handy tools that help you to create great animations on a user-friendly interface.

Stykyz allows you to draft your animation before you step into the painting and animation in full. With the help of this first cross-platform stick figure animation software, you can develop, edit and preview your creations. This software is extremely similar to the Pivot StickFigure Animator and it adapts some of its features and its own unique features.

Features of Stykyz

1) It brings in the .stk files of Pivot 2 & Pivot 3.
2) Based on the frames.
3) The Onionskin feature helps you to view the earlier frame.
4) Helps you to tweak your present frame easily.

6. Blender

It is one of the most popular free animation programs that is used by many animators, scientists, students, video gamers, studio artists and much more. Due to the constant development which is helpful to create amazing 3D animations without paying anything.

Blender requires a steep learning curve for the beginners so it will take some time to get hold of it. If you are able to manage 50% of its functionalities it results in extraordinary results. It offers a host of tools for lightning, animation, modeling and video post-conversation operation and much more. It offers cross-platform functionality and works with various operating systems such as Linux, Mac OS X and Windows.

Features of Blender

1) Improved handling
2) Receptive bug fixes.
3) Addition of new functionalities.
4) Offers smooth performance.

7. Brycee

Although it is not a traditional animation software but works as a landscape creating a program which is hard to find them in the category. The quality of this program is too good and you can download it free of cost.

Free Cartoon Software For Mac Os

It has carved that place in the Terragen department which is both uncomplicated and detailed as per your need as per your project level. Brycee is a prize-winning, feature loaded and fun modeling programs in the category. It allows you to enable the new users to create and provide amazing 3D surrounding in minutes.

Features of Brycee

1) Blended with extraordinary capacity with an inventive interface.
2) Exceptionally user-friendly.
3) You can add special effects such as people, wildlife characters, sceneries and more.
4) You can add the effects of the landscape, rocks, water, clouds, fog, vegetation etc.

Animation Software for Mac Beginners

8. Aurora 3D Animation Maker

Free Cartoon Software For Mac

Aurora 3D is one of the widely-used animation suites around the world. It offers a large number of features to develop ceaseless animated effects in your animation. You can insert some cool special effects into your drawn images and films using its user-friendly interface.

You can add your own logos or watermark to your images and videos with special effects. Not only has this you can convert your text to a super 3D animation that accentuates your stuff while creating web pages or editing a video. As you finish your animation creation you need to place it on your website.

Features of Aurora 3D Animation Maker

1) Create 3D videos titles.
2) Super 3D logo animation
3) You will get the choice to transport it to Flash
4) Provides GIF or videos formats.

9. DAZ Studio

Daz studio is an excellent and 3D animation creator suite it is packed with a lot of rich features and functionalities. It is best for you whether you are an animator or animation is your hobby. You can create a free account once you sign up. The design engine of Daz is as fast as light travels and boasts of a massive library that has pre-developed component matter helping you to develop animations in a jiffy.

Free Cartoon Software For Mac Computer

You can get Daz studio with a wide range of features including NVIDIA Iray which has a fresh photoreal render tool with analogous items to help create lifelike renders. Although this program requires a steep learning curve but is extremely helpful for the professional projects. You can download DAZ Studio for Mac and Windows without paying anything.

Free Cartoon Software For Mac Desktop

Features of DAZ Studio

1) A single shade tool blends three different shades.
2) Surface color, reflection, emission of light.
3) Volume diffusion.
4) Light Category Support.

10. Clara.Io

This is fully functional cloud-based software which helps you with 3D animation and modeling for free. Since it’s a web-based tool so it doesn’t need any plugin for your browser to function. Apart from its features, it contains a great arrangement of polygonal modeling and skeletal animation.

Clara is available with a large library of photorealistic material that offers simple and advances material with the adjustable light setup at super-fast speed. It’s a cross-platform tool which works with a majority of the browsers and operating system that includes Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Mac OS X, Android, Linux, iOS and Windows.

Free Cartoon Animation Software For Mac

Features of Clara.Io

Free Cartoon Animation Software Mac

1) Sub-object editing
2) A wide range of mesh instruments.
3) Subdivision surfaces and operators.
4) It allows the editing by multiple users at the single point of time.