3d animation presentation software

7 Best 3D Animation Software 2024 (Free & Easy Picks)

Written by: 3DSourced

January 7, 2024

You can use the best 3D animation software to create characters, landscapes, and entire worlds. I’ll compare all the software I’ve tested over their unique features, ease of use, price, and anything else you need to know to help you make the right decision:

Quick Overview

Free Tools:

• Cascadeur : Great Free 3D Animation Software For Video Games & Movies
• Blender : Best Free 3D Animation Software
• K-3D : Powerful Free Software with Advanced Visualization Pipeline

Paid Tools:

• Autodesk Maya : Overall Best
• Cinema 4D : Best 3D Animation Software for Beginners
• Houdini : Powerful Professional Software with Free Version
• Autodesk 3DS Max : Best 3D Animation Software for Windows

Autodesk Maya is the best 3D animation software overall, helping you create complex characters, realistic effects, and vast worlds, which have been used in blockbuster films, TV series, and video games.

But Maya is very expensive at $2479 per year. Beginners would be better served by considering free 3D animation software like Cascadeur or Blender .

Cascadeur is the choice if you’re solely looking to create physics-based character animations, while Blender (though complex for beginners) offers a wider range of applications to complete your project.

But ultimately, the ideal software depends on your specific needs and goals. We’ve reviewed each software’s features, applications, and price, so you can easily choose the best software for you.

Best Free 3D Animation Software – In-Depth Reviews

1. cascadeur — great free 3d animation software for video games & movies.

Great for game designing.

Developers can create realistic animations of characters of almost any type.

It’s completely free for non-commercial users and small enterprises.

The free version has limited features and support, compared to the paid version.

Game developer Nekki are most well known for their Vector and Shadow Fight games, with over 500 million registered users across all platforms.

From making some of the world’s most viral and popular games, they learned exactly what game makers and animators are looking for. With that experience they have released Cascadeur , the 3D game animation software for game designs that they personally use.

Cascadeur is a physics-based animation software for creating physically accurate animations for games and movies. In Cascadeur, developers can create realistic animations of characters of almost any type – humans, animals or any other creatures – without needing to use motion capture technology. 

For decades, when creating animations for games, developers had to decide between two production methods: either they had to use motion capture and thus received 100% realistic motion data – or they had to animate their characters manually by hand. 

Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages in terms of time, cost and realism of the results. Handmade animation, although it can be very expressive, will never look realistic. Motion capture looks realistic, but has a lot of physical limitations and depends on the skills of human actors.

Cascadeur introduces a third way of animating. It provides animators with convenient tools, allowing you to either:

• Create realistic and believable action animation from scratch and then fix the physical characteristics of the animation with the help of physics tools, or 
• Take existing MoCap data, modify it to the desired result and then fix the correctness of the physical characteristics.

Cascadeur can be integrated in most existing animation workflows, as it supports import and export of FBX/DAE data to other software.

It’s completely free for non-commercial users and small enterprises, with paid versions for larger companies offering better support services and a host of other benefits.

Beginners needn’t be intimidated, as Cascadeur have created numerous tutorials on their website, ranging from the newest of beginners to very advanced users. Guides to various tools are extensively documented, as well as YouTube guides to fun niche uses like animating characters in zero gravity, or creating somersaults with perfectly realistic physics. 

If you run into any issues or want to join the community, there’s a very active Discord of members and developers more than happy to help beginners.

2. Blender – Best Free 3D Animation Software

Open-source and can be used for every stage of the 3D pipeline.

Can be used for a wide variety of applications.

Great for developing moving 3D models for video games and other uses.

Steep learning curve.

There are many free 3D animation software out there, but it’s hard to look past Blender as the best. This open source 3D animation software can be used for every stage of the 3D pipeline, from modeling, rigging, animation, and simulation to rendering, compositing, motion tracking and video editing. It also supports 2D animation.

Blender can be used for a wide range of applications, including advertisements, animated feature films, TV series, video games, visual effects, architecture and art.

As a 3D animation movie software it offers a number of high-quality tools, such as envelope, skeleton and automatic skilling, B-spline interpolated bones, custom bone shapes for fast inputs, unwrapping, texturing, fluid and smoke simulation, and sound synchronization.

Blender also offers excellent rigging tools that you can use to design a skeleton and then define and location and mobility of limbs and their relationship to one another when creating a framework for your 3D character. You can even define the influence each of the bones has on the limbs in this vicinity. You can do this manually or automatically with the help of commercial plugins.

Overall, it’s a great film 3D animation software tool, and great for developing moving 3D models for video games and other uses.

This software is also a good choice for directly drawing in 2D and 3D, with excellent workflow freedom. You can combine 2D and 3D right in the viewpoint, while the software has full animation support with Onion Skinning and layers and colors for stroke and fill.

Blender also supports input from motion capturing software, and you can even use facial motion capture using markers painted onto actors’ faces. It offers excellent clothing simulation that can be manipulated by the armature for added realism. You can also combine live-action footage with animation seamlessly with this software.

With its flexible python-controlled interface, you can easily customize the interface layout and colors and create your own tools and add-ons. Blender may be a free 3D animation software, but it’s still one of the very best around and is a viable alternative to top paid software like Maya.

3. K-3D – Powerful Free Software with Advanced Visualization Pipeline

User-friendly and intuitive interface.

Offers great flexibility.

Complex workflows are easy to create and understand.

Powerful software.

Doesn’t quite match up to Blender or other top-paid software.

K-3D is another of the best 3D animation software for free. It’s a versatile and powerful tool that combines flexible plugins with a visualization pipeline architecture. It’s a good 3D animation software for beginners thanks to its user-friendly, intuitive interface, although it also has the tools required by professional 3D animators.

The node-based visualization pipeline means that K-3D offers great flexibility. It has an advanced undo/redo system that means you can always go back, while it also has an innovative undo tree feature that means you can always go forward even where other programs would not allow.

Complex workflows are made easy to create and understand, and you can work on one side of a model, show the other side mirrored, and see the end result welded together as a subdivision surface in real time.

This is also powerful software, with the node-based pipeline offering more possibilities than traditional modifier stacks or histories. While K-3D software may not quite match up to Blender or the top paid programs, it’s certainly a good choice if you’re looking for the best free 3D animation software for beginners.

Best Paid 3D Animation Software

4. autodesk maya – overall best.

Widely regarded as one of the best 3D animation software.

Does everything, like creating complex characters and vast worlds.

Comes with many useful features.

Pretty expensive.

Autodesk’s Maya is widely regarded as the best 3D animation software, and with good reason. This software is widely used throughout Hollywood and has been used in blockbuster films such as Harry Potter and Transformers, TV series like Game of Thrones and South Park, and video games such as God of War and Halo, which gives you an idea of the exceptionally high quality this software offers.

This software does everything, allowing you to create complex characters, realistic effects and vast worlds. You can procedurally create dazzling effects using the Bitfrost feature, which allows you to build custom graphs or use ready-made ones for effects like explosions and weather.

For creating characters and scenery, the Arnold feature is an advanced renderer that allows you to switch seamlessly between CPU and GPU. There’s also an easy-to-use auto-rig tool that can process quadrupeds and winged models.

Other useful features of this 3D animation and movie-making software include geodesic vortex binding for quickly producing production-ready characters, a native motion library plugin, and a range of automation tools for animation along curves and paths. It’s also great at modeling, texturing, lighting, and rendering, with a feature set including particles, hair, and fluid simulations.

Like other professional 3D animation software, Maya comes with a sophisticated CG compositing program, MatchMover. This allows you to combine 3D-rendered elements and motion data from film sequences recorded on set by tracking the camera’s movement.

With a highly customizable, user-friendly interface, Maya isn’t reserved for professional animators, although this extensive software does take some time to master. As you can probably imagine, Maya doesn’t come cheap, with a one-year subscription costing $2,479. However, as the best 3D animation software on the market, it’s well worth the price. There’s also a 30-day free trial version available.

5. Cinema 4D – Best 3D Animation Software for Beginners

Powerful yet simple.

Intuitive interface, making it ideal for beginners and experienced animators.

Renowned for its stability.

Slow rendering times.

Cinema 4D , developed by Maxon, is a very powerful yet simple 3D animation software. Its intuitive interface makes it ideal for both beginners and experienced animators alike, and it offers a wide range of tools to help you achieve quality results.

One of the best things about 4D Cinema is its easy learning curve. There are loads of tutorials to help you get to grips with things as well as a large, skilled community that can help first-time animators quickly develop their skills. There’s also a training site called Cineversity, which you get free membership to when you buy the software.

This easy 3D animation software is also renowned for its stability. All features and functions are thoroughly tested by the QA and Beta testers before being released, while regular free service packs further optimize the software and allow the developers to quickly respond to changes in operating systems.

With this software you can easily keyframe any object, material or tag parameter, and there’s also automatic keyframing to make things even simpler. You can also use the software’s effectors, tags and expressions to animate without keyframes, and you can create your own expressions in Cinema 4D’s node-based XPresso Editor.

The standalone 3D animation version of Cinema 4D costs $719 a year, while the full package with all Maxon products is $1,199. Overall, it’s a great easy 3D animation software that even beginners will be able to use.

6. Houdini – Powerful Professional Software with Free Version

Helps animators work freely, create multiple iterations and easily share workflows with colleagues.

Brilliantly intuitive, artist-friendly tools.

Can carry out complex crowd simulations and create highly accurate 3D animations.

Houdini is industry-leading software that is popular for 3D animation, visual effects and game development. It is widely used by large VFX companies, including Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks and Sony Pictures, to create 3D imagery.

This software, developed by SideFX, is designed around a node-based workflow with a procedural modeling approach that allows you to generate almost everything from terrains to complex characters procedurally. This helps animators work freely, create multiple iterations and easily share workflows with colleagues.

Houdini has some brilliantly intuitive, artist-friendly tools. You can easily create biped and quadruped 3D characters with the auto-rig tool, while the procedurally generated fluids and particles add realism. You can also carry out complex crowd simulations and create highly accurate 3D animations with the software’s built-in muscle simulation pipeline. Overall, Houdini allows you to create incredibly high-quality animations with unparalleled flexibility.

There are four plans for Houdini – FX, CORE, Indie, and Apprentice. The Apprentice version is free and is designed for hobbyists, while the Indie version is best for independent animators and costs $269 a year. The CORE and FX packages, designed for professional animators, cost $1,995 and $4,495 a year respectively.

7. Autodesk 3DS Max – Best 3D Animation Software for Windows

Boasts comprehensive 3D animation capabilities.

Ready-made yet customizable character rigs.

Popular for 3D modeling and 3D rendering.

Also pretty expensive.

Another Autodesk product, 3DS Max is a popular 3D modeling and 3D rendering software that’s used for animation, game development, visual effects, and architectural visualization.

3DS Max boasts comprehensive 3D animation capabilities, including two separate character animation tools. The Character Studio is designed to create bipedal characters, while the CAT tool allows you to rig and animate non-human characters. These both provide ready-made yet customizable character rigs that can be skinned with the Physique or Skin modifiers and are compatible with motion capture file formats. There’s also Populate, a self-contained crowd simulation system.

Another useful tool is the 3DS Max Fluids, which allows you to create realistic liquid behaviors like water, oil and lava, and can also be used to replicate gravity and collision effects. Other animation tools include wire parameters that link any two object parameters in the viewpoint, a motion mixer that allows you to combine motion data for biped and non-biped objects, and linked hierarchies that can be used to animate a number of objects or bones at once.

This Windows 3D animation software will set you back $2,488 for a year-long subscription, and there’s a free trial if you want to try the software out before purchasing it.

3D Animation Software Explained

3D animation brings objects to life using computer graphics. The process uses design software to make drawings, pictures and graphics look like they are moving in a three-dimensional space, and you can rotate and move objects just like in real life.

The process begins with creating a 3D model, a polygon mesh, using the software to create a mathematical representation of a shape or object. The next step is texturing, where you add colors, designs, and textures to your model.

After that comes rigging, where the model is given an internal digital structure that can be used to control the mesh by weighting the vertices. Rigging is used to create movement. An alternative method is motion capture, where an actor’s live movements are recorded and digitally animated.

Once you’re done with this and apply lighting and camera settings, you can then render your model, where you add the finishing touches and output it. You then composite your animation by touching it up and adding effects and backgrounds, before adding music and sound effects and then exporting the final product.

There are many uses for 3D animation software – it can be used in presentations, architecture design proposals, and modeling for prototype products . Of course, its best-known use is in films, TV series and video games design, where it’s used to create characters , props and entire worlds.

3D animation is a skill that requires a lot of time and dedication to master, but if you do that, you’ve got an excellent skill that is in high demand in many sectors. However, in order to get to that level, you first need good 3D animation software to work with.

Some other articles you may be interested in:

• Best free CAD software
• Best 3D CAD software
• The best 3D scanners
• The best 3D printers
• Best software for VFX

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8 Best 3D Presentation Software That Can Elevate Your Presentations

• May 26, 2023
• 3D Presentation Software , Animated Video Presentation , Video Presentation Maker

Are you tired of boring, static presentations that seem to induce sleep in your audience? A presentation does not have to be lifeless. With the right presentation maker software, you can make your presentation come alive with dynamic 3D visuals. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the eight best 3D presentation software available that can help you deliver high-quality presentations and capture your viewers’ attention.

8 Free Video Presentation Tools for Making Stand-out Content

1. mango presentation maker.

Mango Presentation Maker (Mango PM) is a comprehensive 3D presentation software that offers easy, drag-and-drop tools for creating custom presentations. The software boasts an array of pre-built templates and designs to choose from, making it perfect for beginners. What sets this video presentation tool apart is its advanced 3D animation tools. They offer cinematic-level quality visuals and an immersive experience for your audience.

• Drag-and-Drop Interface: Mango PM has a user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface that enables you to design presentations with ease. The software offers a comprehensive set of tools that are easy to use, making it perfect for beginners. You can simply drag and drop elements into your presentations and customize them to create a unique, visually engaging presentation.
• 3D Effects: The Mango PM 3D presentation software offers a wide range of pre-built 3D backgrounds that you can choose from and customize. By adding depth and dimensionality, the presentation will be more visually engaging. You can also add advanced 3D effects to presentations to give them an immersive feel, making them more engaging.
• Interactive Design: This 3D PPT maker allows you to add interactions in presentations to engage with the audience. This can encourage audiences to become active participants in the presentation, providing a more engaging and memorable experience.

Make Your Own Animated Presentations

Apple’s Keynote 3D presentation software is designed for Mac users and has a host of features to make your presentation pop. It offers a range of 3D transitions that can be added to a presentation’s slides, significantly enhancing its visual appeal. These transitions include effects such as cube rotations, page flips, and ripples, providing a cinematic feel to the presentation. You can customize the speed, direction, and style of these transitions to fit the presentation’s unique tone and style. The 3D PPT maker also offers a wide range of animation styles, from subtle fades to complex builds. You can easily apply them to any text, image, or object in the presentation.

Emaze is a cloud-based 3D presentation software program that aims to help you create stunning, immersive 3D presentation powerpoints that take viewers on a captivating journey. The software provides a range of advanced features, including 3D templates, animations, and transitions, to enhance the quality of your presentations and take them to the next level. Its extensive collection of 3D templates enables you to create engaging, interactive presentations with ease. Dozens of 3D templates can cater to a wide range of presentation needs, including business, education, and creative projects.

4. Zoho Show

Zoho Show is a cloud-based 3D PPT maker that offers easy-to-use tools for creating beautiful 3D presentation powerpoints. It provides you with an array of 3D transitions to add to your presentations. These transitions range from simple effects like fades and dissolves to more complex animations like 3D rotations and zooms. The 3D PPT maker also offers animations like fly-ins and bounces for specific elements (text, images, shapes, etc.) in a slide, making your 3D presentation powerpoints more engaging and interesting.

Prezi is a popular 3D presentation software program that has been around for a while. It prides itself on a vast library of pre-built designs and templates to help you create professional-looking 3D presentation powerpoints with ease. Prezi is renowned for its zooming feature, an innovative tool that allows you to zoom in and out of various sections of the presentation. This feature enhances the presentation’s flow, making it more fluid and organic, and allows the audience to follow the structure of storytelling visually. Prezi’s 3D visuals provide a unique perspective, making the presentation more engaging and memorable.

Canva is a cloud-based design platform that allows you to create 3D presentation powerpoints, social media graphics, and more. The software offers a vast array of templates, photos, and graphics that can be easily customized to create unique presentations. One of the standout features of Canva is its 3D presentation maker tool, which allows you to create immersive presentations with stunning 3D visuals. Canva is also user-friendly, making it perfect for beginners who want to create engaging 3D presentations without any prior design experience.

Visme is a cloud-based 3D presentation software program that allows you to create stunning slideshows, infographics, and other visual content. It offers an impressive library of over 1000+ templates, images, and icons that can be customized to create unique 3D presentation powerpoints. Its animated backgrounds add an extra dimension to the presentations, providing a more immersive experience for the audience. These backgrounds might include effects such as sparkling stars or falling snowflakes, which move across the screen.

Powtoon is a web-based animation and 3D PPT maker that makes it easy to create professional and engaging 3D presentation powerpoints. It offers an extensive library of templates, icons, characters, and graphics that can be customized to effectively convey your message. The Powtoon 3D presentation software enables you to create your own custom 3D animations to enhance the quality of your presentations. Powtoon’s user-friendly interface provides animation tools that offer a fun way to animate any characters or objects in the presentation. This customization enables you to bring your unique vision to life, without requiring extensive knowledge of the software.

In conclusion, if you want to create engaging, high-quality 3D presentation powerpoints, these 8 best 3D presentation software options are a great starting point. With unique features and tools, these presentation makers can help you deliver impactful presentations that will engage your audience and bring your ideas to life. Mango Presentation Maker is a great tool for creating engaging video presentations with 3D effects, why not give it a try right now? It will wow you and your audience.

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6 Best 3D Presentation Maker Software with Dynamic Features

It is natural that you can use all kinds of available resources to make your presentation attention-grabbing. As you have finished making a beautiful presentation with PowerPoint, but it seems that you need more to reach a stunning 3D presenting effect. Here recommends 6 best 3D presentation makers for your creation. You will give a brilliant, high-energy and well performing presentation by your own.  

> Part 1: 6 Best 3D Presentation Maker Software > Part 2: Intuitive Presentation Made by Focusky

Part 1: 6 Best 3D Presentation Maker Software

1. focusky (strongly recommended).

