The best animation software: reviewed and tested by professional 3D artists

The best animation software enables artists to animate characters, text, and graphics, as well as simulate fire, water and offer visual effects. General 3D software might provide tools for animation and simulation, but if you want the best results, then oftentimes you’re better off going for a dedicated animation software.

While the majority of entries here are 3D software, I have included the excellent Procreate Dreams as my 2D animation app pick, particularly if you use Apple iPad, but if you need dedicated software like this, then read our guide to the best 2D animation software. My list of the best animation software core 3D apps and platforms, such as 3ds Max, Unreal Engine, and Cinema 4D.

As the animation industry is awash with software options, it can be difficult to know which one to go for, especially when some cost near to £2,000 per year. Because you’ll only want to buy once, I’ve picked out six of the best with categories including ‘best overall’ – here I’ve chose 3ds Max for its versatility and industry-standard features.

Above all, before paying for an expensive 3D animation package, make sure you look at the system requirements and compare them with your current hardware. We have a guide to the best 3D modelling software if you’re more interested in general 3D packages.

Best animation software: quick list

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Best animation software in full

Best animation software overall

Autodesk Maya offers artists an unrivalled set of features and tools with a specific focus on animation as well as VFX. Maya is also fantastic for the full creative workflow, including modelling, texturing, lighting and rendering.

In my Maya 2025 review, I covered a number of new animation-focused features, including a new Attribute Editor Deformer widget for managing deformation chains and the overhauled Dope Sheet that makes it easier than ever to manage complex animations.

One of the great things about Maya is the Quick Rig tool, which enables artists to speedily add a rig to a biped character mesh. The automatic one-click option is ideal for standard character meshes, while the manual alternative gives artists more control over the rigging process.

Other than animation features, Maya also boasts 3D Substance support for material authoring as well as LookdevX Technology preview for USD shade graphs. Maya has the most advanced animation tools on my list, and while it shares some similarities with 3ds Max at No.3, Maya is a dedicated animation package.

It’s depth of tools and features does mean it’s far from the easiest 3D package to learn, and other apps on my lists, such as iClone, Cinema 4D and Blender, offer easier routes into animation, but for those who have the time, skill and patience to master it, Maya has some of the best 3D animation tools available.

Need some help getting started with Maya? Our list of excellent Maya tutorials could help.

Best free animation software

Blender is a 3D modelling package that is 100% free. What the Blender team has managed to achieve and deliver for no charge is truly outstanding. With modelling, texturing, animation and rendering tools, Blender competes with the likes of 3ds Max and Maya on my list.

Blender’s animation toolset centres around a character animation pose editor, non-linear animation for independent movements, forward / inverse kinematics for fast poses, and sound synchronisation. It’s come on greatly in recent years, as highlighted by its use to create Flow, one of the year’s best animated films.

In our latest Blender review, we highlighted animation workflow enhancements with a particular focus on handling dense timelines. The new ability to right-click on animated attributes to show them in the graph editor is also a useful time saver. Motion paths can now also work in screen space, giving a better idea of your animation from the active camera view.

Blender also boasts a highly impressive 3D modelling and sculpting toolset and is a viable alternative to paid modelling programs such as ZBrush. The fact that we’ve begun to see an increasing number of major studios adopting Blender into their workflow demonstrates what it’s capable of.

Blender is a fantastic package for 3D animators and we have a host of Blender tutorials to help you get started.

Best animation software for arch-viz

Autodesk 3ds Max is a general 3D computer graphics software that has a dedicated animation toolset, but isn’t as focused on pure animation as Autodesk Maya at No.1 on my list. 3ds Max’s features include character rigging, fluid simulations, and hair and fur functionality but it excels at mechanical animation and visualisation for arch-viz and advertising. Autodesk Maya has better animation tools, but 3ds Max delivers a superior all-round offering and so for many is a better investment.

The core method for generating animation in 3ds Max involves creating key frames either manually or automatically. The time slider enables users to navigate through time and make changes to the scene at specific points in time. Autokeying will automatically record the position, rotation, and scale of an object and is often much quicker and easier than manually doing so.

In my 3ds Max 2025 review, I praised the new ability for artists to import animations, including animated lights and cameras, as well as blendShapes. While the latest release lacks innovation (it’s hard to improve on what exists) Autodesk has improved how 3ds Max is used, through UI customisation and better USD implementation.

When it comes to modelling, 3ds Max offers both direct manipulation and procedural modelling techniques. Applying modifiers through the process helps to extend functionality and speed up workflows.

The high price tag might put a lot of people off – a one year sub is $1,875 / £1,962 – but it’s worth noting that students can get 3ds Max 2025 for free and a trial version is also available for 30 days if you want to try it out before you buy.

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Best real-time animation software

Unreal Engine 5 is a real-time digital creation platform that is continuing to rise in popularity amongst game developers, visualisers and artists; it’s found a home with animators too, who need advanced real-time tools.

Unreal Engine is regularly updated with new features and has seen an increase in application within the film and VFX industry. Read our RoboCop: Rogue City review to see how advanced this engine is for game development on a budget as well as how UE5 is being used in animation for film and TV on Max Beyond.

