Animated videos and graphics are the core of digital marketing, let alone the open-source animation software tools that help businesses in their marketing and promotion campaigns.

Out of many, video marketing is the most powerful content marketing tool. However, putting out video content is not always an easy task. It is because sometimes you might be running out of ideas or lack technical expertise. Or you do not have the equipment or budget to get the work done.

Fortunately, there are many handy and free animation software tools at your disposal.

If you are willing to try some of the free animation tools before diving into the paid plans, you just got lucky. Open-source animation software tools are a viable choice for beginners, hobbyists, professional animators who often work on tight budgets.

You would be amazed to learn that one of the widely recognized animation studios, Studio Ghibli, also uses open-source animation software tools to develop their work, so why can't you opt for the same? Even the top software development companies in California uses free animation software tools for producing their work.

The best thing is that animation software tools are not always expensive. All you have to do is get hands on the best and open-source software tools to professionally cover the aspects of your project development. The passage below follows through the same.

Top Open-source Animation Software Tools

In this segment, you will find the most reliable open-source animation software tools along with their prominent features.

1. Animaker

Platform: Web browser-based

Animaker is an open-source animation software tool especially for beginners that come with an easy drag and drop feature and intuitive interface.

It is an online 2D animation software tool that offers various animated characters, properties, maps, charts, icons, and BGs. Being one of the best animation software tools, it can be used to develop amazing video content for your presentation, personal or freelancing projects, or for your business.

You can use this tool to develop six major types of video content including 2d videos, infographics, handcraft, whiteboard, 2.5 D, and typography. You can create interesting and funny videos with this tool as it comes with full HD support, vertical and horizontal video layouts, and various premade graphics to choose from.

Major features:

●You can develop animated videos in multiple unique styles ●Beginners can easily develop videos and use them for animated presentations or simple animations ●It is one of the best 2D software tools that comes with 200 sound effects ●It allows users to record voice recordings ●You can easily export the videos in full HD quality.

2. Blender

Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux

If you are looking for the best animation software tool for pro video creators then blended is ideal. The Website development companies in Chicago use this software for developing their project components.

It is an open-source 3D animation software tool that supports various functions like modelling, rigging, simulation, animation, rendering, composting, and motion tracking of the video content.

It is a public project platform and professionals all across the world can contribute to its ongoing support and maintenance programs. It is a 2D software tool that can be used for crafting visual effects, games, animated movies, and similar programs.

Blender also allows users to import or export their videos in multiple file formats such as MPEG, AVI, QuickTime, etc.

Major features:

●It offers a Python application programming interface for customization and scripting ●Users can easily customize shortcuts ●It offers a path tracer to ensure realistic rendering ●It offers a real-time preview of the 3D scene and tracked footage ●You can easily turn still components of your video into attractive animations.

3. K- 3D

Platform: Windows, Linux

K- 3D is a 3D modelling and animation software tool. It effortlessly combines the visualization pipeline architecture and plugins to give a powerful Animation software solution to professionals as well as hobbyists.

It is a free animation software tool that allows users to build unique combinations and segments in their projects. This open-source 3D animation software tool specializes in polygonal modelling, which is an approach in digital graphics that gives the approximate object surfaces with the help of polygon.

The top app development firms use K- 3D as it is specially developed for professionals. This software can easily adapt to the look and feel of the video that you are integrating into the tools. You can get started with this tool and learn to master animation software features such as texturing, symmetric modelling, shadowing, etc.

Major features: ●It comes with easy redo and undoes features so that users can quickly fix any error ●It has procedural as well as parametric workflows to make quick adjustments ●It has a node-based visualization pipeline architecture which means that users can develop connections in combinations across multiple elements ●You can easily develop the project on one model and mirror the same.

4. OpenToonz

Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux

OpenToonz is one of the top choices of software development companies in California as an open-source animation software tool for developing 2D videos. This tool is free for noncommercial as well as commercial uses so you can use it for developing marketing videos for your personal brand as well.

It refers to an open-source animation software production application that is compatible with four major scannings. This also allows users to save settings in terms of scanning in their system.

OpenToonz is compatible with technology without an interesting name (TWAIN) standards. It is loaded with interesting features like its digital drawing tools have bitmap and vector methods. It also supports frame-by-frame animation with the help of configurable onionskin. It also has particle systems and bone character animation features.

Major features:

●This will allow users to make the most out of anti-aliased lines ●It offers an easy way to paint the content with professional colors ●The users can synthesize visual effects with the graphic user interface through the node tree ●Images in this animation tool can be managed with the help of actual scale resolution ●This 2D animation software is compatible with vector images and raster images.