  >> More Features: ●Zooming and non-linear presenting style will make your presentation interesting and vivid. ●Customize the play order, delay tome, transition, subtitling and voice narration for paths will bring good memory back to audiences. ●1000+ built-in animated characters help you to tell story and showcase content out. ●Speech synthesis gives a resonant voice for better presenting and viewing. ●Amazing slide show beautify your 3D presentation with more engaging visuals. ●Animated objects in your presentation and make them move in an outstanding way.    

Start Creating 3D Realistic Presentation with Focusky

3. PresentiGo

6. Prezent 3D

    6 gorgeous 3D presentation makers with dynamic features have provided for your next presentation. From creating, customizing, publishing and sharing, they give you a satisfaction experience for how to make full use of amazing features to enrich presentation content. 3D presentation will surely leave a lasting first impression for all audiences, while Focusky is your secret weapon to surprise the world!      

Part 2: Intuitive Presentation Made by Focusky

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Get started, create a project, add multi media, publish and share, learn focusky in minutes.

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6 Best 3D Presentation Software in 2024

By Eva Williams 5 days ago, Apps and Software

Looking for the best 3D presentation software? These are the best software to create exciting 3D presentations for your business or project. It costs more than $150 to hire a professional to create one such presentation. So, install one of these tools and save your money.

Top 6 3D Presentation Software

• Focusky - Unlimited hosting cloud platform
• Aurora 3D Software - Generate 3D interactive program
• Knovio - Perfect for beginners
• Prezi - Interact with your graphics in real time
• Emaze - Fast presentation creating
• Visme - A design tool for any skill level

These are 3D presentation software for beginners and advanced users. These programs will help you create awesome 3D projects. On this list, you will find online services and full-fledged software that allow you to add original animation and effects to simple slide shows. Compare the pros and cons of each option to find the perfect one for you.

1. Focusky – Our Choice

• You can create any kind of presentation
• Excellent structure of creative templates
• Professional level of presentation
• Easy to use
• Cloud integration
• Convoluted interface

Verdict : If you are looking for the best 3D presentation software to unleash your creativity and bring your boldest ideas to life, then you should consider this option. It contains a stunning collection of 3D effects and fantastic backgrounds to create amazing projects. Moreover, this software supports zoom effects to make your presentations more impressive. You can also use screen recording without closing the software. If you need more backgrounds use the best free graphic design software to create them for free.

Since this software is installed on your computer, you can work offline. Focusky includes many features that allow you to add a variety of components to your presentations. For example, you can use screen recording, SWF, PSD, PDF, Office files, 3D and video backgrounds, and mental maps to present your ideas better. To understand how to work with this software, you can use a clear help tool on the screen. When the job is done, you can send the results into the cloud, publish via Mac or Windows application, save them in PDF , HTML5 or ZIP formats.

2. Aurora 3D Software

• User-friendly
• Contains more than 80 object styles
• Includes 10+ animation effects
• Only .m3d format is available for export

Verdict : Aurora 3D software is a great option for professional interior designers and architects. It contains a huge range of tools and functions for creating breathtaking presentations. You can save your final results in one of the many available formats. This software allows you to speed up your workflow with an amazing collection of pro-level project templates. They will come in handy when you need to add textures.

Unlike most interactive 3D presentation software, this program contains templates that include ready-made textures. This means that you can reduce the time spent on the project. This software allows creatives to make an interactive 3D architectural presentation and send it to EXE, Mac App or Vimeo. You don’t need to use additional interactive 3D modeling softwares .

• Compatible with iOS devices
• Straightforward
• Fast support
• Lots of different functions
• Lacks collaboration features
• Doesn’t support Android OS

Verdict : This software has a wide range of applications. It has everything you need to create a high-quality interactive 3D presentation, analyze it, share it, etc. It is suitable for teachers, students, creatives and other professionals. It is easy to use and you can easily master the presentation even if you have little experience. Liven up your projects with a webcam or microphone and convey your ideas to viewers.

The developers offer both a mobile and a browser version of this software, so you can use it on almost any device. You can share your project on YouTube, Vimeo, Slideshare. Besides, you can easily customize the zoom control of presentation content. You can benefit from simple chapter navigation. This program can easily replace any 3D animation software . To draw more attention to your presentation, you can use dynamically synchronized footnotes.

• You can customize any template
• Eye-catching built-in templates
• Smooth animations
• Clear and professional UI
• Sometimes it is difficult to find some settings

Verdict : You can use this 3D presentation software free of charge. It has a simple learning curve. You only need to do a few projects to understand all the nuances of this software. Unfortunately, the customization options within templates are pretty poor. Despite the slightly confusing interface, this is a good option for those who want to create impressive presentations.

You can create your designs from scratch or use one of the ready-made Prezi templates available in different colors and styles. Moreover, you will find some icons and shapes in the library. After downloading pictures from your PC, you can animate them using the best photo animation software . Prezi is a great solution for animations between topics and subtopics.

• Flexible customization
• Great choice of beautiful templates
• High-quality result
• Working with a lot of slides is difficult

Verdict : If you are looking for the best program for presentations that allows you to create awesome projects at lightning speed, then Emaze is worth your attention. It is suitable for both large companies and individual use. This software has an excellent bundle of visual communication and content design functions for easier collaboration between people who are working remotely.

Emaze is easy to use. It is browser-based 3D interactive software that has various tools for creating professional presentations. It works in a wide variety of browsers on Mac, PC and smartphones. Its special effects include 3D Zoom and videophone. You can get this software with discounts for students, teachers and nonprofits.

• Automatic backups
• It is available for business and personal
• Notifications if backups fail
• Easy restore process
• Weak functionality

Verdict : Visme is one of the most sought-after interactive 3D presentation software with 750,000 users. Simple and straightforward, it includes an array of powerful tools for creating amazing presentations. It allows you to visualize your ideas and convey your thoughts to the audience as clearly and easily as possible.

Apart from basic tools, you can use a powerful video editor. It lets you embed videos into your presentations, control playback, audio and record voice for better results. You can also enhance your presentations with a huge selection of free images, over a hundred fonts and thousands of icons. Moreover, you can add links, animate objects, apply transitions for a livelier and more interesting result. When everything is ready, you can share your project online.

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Create animated clips that leap off the screen with 3D animation software.

Take your animation to the next level with space and depth. Create fluid camera swoops while keeping your animation workflow simple and intuitive. Make it come alive and take your viewers along for the journey with industry-leading, intuitive 3D animation software. With efficient design, tweening, and puppeting tools, it has never been easier to make your animation stand out.

Animation, lllustration, 3D, and typography. Adobe Creative Cloud has you covered.

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Swoop into your scene with 3D animation software.

Bring your 2D animation into a new dimension. Create amazing, fluid spatial effects by spreading your artwork in space and moving your camera to add dynamic movement.

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Adobe Animate Interactive animations for multiple platforms.

Vector animation tools for games, web, and film.

Add depth to your animation by defining the space between your layers. Use your camera movement to move in and out between layers for 3D cartoons.

Choose a plan

Animation software with powerful 3D features.

Puppeting and live animation..

Give your vector art life by using puppeting controls for rapid animation. With facial controls and keyboard and mouse triggers, even create live animation.

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Adobe Character Animator

Animate your 2D characters in real time. Try now

Responsive artwork with puppeting.

Build digital puppets and link them to facial, MIDI, keyboard, and mouse controls. Make natural movement and responses smoothly and quickly.

Features to make quick work of animation.

Professional vector art tools for 3d animation software..

The industry-leading toolkit for vector art and design. Build assets for 2D and 3D animation and artwork.

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Adobe Illustrator Vector graphics and illustration. Try now

Inspired drawing and illustration.

Draw anything using lines, polygons, ellipses, textures, and colors. Build up 3D artwork and animation assets using flexible, intuitive tools. Choose a plan

Powerful 3D design features in Illustrator.

Compare 3d animation software.

Choose the best tool for your 3D art and animation projects.

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Character Animator

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Illustrator

Learn how to make 3D artwork and animation with Adobe tools.

Creative Cloud has art, design, animation, and video editing apps for 3D creatives. Find out more in our beginner and expert tutorials.

Add visual depth to animation. Use the parallax effect to create a sense of space and depth. Define the position of layers in space and use fluid camera pans and zooms to dive in and out of your stage.

Combine basic shapes into detailed illustrations. Quickly build up sophisticated designs with the Shaper tool. Use freehand sketching to draw shapes and make gestures to add or subtract them.

Teach your character to walk. Create automatic animations for your characters using preset effects. Define your puppet’s armature and bones to animate different gaits.

Break into the third dimension with intuitive design and 3D animation software for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

Creative Cloud offers a comprehensive set of apps covering all aspects of modern 3D design , layout, animation, and film­making. If you can imagine it, there are tools to help you make it. Work and collaborate quickly and effectively with integrated apps as well as online storage and sharing. Whether you’re an individual or a business, we have attractively priced membership plans to meet your needs. Students and educators can also get significant discounts. Find a plan that suits your creative projects.

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10 Best 3D Animation Software in 2024 [Free and Paid]

There’s a special place in every designer’s heart for 3D animation. Nostalgic memories of Toy Story and Finding Nemo might rush through your mind, along with the endless possibilities you could do with 3D animation software. 

But along with the excitement comes serious challenges. A few seconds of 3D animation takes hours and hours of work, not to mention expert knowledge about different models, compositions, and creative communication skills. 

On top of that? You’ll need a nice, intuitive UI, and efficient character creation. Sounds pricey, right? Not always, especially if you’re a student! And with the help of some design books and UX education , you can use 3D animation programs to give life to your biggest creative visions. Looking for a 3D anime movie maker? Or perhaps software for your latest video game? Keep reading. 

We’ll cover the latest, most popular computer programs used in 3D animation and explore prices, features, reviews, and more. Keep that animation film fresh in your minds — you’ll get to bring it to life soon! 

First, we’ll start with the basics. 

• How to Use 3D Animation Software

No 3D animation software works exactly the same. Even experienced designers face a learning curve jumping into a new animation tech stack. 

Generally, though, the process starts with creating objects with 3D models. Sometimes, 3D animation software has preset models to get you started. Otherwise, you’ll need to make them yourself. You might scan an object to a computer to create these models. 

Then, you can use the software’s tools to manipulate each object with texture, lines, colors, and movement. We know what you’re thinking: how’s that different from 2D animation?

3D animation offers more depth, along with movement along the third z-axis. On the other hand, 2D animation only moves past x and y axes. 

Now that we’ve settled that, here are four steps to using 3D animation software: 

• Modeling: Polygons with faces generated either by the software or an external scan. 
• Animation: Manipulating models creates animation. Once you create a skeleton, you can add animation variables (Avars) — points in your characters' bodies able to move. Next comes keyframing (not to be confused with wireframing ), where you can move your animated characters through a set. 
• Layout: Here, you decide how much space there is between each object. 
• Rendering: This is where you put everything together. Your characters and objects are posed, colored, and lit for action, and your animation sequence commences. 

Now, most 3D animation software handles all these steps. But the best 3D animation software frees up your mind to focus on your creative genius and handles all the details you need to put your vision into action. 

• Best 3D Animation Software

1. Autodesk Maya

A common animation challenge is making characters look as realistic as possible, despite it being animation. Autodesk’s Maya 3D animation software rises to the task with its non-linear, video-based editor. The result? Animations that mimic real life to the ‘t. 

Plus, it's easy to import and export SVG files for later use. 

Animator reviews praise Maya’s smooth transitions, 3D modeling, texturing, and helpful updates; however, many comment on the platform’s high price tag and frequent crashes. 

Features : Windows 7 or later, macOS

• Regular updates with new tools
• Motion graphics
• Pipeline integration
• Accurate cloth simulation
• 3D Modeling
• Rendering 

Price: $205/month

OS: Windows 7 and up; macOS

See More Here.

Related Course

Maya for Beginners: Complete Guide to 3D Animation in Maya

2. Autodesk MotionBuilder

Another gem from Autodesk, MotionBuilder is a top 3D animation program for video game animators. Designers can create characters in real-time with motion capture and keyframe animation.

And if you’re a perfectionist? Motionbuilder has you covered with endless tools to tweak the smallest details with ease. Plus, its cutting features are seamless and smooth, giving you natural transitions with every movement.

It’s a bit on the pricier side at $1,950 per year. However, many animators praise the software’s high quality and functionalities, making it worth it.

• Real-time animation
• Motion capture data
• Keyframe animation
• Cutting and stitching
• Smooth transitions

Price: $1.950 /year

OS: Windows 10; Linux Red Hat; Linux Centros

Looking for free 3D animation software? Blender is a great choice, and open-source. We love how accessible it is to animators and enthusiasts of all experience levels, showcasing a visually appealing, highly user-friendly interface. You’ll have access to Cycles, a path tracer engine that helps you achieve more realistic rendering, even with VR. Motion capture even extends to facial motion capture.

Of course, Blender still has a strong arsenal of sculpting and 3D painting tools. While some animators complain about its limitations in effects, it supports Python to offer more customizability if you have enough experience to implement it.

• Scripting language (Python)
• Raster graphics
• Rigging and skinning
• Video editing
• Architectural visualizations
• Fluid and smoke simulations
• Default path tracer engine
• Cycles for more realism
• Sculpting tools
• 3D painting tools

Price: Free

OS: Linux, macOS, Windows

4. Daz Studio

Some critics might call this 3D animating program slightly cookie-cutter with its preset, ready-made models. But consider Daz Studio’s preset model a saved step in the process to support your workflow. Preset models make things simple for the animator in a rush, casual designer, and extremely detailed artist. In addition, preset props from multiple genres help you customize your characters, along with clothing, facial features, poses, and visual attributes.

Need support? The Studio’s extensive tutorials cover lighting, texturing, rigging, rendering, downloading, and every other possible action you might want to take in your animation journey. 

Daz Studio is also a fabulous resource for work, as its 3D marketplace helps you buy and sell animated characters around the world. Some animators lament the software’s slow speeds, but recent upgrades have rectified the issues for the most part.

All in all, it’s one of the best free 3D animation software for efficient, business-savvy animators.

• Multi-genre prop library
• Puppeteer tool
• Preset models
• Prop library
• 3D marketplace to sell work
• Webinars and resources for extra cost

OS: macOS; Windows

5. Cinema4D

Cinema 4D is a fabulous choice for the highly professional animator. Working with high-end or demanding clients? Please them every step of the way with preview renders and frequent updates. The platform’s scene manager also helps you keep your projects organized. As for your workflow? You can simplify the process even more by integrating live film into a 3D animation sequence.

Now, movement capture is superb in Cinema 4D. You can record your mouse cursor movements to reflect your characters’ positions. Endless tools help you customize that movement further, like parametrics and a unique muscle system. Pair all that with an intuitive interface, and Cinema 4D is a competitive software on our list.

If you’re working with car animations, Cinema 4D’s unique car rig helps you bring them to life. Same with the toon rig — give characters dramatic features comparable to Looney Toons!

• Scene reconstruction
• Bullet dynamics
• Car rig, toon rig
• Facial and body movement capture
• Asset browser
• Procedural modeling
• Motion graphics 

Price: $58/month

OS: Windows 10; macOS or higher; Linux

6. Adobe 3D Animation Suite

If you’re looking for a one-stop shop for every aspect of animation you could think of — Adobe is your best bet. The full suite covers:

• Adobe Animate
• Adobe Character Animator
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe Illustrator Draw
• Adobe Photoshop Sketch

Adobe Animate covers everything about depth. You can create space, depth, and custom spatial placement with its features. On top of that, it allows you to combine multiple pieces of artwork to create a fulsome 3D drawing.

Take things to the next level with the dedicated Character Animator, to give more texture and unique designs to each creation. We especially love the easy exporting to Facebook Live and YouTube, and easy sharing to online libraries. If you’re looking for all the animation-related apps, you’ll need to purchase Adobe’s Creative Cloud package at $54.99 a month. Our opinion? That’s significantly cheaper than many others on this list. However, be prepared for a sharp learning curve.

• Vector animations
• Motion graphics and composites
• Scalable and adaptable graphics
• Audio syncing
• Export format
• Onion skinning
• Easy transitions
• Color corrections

Price: $54.99/month for multiple 3D animation apps

OS: Windows 10

7. Cascadeur

People might not always think of realism as a top priority for animation. After all, a cartoon might be capable of more extraordinary movements than a Hollywood celebrity, right? But if you crave animation with realistic movement, Cascadeur is a top contender.

The software uses AI tools inspired by physics laws to dictate character movements. Timing and trajectories are automatically sorted to mimic ultra-realism while you get back to creating. 

Animators applaud Cascadeur’s user-friendly interface and easy rigging system. However, the graphics don’t come out as clearly as other software. All in all? A great beginner 3D animation software for a junior animator, but not for the next Pixar star. 

Features: 

• Physics-law AI tools
• Customizable rigs
• Humanoid and non-humanoid tools

OS: Windows 7 and higher; Ubuntu

Are you a beginner animator? Perhaps you’re fresh into a design course or considering a career switch. If so, K-3D is a commitment-free, cost-free 3D animation software you have to try. 

The platform is simple yet intuitive, with a user-friendly interface any beginner can grasp easily. K-3D features a node-based visualization pipeline. Considering its basic structure, K-3D’s modeling is particularly fulsome with its mirrored views and real-time combinations. 

Early in your career, you’re likely to make mistakes. K-3D alleviates the pressure with an advanced undo/redo function. This makes it easy to try out different scenarios and overcome mistakes quickly. 

• Node-based visualization
• Customizable workflows
• Flexible undo/redo
• Native RenderMan™ support

OS: Windows; macOS

Does your animation vision feature dynamic human forms, dancing, running, and jumping in varied sequences? Poser is a 3D character animation software specializing in human forms. 

If you want classic software, Poser is a strong match. Launched in 1995, the platform has a full library of content and accessories. You can pick from an entire ecosystem of 3D human figures, lighting, clothing, accessories, and other features helping you craft a story in fantasy, realistic, historical, or modern times. 

The only downsides are the bugs and slow load times. Plus, some users complain the interface is unintuitive and complex. 

• Ecosystem of endless figures
• Carefully crafted themed models, from historical to sci-fi
• Varied human expressions
• Comics, print, games, story-boarding

Price: $149.95, with additional “bundles” for different figures, models, and styles

10. Cheetah3D

Are you a macOS kind of person? Cheetah3D was made especially for macOS — a 3D modeling software with juicy features like a powerful UV editor, raytracing, and easy import/export features. 

Cheetah3D gets extra points for immense customization potential. Its powerful JavaScript API lets you extend features to your unique needs. Animators applaud Cheetah3D’s realistic creations but hope to see integrations with Windows in the future. 