One of the best things about animation within Unreal Engine is Epic’s MetaHuman tool. It enables animators to create lifelike characters that are pre-rigged and ready to animate in only a matter of minutes. These characters can be used for any Unreal Engine project and can be rendered in milliseconds.

Another excellent tool for animators is Control Rig, a procedural rigging tool for creating and animating characters in Unreal Engine. You can create custom animation rigs without leaving Unreal Engine and it supports full-body IK (Inverse Kinematics) and non-destructible workflows – meaning you needed rely on external apps for rigging.

Equally, Unreal Engine has a tool called Sequencer that is designed for creating real-time cinematic animation. This features a time-line editor for precise control over cameras and VFX, as well as supporting keyframe animation. The big advantage over other software on my list (though not Unity or to an extend Cinema 4D) is UE5’s real-time nature, which means you can alter lighting, materials and animation in real-time previews.

Check out our Unreal Engine 5.3 review for some of the latest features as well as our comparison feature ‘Unity versus Unreal Engine‘ if you’re not sure whether you should go for Unity instead.

Best animation software for beginners

Maxon’s Cinema 4D is a well-established 3D visualisation tool that is particularly popular when it comes to motion graphics, visualisation, VFX, advertising and some areas of game development. The user-friendly interface makes it ideal for newcomers to 3D workflows, it offers robust simulations and has some bespoke animation features that make life easier.

My Cinema 4D 2024 review highlights the release of a number of significant new features and upgrades, with rigid body simulations now able to interact with existing forces, pyro, fabrics and soft bodies. Pyro also now offers more precise controls for artists to art-direct their simulation and ensure it matches their vision.

Additionally, Cinema 4D has an excellent parametric modelling toolset, which speeds up workflows and makes it possible to generate complex models very quickly. There is also a very good set of Cinema 4D plugins that can be purchased and installed for extending Cinema 4D’s functionality.

Specifically for animation, Maxon’s Cinema 4D features an excellent timeline and keyframes editor and uses ‘F-curves’ to offer precise control over transitions. The software features pre-built rigs for humans and animals, as well as a procedural walking system called CMotion and a feature called Pose Morph for easily blending multiple character poses when animating.

Cinema 4D also has bespoke tools for motion graphic and abstract animation known as MoGraphs – Deformers and Effectors enable you to bend and jiggle animated objects non-dstructively. The XPresso Node Editor for automating animation tasks, while a real-time interactive viewport means you can see changes to your animations as they happen.

Cinema 4D has a lot of tools and features, often with odd names unique to the software, but they’re all easy to understand and designed to make animation and 3D workflows easier. Overall, Cinema 4D is a powerful suite of animation tools designed to be easy to use, making it ideal for beginners.

Best animation software for value

iClone is an incredible real-time 3D animation package that is specifically tailored towards character animators wanting to create for films, previz and video games. It can also be used for social media animation and real-time puppets for TV and demonstrations. The user-friendly interface makes it possible to generate facial performances, character animation, mocap production, scene design and cinematic storytelling.

A notable highlight is the pose-to-pose rotoscoping feature, which makes it easy to generate animation based on a video clip. The inclusion of transition curves also helps with timing control. When it comes to facial animations, iClone delivers accurate voice lip-sync, puppet emotive expressions, muscle-based face key editing, and iPhone facial capture.

Once characters are set up in iClone, they can be controlled by Motion Director, which allows for movement to be generated from mouse, keyboard, or gamepad inputs in real-time or recorded and then finessed. iClone is an easy way to create and animation 3D characters.

Despite being the most affordable animation software on this list, iClone is a flexible and powerful too. Reallusion has a number of supporting apps, such as Character Creator, that comes with pre-rigged models, and it can be integrated into other packages, such as Maya, 3ds Max, Blender and Unreal Engine. Overall, for its tools, ease of use and ecosystem, iClone is excellent value for money.

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Best animation software for VFX

SideFX’s Houdini is the most advanced dedicated physics-based simulation software available, particularly when it comes to fluids, feathers and fire. The same procedural tools use for creating VFX can also be used for character animation and cinematics. (Read my Houdini explainer for a lowdown on what this software can do, and our Houdini tutorials for advice on using the package.)

Rather than creating animation from keyframes in Houdini you can animate from algorithms, which is ideal for making cloth motion as creatures made from feathers and fur. Houdini’s VFX base of tools and focus on realistic physics makes it ideal for animating visual effects scenes or characters that interact with objects, such as clothing.

The software also includes tools designed for character animation, including inverse kinematics for better control of rigs for natural movement. If you’re looking to create realistic character animation Houdini is ideal, and it also features automatic rigging and retargeting tools for ease of use.

Uniquely Houdini uses a non-linear animation system with layers and blending features, for greater control over timing and combining animations – it’s ideal for creating intricate character motions without damaging previous keyframes.

On top of this, Houdini’s toolset means it’s one of the best 3D packages for animating crowds (read our Houdini crowd animation tutorial) in both film and video game cinematics. For more, read our Houdini 20.5 review.