5. Pencil 2D animation

Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux

Pencil 2D animation is easy to use and simple animation software tool that can be used to develop hand-drawn 2D videos. Pencil 2D is free for personal as well as commercial purposes so that you can easily develop fun videos to promote your own brand. Its interface is easy to use and simple to access.

It is also loaded with tons of video tutorials that you can join and get started with developing interesting content for your platform. Many software development companies in NYC prefer pencil 2D software tools due to their features like onion skinning, multiple export format support, pressure sensitivity, and many more. It is a lightweight animation tool that allows users to sketch paint and ink on the go.

Major features:

●It is a cross-platform animation that runs on multiple operating systems ●It can be used for commercial video development ●The developers can instantly review the project with the help of rolling and flipping techniques ●This 2D animation software tool offers tagged image file format (TIFF) support as well ●The users can easily import an image in the form of new layers on specific video frames.

6. Synfig Studio

Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux

Synfig Studio is another open-source video animation tool that is ideal for developing 2D animated video content. With the help of this tool, users can make the most out of vector graphics to develop timeline-based video animation.

Just like OpenToonz, Synfig Studio also provides a bone system for developing animation controls so that the users can give natural movements to the project. You can easily develop cut-out animation with the help of bitmap images or control the vector artwork along with using additional skeleton distortion layers to develop complex deformations.

The advanced features of this tool that are appreciated by most of the Chicago web development companies are linking parameters for multiple layers, transforming the image into another, etc. This animation tool is certainly not made for beginners, but if you are willing to use it anyhow multiple tutorials are available on the internet.

Major features:

●The users can link various parameters of layers with the help of mathematical expressions ●This 2D animation software tool offers around 50 layers to develop animation ●The users can easily develop cut out animation effect with the help of bitmap images ●This is an incredible choice for professionals.

7. PowToon

Platform: Web browser-based

PowToon is another open-source video animation software tool that is specially meant for developing dynamic video presentations. It also comes with paid options with its advanced features but you can also consider its paid version with Limited features.

PowToon animation software tool has stripped down free tools for almost three minutes long. It is great animation software for beginners for the users getting started with animation projects.

The tool has multiple professional-looking templates that you can choose from and has an animated explainer, infographic-style videos, and other templates developed especially for promoting the product. If you are a newbie, you can start either from scratch or import anything directly from the PowerPoint. Many top app development firms rely on this tool to build their project.

Major features:

●It gives a choice of aspect ratios and screen sizes ●You can export the video directly to Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms ●It is capable of developing animated video content for up to 3-minute length ●even with its free version, you can access the content library of the tool ●It has a standard video resolution

8. Krita

Platforms: Multi-platform compatibility

Krita is another open-source 2D animation software tool that allows customizing the project workflow easily. Animation tool offers around a hundred professionally made brushes and combinations to the users.

It also features a compact user interface, brushes engines, pop up the palette, resource manager, brushes stabilizers, drawing assistant, wrap-around mode, mirroring tool, and multiple other advanced features. Krita refers to an open-source painting software having fully enhanced OpenGL that helps to draft the graphics for developing huge projects.

The top web development companies in the world rely on advanced features to make the most out of their marketing strategies. You can easily add the stabilizer to brush and smooth the appearance of the screen.

Major features:

●Its brush can be customized with 9 different brush engines ●You can develop comic panels with the help of built-in vector drawing tools ●Seamless texture and animation by developing image references on the x and y-axis ●One can easily combine, flatten, and order the layers for organizing one artwork ●It allows users to export textures and different brush packs.

9. Animate CC

Platform: Windows, Mac

Last but not the least, Animate CC is the most reliable open-source animation software tool that helps users to develop interactive vector and bitmap animations for their applications, games, or web. One can add multiple action components to infographics and tutorials.

Animate CC is a top choice of software development companies in NYC due to its feature-rich components and user-friendliness. It allows users to export the images with accurate resolution after bypassing the image optimization and customizing the image settings.

Major features:

●One can create different poses for figures and vector images ●It allows users to arrange their layers in a parent-child hierarchy ●It can automatically match mouth poses as per the voice inflexions ●One can easily export 360 VR animations through it.

Conclusion:

Believe it or not, animation is the primary or fundamental element in content marketing at present. When it grows down to visual media, VFX and animation are omnipresent. Open-source animation software tools have also become part and parcel for the content creators.

Many Chicago web development companies specialize in using advanced animation software tools to develop aesthetically pleasing and engaging content for their users. There is also a range of premium software tools available on the internet having advanced features.

But for most of the users, the open-source animation software tools will just work well.