• 3D modeling
• Character rigging
• Joint-based character animation
• Global illumination renderer
• Node-based material system
• UV unwrapping
• Texture painting

The best 3D animation software depends on your unique design tendencies, budget, and experience level. Are you looking for 

Many 3D animation software programs offer free trials. We highly recommend you try a few out to get an idea about how it’d look with your workflow. Also, be sure to reach out to each software company for onboarding documents. They might even offer an account manager or point of contact for further training if necessary. 

But if you’re not ready to jump in just yet, you have plenty of motion design resources to study first. 

Learn About UX in Motion

• Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which Software is Best for Making 3D Animation?

The best 3D animation software works well with your budget and creative goals. But one important aspect is the level of control you have on your animation. If you’re looking for a high-class animation software with a wide range of features, MotionBuilder is a popular tool amongst higher experience animators. 

2. What Software Do 3D Animators Use?

3D animators use a wide range of tools, ranging from basic free tools like Cascadeur or high-end software like Autodesk Maya or MotionBuilder. 

3. What is the Best 3D Animation Software for Beginners?

Cascadeur and Daz Studio are fabulous beginner tools for user-friendly interfaces and preset models. 

4. Is There Any Free Animation Software?

Yes. Cascadeur and Daz Studio are free animation software with thousands of users. 

Nick, a Product Design Lead focusing on UX with a background in Visual arts & psychology. With many successful projects from User-centred product view, research, to a visual design of multiple mobile & desktop apps with a global audience. Nick likes to claim “Design is a craft” and it’s on constant look out for uprising challenges and trends in the digital environment. (edited)

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Top 10 Presentation Software for 2023

Keerthana Haresh - April 1, 2022 - Leave your thoughts. 13 min read

online presentation maker , online presentation software , ppt alternative , Presentation Software

Introduction: 

If you want to create a high-quality presentation for your personal needs, business, or anything else - you’ll need top-notch presentation software that’s got the right features that you need! We’re going to showcase the best presentation software available on the market today, and compare their features like their template options, the availability of graphic assets, real-time collaboration, and more! 

So if you’re looking for a great alternative to the presentation software you’re currently using, look no further than this comprehensive guide! Some of the software we’re going to be looking at include Animaker Deck, Prezi, Visme, and more. 

When selecting the right presentation software, there are a number of factors to consider: 

• Is it beginner-friendly and easy to use?
• Does it suit your budget?
• Does it have a wide variety of templates to choose from?
• Can you add audio to your presentations?
• Can you embed content, add videos or GIFs?
• Can you animate the elements in the presentation?
• Does it include Brand Kit features?
• Does it have a large built-in asset library?
• Does the presentation software include analytics?
• Does the software provide real-time collaboration?
• Can the finished presentation be shared to your friends and colleagues easily?
• Finally, does it contain a great balance of features?

Let’s take a look at the 10 best presentation software available today:

• Animaker Deck
• Google Slides
• Beautiful.ai

1. Animaker Deck

Animaker Deck is one of the most feature-packed, innovative, modern and complete presentation software available online. 

Not only is it easy to use, it contains one-of-a-kind features such as a built-in character builder where the user can create animated avatars to include in their presentation. It also comes equipped with tons of template characters which can be used right from the software. 

You can use Animaker Deck to create all sorts of presentations - whether they’re for birthday wishes, a sales proposal, annual reports, family albums, and more. Let’s look at the various advantages offered by Animaker Deck:

Character Builder:

Animaker Deck contains a Character builder where users can create unique avatars to use in their presentation. No other presentation software offers such a wide variety of creative customizations such as Deck. The builder is a breeze to use and can be learnt by anyone!

You can create both male and female characters of all types - whether you’re looking to create a snazzy football coach for your coaching classes, or a fun-loving partygoer for spring break, there are tons of preset outfits and customization options to create any character you desire. You can even create an avatar of yourself or your favorite celebrities!

Template Options:

Animaker Deck comes equipped with tons of pre-built templates that can make a user’s work easier. There are templates for employee onboarding, performance appraisals, internal sales presentations, business proposals, and lots more!

You can also start with a blank template or add new slides to existing templates, and save slides later to use as your own templates.

Graphic Assets Library:

Animaker Deck comes equipped with a massive stock asset library that contains over 80M+ Stock assets. It contains a partnership with both Getty and GIPHY, which means you’ll get access to thousands of stock images and videos that can be used however you choose. You can also use icons, animated backgrounds and even animate the objects that you choose to include in the presentation!

Real-Time Collaboration:

You can easily collaborate with your colleagues with Animaker Deck’s real time collaboration features. Creative teams can exchange ideas, work on a project together, and make updates in real-time, all from the comfort of their couch!

Slides Pro: 10$/Month

Animaker Pro: $49/Month

Enterprise: Custom Pricing

Prezi is another great presentation software that offers an alternative to traditional presentations with their intuitive interface that allows you to create a fluid flow with topics and subtopics that can be zoomed in on. While their interface is not exceptionally beginner-friendly, it’s a great option to add an innovative touch to your presentations.

Easy-to-Use:

Prezi definitely has a learning curve, but it is user-friendly after you get the hang of it. The interface is different and can be hard to navigate initially.

Prezi offers tons of templates, and you can also use a blank template from scratch. The templates can be customized as you choose, and their concept of zooming in to presentations is present in all of them.

Stock Asset Library:

The graphic asset library has usual elements like images, videos, and icons. The premium plan offers access to over 80,000 icons and 500,000 images.

Videos and Gifs:

There is an option to upload or embed videos from YouTube. Embedded videos are not viewable in offline mode. There are currently no GIFs available in Prezi.

Real-time Collaboration:

There is a feature called Prezi for teams which is available and has a Slack integration.

You can access Brand Kits with Prezi’s team plans, and your brand can be customized with your choice of color and available fonts.

Sharing to Social Media:

Prezi presentations can be shared to social media via a share button at the top-right corner of the Prezi page. The presentations can be shared to LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Plus: 12$/Month

Premium: $16/Month

Teams: Custom Pricing

Visme is an easy-to-use presentation software with plenty of features and customization options. You can create infographics, interactive charts and reports with Visme too.

There are tons of customizable options available in Visme. You can choose from fully designed presentations or even create your own templates using their mix-and-match by choosing a presentation theme.

You can also start with a blank canvas, add new blank slides to existing presentation templates.

There are tons of assets available in Visme’s library - including icons, illustrations, stock photos, videos and 3D graphics, audio clips, charts, and graphs to include in your presentations.

Animations and Transitions:

Elements inside Visme can be animated, and there are also slide transitions that smoothen the transition between slides with style. There are also custom animations available for animating elements even further.

Collaborations:

Visme has features for colleagues and teams to collaborate with each other in real-time, and leave comments with edits and feedback. You can also easily share your projects with other people and move the project along.

Visme has a brand design tool to keep all your content on-brand. You can upload all of your branding assets - which includes logo, fonts and colors to Visme with their Brand Wizard. You can also easily access thousands of templates and input your brand fonts and colors.

Once the presentation is complete, it can be shared to multiple social media channels easily.

When a presentation is finished, it can be easily shared via a link, and analyzed for sharing.

Personal - $15/month annually

Business - $29/month annually

Enterprise: Custom pricing

4. Google Slides

Google Slides is Google’s presentation software that can be assessed via your Google account. You can easily create presentations with Google Slides. It is similar to Powerpoint and there is an advanced version called G Suite, which includes storage and management capabilities.

Google Slides is very user friendly and is similar to Google Docs and Google Sheets.

There are tons of templates to choose from, and presentations can also be created from scratch.

The stock assets are very simple to add. There are both classic and generic shapes available. Images can also be uploaded from your desktop, Google Drive or a URL.

Collaboration:

Real-time collaboration is offered on Google Slides.

Videos and GIFs:

Videos can be uploaded with a YouTube link or from a Google Drive.

Animations:

Elements inside Google Slides can be animated and transitions can be added as well.

Share to Social Media:

Presentations can be shared via email or link.

Google Slides is free for anyone with a Google account.

There are also plans that start from 6$/month and go upto 18$/month.

Keynote is the presentation software offered by Apple. The Keynote editor can be used by anyone with an Apple ID.

It is similar in usage to Powerpoint and Google Slides, which makes it very simple to use.

There are a limited number of templates to choose from, and Templates can also be uploaded into the software.

There are tons of classic icons and symbols to choose from, and they are also customizable in terms of color and font. Images can also be uploaded from your computer.

Colleagues and team members can work on a project at the same time via a link or an email.

You can not embed videos in Keynote Slides, and GIFs can be added as .gif images.

You can animate slides and objects and also add effects.

You cannot share to Social Media on Keynote.

There is no Brand Kit features available on Keynote.

Keynote is totally free to use, and is available on the App Store.

Slides is a presentation software that contains a built-in grid to help with composition. Slides is totally free to use, with paid plans available too.

Slides is pretty beginner-friendly, the editing board has a simple interface which is easy to learn.

There are very few templates to use, so presentations have to be built from a blank template.

There are graphics available such as icons and shapes that are available. Photos have to be imported from a URL.

Paid plans contain features for collaboration. Teammates can leave comments and feedback to help with making edits.

Videos and GIFs are available to use and pretty easy to add to your presentation. Videos can be uploaded and GIFs can be uploaded as .mp4 as video.

You cannot add audio with Slides.

Animations can be added to all elements and features. The length of the duration can also be customized.

Slides support sharing to various social media platforms.

The paid plan offers analytics.

The paid plans start at $5/month and go upto $20/month for features like unlimited collaborations and Google Analytics.

Slidebean is a simple presentation software that contains quite a few templates and customizations.

Slidebean also uses artificial intelligence to help you use the best possible slide layouts and configurations. Check out this product review  here .

Slidebean is very easy to use. Adding content is simple and there are templates available to use. You can also start from a blank template.

There are 2 modes for editing - outline or design mode. There are tons of choice for how you can move the content blocks around.

There are tons of templates available to use. They are neatly organized and there are sections available by brands as well.

There are lots of icons and images to choose from.

Real-time collaboration features are available in the paid plans.

Slidebean contains GIPHY integration which means that GIFs can be added. The paid plan offers a feature to add videos.

Audio features are not available.

Animations can be added to the elements and content blocks.

You can share presentations to social media in the paid plans.

Analytic features are available in the paid plans.

There’s a free plan and it has limited capabilities.

There are 3 price levels from $8/month, $19/month, and $149/month.

8. Beautiful.ai

Beautiful.ai is a presentation software that helps you create good-looking slides with the help of AI (artificial intelligence).

Beautiful.ai is fairly simple to use. All you have to do is add smart slides, add your content and choose from different layouts. This makes Beautiful.ai a nice software that beginners and those who are not familiar with graphic design.

There are basic templates available that can be used to create unique presentations.

Graphic Asset Library:

The stock asset options are fairly limited, and there are free stock photos and icons to choose from.

Your teammates can collaborate on your projects for viewing or editing.

Both videos and GIFs can be uploaded from your computer. Videos can also be imported from YouTube.

Preset animation styles can be added to each slide, but their customizability is limited.

There are no brand kit features available, but there are customizable themes and they can be saved to use later.

You can easily share your presentations to social media. You can send email invites, share a public or private link, or share directly to social media platforms.

Beautiful.ai currently offers a Pro plan at $12/month and a Team plan at $40/month.

9. Powerpoint

Microsoft Powerpoint is the most popular and well-known presentation software on this list. It is familiar, reliable and easy to use.

The traditional interface of Powerpoint makes Powerpoint fairly easy to use. All types of users - students, professionals and businesses can learn Powerpoint and make presentations easily.

There are lots of templates that come equipped with Powerpoint, and they are all customizable.

You can browse stock images, icons and stickers by searching for relevant keywords in Powerpoint’s graphic library.

You can share your presentation with specific people.

Your computer can be used to upload both videos and GIFs. Videos can also be embedded from YouTube.

Audio files can be uploaded from your computer.

There are lots of animation and transition options available in Powerpoint.

Brand Kits are not available, but custom themes can be saved.

Presentations cannot be shared to social media platforms.

There are no analytic features available in Powerpoint.

There are different plans for businesses that start from $5/month and go upto $20/month.

10. Genially

Genially is a presentation software that’s known for its creativity. This software is known for presentations and video presentations.

Genially is fairly simple to use, and comes equipped with tons of choices. Any change can be applied to all slides with the simple click of a button.

There are tons of template options, with both free and paid options available.

There are tons of graphic assets available. Images can be uploaded or found on their integration with Pixabay.

Genially’s professional plan allows collaboration upto 5 team members.

GIFs can be imported with the GIPHY integration and videos can be added with YouTube links.

Audio files can be uploaded from your computer, via SoundCloud and a few other integrations.

Third-Party Content:

Genially contains a nice feature where you can add third party content with Genially integrations.

Brand Kit features are available in the premium plans.

All completed presentations can be shared to various social media platforms.

Genially’s premium plans contain analytic features.

Genially contains a free plan, which gives you access to unlimited presentations but a limited pool of resources.

There are two types of paid plans. The education plan starts at $1.25/month and go upto $20.82/month, billed annually. The professional plan starts at $7.49/month and goes upto $79.15/month, billed annually.

In conclusion, there are plenty of great presentation software available on the market that can help you create the perfect presentation that you desire. Depending on your choice of features, suitability, and price, you can select these software and have a great experience creating your presentation of choice.

If you have any questions or comments, leave them in the comments section below!

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10 Best Interactive 3D Presentation Software for Designers

8 Mins Read

February 3rd, 2024

Kimberly Elizabeth

With over a decade of expertise in the design realm, Kimberly is trained at the prestigious FIT in NYC, she excels in curating harmonious spaces with a keen focus on symmetry and function.

Currently at

Jump ahead to:

Interior Design 3D Presentation

Interior Design is an exciting field of study. This important art form is a means for introducing creativity in any given room design and turn it into the homeowner’s dream house.

Interior designers can use various inspiration boards and design concepts to bring the client’s requirements to life. For new clients, using swatches and templates is a great way to introduce them to your design ideas. You can also use sample boards so they can check out the templates and color schemes you wish to implement.

However, the best means for interior design presentation are 3D models. While all the mood boards and floor plans are easily accessible and displayed on a 2D surface, 3D models take the effects of the architectural visualization to a whole new level.

Image credits: pinterest.com

What is an Interactive 3D Presentation?

Interior designers and architects have an obligation to their clients to deliver the property designs to meet their expectations. It is a little difficult to explain the concepts of scales, floor plans, room design, etc. without a visual aid.

Although Photoshop or PowerPoint presentations can help, the real challenge is visualizing the space from all angles. This is where 3D models take the cake.

With 3D modeling software , you can create a virtual rendering of the home design. An interactive 3D presentation enables you to show the client exactly what you have in mind with accurate visualization.

This is especially useful for new clients as they can share their own design plans with you. With careful brainstorming, you and your client can arrive at a mutual understanding before you create final presentation boards for your interior design project.

Decorators can also use interactive 3D presentations so the client can hover over the plans and inspect the view from every angle as if they are present right in the room. It helps them make up their mind before they give their approval so that there is a minimum to no scope for errors upon completion of the interior design services.

See also – Best Interior Design Software

10 Best Interactive 3D Architectural Presentation Software

There are several interactive 3D presentation software that facilitates multiple presentation techniques for schematic visualization of your design plan. The pricing and styling may differ from one software to another, based on the templates you choose. While AutoCAD and SketchUp are some of the top choices, the following architectural software provides additional means to create attractive presentation boards that can elevate the output of your interior design services.

1. MagikTour

Our first and most favorite choice is MagikTour. This simple software created by Foyr enables you, as interior designers and architects, to connect with your clients directly.

This software is effective in creating 360-degree floor plans and implement design ideas as per the client’s requirement. It is a handy tool, especially if you don’t want to waste money on transportation. The software allows you to share your ideas along with the design process through a link. You can send the link to the client who can evaluate and approve or share their concerns to make an informed decision.

The MagikTour interactive 3D design software is perfect for all projects, whether you have a small or large interior design business .

2. Aurora 3D Software

Another effective 3D presentation software is Aurora 3D. This software is easy to use and it offers a variety of styling and presentation boards. You can employ text, images, data, and even video to communicate the story of the design idea to the client.

Although Aurora does not have all the features necessary to create extensive and powerful 3D models, it gets the job done effectively. It is fairly easy to create a small file and transfer it to any mac or windows device for viewing. The ease of use is especially helpful for amateur designers as Aurora 3D does not require complete knowledge and understanding of the functional aspects of design software.

Aurora 3D is a handy software tool for a quick and easy solution for your architectural or interior design process.

See also – Best Furniture Design Software

Focusky is a 3D presentation software much like Aurora 3D. You can use this software with ease to create some quick and easy presentation boards.

Focusky is ideal for both amateurs and professionals as the final presentations can be easily transferred to any data storage unit for viewing. You can use this software to create a video of your design ideas which gives the client an accurate visualization. It also allows you to add 3D transition effects to the space planning process.

Interior designers and architects can use this software to create focused renderings of their design concept for client approval.

See also – 3D Visualization Software

Knovio is a unique 3D presentation software that allows you to share your interior design presentations through files over the internet. It has a microphone and webcam in-built in the app so you can share your ideas with the client as they move around the property or you share a 3D model.

Although Knovio does not have all the necessary templates and schematics, the interactive feature is immensely helpful. It does leave a lot to the imagination, but you can always share mood boards and sample boards to share your design ideas.

Knovio can be an easy solution especially if you are interacting with distant clients.

5. PresentiGo

PresentiGo is an all-inclusive 3D presentation software that enables architects and interior designers to create creative content for visual graphics. This software is particularly helpful because it re-engages previously created presentation boards for new projects.

PresentiGo is a good software for anyone who wants to create some extraordinary content with style. The conversion software allows you to transfer the files and play them as an immersive interactive 3D video model.

It is an ideal software for content creation to impress new clients.

See also – Best Floor Plan Software

Visme is a 3D presentation software that is easy to learn and use. It features a multitude of effects and design concepts which enables architects and interior designers to create stunning video presentations.

Visme helps you create interiors not just for home design but also for commercial spaces . You can create an entertaining and engaging video to demonstrate your design ideas to the client. The Visme 3D presentation software is available globally so you can connect to clients from any location. Although this may be a cumbersome task to take on clients who are otherwise located, Visme still offers the facility, should the need arise.

7. Prezent 3D

Prezent 3D is an idea-based design model. It allows interior designers and architects to drag and drop files in a simple interface where you can combine effects and create note-worthy video presentations.

Prezent 3D is very simple to use which makes it a good choice for amateur decorators and aspiring architects. You can use simple design patterns and still create excellent presentation boards to impress clients.