Best animation software for 3D and 2D artists

Unity is a real time 3D game engine similar to Unreal Engine 5 at No.4 on my list, but while Epic Game’s engine has pushed for greater realism and into feature film, VFX and virtual production, Unity has continued to focus on its core market – game developers, indie game developers and mobile app and game devs.

Unity does also have a good track record in short animation and cinematics, notably for game devs like Blizzard that created Pixar-like animated shorts for Overwatch using Unity 5. In our Unity 6 review we noted how the new release doubles-down on its core use cases, including indie game development, VR/AR content, and improved real-time animation tools, which include Animator Controller for visualising walk and run cycles, Mecanim for for complex character animation, and Timelines, Unity’s sequencing tool.

Where Unity comes into its own is the flexible way you can animation 3D and 2D characters and scenes with equal control, as well as recreating traditional animation workflows in real-time, as in the excellent stop-motion-inspired Harold Halibut.

Inside Unity, 2D animation tolls include bone-based rigging, sprite swapping for replacing spite designs but retaining the same skeletal rig, and cut-out animations – a type of stop-motion animation that uses pre-cut materials. These are is great animation tools because they are ideal for 2D game developers that need to reuse assets, are perfect for creating platform games and side-scrolling adventures.

All this, and you get powerful 3D animation tools and a real-time engine, which makes Unity a flexible package for game animators.

Best animation software for graphic design

After Effects is part of Adobe‘s Creative Cloud, a collection of software designed for a mix of creative uses, but it can also be subscribed too separately (though it works best in tandem with other Adobe apps like Photoshop, 3D Substance Modeller and Premiere Pro).

Designed to create visual effects and motion graphics, After Effects has a host of tools that enable animators to get creative. It offers keyframe tools for motion animation and object transformation; ideal for scaling, rotating and adjusting opacities to create dynamic scenes.

Other features include motion paths, expression controls, a puppet tool, layer and shape animators, motion tracking and 3D object simulation – all designed to enable precise control, offer procedural effects, the ability to manipulate and change objects, as well as create dynamic type and logo animations.

In our After Effects review we said this remains one of the best packages for motion graphics artists and graphic designers and illustrators who want to create stylised animation. The latest version of After Effects now features integration with Adobe’s 3D substance apps and the new 3D Substance Viewer.

Best animation software: also consider

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Best animation software: frequent questions

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Best animation software: how to choose

When choosing the best animation software that’s right for you, it’s a good idea to think about your needs and the kind of animation you enjoy and want to create, Below are some key points to keep in mind, but initially you need to decide if you want to create 2D or 3D animation.

Typically professional animators now use 3D animation software such as Maya and Blender (on my list), which I’m focusing on here, and hobbyists or graphic designers prefer 2D animation apps like Procreate Dreams or Moho – read our guide to the best 2D animation software for more on these apps.

My advice below for things to consider when choosing an animation package can apply to both 3D and 2D software.

• What’s your skill level? If you’re new to animation software then you’ll want apps that have easy to use UI, such as iClone or a package like Blender which has plenty of tutorials and a helpful community.
  A 2D app like Procreate can help with 3D too, as it teaches ideas like keyframes that can apply to some 3D apps. For experienced users, software like Houdini and Maya will last you longer and are embedded in the industry.
• Consider the cost If you’re a hobbyist, student or even a pro artist looking to start in animation then cost is important. Blender is a great option because its free yet also versatile and powerful.
  Most apps on my list offer free trials or budget options for solo users and students. Most animation software is subscription based, but consider the value options on offer, for example Adobe Creative Cloud offers access to Afer Effects and all Adobe apps, while Maxon One offers Cinema 4D as well as other apps like ZBrush for modelling.
• What are the features? Each animation software on my list offers unique features, for example iClone’s gamepad puppet controls, or procedural animation or pre-rigged models, real-time viewers and mocap. Think what you need, and research the demands on your laptop.
  Integration is important too, you’ll soon want to improve your projects by tapping into a wider ecosystem of software, so does your app talk to Unreal or Adobe, or both? Does the software have a store or free content, for example Epic Games supports Unreal via FAB.
• Consider your job Do you work in, or plan to work in, VFX, advertising, design, games, etc – each animation software has a high take-up in certain industries. For example, Maya and Houdini are used in VFX and films, After Effects and Cinema 4D in advertising and marketing, Unreal and Unity in video games. Some, like Blender are accepted across industries and is becoming more popular.

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Best animation software: how we review

We review and test all the animation software in my guide; I have tested it myself and regularly post new reviews of software updates as they’re released. I use a lot the animation software in this list daily in personal and professional projects, as a technical writer and a 3D artist.

You can read more in our ‘How we test and review’ explainer, where we detail our policy, scoring methods and approach to reviews. As well as reviewing a new software when it launches, we regularly re-review when new iterations and updates release. We also cover the animation software in this guide daily in news announcements, artist projects, VFX breakdown features and more.

We also have regular tutorials to teach you how to use the animation software listed here, such as how to get started in Cinema 4D and our After Effects tutorials roundup.

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