Animation is a creative art form that has captivated people across generations. With modern technology, anyone can become an animator and create a cartoon masterpiece. But before you start your animation journey, you need the right tools for the job — which is where helpful software comes in. There are lots of animation programs available for both beginner and professional animators.
This blog post will list five of the best cartoon animation software for beginners and pros alike in 2023. From 2D to 3D, motion graphics to stop motion, each program provides unique features to help turn your visions into reality. Read on to find out more!
Best five cartoon animation programs to use when creating animation:
1. Powtoon
Powtoon is a valuable tool for 3D cartoon animation, making it easier than ever to produce videos and presentations of the highest caliber.
Powtoon, founded in 2012, has grown to be the go-to resource for organizations, teachers, and individuals who want to bring their concepts to life through expert animations and dynamic visuals. Become a member of the Powtoon community today to advance your visual communication!
Features
- It is excellent for creating cartoon animations because it offers a massive library of professionally-designed templates, characters, props, videos, and soundtracks.
- Upload all the content you’ll need to engage, connect, and move your audience—videos, GIFs, photos, expert voiceovers, and more.
Pros
- The availability of numerous pre-made but editable templates. Any tool can provide significant assistance in this regard.
- Offers a relatively simple editing process.
Cons
- In the free version, the watermark cannot be removed from the background.
- The 90-second time limit for imported video.
Pricing
- Pro – US$89/month
- Pro+ – US$197/month
2. Toon Boom Harmony
Animators, studios, and content producers use the versatile 2D premium animation software Toon Boom Harmony to produce high-quality animations for movies, television, the web, and video games.
Which cartoons must this program have produced? Telling you that Toon Boom’s magical tools were used to create The Simpsons (1989), Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997 video), Tarzan 2: The Legend Begins (2005 video), and many more.
Discover the qualities that led the studios to select it as their tool for animation.
Features
- Animation professionals can quickly produce and edit high-quality artwork thanks to a comprehensive set of vector-based drawing tools.
- The software is accessible to users worldwide because it is offered in various languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese.
- Innovative lip-sync tools to produce expressive and realistic dialogue scenes.
- Node-based animation offers animators a flexible and user-friendly way to create intricate animations.
- Sophisticated camera controls for panning, zooming, and tracking shots, among other movements and effects.
- Scripting tools that are effective for streamlining workflow and automating repetitive tasks.
Pros
- The tools from Toon Boom Harmony give users access to high-caliber animations for even the most challenging productions.
- A user-friendly interface allows quick access to the tools needed to make animations possible.
- The animators can collaborate in real-time on projects thanks to collaborative workflow.
- Users of Toon Boom Harmony can deliver their animations in various formats, including HD, 4K, and 8K, thanks to the software’s extensive export options.
- It consists of a group of engaged users.
Cons
- The program can be easily customized, but learning it can be challenging. Consequently, the learning process can be complicated.
- Toon Boom Harmony needs a powerful computer with a top-tier graphics card and lots of RAM for optimal performance.
- It has a high entry barrier for independent animators and small studios with tight budgets.
Pricing
- Harmony 22 Essentials costs $27.00 a month (USD 219.50 annual billing)
- Harmony 22 Advanced: 67.50 dollars per month (USD 525.00 annual billing)
- The monthly cost of USD 123.50 for Harmony 22 Premium (USD 1,001.50 annual billing)
3. Adobe Animate
Designers and animators can create interactive animations, multimedia content, and vector graphics for the web, TV, and digital media using Adobe Animate, a professional-grade animation program. The best attributes, advantages, and disadvantages of using Adobe Animate for cartoon animation are listed below.
Features
- Strong Timeline: The program has a strong timeline allowing fine-grained control over the animation keyframes and adding sound and interactivity.
- Button, action, and scripting support are just a few of Adobe Animate’s tools to help you create your animations and games.
- Animations created in Adobe Animate can be exported to several platforms, such as HTML5, Flash, WebGL, and other video formats.
Pros
- Thanks to the user community, users can quickly learn Adobe Animate without prior experience.
- The seamless integration of Adobe Animate with other Adobe products like Photoshop and Illustrator makes it simpler for designers to collaborate across different software.
- There is an option to lip-sync with the characters.
- The best animation program for beginners is this one.
Cons
- It is a paid video animation program, which can be pricey for home users or small companies.
- Using the tool can be difficult for people just starting in animation and multimedia production.
- Adobe Animate’s performance could be better on older computers, especially when working with complicated animations.
- Despite being able to export animations for mobile devices, something other than Adobe Animate is designed with mobile use in mind.
Pricing
For the first seven days, it is free; after that, a subscription plan is as follows:
- Monthly – US$30.48
- Yearly (paid monthly) – US$20.31
- Yearly (paid completely) – US$232.23
4. Cartoon Animator
The name Cartoon Animator 4 makes it clear that this expensive animation program can produce animated cartoon characters using the best tools available to users.
By concentrating on its features, we can better comprehend the ease with which it enables any animator to bring imaginative characters to life.
Features
- Lip-synching through audio animation
- Tools for motion capture
- Character animation – prop
- SFX and Prop Dynamics
- Elastic Motion Stretch Animation gives props life.
- Combine the use of props and SFX
- Shades and light – Effect Layers
Pros
- Integration with additional applications like Photoshop, Krita, Affinity, or Clip Studio Paint
- The best animation for beginners in 2023 is a simple animation.
Cons
- According to the cost, it is most appropriate for commercial projects.
- It needs to be updated frequently.
Pricing
- PRO: $99
- Pipeline: $199
5. Unity
As the software’s name implies, it can combine all the sophisticated features for creating animations, particularly those with a cartoonish style. As a result, it works for television and CGI animation. So, underestimating the tool is only an option for learning what it can do.
Features
- Animation tools and features like animation clips, animation curves, and keyframe animation are available in Unity’s robust animation system, which supports 2D and 3D animations.
- The integrated physics engine in Unity enables physically accurate interactions between animated objects, such as objects falling or characters jumping.
- Excellent tool for creating interactive visualizations and game prototypes.
Pros
- Cross-Platform Support, including WebGL, Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.
- The flexible platform Unity can be used for various projects, from easy and effective 2D animations to challenging 3D games.
- Unity’s expanding community of programmers and artists creates and shares characters, animations, and environmental elements.
- There are nine languages for Unity.
Cons
- Running on outdated or low-powered computers could be difficult.
- The tool might include functions and resources that more specialized animation programs provide.
- There are a few features in the free version.
Pricing
Individual and personal plans are free
- Unity plus – US$399/year per seat
- Unity Pro – US$2,040/year per seat
Conclusion
It is time to use the top five cartoon animation programs in 2023 in your personal, professional, and commercial endeavors. Whether you are a novice looking to launch a career or a business person looking for expert cartoon animation software to advance your concept of video marketing, we have built this list from the ground up to assist with all the challenges you have faced so far.
The best animation software is available to suit your needs and budget, whether you’re making short animations, long feature films, or anything in between. Regardless of the software you select, it will assist you in producing exciting and visually appealing animations that will entertain and engage your audience.