Prezent 3D also allows auto grouping which simplifies the design process tremendously. It is an ideal software if you want the client to focus closely on your design plans.

See also – Best Kitchen Design Software

8. Cl3ver Interactive 3D Presentations

This one-click application enables architects and interior designers to quickly sort their presentations into auto grouped categories. The Cl3ver Interactive D presentations software simplifies the initial design process. You can then add voice-over dialogs and explanations to create a story for your presentations. If you need to make any changes to the presentation boards, your story remains unhindered.

This software is easy to use and provides a simple sharing facility so you can interact with your clients about the interior design project details. You can update the 3D models as required and fit the storyboard.

iCreate is another interactive 3D presentation software that offers the user a wide array of options. With iCreate you can make interactive video presentations with multiple sample boards and present your design ideas to your clients with ease.

iCreate is quite easy to understand and use. Therefore architects and interior designers as well as clients can install it for easy viewing of the variable design plans. You can share your ideas and discuss any modifications or special requirements that the client might have.

iCreate provides a dynamic environment for the creation of 3D models thereby helping you create final presentations with better effects to amaze your clients.

10. Xtensio

Xtensio is an interactive 3D presentation and document-sharing app. It not only facilitates smooth communication between decorators and clients but also provides a forum for interaction between members of your staff. This office operation software helps the members of your team communicate and coordinate with each other so they can work in harmony.

Xtensio allows you to create 3D presentations with a multitude of effects which helps in making a good impression on the clients. You and your staff can readily communicate your design ideas and live documents, as and when required.

This 3D presentation tool is a good choice if you work with a permanent team or with contractors as it eases the mode of communication and collaboration. It makes it easier to complete your interior design project as per the requirement and on time.

The list of design software can be used for all your interior design styling projects. Whether you are creating a house from scratch or just designing a makeover for the living room or kitchen, you can use the software to render realistic 3D models to convey your ideas to the client.

We recommend MagikTour in particular because it is the best design software for interactive 3D presentations. It is highly useful to both architects and interior designers alike. The software is easy to use and enables you to interact directly with the client without much waste of time. Additionally, the 360-degree view enables the client to get an accurate rendering of the space which helps instill confidence in your design skills. You can watch the tutorials to learn the innumerous design concepts and how to implement them in your design process.

These 3D presentations are extremely helpful for marketing purposes as well. You can create various schematics and 3D models and post them on social media to attract new clients. You can also post your design ideas on professional platforms such as LinkedIn to connect with substantial clientele.

See also – 3D Rendering Software

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3D Visualization – Best 3D Visualization Software for Designing.

Join 50,000+ designers and teams.

Using Foyr Neo is as easy as 1, 2, 3. First, upload a floor plan or create one from scratch. Then drag and drop from over 60K 3D models to fill your rooms. Lastly, just set the shot and let the AI create stunning 4K renders for you in less than 10 minutes.

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• Motion Graphics
• Post-Production

Best Animation Software — 2D, 3D, Paid, and Free Options

• What is Animation
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• Unreleased Aladdin Animatic
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• Best Animation Software
• Best Animated Movies of All Time
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A nimation has undoubtedly opened countless doors in the stories filmmakers are able to tell. It has allowed worlds, characters, and adventures to seep out of the imagination of artists and onto the big screen. Many are drawn to the world of animation because of its limitless possibilities.  If you are one of the many, at one point you will have to learn how to use animation software. However, not all animation software is made equal. So we’ve made a list of the best animation softwares out there to highlight each one’s strengths, weaknesses, use in the industry, and cost. 

Watch:  The Ultimate Guide to Animation

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Animation software for beginners

Utilize a storyboard.

Before we kick off our list of the best animation software, let’s talk about the importance of storyboarding. Animation can be a demanding, often tedious process. To make the process more efficient and more creative, it’s essential to have a solid foundation before actually using any of the best animation software. And the key to a solid foundation is a solid storyboard .

Storyboards allow you to visualize, refine, and prepare your story. They allow you to experiment and explore before you dive into the weeds of actual animation.

Creating effective storyboards can be made easy by using StudioBinder’s intuitive storyboarding software . It’s as simple as uploading sketches, photographs, or images and defining each shot by various characteristics. 

Get a better idea of the layout of an animation storyboard by clicking the image below. We created a sample storyboard of an unreleased ending of the original Aladdin that showcases the storyboard’s ability to visualize a scene. 

Click to view the storyboard

In your storyboard, you can even define the shot size , shot angle , camera movement , and even subject. These details will ultimately lead to a smoother and better animation process.  Learn how to create your own storyboards using the StudioBinder storyboarding app in the video below.

StudioBinder Free Storyboard Creator  •   Subscribe on YouTube

If you’re looking for creative inspiration when creating your storyboards, check out our list of the best movie storyboards including animated movies. Once you have a foundational storyboard and feel confident in your story, it’s time to choose the best animation software to bring it to life. 

Best program to animate with   

1. adobe animate.

Get to Know Animate CC  •  Best animating softwares

Price: $20.99/month

Let’s start off our list of the best animation software by taking a look at the 2D animation software realm. Adobe animation software has a few products geared toward 2D animation. One of their most popular is Adobe Animate previously known as Flash.

Animate gives you the ability to combine various techniques such as hand-drawings, puppet animation, and frame-by-frame animation. 

For this reason, it’s a popular choice for those creating interactive animations for websites or apps. While it may not be the best choice for creating narrative animation, Animate is a lot more straightforward to learn than some animation programs on this list.

Best animating softwares

2. adobe character animator.

Adobe Animate  •  Animation creation software

Price: $52.99/month

Sticking with Adobe animation software, let’s talk about Adobe Character Animator. Character Animator utilizes advanced motion capture technology to bring characters to life. 

Simply put, the animation making software uses your web camera and mic to animate the expressions and actions of a character in real time. Character Animator can accurately track your eyes, sync lips to dialogue, and match simple movements to animate your character. Characters can be created or you can easily download character templates online from various resources. 

Utilizing Character Animator can save immense amounts of time during an animation production. It can also result in a more performance-based animation since actors see their character in real time as they perform. 

Good animation software by Adobe

3. after effects.

Tutorial  •  Animation creation software AE

Last on our list of Adobe 2D animation programs is Adobe After Effects. After Effects is one of the most well known Adobe softwares primarily for its ability to create graphics animations, title animations, and VR animation capabilities. AE is also simple to use with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Adobe Creative Suite in general. 

After Effects strong suit is animating motion graphics and infographics for video. This makes it great for anyone animating projects such as commercials or educational videos. 

When it comes to narrative animations, many animated shows utilize Adobe Illustrator to create the initial drawings. Then they bring them into After Effects to create the animations. This is the primary method of the animation behind the show Archer . 

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Best free animation software

4. pencil 2d.

Pencil 2D  •  Free animation programs

Price: Free

If the price tags on Adobe’s best animation software deter you, then you might want to check out Pencil 2D. This free animation software is completely open source and free to use commercially.

The free animation software has an intuitive and minimalist interface design so that anyone can learn how to animate without having to learn a daunting interface or burn a hole in their wallet. 

The workflow of Pencil 2D was made to be seamless making it a great free animation software for beginners. You can easily transition between raster and vector workflows. This essentially allows you to sketch, ink, and paint all in a fluid workflow. 

Good animation software list

Introducing Moho 13 Animation Software

Price: $399.99

Let’s transition into the world of 3D animation software by taking a look at softwares that capitalize on both 2D and 3D animation. Moho is an all-in-one 2D animation software that aims at efficient and fluid workflows. Moho is especially great for those who love to animate using freehand techniques and need various  freehand drawing tools and freehand brush tools. 

Moho also has 3D Objects light manipulation support and 3D Object material properties support for all you 3D animators. This gives you more control and an ability to modify 3D object material.

Best animation software list

6. toon boom harmony.

Harmony  •  Cartoon software demo

Price: $25/$63/$115 per month

Next up on our list of best animation software, we have what is arguably the workhorse of TV animation — Toon Boom Harmony. You may not realize it, but this 3D animation software is behind the  animation of some of your favorite shows such as The Simpsons , South Park , Family Guy , and Bob’s Burgers . Check out the animatic panels used to create an episode of Bob’s Burgers in the video below. 

Bob’s Burgers Animatic  •  Cartoon software demo

Although many animated shows use various animation softwares for a single show, Toon Boom Harmony is one of the most consistently utilized. 

Toon boom Harmony comes in three different versions: Essentials, Advanced, and Premium. Essentials is a version for students and animation enthusiasts costin $25/month. Advanced, the middle tier version, is designed for freelancers and individual professional creatives. This version costs $63/month. 

Lastly, Premium is the professional edition meant for demanding animation projects. This is typically bought by studios, small creative businesses, and schools. The price tag on the premium version of Harmony is $115/month. 

• A Guide to Different Types of Animation →
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• FREE: Visualize your scenes with storyboard software →

Finding the best animation software

7. autodesk maya.

Modeling in Maya  •  Animation programs workflow

Price: $205/month or $1,620/year

Next up is another standard animation software in the industry — Autodesk Maya. Maya is the primary animation software used for some of the best animated movies ever . 

Maya is the primary animation software for heavy hitting studios like Disney and Pixar. More recently, it has become the workhorse of live-action, CGI driven films such as the Avengers: Infinity War , Hugo , and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo . Maya prides itself on its ability to create complex, realistic 3D material, realistic effects, and detailed animated characters and worlds. 

Best program to animate with  •  Maya Motion Capture

Whether you are looking to create ultra realistic 3D animations for live-action projects or a stylistic 3D animations with depth, Maya will help get you there.

Best easy animation software                    

8. cinema 4d.

Cinema 4D Demo Reel  •  Animation making software

Price: $59.99/month

Not every one of our selections on this list of best animation software is easy to learn. Many are challenging and complicated. That’s why Cinema 4D aims to create an effective yet easy to learn software so that you can spend more time animating and less time learning what to click next.

Cinema 4D is one of the best easy animation software contenders on this list. The software allows users to create detailed animations with modeling, lighting, and texturing capabilities.

Cinema 4D is commonly used among professional studios and beginner animators just the same. 3D animation can also be quite demanding of a program and Cinema 4D is known for its reliability and stability throughout a fast-paced workflow.

Houdini  •  Best animation programs

Price: (Indie Version) $269 per year

Often considered a competitor to Maya, the Houdini animation software brands itself as a procedural software. This is highly enticing to animators who love to explore various iterations and collaborate on their animation easily.

Houdini’s node-based workflow allows artists to explore various iterations in an organized manner. This ultimately can lead to more refined and evolved 3D animations. Houdini also has a very customizable interface that allows you to customize your workflow.

The pricing of Houdini varies on what you are creating and who you are creating for. If you’re simply curious, Houdini also offers a free learning version of their software so you can try before you buy.

• Best Animated Movies of All Time →
• Pixar Shorts That You Need to Watch →

Free animation software              

10. blender.

Blender  •  Cartoon software Reel and Showcase

Last, but certainly not least on our list of the best animation software is Blender. The one-stop-shot of animation programs, Blender supports every phase of 3D animation production. 

Within the same software you’ll find tools for animation, rigging, modeling, rendering, compositing, and even motion tracking.

Even if you don’t plan on using every tool, Blender is becoming an increasingly popular tool for simple storyboarding whether it's for an animated project or live-action project. The best part of all? Blender is an open source 3D software that is available to download for free. The free animation software is a great resource for anyone getting started in animation.

Best Storyboard Software

Like we mentioned in the beginning of this article, creating a foundational storyboard is essential for great animation. If you’re looking for the best tool to create your storyboard, check out our list of the best storyboard softwares available online.

Up Next: Storyboard Software →

Showcase your vision with elegant shot lists and storyboards..

Create robust and customizable shot lists. Upload images to make storyboards and slideshows.

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7 Best Animated Presentation Software You Should Know About

When you’re preparing a presentation for a business conference or smaller audience of students, you probably think about making it more interactive and attention-grabbing. One of the best ways to create such a presentation is to make slides animated.

Fortunately, there’s a huge number of applications for any operating system that offer animations for presentations. Some of them are even free and cross-platform. Let’s check the most popular ones.

Content Table

Microsoft PowerPoint

Back in the day, the words PowerPoint and presentations would be used interchangeably. This software is known worldwide and is mostly used on Windows computers and laptops.

PowerPoint has a lot of animation options, transitions, and settings to customize the duration, delay, motion, and other key parameters. You can also add a sound to transitions.

Presentations are saved in PPTX format, which is the international standard. That means your file will be compatible with virtually every computer.

All these features and even more advanced ones for editing presentations are included in Microsoft’s desktop office suite . The prices start at $6 per user/mo for businesses and $69 per year for individual use.

Focusky is positioned as software for HTML5 business presentations and therefore a good option for business teams.

Focusky offers advanced animations, including free 3D transition effects — for example, zooming, panning, and rotating. The product provides users with more than 300 animation effects, numerous motion paths, animated backgrounds, and GIF characters.

The solution works on Windows and Mac computers. There’s even a free plan, but it applies a watermark on presentations and restricts import to PPTX and access to templates. All the best options are available within the Professional plan for $99 yearly.

Keynote is the Apple software for presentations, which is normally pre-installed on every Mac and iPhone. As the entire Apple office suite, Keynote is free.

In Keynote , you’ll find enough templates for presentations, as well as animation options for objects and text. Transitions for slides are also available. The design of animations in Keynote is really unusual and impressive for viewers.

Except for the omnipresent PPTX format, you can save your slides as a GIF file, set of images, PDF, or even a movie. Keynote definitely offers a bit more than some other free applications. If you have Apple devices or Mac computers, this app would be a solution to most presentation-related tasks. 

Visme is an online service that offers presentation editing, animations, and design. The key advantage here is a template library — no need to start design courses to draft a professional presentation.

Source: Visme

Whatever field your company is active in, Visme has presentation templates. Technical or financial teams, nutrition blogs, education — there are designs for creating a perfect look and feel of a presentation. 

You can add classy transitions and animations, save the final version of a presentation as JPG or PNG slides, PPTX or PDF files, or even as a video with sound. Such features are great for anyone who needs truly professional slides on a nearly daily basis.

Visme is an online-based solution, so you’ll need an Internet connection to work there. The pricing starts at $297 per year for 1 user.

Prezi is one of the most popular presentations apps. No doubt, the best about it is the intuitive and clear interface. Any user can navigate and work in Prezi easily without additional expertise.

Just like Visme, Prezi offers a template library. However, it provides only 200+ designs — it’s enough in most cases, though. Also, animation choice is pretty much limited to fading and zooming in and out.

Thanks to the desktop app, Prezi can run on Windows and Mac computers without the Internet. In fact, this software is perfect for an occasional presenter. 

There’s a free plan, but the best features and functionalities are available in the Plus plan, which costs $12 per month.

Genially is another feature-rich and user-friendly presentation service. Fully online-based, it provides you with numerous templates and animation choices.

In Genially, you have 4 motion paths and several animation options for each one. Start, speed, and direction can be easily customized in the settings.

Moreover, there’s integration with popular stock image websites, such as GIPHY or Pixabay, the ability to insert the so-called smart blocks (charts and infographics), and interactive elements. With these functionalities, Genially is rather a good alternative to Visme or Prezi.

The output presentation can be shared online or downloaded as JPG, PDF, and even HTML. The standard PPTX format isn’t really at the core of Genially, so the best idea would be to deliver the presentation right from the browser. 

The Pro plan unlocks necessary features and costs 7.49 EUR per month.

Final thoughts

Presentations play a crucial role in today’s business routine and education. They’re a nice way to deliver thoughts to prospects, colleagues, or students in an understandable way. Animations are perfect to win the attention of your audience.

Each of the numerous presentation editing software has animations and transitions for interactive slides. However, the set of features is different in all applications and hence the pricing may vary.

Choose a suitable app based on how often you need presentations, whether advanced animations and templates are important for you, and certainly the cost.

Got any suggestions?

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The 23 Best 3D Animation Software for Beginners in 2024

by Jasmine Katatikarn | Last updated Jan 17, 2024

Want to improve your animation skills? 

There’s no better time to learn about the best 3D animation software for beginners than today. Mastering industry-standard software applications are critical to building a successful career in the animation and VFX industries. Knowing which applications to learn, you are much likelier to get a job at top studios (Pixar and Dreamworks, to name a few), earn more than you ever thought possible, and enjoy a fulfilling career. And here below, we list the 23 best tools for you. 

Want to learn more? Let’s dive right in. 

What is 3D Animation?

3D animation is the art of bringing characters, sceneries, and props to life using 3D animation applications. To become successful in the animation and VFX industries, you have to master applications that many studios use. If you’re just getting your start, there are many 3D animation software programs for beginners to choose from. 

Why Should You Learn 3D Animation?

It’s essential to learn about these software applications as early in your career as possible because you’ll stand out from the competition and get MORE job opportunities. Hiring managers are always looking for very well-versed artists in the 3D animation software to save time. Less training means you can join a project faster. 

Also, artists who know how to use specific 3D animation software are getting paid more simply because they have the technical know-how and the experience. 

Can You Learn 3D Animation on Your Own?

A question we get asked a lot is, “Can I learn 3D animation on my own?”

The answer? Yes, you can. However, you’ll get much more out of the software if you have the proper training for it. 3D animation software programs, even the most basic ones, have tools that will require some practice to use the right way. Essentially, you’ll get faster results if you have the proper training. You’ll make fewer mistakes, which means you can complete a project faster. 

For example, take our student, Nicholas. 

Nicholas attended the Kansas City Art Institute for traditional hand-drawn animation and was almost instantly drawn to 3D animation. 

As no school or program had a strong 3D focus, he left his program early and began teaching himself 3D through online resources. 

His first job was as a 3D artist. But soon enough, Nicholas felt that he wanted to focus on the area that interested him the most — lighting, rendering, and composition. 

Again, he looked around for schools, but all of them were expensive and their curriculum felt outdated.

Ultimately, that’s how he found us at the Academy of Animated Art. He says:

“I immediately felt like I had a direction to go that would lead to success, and from there, it was up to me to work and make it happen. It feels like I have made incredible progress in such a short amount of time, and there is no way that would have happened without AAA.“

And just a short while later, Nicholas was offered a spot in Disney’s Apprenticeship program as a lighting trainee, fulfilling his dream of becoming a lighting artist.

How Long Does It Take to Learn 3D Animation?

How long it takes you to learn 3D animation depends on how much time, energy, and money you can spend. You can develop your skills in a few years and then build your skills if you choose to make it your career.  

If you’re a full-time student, you’ll obviously get results much faster. That said, by taking courses on the subject, you’ll get quicker results than if you just go through hundreds of free tutorials. 

What is the Best 3D Animation Software for Beginners?

What is the easiest 3D animation software to use ?

Great question. When you’re still getting your start, it’s hard to know which of these 3D animation software applications to get — that’s something you’ll learn from experience. But, to understand what separates good from bad tools, here are some factors to consider:

The Power to Tell a Story

A good 3D animation software tool should let you tell a story to elicit the desired emotions. Using the software, you should be able to express the message that you want to convey, create worlds that could inspire your audience, and create characters that people could connect with. Choose a 3D animation software that lets you create, shape, and manipulate scenes, characters, and props to evoke the right emotions. 

Utmost Control

A good 3D animation software should have all the tools you need to express your vision. The software should come with features that let you control the flow of the story. It should allow you to edit scenes and work from different angles so that watching your creation is a complete experience for your audience. 

3D animation applications often come with pre-made models that you can use for animation. The software should let you mold these models to suit the scene you are building. Ideally, you have total control over the model to bring it to life. 

When it comes to choosing which of the best free animation software for beginners to use, it all boils down to the ones used by big studios. 

One of our favorites is Maya, one of the most popular 3D animation and modeling programs. Blender is a free 3D animation software that big studios like Disney use for their films. On the other hand, RenderMan is used by Pixar. This software application is free for non-commercial projects. Other applications that big studios use to animate are Zbrush, Keyshot, and Adobe Character Animator. 

List of 3D Animation Software for Beginners

While most 3D animation software applications come with complex toolsets to bring ideas to life, some are very beginner-friendly. That’s what this guide is all about. Let’s get to know more about these applications and how each one could help you succeed in the animation and VFX industries:

Official Website  

Check out our Maya technical workshop that teaches you exactly how to use Maya from the ground up. 

Autodesk Maya is an industry-standard . It’s a 3D animation software that does everything related to 3D animation, including modeling, simulation, and rendering. It’s the software of choice for 3D scenes, games, presentations, special effects, and movies. Maya is best known for its customizable user interface. It comes with an advanced CG compositing program called “MatchMover” that allows users to combine 3D rendered images with motion data. 

Maya comes with a comprehensive set of tools and features for modeling, animating, texturing, rigging, lighting, and rendering. Because it’s on-destructive and non-linear, Maya lets users create incredibly true to life images and animations. You can also use Maya to model complex objects such as hair, fur, particles, and clothing.

• Cached Playback
• Animation Bookmarks
• Native motion library plugin
• Time Editor
• Geodesic voxel binding
• General animation tools
• Shape authoring workflow
• Parallel rig evaluation
• Performance capture
• Arnold GPU/ CPU
• Look development with Hypershade
• Revamped sculpting tools
• Polygon modeling
• UV editor workflow, look, and feel

Used by big studios: Again, Maya is an industry-standard. It’s one of the most widely-used 3D animation software programs in the business, so knowing how to use Maya will give you an advantage over the competition. 

Extensive Features: Maya has all the tools and features needed to create any type of animated characters and scenes. The software has everything to create different worlds. You’re only limited to your imagination. 

It’s not one of the cheaper options: Maya is a pricier tool because of the sophisticated technologies. 

Will require training: You can play with Maya’s many features, but to get the most out of this software, you need proper training. 

Pricing Plans 

Monthly Subscription: $205

Annual Subscription: $1620

3-Year Subscription: $4,375

2. Adobe Character Animator

Adobe Character Animation CC is an animation and motion capture software tool that lets you create 2D character animation and live animation in real-time. This software combines live motion-capture and multi-task recorder to create 2D puppets drawn in Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. 

The live inputs are collected through a webcam for face-tracking, microphone for live lip-syncing, keyboard for triggering layers, and mouse for warping specific handles. You can then superimpose the puppets in different scenes.

Rigging is done automatically on Character Animation CC using specific layer names. Apart from creating characters in seconds, you can animate with legs, arms, and heads using control gestures. You can animate limbs naturally, create more accurate lip-sync, and add voices via the Adobe Sensei to correspond with movements and expressions.

• Characterizer
• Physics: Squash and Stretch deformation, Damping control
• Walk behavior improvements
• History bookmarks
• Improved Start workspace

Animate in seconds: With this software, you can create movie animations, kinetic typography, cartoons, animated GIFs, etc., in real-time. It’s easy to use, and the animations are very fluid. 

Fast rigging: Using correctly layered PSD or Illustrator file, character rigging is virtually done automatically. It also comes with useful automatic lip-syncing and automatic walk cycle features.

Very specific: Rigging will require a particular naming structure and folder to automate the rigging.

Limited timeline editing: It will take some tweaking to pull out individual parts of the character.

Pricing Plans

Monthly Individual Subscription: $69.72

Monthly Subscription for Students and Teachers: $26.30

Monthly Subscription for Teams: $54.04

If you’re looking for a free 3D animation software for beginners, you’ll love Blender. It is an open-source 3D animation application that could support an entire 3D pipeline — modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, and motion tracking. You can also use Blender to support the 2D animation pipeline as well as VFX, gaming, and video editing. 

As a cross-platform software, Blender works well in various operating systems – Windows, Mac, and Linux and a port for FreeBSD. Blender’s OpenGL interface ensures a consistent experience for ease of use. Because it’s open-source software, the public could tweak the codebase to add more features, fix bugs, and promote better usability. 

• Non-linear video editor
• UV unwrapping
• Raster Graphics Editing
• Built-in real-time graphics  
• GPU rendering
• Integrator for lighting computations
• Texture and shading
• EEVEE real-time PBR renderer 

It’s free: Blender is a software program designed for public use. But unlike some software brands that offer free 3D animation software for beginners with limited features, Blender supports the entire 3D pipeline. 

Feature-packed: Blender has all the features you need to create a full-length animated movie. You can use Blender to execute 3D modeling, texturing, and rendering in a single program. It also comes with quality rigging, particle simulation, smoke simulation, soft body simulation, skinning, fluid simulation, and match moving features.

Steep learning curve: Blender is loaded with a host of features, and for a beginner, learning all these tools can be quite intimidating or overwhelming. You’ll need proper training to use Blender to its fullest.

Cluttered interface: The interface takes a while to get used to, but the menus and toolbars are customizable.

According to Blender’s website :

• You can use Blender for free, for any purpose
• You are free to distribute Blender
• You can study how Blender works and change it
• You can distribute changed versions of Blender

Though free, users can donate and participate in advancing and supporting the Blender community.

Official Website

KeyShot is a 3D rendering software tool that lets you animate visuals of your 3D models in real-time. This software enables you to apply materials and light scenes quickly and easily by providing a host of scientifically-accurate materials and real-world lighting effects. On top of that, KeyShot offers advanced features and capabilities to create incredibly realistic characters, objects, and scenes. 

Although packed with advanced features, KeyShot is known for being user-friendly. It’s straightforward to learn thanks to its simple, workflow-based interface. But don’t let the user-friendly interface fool you; the software comes with advanced technologies and features for the most experienced 3D render professional.

• CPU Rendering
• GPU Rendering
• Scientific accurate IOR, dispersion, and subsurface scattering
• Global Illumination
• Focused Caustics
• HDRI Lighting
• Physical Lighting
• Material Library
• Texture Library
• Environment Library
• Color Library
• 3D Model Library
• KeyShot Cloud
• Procedural Textures
• Dynamic Texture Mapping

Powerful features: The KeyShot Animation system is streamlined so you can create fluid animations with real-time playback and updates. As a renderer, KeyShot’s performance is unparalleled. The software will use all of your computer’s cores for lighting quick rendering.

Easy to use: KeyShot may be packed with excellent features, but it’s one of the most user-friendly 3D animation software programs there is. You don’t have to be an expert to create realistic images of your 3D model.

It’s expensive: All those features will cost you. As with any feature-rich 3D animation software applications, KeyShot is expensive – more expensive than some other 3D animation software tools. Also, subscriptions are limited to yearly packages, with no monthly or per-use pricing.

Limited geometry modification: You cannot modify the geometry like standard 3D software. Instead, you can only move the geometry, but you cannot alter its shape or form.

KeyShot 9 HD: $995.00 per year

KeyShot 9 Pro: $1,995.00 per year 

KeyShot 9 Pro Floating: $2,995.00 per year 

KeyShot 9 Enterprise: $3,995.00 per year

5. Houdini Apprentice 

From the makers of Houdini FX comes Houdini Apprentice. It is the free version of Houdini FX and is geared towards students, hobbyists, and artists with personal, non-commercial projects. Houdini Apprentice lets you work at home for free, and it works seamlessly with Houdini Education, a sister animation software for school. Thanks to Houdini Apprentice’s .hipnc file format, working with different Houdini FX versions is easy and fuss-free. 

As far as features go, Houdini Apprentice gives you all the features of Houdini FX but expect several restrictions since it’s free software. The software cannot be floated on the network; it’s locked to the machine using them. With this software, you cannot use the License Administrator and “cannot be returned from the computer using the License Administrator.”

• Solaris: Layout Tools
• Solaris: Lookdev & Lighting
• Mantra/Karma Rendering
• Compositing
• PDG | Tasks
• Local Scheduler
• Simple Fireball
• Rigid Bodies
• Simple Fracturing
• VELLUM Cloth
• Simple Cloth
• Wire Dynamics

It’s free: The best things in life are free, including the Houdini Apprentice. As long as you are using the software for non-commercial projects, you can enjoy its advanced features without paying a dime.

Flexible environment: Houdini Apprentice offers a powerful yet versatile environment and natural, node-based workflow that lets you unleash your fullest.

Many restrictions: Houdini Apprentice comes with many restrictions, which are expected with free software applications. This software cannot be used in the same pipeline as commercial versions of Houdini. Also, the assets used in Apprentice can’t be used with Houdini Engine or Houdini Engine Indie. Rendering is restricted to 1280×720.

Rendering limits: Houdini Apprentice has its own file format for saving assets and scenes. If you are rendering file formats other than the .picnc format, the results will be wordmarked. Houdini Apprentice will not work with other third-party renderers.

6. Cartoon Animator 4 

Cartoon Animator 4 is an animation software that lets you animate characters while generating lip-sync animation from audio, work on 3D parallax scenes, use a variety of 2D visual effects and adopt a comprehensive photoshop pipeline to custom create characters. The software comes with useful features and tools that let you turn illustrations into animation.

You can also use Cartoon Animator 4 to animate yourself! It features a sophisticated set of motion capture tools so you can record a video of your avatar or someone else performing as the character. You can then transfer the actions and movements to the animated avatar. 

Cartoon Animator 4 is also one of the best 3D animation software programs for beginners. The navigation is user-friendly and straightforward. Integration with other programs such as Photoshop, Krita, Affinity, or Clip Studio Paint, is also seamless. What’s more, you can use a whole library of assets for breathing life to 2D and 3D scenes. 

• Full body mocap
• Motion Capture for 2D Animation
• Webcam and iPhone facial Mocap
• Hand tracking and digital Puppets
• Smart IK Motion Editing
• Precise IK/FK System
• Smart Motion Retargeting
• Auto IK Rig
• Stretch Animation
• 2D character rigging and bone tools
• Character templates for humans & animals
• Create multi-angled 2D characters
• animate character – prop
• Prop Dynamics & SFX
• Give life to props – Elastic Motion
• Create Interactive Compound Animations
• Combine props and link SFX
• Light and shades – Effect Layers

Easy animation: Cartoon Animator 4 is one of the most beginner-friendly 3D animation software programs. All the features you need to create animated characters, objects, and scenes are laid out simply so you can focus on creating amazing visuals and telling a story.

Seamless integration: This software plays well with other art-based applications, giving you even more control over all aspects of the animation you are working on. 

Best for professional use: Cartoon Animator 4 is reasonably priced if you work on projects for profits. But for hobbyists, there are more affordable options out there. 

Constant updates: Cartoon Animator 4 requires regular updates, and you have to pay for these updates. The price isn’t that much, but it could add up, which might frustrate some users.

Pipeline Edition: $199 

PRO Edition: $99

7. Adobe After Effects

After Effects is Adobe’s motion graphics, compositing, and visual effects software. This software is designed for movies, video games, and television production. It can also be used for keying, tracking, compositing, and of course, animation. 

The software boasts of hundreds of special effects that could manipulate imagery in every way possible. With After Effects, you can combine layers of video and images into the same scene to create stunning visual wizardry. Adobe After Effects also works as a basic non-linear editor, audio editor, and media transcoder. 

Integration is also seamless with After Effects; the software goes well with other software applications. You can also use After Effects to import 3D scene data and create Hollywood-level title sequences.

• 2D Vector Animation
• Basic 3D Animation
• Character Animation
• Kinetic Typography
• UI/UX mock-up animations
• Visual Effects
• Motion Graphics
• Rotoscoping 
• Motion Tracking

Access to powerful toolsets: Adobe is known as an art, animation, and visual effects powerhouse, and with After Effects, you get a vast selection of Adobe toolsets that will take your visuals to the next level. Some of the Adobe applications that complement After Effects are Photoshop, Illustrator, Character Animator, or Animate. 

Stunning visuals: Expect nothing but the best features with After Effects. From motion graphics to VFX, After Effects come with all the essential post-production features that will elevate your creations. There are also loads of plugins you can use to boost customization.

No real-time features: Unlike some animation applications that come with real-time features, After Effects doesn’t have what is often deemed by many artists as an industry standard. 

It’s expensive: It’s from Adobe and true to form, After Effects is quite pricey. There’s a free version, but the features are limited, which is expected from these applications. 

After Effects as part of Creative Cloud: $27.62 per month

Creative Cloud All Apps: $69.72 per month

Students and teachers: $26.30 per month

Business: $54.04 per month

8. Stop Motion Studio

Stop Motion Studio is a full-featured movie editor with an easy to use interface and powerful toolset for animation. This software lets you animate objects easily using a copy, cut, and insert approach at any position. Stop Motion Studio enables you to capture high-quality images using automatic or manual camera control settings. You can record using a live screen or in 4K and use a second device as a remote camera.

What sets Stop Motion Studio apart from other 3D animation software programs for beginners is that it can be used across all devices. It is available for iOS, macOS, Android, and Windows. It is also compatible with all popular camera brands, including Sony, Canon, and Nikon. With this software, you can start a project on one device and then complete it on another device. 

• Frame-by-frame editing
• Desktop-class movie editing
• Grid and Onion Skin controls 
• Sound effects and music clips 
• Built-in audio editor 
• Painting tools
• Apple Pencil support
• Magic eraser
• Image editor
• Import options
• Youtube Export
• Rotoscoping
• iCloud Sync
• Shared iPad and Mobile Device Management

Beginner-friendly: This software makes moviemaking so fun and easy. It offers a range of powerful animation features that are simple to use. It’s even kid-friendly, so it’s virtually fool-proof. Great for practicing your skills as an artist. 

Social media integration: You can showcase your work on social media because the software lets you upload on YouTube and Facebook. You can also save your work as WMV, AVI, MPEG1, MPEG2, or HD MPEG file. 

Limited tools: Although Stop Motion Studio comes with a host of powerful yet easy to use features, the tools are not as extensive compared to other animation software programs. There are no pre-created special effects or character templates to use. You have to build your character from scratch.

Limited animation: The software focuses on animating physical objects instead of illustrations, so the animation aspect can be quite limiting. 

iPhone, iPad and iPod: $4.99

Android and Chromebooks: $4.99

Windows: $9.99

9. Synfig Studio

Synfig Studio is an open-source, 2-D animation software that lets you create film-quality animation without drawing the displayed images individually to create the illusion of movement. This software utilizes two techniques to make character animation easier – morphing and cutout animation. 

Morphing is a technique that creates a smooth transition between two images to make a basic sense of motion for a scene. Cut-out animation splits an object into several parts then adds simple transformation to interpolate the motion in-between frames.

• Simple, Single-Window mode UI
• full-featured bone system
• Advanced image distortion
• Skeleton system
• Cutout Tool
• Sound Layer
• Linux full-featured audio editors
• Dynamics converter
• Image painting engine with MyPaint brushes
• Preliminary support for frame-by-frame animation
• Plugin support 

It’s free: Synfig Studio is perfect for artists on a budget because it’s free. It’s ideal for small projects, and there are loads of experimental features to tinker with. The software also plays nicely with many third-party plugins, so you can create breathtaking animations without spending more on a pricey application.

Easy to use: Synfig Studio sticks to simple navigation with a basic workflow. You don’t have to be an expert to play with Synfig Studio. 

Limited resources: Synfig Studio does not enjoy the same level of popularity as other animation software programs, so finding info about it online isn’t easy. 

Needs a fast computer: The software is on the heavy side, and unless you’re using a fast computer, it will slow down your machine. You need to save regularly because your computer might crash now and then.

10. Toon Boom Harmony

Toon Boom Harmony is a versatile animation and production software program that lets you create animations for short films, television, video games, or online content. With the software, you can create animations using various techniques: cutout, paperless, and traditional animation. It can handle animation tasks from scanning to compositing — even 2D-3D integration. Some of the tools include pencil lines, textures, deformation tools, morphing tools, inverse kinematics, and a built-in compositor. 

Apart from the software, Toon Boom offers a centralized server so you can share, manage, and store assets from a central database. The dedicated server allows data sharing within a studio or between studios. 

Toon Boom Harmony comes in three different versions, Essentials, Advanced, and Premium. Essentials is an introductory software for students and hobbyists. The Advanced version is for freelancers and studios, while Premium is geared towards creative business use and schools. There is a free version of this software, although expect some limitations.

• Advanced brush engine
• 2D/3D integration 
• color pallets and painting
• Traditional paperless animation
• Special effects and compositing
• Cut-out animation and rigging
• Pipeline integration
• Weighted-Deform Node
• Lighting & Shading tools
• Advanced color management environments and effects 

Feature-rich: Toon Boom Harmony has a whole arsenal of drawing tools to explore. It also comes with bitmap drawing and painting tools. This is an excellent software to get if you are a digital painter because it has features that let you create richer, hand-drawn animations.

Special effects: Toon Boom Harmony offers an advanced set of rigging tools, including advanced deformers, which are a step up from regular rigid bones. It also provides robust compositing tools. There are built-in visual effects, including a nodal compositing system.

Steep learning curve: Since Harmony comes with a wide range of features, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. It doesn’t help that the interface isn’t intuitively designed. 

Complicated: Because it’s a complex software, expect lots of tinkering when using this software. The features are quite heavy as well so you’ll need a robust computer.

Monthly Subscription: $23 Essentials, $58 Advanced, $109 Premium

Annual Subscription: $15 Essentials, $38 Advanced, $73 Premium

Perpetual License: $375 Essentials, $975 Advanced, $1,975 Premium

Honorable Mentions

11. digicel flipbook.

Official Website 

DigiCel FlipBook is a user-friendly animation software for creating traditional 2D animation. This application is very similar to Toon Boom Harmony and TVPaint; it comes with great features for creating simple animations. DigiCel FlipBook does not support skeletal animation or morph target animation. This was done intentionally as these features aren’t part of the traditional animators’ toolkit.

DigiCel FlipBook comes in five different versions. There’s the free version that produces watermarked results. There’s Lite, Studio, Pro, and Pro HD. The Lite version provides one foreground, one background, one soundtrack, and up to 300 frames per shot. The rest of the versions support more layers and frames as well as higher output resolutions.

• Shoot and scan illustrations
• Lip sync support
• Zoom, pan, rotate, dissolve, blur options
• Import and export functions
• Add a soundtrack to a storyboard
• Speed up or slow up the timing of frames
• Multiple transition effects
• Drawn on PC or tablet

Easy to use: DigiCel FlipBook is one of the easiest animation applications in the business. The features are simple, so you can start animating right away.

Best for traditional animation: Since the software doesn’t support skeletal and morph features, it’s designed for animating traditional, hand-drawn illustrations.

Limited support: Support is available, there are basic help files online, but that’s about it. If you need more help, there are only a few video tutorials available for DigiCel FlipBook.

Flat results: There are fewer options for artistic effects, so the animations tend to look flat and “too clean.”

FlipBook Lite:  $19.99

FlipBook Studio:  $69.99

FlipBook Pro:  $169.99

FlipBook ProHD:  $199.99

12. TinkerCAD

TinkerCAD is a computer-aided design (CAD software designed for users with no modeling experience). It features an intuitively-designed interface that can be manipulated using a mouse. This software lets you edit designs and recreate existing 2D and 3D designs. You have the freedom to modify or combine different shapes and objects, add movements, and develop circuits using TinkerCAD’s lines and customizable shapes.

The software boasts a drag and drop method of modifying or combining different 3D shapes and objects, allowing you to create complex results. It’s free software, so it’s one of the best 3D animation software for beginners working on a limited budget.

• File Exportation
• File Editing

Easy to use: This software is aimed at beginners, so the navigation is simple, and the features are easy to use. You can create movable objects quickly.

Great resources: Since Autodesk made TinkerCAD, there is a wealth of in-depth tutorials found online. 

Limited features: The shape library is limited because the software is created mostly for 3D design students and beginners. 

Web-based interface: It’s an online tool so expect lags when the internet is slow. Sometimes the software stops working entirely if the internet is unstable.

13. Pencil2D

Pencil2D is an animation and drawing software that lets you create hand-drawn animation in bitmap and vector graphs. This open-source animation software uses the Qt framework, and the features are based on traditional animation techniques such as trade drawing and onion skinning. The software has its own file format, but you can export your images in PNG, JPEG, BMP, or TIFF format. For the video format, you can save it in AVI, MP4, WebM, GIF, or APNG format. Pencil2D is available in Windows, Mac, and Linux OS. 

Pencil2D’s user interface is quite simple, and it will only take a few hours to learn how to animate characters or objects by yourself. The minimalist user interface isn’t overwhelming at all, and the shortcuts ensure speedy animating.

• Animate Characters
• Collaboration
• Custom Characters
• Digital Effects
• Layers and Filters
• Production Pipeline
• Sound Synchronization
• Vector Drawings
• Save and Export
• Vertical Videos

Excellent support: Pencil2D is a cross-platform animation software that’s been used for years, so there is a wealth of information about it online. Since it’s an open-source application, updates are always available.

User-friendly: The minimalist user interface is easy to use, clutter-free, and organized. All the features are already laid out for you with shortcuts to boot. It’s an ideal animation program for those who are just getting into animation. 

Basic Tools: The tools for painting and drawing are very stripped down. There’s not a lot of complex features to explore.

Does not support older OS: Lower OS versions inhibit the use of other advanced features. This can be solved by simply upgrading your computer’s OS.

14. SketchUp

SketchUp is a web-based 3D modelling software designed for moviemakers, engineers, and architects. The program can be used for different 3D modelling applications, particularly in gaming, interior designing, civil and mechanical engineering, just to name a few. It has a drawing layout functionality and surface rendering, as well as support for third-party plugins to enhance its features. 

What’s great about SketchUp is its library of free model assemblies called 3D warehouse. Users could use the models or contribute models to the library. All the models in the library are free for anyone to use. 

• Lighting effects
• Layer manager
• Unlimited access to Pre-Built 3D models
• Augmented Reality Mobile Viewer
• Unlimited Cloud Storage
• Robust desktop 3D modeler
• 2D Design Documentation
• Quick insights for design research
• Experience Reality (XR) Headset Viewing
• Access to plugins for extending SketchUp Pro Desktop functionality
• Building energy analysis
• Daylight analysis
• HVAC sizing
• Thermal comfort analysis
• Carbon Emissions

Quick modelling updates: SketchUp makes it easy to create or modify models with simple shapes. Using this software, you can build a model quickly and achieve realistic results. You can also change the details, scenes, or materials in real-time. 

Huge asset library: The 3D model library is vast and free. Useful for animators looking for assets to use for any 3D modelling projects.

Hard to control layout: The controls are complicated, so you’ll have to search for more information online, which takes a lot of time.

Over-reliance on plugins: Instead of developing built-in features to improve the user experience, SketchUp is dependent on third-party plugins. These plugins are available in its 3D warehouse but downloading and activating the plugins is an added step to the process. 

SketchUp Shop: $119 per year

SketchUp Pro: $299 per year

SketchUp Studio: $1199 per year

K-3D is a free 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software. The software boasts a node-based visualization pipeline architecture and a user-friendly interface, so it’s ideal for students and beginners. But don’t let the seemingly simple UI fool you. K-3D provides movie-quality animations + full RenderMan integrations. 

The application lets you create and modify documents in various real-time OpenGL solid, shaded, texture-mapped views. K-3D also features procedural and parametric workflows. It also offers an advanced undo/redo system that lets you go back to your work, modify it, and then save your work – something you cannot do on other animation applications. 

• Full RenderMan support 
• Record interactive tutorials and macros
• Unlimited undo/redos
• Create and edit documents in multiple realtime OpenGL views
• Scripting interface supports K3DScript and Python
• With an open API for other scripting languages
• Model, animate, and interact with animations
• Architecture for full extensibility at runtime via third-party plugins.
• Animated geometric procedural effects
• Control-spline based animation
• Supports Renderman Subdivision Mesh output
• Capable of rendering one million polygons at interactive rates
• Background rendering and batch rendering
• Support for the LuxRender render engine
• Experimental support for CSG operations on polyhedra, using either CGAL or CARVE
• Introductory support for NURBS

Simple layout: K-3D is popular because the interface’s look and feel is intuitively-designed and discoverable.

Powerful: K-3D is packed with advanced features that are found only in expensive software applications. It offers procedural and parametric workflows, full RenderMan support, and plugin support.

Lacks tutorials: It’s hard to find step-by-step guides for users online. 

Steep learning curve: Although the user interface is laid out simply, learning all the tools could overwhelm a beginner.

16. PowToon

Make videos in minutes – that’s PowToon’s tagline, and that’s precisely what you can expect from this animation/video maker. The app offers a vast library of characters, scenes, and objects that you can use to create and share presentations and content. 

PowToon comes with templates that you can choose for creating high-quality videos. The drag and drop functionality lets you design and creates visual content with ease. It also comes with music you can use for your animations, or you can create voice-overs yourself. Using PowToon is similar to using PowerPoint. PowToon also works as a communication platform so you can connect with other artists or join webinars. 

• Customize characters
• Royalty-free footage, images, and soundtracks
• Drag and drop interface
• Fully customizable videos
• Over 100 video templates in the library
• Pre-designed animation

Intuitive UI: Beginner-friendly, just like creating a simple PowerPoint presentation

Unique features: Great selection of unique features to make every video stand out, such as moving images from one point to another specific point in the video. Characters and objects are very diverse.

Limited features: The free version comes with limited features. The best characters and objects are only available in the Pro version.

Watermarked results: You need to get the Pro version to remove the watermarks on the finished visuals.

17. Daz Studio

Daz Studio is a rendering and scene creation application that lets you animate beautiful, realistic images. This free resource enables you to arrange scenes, and there’s no need to buy assets through Daz Studio. The application offers a range of models and resources for free. 

With Daz Studio, you can build customized scenes and characters in seconds. You can export photo-realistic images and animations using the app’s studio-class processing. It has a massive content library teeming with premium 3D content too! One of the most amazing things about this software is that you can build your own universe from scratch. It has an advanced character system and smart content that you can mix and match to create a visually-stunning world.

• Photo-Realistic Renders
• Auto Convert to V-ray
• Built-In Flexing of Muscle Groups.
• Detailed Characters
• Daz Studio 3D Creation Software Tool
• Props to Maya with 2 Clicks
• More Organic Bends and Articulation.
• Hexagon Delete Accessory
• Dress Modeling.
• IRAY Uber Shader
• dForce physics simulation
• Advanced shoulder, collar bone, and abdomen bends
• Built-in muscle flexion
• Morph technology

Realistic character production: Using Daz 3D, you can create photo-realistic images. The advanced morphing technology lets you choose and customize different body extremities and muscularity. 

Easy to use: It’s user-friendly and ideal for beginners and professionals alike. Daz Studio offers various powerful tools and features to animate, model, and render 3D images, but these are presented in a user-friendly manner. 

You can’t create your own models: The software boasts a sizable 3D model library that you can manipulate. However, you can’t make your own models.

Prone to glitches: According to users, bugs and glitches are common occurrences with Daz 3D. 

18. Cinema 4D

Cinema 4D is an award-winning animation and rendering software. Designed for beginners and professional users alike, Cinema 4D offers a powerful toolset for “easy” animating and rendering. It is also capable of procedural and polygonal/subd modeling, lighting, and texturing.

With this software, you can rig simple cartoon characters by following Cinema 4D’s easy to follow tutorial. It also comes with proprietary technologies for faster animation, such as Sketch and Toon module. These features let you transform your 3D artwork into cartoon-like assets with just a few clicks of a button. The application’s MoGraph tools let you create photo-realistic images. 

• Take System for creating and modifying multiple independent takes of a scene
• Lens Distortion Support
• Graph View for Motion Tracker
• Spline Tools
• Animation workflow enhancements
• Sculpt to Pose Morph feature
• Houdini engine integration
• Scene independent pose library
• Character Definition Tag allows rig-independent definition of character components
• Extensive preset library of high-quality motion capture presets
• Character Solver transfers motion between rigs based on character definitions, regardless of hierarchy or joint rotations

Easy to use: For a feature-packed 3D animation software, Cinema 4D is surprisingly easy to use. Yes, you need proper training to get the most out of Cinema 4D, but the features are streamlined so you can navigate the app with ease.

Smooth integration: Cinema 4D is a powerful animation, rendering, and texturing software as it is. You can also use it for procedural and polygonal modeling. But the software becomes even more powerful when integrated with other industry-standard animation software programs. And integration is smooth as silk.

It’s expensive: The user license costs $700, and you have to pay extra for the new system, so the total price for the perpetual plan is $3,495. You can choose between monthly and annual subscriptions.

Not perfect: Cinema 4D is no doubt a powerful animation tool, but it has its limits. The technology isn’t perfect; some users noted that the bodypainting and UV editing needs more work. 

Annual subscription: $59.99 

Monthly subscription: $94.99 

Perpetual plan: $3,495 

19. Moodily

Moovly is a cloud-based video editing software that lets you produce multimedia content. You can use the software to create animated videos, promo videos, video tutorials, and so much more. 

The software has its own templates that you can customize according to your preferences. You can choose from the software’s many video templates or build your own, providing utmost flexibility. The drag and drop user interface lets you customize every aspect of your video easily. Content can be created using a combination of custom-made videos, images, and sounds. The final results could be downloaded in a .MP4 format and published on various video platforms. 

• Video creation and editing
• Browser-based, drag-and-drop video creation
• Upload your own images, sounds, and videos
• Over 1.3 million free media objects 
• Create videos in any shape or style
• Add animations and transitions 
• Add music, sounds, and voice 
• Convert text to voice-over and choose from over 20 languages
• automatic subtitle generation
• Publish directly to video hosting sites 
• Integrate DAM assets  

No installation is needed: This is a browser-based and cloud-based animation software, so it doesn’t require installation or software download. You can use Moovly with any device.

Massive asset library: Moovly’s asset library contains millions of free media objects and hundreds of soundtracks. There are thousands of illustrations, sound loops, illustrations, and motion graphics to choose from.  

Prone to glitches: Users say that Moovly is prone to glitches, and you have to refresh the page every time an error occurs. 

Download limits: You are only allowed to download 50 videos per month.

Free version

Pro Version: $ 24.92

Max Version: $49.92

Enterprise version: custom pricing

20. Animaker 

Animaker is a browser-based, DIY animation creator and video maker. It’s similar to Moovly in terms of features, allowing you to create animated videos using pre-built characters and video templates. The software offers a range of visual effects, audio tracks, camera effects, and screen effects to animate or enhance videos that you can use for your website or market your business. 

Animaker is easy to use, as you don’t have to be an expert in video-making to create engaging animated videos. You can build and/or modify the videos using the software’s easy drag and drop feature.

• Powerful HTML5 Engine
• Professionally made templates
• Video creation 
• .gif video editor
• Short video making
• Live video editing
• Character Builder
• Extensive Facial Expressions
• Auto Lip-Sync
• Smart Move animation
• A massive library of animated characters, properties, BGs, icons, images, videos

Easy to use: Animaker is exceptionally user-friendly, not surprising considering its brand tagline, “So simple, even a child could use!”

High-quality videos: The software lets you build or customize premade templates to create high-quality videos that you’d be proud to share on social media. There are so many features that enhance the visual impact of any video.

It’s browser-based: Since it’s browser-based, you need a strong internet connection to make the application work smoothly.

Outdated UI: The user interface may be cumbersome to navigate, and sometimes, the way the features are laid-out is confusing.

Basic Plan: $10 per month

Starter Plan: $19 per month

Pro Plan: $39 per month

Enterprise: custom pricing

21. Wings 3D

Wings 3D is an advanced open-source modeler inspired by Nendo and Mirai from Izware. The software is named after the winged data structure that it uses to store coordinate and adjacency data. 

Wings 3D can model and texture low to mid-range models for animation and game development. It has basic OpenGL rendering capabilities and a virtual mirror for symmetrical modeling. The software also comes with surface modeling tools and texture mapping capabilities. 

• Selection and Modeling Tools
• Modeling Tool support for Magnets and Vector Operations
• Customizable Hotkeys and Interface
• Tweak Mode for quick adjustments to a mesh
• Assign and edit Lighting, Materials, Textures, and Vertex Colours
• AutoUV Mapping
• Ngon mesh support
• A Plugin Manager for adding and removing plugins
• Import and Export in many popular formats

Best for modeling: The software’s core capabilities are focused on modeling low poly to mid-range 3D assets for animation and game development. 

Detailed results: Wings 3D comes with editing and sculpting features for detailed modeling. It also offers a virtual mirror to make symmetrical modeling easy. The software is packed with basic and advanced tools that beginners and professionals will love. 

Tricky UV-mapping system: Wings 3D’s UV mapping system is not intuitively designed as popular programs like Maya. 

Learning curve: The way that Wings 3D’s layout is presented makes it a little bit difficult to get around. You have to practice using the program all the time to get the hang of it.

Pricing Plan

22. Boats Animator

Boats Animator is a free, open-source stop motion animation program designed for animators of all levels. This program comes with powerful features so you can create high-quality animations. 

Although relatively new, Boats Animation has garnered raves for its minimalist UI and user-friendly navigation. It’s also quick and easy to set up. The free capture program lets you create stop motion animation in 1080p. Boats animator is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. 

• Export video
• Instant Playback
• Onion Skinning
• High resolution and multi-device support
• open-source frame capture tool

Easy to use: Boats animator is designed to be user-friendly. It connects to a recording device, and you’ll get a preview of the content being captured from the get-go. The controls are also easy to use, and the entire process of motion capture is straightforward.

It’s open-source: It’s an open-source animation software, and it’s free. Boats animator keeps getting better with every update.

Limited resources: Boats animation is relatively new, and there’s not much information about it online. 

Limited features: Some of the industry-standard tools and features are missing on Boats Animator, such as loading and saving subjects. But as new updates roll in, Boats Animator will come with more animation features. 

23. Mandelbulb 3D

Mandelbulb 3D is a software application designed specifically for 3D fractal imaging. A typical computer-generated environment is sterile because it has no irregularity. 

Software applications like Mandelbulb 3D formulate dozens of non-linear equations to create a wide range of fractal images. The fractal generation can be produced for simulation or random fractals for digital art. The software gives control over the imaging effects. 

• Generate 3D fractals
• Modify lighting and color characteristics in 3D fractal models
• Use visual effects to fractals such as fog, shadows, reflections, etc.
• Creates fractals using mathematical based fractal formulas and algorithms
• Generate high-quality renders and 360° renders
• Easily create GIFs and animations with fractals

It’s open-source: This is an open-source and free software that’s geared towards beginners and professionals alike. It’s a great application to those who are new to fractals creation because the results are quick and mathematical based.

A range of fractal objects: Whatever effect you’re going for, the software offers a fantastic range of fractal objects to choose from. 

Limited features: The features are limited because Mandelbulb 3D is explicitly designed for fractal creation. 

Over to you!

There you have it! These are the 23 best animation software programs for beginners.

Ready to start working on your first animation? The beauty of the animation software applications that we’ve listed above is that they come in free/trial and paid versions. You can start with the trial version to get a feel of the software, and once you’re ready, you can try the full version. Like anything in life, it will take practice to master any 3D animation software, even those for beginners. We hope that our list of the best 3D animation software for beginners has been helpful. 

Which program are you planning on using? Let me know in the comments below!

About Jasmine Katatikarn

Jasmine Katatikarn is the founder of Academy of Animated Art. She has 20+ years of experience in Feature Animation and VFX. Jasmine’s lighting credits include movies like Ice Age, Ferdinand, Peanuts, and Rio. Read more here.

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Make Videos More Engaging with Animation Presentation Software

Last Updated: 02/18/2022

By Scott Winstead

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Animation presentation software is a category of software that allows users to create animated stories and overlays for explainer videos or presentations. Some of the software tools are made to work with live-streaming systems. Others are better suited to use for recording and editing videos that will be viewed by users later. Some are presentation systems that can be used online. Others offer an easy way to enhance a video presentation.

More and more organizations use explainer videos. This helps increase conversions in digital marketing campaigns. I made a thorough investigation to select the top 15 best animation presentation software and reviewed my favorites. There is no single one that is a winner overall, so the order they are listed is not as important as what the tools can do. I use many of these tools and some of them together, depending on the project that I am working on.

14 Best Animation Presentation Software

• Microsoft PowerPoint →
• Zoho Show →
• Google Slides →
• Haiku Deck →
• VideoPlasty →
• VideoScribe →

Check out my reviews to see which of these animation creation software tools will improve your presentations.

1. Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint is a well-known software solution for making presentations such as an investment deck or a project slide presentation. This software is offered as part of a bundle of Microsoft products that includes PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, OneDrive, and Skype.

This bundle is offered as a subscription service on the Microsoft 365 cloud. You can try it free for a month, and then the monthly subscription fee for a single user is $6.99 per month with a 16% discount offered for making an annual subscription payment. MS Office 2019, which includes PowerPoint, is also offered as a one-time purchase of $249.99

• Create and edit PowerPoint and other files from any mobile device that has an Internet connection.
• A Microsoft 365 Family subscription (two to six people) unlocks a Family safety app. This is a mobile locator and driving safety system.
• OneDrive is included with 1 TB of online storage.
• OneDrive ransomware recovery allows recovery of automatically backed up files for up to 30 days prior to the date of a ransomware attack.
• Using a PC or Mac with Money in Excel allows financial management and budgeting.
• Automatic backup across all devices.
• Easy file sharing for collaborating on PowerPoint presentations with others. Many free templates are available.

System Requirements: Microsoft 365 can be used on any device including a PC, Mac, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. It works on Windows, iOS, macOS, and Android systems.

User Feedback “I love having access to all of my files anywhere I go and know they are securely stored. I can work from anywhere and update my PowerPoint presentations. I was amazed at how nicely I could make my presentations using animation.” Joe S.

This video is a tutorial that teaches how to animate a presentation using PowerPoint. It starts with a simple line drawing as a guide for the subsequent overlays of various shapes to create the parts of the drawing. The artist shows how to make a humanlike character from various shapes using the copy, merge, and subtract functions. Then, the artists narrating the video adds colors and motion. The result is a charming drawing of a student with things rotating around him.

For those seeking in-depth training, this two-hour video shows how to start as a beginner and quickly become an expert in making PowerPoint presentations using MS 365.

The Prezi system includes three software tools: Prezi design, Prezi Present, and Prezi Video. These tools are used to create data visualizations, animated presentations, and animated overlays that float on top of a video presentation. The video can either be recorded or streamed live. Animation overlay makes the video have more clarity and reinforces the message being given by the video host.

Prezi offers a 14-day free trial, and thereafter the software is billed on an annual subscription basis, which starts for one user at $60 ($5 per month billed annually).

• Prezi offers reusable templates that can be customized for any purpose. This makes it very easy to get started using these tools.
• Object animation adds visual excitement and attracts attention to key concepts.
• Prezi maintains a royalty-free image library that can be used to make presentations by subscription members.
• Prezi Plus memberships ($180 per year) allow files to be downloaded to be used offline and the use of interactive maps.
• Prezi Premium memberships ($708 per year) include the Plus account benefits with SQL connectors, iFrame import integrations, callouts, and page linking.
• Offers a PowerPoint converter to import PowerPoint presentations into the Prezi system.

System Requirements: The Prezi system is a software as a service (SaaS) cloud offering that can be used by any device connected to the Internet. Prezi Plus users can download the files. Prezi video works with the popular video streaming apps, including Cisco WebEx, Facebook Live, GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar, Google Meet, LinkedIn, Microsoft Team, OBS, Slack, Twitter, YouTube, and Zoom.

User Feedback “I thought the software looked interesting and was surprised at how easy it was to create a more exciting presentation using this system. I am not a graphics guy at all. I have to give accounting reports. My co-workers complained that my presentations were boring before I used these tools, so this helped me make them look more interesting.” Andy A.

This video tutorial shows how to use stock images from the Prezi library and work with a grouping of objects to make animations for your presentations more easily. It shows how to make objects fade in, appear when you click on them and work with layers with an example of how to make an animation of trees growing.

Vyond is an animation production system that can create presentations in three animation styles, which are contemporary, business-friendly, and whiteboard animation . Vyond offers a comprehensive video creation guide that shows a step-by-step way to make an animated video.

Vyond offers a 14-day free trial that does not require a credit card. Thereafter, the service is available on an annual subscription basis for three levels, billed for each user. The levels are Essential $49 per month (49% discount as $299 per year), Premium $89 per month (40% discount as $649 per year), and Professional $199 per month (48% discount as $999 per year).

• The Essential level allows a user to export the Vyond video in MP4 format at 720p resolution.
• The Premium (or higher) level allows a user to export the Vyond video in MP4 format at 1080p resolution and allows exports as animated gifs in an eight-second loop.
• The Professional or Enterprise level allows collaboration when creating a video with others, shared libraries, an admin user panel, and video sharing feature to allow managed, private video sharing.
• ISO27001 Compliance
• GDPR/CCPA Compliance
• Privacy Shield Compliance
• Live Chat for Support

System Requirements: This is a cloud-based system that can be accessed by any device connected to the Internet. Paid subscription members can download a completed video in MP4 format.

User Feedback “I feel like I can go anywhere that I can imagine with Vyond. It opened up new horizons for all of us. When I found Vyond, it was exactly what I was looking for. I did the trial to be sure and then was sold on the system.” Gina Y.

In this video by Rued Riis, he shows how to make an animated video very quickly using the Vyond Studio system by using free templates and a few clever tricks. The video shows the creation of an animation video for an imagined company. The project is completed within 20 minutes.

4. Zoho Show

Zoho Show is a free online software tool that is a part of the overall comprehensive Zoho cloud offerings. Collaborative teams use Zoho Show to design slides and create visually-engaging presentations.

• Presentation editor with animations, text formatting, backgrounds, transitions, charts, media files, photos, shapes, and tables.
• Automatic contextual formatting in format mode.
• Allows importing presentations made with PowerPoint.
• Supports these formats: ppt, pps, odp, sxi, pptx, and ppsx.
• Each imported presentation must be 100MB or less. There is no limit on the number of imported presentations.
• Presentations can be published online or downloaded, saved, and used offline.
• Zoho supports multi-languages.

System Requirements: This is cloud-based online service accessible by any device that has an Internet connection by using any major browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Internet Explorer, and Safari.

User Feedback “I have used Zoho Show for more than a decade, and I can truly say that it is a handy presentation creation tool that helps my ideas for businesses to reach a much larger audience.” Miguel A.

This one-minute video tutorial shows how to animate an object in a presentation to make the object follow a custom path of a curvy line.

5. Google Slides

Google Slides is a free cloud software that can be used to make and share presentations. All you need is a Google account or a Gmail account, and you can sign in to use the software. You can store the presentation that you create online on your Google drive. The presentation can be shared with a collaborative team to help make it and with anyone else on the Internet by giving them a link to the presentation file when it is ready for viewing.

• Google offers a free template gallery.
• Any object can be animated to make it move, fade in, or fade out.
• Animations can play automatically, in sequence, or when they are clicked on.

System Requirements: Google Slides can be accessed from any device with an Internet connection by using a browser.

User Feedback “Google Slides are super easy to use and great for making a simple animation presentation quickly.” Roger S.

This two-minute video tutorial shows how to add animations to Google slide presentations. The narrator suggests using a few animations to make your presentation more visually interesting but not to add too many that make it look silly.

Keynote is pre-installed on every Apple device. Mac and iPad users concrete illustrations and diagrams using Apple Pencil. Then, these objects can be imported to use with Keynote to make presentations.

• Apple offers 30 free themes that can be customized.
• Keynote has 30 cinematic effects to create animations and transitions.
• Objects can be animated to follow a custom path by using Apple Pencil or your finger on an iPhone and iPad.
• Textures, color gradients, and photo overlays can be added to the text for a 3D-like effect.
• The Apple object library has more than 700 shapes, mathematical equations, galleries, and charts.
• Photos taken by an iPhone can be sent directly to Keynote on a Mac for further creative use.
• YouTube and Vimeo videos can play within Keynote presentation slides.

System Requirements: Keynote software comes with any Mac, iPad, iPhone, and can be used with a PC, if the Keynote files are stored on the iCloud.

User Feedback “I appreciate that Keynote presentation display properly on any device no matter what its size and the display configuration. My Keynote presentations look just as good on a smartphone as they do on a desktop monitor.” Barbara T.

This 18-minute video by Grumop Media teaches how to use ten things about everything you need to know to animate in Keynote. These include building ins and outs, creating actions, motion paths, and using motion blur. You will learn how to create a basic animation, apply multiple actions, animate multiple objects, change the pivot point, animate groups, animate text, and the “magic move.”

7. Haiku Deck

Haiku is popular because of the thousands of free templates and a huge library of royalty-free images for making presentations.

Haiku has a seven-day free trial. The Basic version is free and limited to a single presentation shared publicly on the web (no download). The Pro level version for unlimited presentations is $19.99 per month, offered at a 49% discount if prepaid as an annual subscription at $119.88.

Haiku offers a Premium version that is $14.99 per month or $179.88 per year. There are special, lower, discounted prices for non-profits, students, and educators of $9.99 per month or $59.88 billed annually. A classroom version for up to 150 students is $99 billed annually.

• Over 40 million royalty-free photos.
• Thousands of professional templates.
• Privacy locks for presentations.
• Easily add audio narration.
• Embed YouTube videos.
• Save and download the project as video, ppt, or pdf formats.
• Optional Haiku Deck Zuru presentations are created with the aid of artificial intelligence programming.
• The Premium version includes in-depth analytics and lead tracking, view notifications, live web playback, and priority technical support.

System Requirements: Works with iPad, iPhone, and is also accessible by any device on the web. Presentations are in the cloud for ease of collaboration and sharing with viewers.

User Feedback “I think the results from using the AI help of Zuru are terrific. Zuru AI quickly selected images from the millions in the library, which fit my presentation perfectly.” Steve J.

This five-minute, beginner’s level video shows how to create an animation of a bouncing ball by manipulating items on the stage. It teaches how to use timeline-based animation with keyframes and how to smooth transitions between those keyframes.

Visme is a tool that can be used at a basic level for free to make infographics, charts, social media graphics, and presentations. It is easy to include animation that helps you improve your visual communications.

The Basic level free account allows you to create up to five projects with storage of 100 MB, with limited templates, charts, and widgets for publicly-published projects, including Visme branding. The project can be downloaded as JPG.

The paid Standard level is $180 per year. This level increases projects to 15 with 250 MB storage, with premium templates, assets, charts, widgets, and no Visme branding. The project can be downloaded as a PDF file. The Business level is $348 per year. It includes the Standard level and unlimited projects, 10 GB storage, privacy controls, the ability to upload video and audio files, and downloads as PPTX, HTML5, video, and GIF. There is an Enterprise level that includes more security and analytics. The Enterprise level price is quoted based on the number of users.

• Useful to create branded content (paid level).
• Creates animated and interactive content.
• Thousands of free templates.
• Thousands of free icons.
• Millions of royalty-free photos.
• 50+ charts, maps, and data widgets.
• Paid subscribers can add video, audio, and embed them. Save your customized digital assets in a private library.

System Requirements: This is a cloud-based service that can be used by anyone with Internet access.

User Feedback “Visme does much more than I expected. I started with a free account, did a couple of projects, and then became a paying member. I love this system.” Wayne D.

This video tutorial, produced by Visme, teaches how to use custom animations in infographics. Visme has over 300 ready-to-use animations that are very easy to add to your presentations, including isometric graphics that give an illusion of 3D animation. There are more than 50 people represented by animation characters that you can use. There are hands with arms, which make gestures. These can be used to emphasize something. There are six categories of special effects and animated icons too.

9. VideoPlasty

VideoPlasty is a source for stock animations, stock animated gifs, and stock motion graphics. There are more than 9,000 royalty-free animation assets to choose from for those who want to use them in making presentations with other software tools. Choosing an appropriate animation from the VideoPlasty library is fun, easy, and saves a huge amount of production time compared to creating your animations from scratch.

A couple dozen of the animations offered on this system are free to use, even for commercial purposes. There are paid animations that range from $5 for one to $99 for a set of up to 100.

• There are dozens of categories to choose from and a handy search tool to help you find a good choice.
• Buy the animations individually or in discounted packs.
• The motion graphics section offers unique video and special effects backgrounds and loops.
• MOV and MP4 formats from 720p to HD resolution.
• VideoPlasty offers a free beginner’s guides and tutorials on how to make explainer videos.

System Requirements: These animations work with the popular video production/editing and presentation software that includes DaVinci, Resolve, Premiere Pro, Filmora, Final Cut Pro, HitFilm Express, Movavi Video Editor, iMovie, Camtasia, Keynote, PowerPoint, and more.

User Feedback “I wanted to add animation to my training videos but do not have any graphics skills. I found something very suitable on VideoPlasty, and for a few dollars, I got it and imported it into my presentation easily. This saved me an enormous amount of time and effort, trying to find someone to make an animation for me.” Sabella H.

This 15-minute video tutorial is about how to make explainer videos using the animation assets found on VideoPlasty. It is beginner-friendly.

Animiz is a software tool to make animated videos that are stored on the system’s cloud server. There is also a related whiteboard animation presentation system, a software program you download to use.

For the animated video Animiz tool, there is a free version for one user with 10GB of cloud storage. The Standard paid level is $29 per month for 100 GB of cloud storage. The Professional level is $299 per year for two users with unlimited cloud storage.

For the whiteboard animation software, there is a Free version that contains a Mango watermark with limited hand animations, free templates, with more than 10 dynamic characters, two backgrounds per project, and a limited video duration of one minute. The Professional version is a one-time fee of $39. It has no watermark, over 40 hand animations, professional templates, more than 30 dynamic characters, 10 backgrounds per project, and a limited video duration of 10 minutes.

The Enterprise level is a one-time fee of $199. It permits your branded watermark, over 80 hand animations, unlimited templates, more than 50 dynamic characters, unlimited backgrounds per project, and no limit on the video duration.

• Easy to use.
• Unlimited customization.
• Drag-and-drop editing.
• Free animated assets.
• Over 300 scene templates.
• Over 1,000 built-in animated roles for characters.
• Over 5,000 royalty-free vector images.

System Requirements: Runs on XP, Vista, Win7, Win8, Win10.

User Feedback “We can create high-quality explainer videos. We use videos to promote our innovative products. This is an excellent whiteboard animation program!” Ronald J.

This three and one-half minute video by Talk Tech shows how to make an animation video using Animiz.

11. Focusky

Focusky is a software tool that you download to make HTML5 presentations, combined with a cloud service to store and publish your viewing presentations.

There is a Free version that includes 10 GB of cloud storage and allows 50 uploads per month. The Standard level is $9.90 per month. It includes 100 GB of storage and allows 200 uploads per month. It also allows publishing the presentation to 720p video and 30 offline presentations per month. The Professional version is $99 per year and allows unlimited cloud storage and unlimited presentations to publish to 1080p HD video and unlimited presentations for offline viewing.

• Uses an innovative mind-mapping style. Instead of making slides, makes links between branches of content trees.
• 3D transition effects.
• Multi-language support.
• Background music.
• Over 1,000 animated characters.
• Over 600 premium templates for the Professional level.

System Requirements: Runs on a MAC and on a PC with XP, Vista, Win7, Win8, and Win10.

User Feedback “The Focusky system is so fun to use, and I can express my creativity freely without having to worry about making ordered slides. I can take my presentation on a tour through my mind map and zoom in on the things as I explain them. That is superb.” Henrietta J.

This 12 and one-half minute video tutorial made by Focusky helps beginners start to use the system to make an animated presentation.

Moovly is an online tool used to make animated tutorials, explainer videos, and promo videos. A free version can be used to create videos to publish on YouTube or Vimeo containing the Moovly watermark and outro. The Pro version is $49 a month. This level allows you to download HD quality videos, and there is no Moovly branding. The Max level is $99 per month, which adds screen and webcam recording, subtitles, color removal, and text-to-speech.

• Many customization templates.
• Offers automated template videos, data-based videos and live feed videos.
• Drag and drop.
• A huge library of over 1.3 million royalty-free digital assets to use.
• No software to download or plug-in installation.
• Almost all features can be tested with the free version before using them on the paid version.

System Requirements: This is a web-based system accessible by anyone with a browser and an Internet connection.

User Feedback “I started using this system and was making super interesting video presentations with animation and other special features easily. This is a very intuitive system.” Georgia N.

This 19-minute video made by Moovly gives a beneficial overview of how to use the system.

13. VideoScribe

VideoScribe is a whiteboard animation system with a seven-day free trial. Videoscribe pricing is $35 per month or a discount of $168 per year or a one-time lifetime use payment for one user of $800.

• Video templates.
• Digital library of more than 7,300 royalty-free images.
• Use your own assets and VideoScribe will draw them.
• Choose from many hands, pens, erasers and more.
• More than 190 royalty-free music tracks.
• Voiceover recording or import the audio file.
• Share to Vimeo and PowerPoint.

System Requirements: Works on Windows and Mac.

User Feedback “For an easy to use whiteboard animation creation system, I would recommend VideoScribe.” Paula T.

The Better Men Society made this 12-minute video tutorial, and it shows the full process of making a whiteboard animation video.

14. Powtoon

Powtoon is an online video and animation presentation creation system used to make training videos, tutorials, internal communication pieces, content marketing, and educational presentations.

Powtoon offers a free trial. It has a Pro version for $19 per month or discounted to $228 yearly. This level includes five premium exports per month and 2 GB of storage. The Pro+ version is $39 per month or discounted to $468 for a year. It includes unlimited access to content and 10 GB of storage.

The Agency level is $99 per month or discounted to $1,188 yearly. It includes unlimited premium exports, unlimited access to content, and the ability to build your own characters, third-party reseller rights, and 100GB of storage.

• A library of hundreds of templates, animated characters, video backgrounds, and musical tracks.
• No design or technical skills required to use this system.
• Easy to create visuals to tell your story.
• Help center with Powtoon user tutorials.
• Hire a Powtoonist system.

System Requirements: This is a cloud-based system accessed by using a web browser.

User Feedback “Powtoon has been a terrific tool to improve the look and viewer engagement for our company newsletters.” Tony W.

Blue Brain makes this 15-minute video tutorial. A teacher makes it to show how to use Powtoon to create an animation video for a class.

The most important element of any video presentation, either live-streamed or pre-recorded, is to avoid boring the audience or making them feel confused. Using animation presentation software helps make the live sharing of video streams and pre-recorded videos more engaging for the audience. Presentations are made more effective by highlighting the key concepts and giving the viewers a concise takeaway of what they need to know. I highly recommend using these tools. I make use of more than one in creating more interesting presentations.

Making a non-animated video? Make sure to check out our guide to the best video presentation software options available.

Everything You Need to Know about Document Cameras and Their Benefits, Functions, and Types

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AURORA3D SOFTWARE

3d animation maker | logo animation software.

Create beautiful and eye-catching 3D animations that will transform your text or logos into original and awesome looking creations!

Easy 3D Text Maker | Cool Business Logo Creator

Indulge your creative and artistic talents by using 3D Text, Logo, Icon & Graphic Animations! Quickly and efficiently design 3D Effects.

3D Interactive Business Presentation Software

Powerful and highly effective techniques to enable you to develop impressive, professional, and compelling presentations.

Featured Products

Aurora 3d text logo maker.

Create the Highest Quality 3D Text and Graphics. Quickly and efficiently design 3D Text Effects, Logo and Icons for the Web and your Movies. Don’t even need to be proficient over the layout or 3D Design basics! Full compatibility with Photoshop, Illustrator, iMovie, Final Cut, Premiere and so on. Unicode support: Latin, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters. For: Mac OS and Windows. Aurora3DMaker available on Mac App Store.

Aurora 3D Animation Maker

Easy 3D Animation Software, make 3D Movie Title and Intro Animation in Minutes. Flexible Key-frame Animation for 3D Logo and Text. Export to Video, GIF or Image Sequences and import it into Video Edit Software. Full Compatibility with Photoshop, llustrator, iMovie, Final Cut, Premiere and so on. Unicode Support: Latin, Arabic, Japanese and Korean characters.For Mac and Windows. Aurora3DAnimation available on Mac App Store.

Aurora 3D Presentation

Allow your creative imagination to easily compose stunning 3D Interactive and Multimedia Programs! Design Business, Touch Screen Interactive Presentations, 3D Model Show, 3D Animation and Multimedia. It uses powerful & highly effective techniques to enable you develop impressive, professional, and export to .exe, .app or Video. Then distribute it Free for Mac or Windows.

Barcode Generator

Do you want or need to transfer information quickly and accurately like many commercial business enterprises? Then join the ever increasing number of people who use Bar codes and 2D codes to transfer their information through their mobile networks. Barcode Generator lets you easily generate more than 32 different 2d-codes to meet all your personal and business needs. For Mac and Windows. iBarcodeGenerator available on Mac App Store.

Recent Posts

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Great, this is what I need! I am looking for a long time have not seen display effects like this product, and the price is also so cheap.

Se qualcosa non va di solito segnalo subito e mi faccio rimborsare.Ma questo software è davvero ottimo e funziona bene!

Since I got the Licensekey, I have absolutely no Problem to use the Program. A very great Software and need to have for each Graphic Designer.

La 3D facile ! – Belle app, on en a pour son argent. Les possibilités sont vastes mais pas illimitées. Un bon soft pour débuter dans l’univers de l’animation 3D.

Excellent program, ShadowMaster. I would love to win the license. I work a lot with presentations and this would be really useful. Please count me in. Thanks in advance.

Seit vielen Jahren endlich mal ein 3D Programm, bei dem man klasse Ergebnisse erzielt, ohne sich vorher über Wochen und Monate einarbeiten zu müssen. Auch das Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis ist mehr als überzeugend. So soll’s sein. Toll!

I wanted to tell you know how much I am enjoying your software. I bought the 3D text maker, now I bought the 3D animation maker. Both of these programs will make my video projects really stand out.

Best 3D Presentation Maker Software . I’m loving it. Exactly what I was looking for.

This Aurora 3D program appears to be far more capable than the newest Xara 3D program which I own.

Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D

Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD

Entertainment content creation tools, including 3ds Max and Maya

Professional 3D Animation software

Create heroes without heroics.

Deliver high-quality content with powerful animation software used by the industry's top film & TV studios

Image courtesy of Alexandre Mougenot

Image courtesy of Andrea Buitrago

Where “how’d they do that?” becomes what you do best.

Heroes' adventures need unexpected feats, but completing your projects shouldn't.

Animation studios around the world harness the power of Autodesk’s Design and Make Platform to unleash limitless creativity, conquer workflow challenges, and automate tasks to scale production.

Solutions for animation's toughest challenges

Bring the best out of your brightest

When equipped with the right tools, you can focus on creating brilliant animated content for the big screen - from the hair and fur on characters to intricate details on environments. Whether you're going after a hyper-realistic or highly stylized look, our feature-rich 3D animation tools can help you deliver high- quality work that keeps clients coming back.

Explore how Mikros Animation pushes the boundaries of storytelling with Maya animation software.

Image courtesy of Mikros Animation

Your dreams don’t have limits. Your toolkit shouldn’t either.

Keeping up with soaring appetite for content requires a high-performing and reliable 3D animation pipeline. Powerful 3D modeling , animation , and rendering software help you manage complex characters and scenes with ease; while professional production management tools remove bottlenecks and improve communication flow between teams.

Discover how ShadowMachine utilized Flow Production Tracking (formerly ShotGrid) to deliver "Guillermo Del Toro's Pinnochio".

Image courtesy of ShadowMachine

Offer clients the moon. Deliver entire star systems.

In a fast-evolving creative landscape, staying ahead is not just an advantage; it's a necessity. Embracing industry trends like AI and machine learning as well as cutting-edge technology like Universal Scene Description (USD) and cloud-based workflows can help automate repetitive tasks, streamline workflows, and reduce creative downtime.

Learn how Untold Studios raises the visual bar with collaborative cloud workflows.

Image courtesy of Untold Studios

How global teams are using Autodesk 3D animation software

Making award-winning animated short "silhouette".

The team behind the 2024 VES Student Award-winning animated short breaks down the making of their film.

2024 VES Student Award Winning Team from ARTFX

Creating "Andy: A Hero's Journey" remotely

A behind-the-scenes look at how a global team of creatives joined forces to produce a heart-warming, animated short film.

Image courtesy of IGNITE Animation

Delivering Dual Nightmarish Cinematic Trailers

Axis Studios shares how they created the gothic horror world of Innistrad for the launch of Wizards of the Coasts’ new “Magic: The Gathering” card set.

Image courtesy of Axis Studios

What can Autodesk animation software do?

3D modeling

Create CG assets and characters for animated TV series and feature films.

Image courtesy of Chris Cragg

3D animation

Breathe life into 3D models with powerful animation tools.

Create sophisticated rigs and dynamic performances for your characters and props.

Creative project management

Manage animation projects smoothly, no matter how many teams, artists, or assets are involved.

Image courtesy of Hasan Tawfiq 

Motion capture

Capture motions of actors or objects and translate it into digital data.

Image courtesy of Superalloy Interactive  

3D rendering

Add final touches such as lighting, shading, and textures to your animation.

Image courtesy of Rashed Abdullah  

“Our pipeline is built around Maya - it's the industry standard."

—Nathan McConnel, Animation Supervisor at Framestore

“We adopted ShotGrid after Coraline and honestly, I don’t know how we lived without it. [...] There was information everywhere. It transformed everything for us.”

—Steve Emerson, VFX Supervisor at LAIKA

"Our work with Autodesk and its Design and Make Platform have proven integral to our continued evolution."

—Amaan Akram, Head of VFX at Untold Studios

"We found a specialist through Autodesk, who helped us get up to speed in setting up the pipeline."

—Don Schwartz, IT Systems Admin and Pipeline Technical at Shawdowmachine

Software top-tier animation studios rely on

3D animation, modeling, simulation, and rendering software for film, games, and TV

Powerful animation, modeling, and rendering tools that flex to your creative needs

A review and production tracking toolset for VFX, games, and animation teams

Are you an aspiring or independent 3D artist?

Whether you're a recent graduate, freelancer, hobbyist, or on the cusp of your career, you can plug into the power of Maya, at a price you can afford with Maya Indie.

Image courtesy of Tabatha Hugues 

Resources for animation beginners and professionals

Media & Entertainment on YouTube

Get exclusive learning content, industry insights, and behind-the-scenes access to a world of realistic 3D characters, exceptional effects, and expansive worlds. 

Image courtesy of Roger Castro

An Animator's Resource Guide

Check out a list of animation organizations, education options, events and networking and more – to help you get ahead in your animation career.

Image courtesy of Rafael Medrado

AU 2023 TALK

Inclusive Storytelling in Animation

Julie Ann Crommett, Founder and CEO of Collective Moxie and Secretary of Women in Animation (WIA) discusses the importance of inclusive storytelling in animation.

The future of production with Autodesk Flow

Flow will connect animation teams to a single source of truth for all assets, versions, and feedback. Harnessing the power of an open ecosystem and open standards, Flow will unify every tool in your pipeline, bringing data together seamlessly and accelerating project delivery. Artists no longer have to chase down files with access to everything they need to get started, right in the tools they already use every day. Flow will enable artists to automate repetitive tasks so they can iterate quickly, innovate, and deliver their best work every time.

Still have questions?

Let's embark on a journey of creating heroes without heroics together.

Our team of experts can help you find the best software solution for your animation studio.

If you would prefer to speak to someone over the phone,

please don't hesitate to give us a call at 1-833-570-5778.

 Image courtesy of Andrea Buitrago

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) on animation software

What is 3d animation.

3D animation uses computer graphics to make objects look like they’re moving in 3-dimensional space. Artists use  3D modeling software  to build the objects. Next comes rigging, a virtual representation of an object or character’s skeleton. Animators pose the rig at strategic points so it appears to move. Newer methods of animation involve  motion capture , which records an actor’s live movements for digital animation.

What are the essential skills required for 3D animation?

The most essential skills for making 3D animation are the comprehensive skills needed for animation software such as  Maya  or  3ds Max . These skills include creating 3D models, textures, lighting, other  visual effects,  and the animation itself through keyframing and/or  motion capture .

Additional artistic and soft skills will also help. Understanding the principles of animation in general—like timing, spacing, anticipation, and squash-and-stretch—will apply to 3D animation specifically, as will a knack for drawing, visual composition, color, and design. Attention to detail and soft skills like problem-solving and good team communication are also important.

How long does it take to create a 3D animation?

Creating a 3D animation takes a considerable amount of time, as well as skills and organization. The specific time it takes for 3D animation depends on the animation’s complexity and required detail, the number and experience level of contributors, the length of the animation, and the specific hardware and software technologies.

A very simple 3D animation may take only a few hours, or it could take several days to create a 30-second clip. Popular feature-length 3D-animated movies almost universally require a large team and multiple years to produce.

Can 3D animation be used in virtual reality (VR) experiences?

Yes, 3D animation can be and quite frequently is used in  VR  experiences. 3D animations help build out the immersive and interactive environments of VR. Their ability to represent hyperrealistic surroundings with lifelike textures, physics, lighting, and so forth can make VR worlds convincing to the user.

However, 3D animations intended specifically for VR use need to factor in concerns like user interactivity, potential motion sickness, and so on. Those concerns contribute to making 3D animations for VR even more complicated to create than 3D animations for traditional screens.

Which is the best 3d animation software for freelancers, hobbyists, and students?

3D modeling and animation are crucial in game design software as they bring the game world and characters to life. They enhance the visual appeal and immersion of the game, allowing players to interact with realistic and engaging environments. 3D modeling and animation are used to create characters, objects, and environments, and to add movement and visual effects to the game. They play a vital role in creating a captivating and immersive gameplay experience.

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What’s it for?

Make interactive presentations

Create show-stopping presentations and clickable slide decks with Genially’s free online presentation builder. Leave boring behind and tell a story that’s interactive, animated, and beautifully engaging.

INTERACTIVE CONTENT

A presentation that works like a website

Engage your audience with interactive slides that they can click on and explore. Add music, video, hotspots, popup windows, quiz games and interactive data visualizations in a couple of clicks. No coding required!

NO-CODE ANIMATION

Make your slides pop with animation

Bring a touch of movie magic to the screen with incredible visual effects and animated page transitions. Add click-trigger and timed animations to make any topic easy to understand and captivating to watch.

INTEGRATIONS

Live from the world wide web

Embed online content directly in your slides for a media-rich interactive experience. From YouTube and Spotify to Google Maps and Sheets, Genially works seamlessly with over 100 popular apps and websites.

TEMPLATES & TOOLKIT

Genius design tools

With Genially, anyone can create a polished and professional presentation. Choose from over 2000 pre-built templates, or create your own design using the drag-and-drop resources, color palettes, icons, maps and vector graphics.

ONLINE PLATFORM

Safe and sound in the cloud

Because Genially is online, you can relax knowing that your slides are always up-to-date. There’s no risk of forgetting to save changes or accessing the wrong file. Log in from anywhere, collaborate with your team, and make edits in real time.

All-in-one interactive presentation maker

Real-time collaboration

Co-edit slide decks with others in real time and organize all of your team projects in shared spaces.

Multi format

Present live, share the link, or download as an interactive PDF, MP4 video, JPG, HTML, or SCORM package.

Engagement Analytics

See how many people have viewed and clicked on your slides and keep tabs on learner progress with User Tracking.

Import from PPTX

Give your old decks a new lease of life by importing PowerPoint slides and transforming them with a little Genially magic.

Keep content on-brand with your logo, fonts, colors, brand assets, and team templates at your fingertips.

Quiz & Survey Builder

Use the Interactive Questions feature to add a fun quiz to your slides or gather feedback from your audience.

Beautiful templates

Make your next deck in a flash with Genially’s ready-to-use slides.

OKR Presentation

School Notebook Presentation

Animated Sketch Presentation

Minimal presentation

Land Of Magic Presentation

Onboarding presentation

Visual Presentation

Animated chalkboard presentation

Online Education Guide

Terrazzo presentation

Startup pitch

Historical presentation

THEMES FOR EVERYONE

Interactive presentation ideas

From classroom materials to business pitches, make an impact every day with Genially.

Education presentations

Pitch decks

Business presentations

Thesis defense

What our community says about us

Share anywhere

Present live

From the front of the room or behind a screen, you’ll wow your audience with Genially. Heading off grid? Download in HTML to present dynamic slides without WiFi.

Share the link

Every Genially slide deck has its own unique url, just like a website! Share the link so that others can explore at their own pace, or download an MP4 video slideshow or PDF.

Post online

Embed the slides on your website or post them on social media. Upload to Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, Moodle or any other platform.

The benefits of interactive slides

🗣️ Active participation An interactive slide deck gives your audience cool things to click on and discover, boosting learning and engagement.

👂 Multi-sensory experience Audio, video, animations, and mouse interactions make your content immersive, entertaining and accessible.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 People-friendly format Pop-ups and embeds condense more material into fewer slides so you can break information down into digestible chunks.


🎮 Gamification Games, quizzes and puzzles make information more memorable and enable you to gather feedback and check understanding.

How to make an interactive presentation

With Genially’s easy-to-use presentation platform, anyone can make incredible visual content in moments.

Choose a template or a blank canvas

Get stunning results in less time with a ready-made template. Feeling creative? Design your own slides from scratch.

Customize the design

Add animations and interactions

Resources to become a pro presentation creator

VIDEO TUTORIAL

How to create an interactive presentation: Get started in Genially.

EXPERT TIPS

How to present data without sending your audience to sleep.

MICRO COURSE

No-code animation: Bring your slides to life with cinematic visual effects.

PRESENTATION IDEAS

The art of digital storytelling: Engage and thrill on screen.

Genially in a nutshell

How do I make a presentation interactive and how does Genially work? Find the answers to all of your slide-related questions here!

What’s an interactive presentation?

Interactive slides contain clickable hotspots, links, buttons, and animations that are activated at the touch of a button. Instead of reading or watching passively, your audience can actively interact with the content.  

Genially’s interaction presentation software allows you to combine text, photos, video clips, audio and other content in one deck. It’s a great way to condense more information into fewer slides. 

If you’re a teacher, you can share multiple materials in one single learning resource. Students can create their own projects using digital media and online maps. For business or training, try embedding spreadsheet data, PDFs, and online content directly in your slides. 

An interactive slide deck is more user-friendly than a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation or Google Slides document. That’s because you can break information down into chunks with pop-ups, labels, voiceovers and annotated infographics.  

The other benefit of interactive content is increased engagement. It’s easier to keep your audience’s attention when they’re actively participating. Try Genially’s presentation software and free slideshow maker to see how it’s better than other presentation websites. You won’t go back to standard presentation apps!

How do you make a clickable slide?

The best way to make slides clickable is to use Genially’s free interactive presentation program. Design your slide then apply an interaction. In a couple of clicks, you can add popup windows, hyperlinks, close-up images, games, animations, multimedia and other content. 

Choose from the library of hotspot buttons and icons to show people what to click on. Go to Presenter View to get a preview and see how your content will appear to your audience.

How do I create presentations that look professional?

You’ve got a deadline looming and you’re staring at the screen with a blank presentation. We’ve all been there! Starting a presentation design from scratch is tricky, especially if you’re short on time. 

Genially’s free online presentation maker has over 2000 ready-to-use templates for professional slide presentations, photos slideshows, and more. Each slide design has been created by our team of top graphic designers. No need to worry about fonts, centering images, or designing a matching color scheme. It’s all done for you. 

Start by browsing our layouts and themes for education, business and then customize with your own text and images.

How do I share or download my slides?

Because Genially is a cloud based presentation software, you can simply share the link to your slides. Like other online presentation tools, there are no files to download or store on your computer. Everything is saved online.  

When you publish your slide deck, it gets its own unique url, just like a website. Share the link with others to let them explore the content in their own time. If you’re presenting live, just click the Present button. 

You can also embed your presentation on your website, company wiki, or social media. Genially is compatible with WordPress, Moodle, Google Classroom, and other platforms. If you use an LMS, you can also download your interactive design slides in SCORM format.

For slideshow videos and slideshows with music, share online or download as an MP4 video. Check out our free slideshow templates for ideas.

Can I make a free presentation in Genially?

You bet! Genially is an easy-to-use slide maker, with a free version and paid plans. The free plan allows you to create unlimited slides with interactions and animations. Subscribe to one of our paid plans for more advanced features.

Discover a world of interactive content

Join the 25 million people designing incredible interactive experiences with Genially.