The Cream of the Crop: Top iPhone Apps , Reviewed

Best and Most Popular iPhone Apps in 2024

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Earlier this month, Apple has released its choices for the best app and video games of 2024 and revealed some of the hottest trends on the App Store. Over the years, we’ve seen how apps shape the everyday life of iPhone and iPad users, through innovation, entertainment and creativity.

The current trends on App Store show a growing interest in applications that unleash creativity and make recording images or sounds easier. So, if you are looking for an app that can take you a step closer to becoming a successful podcaster or video content creator , we have great news for you because currently, there are so many powerful apps to choose from. Let’s take a look at some of the best and most popular iPhone apps that left their mark in 2024.

• Part 1: Apple Pick: Best App for iPhone in 2024
• Part 2: Most Trending & Popular Apps for iPhone of the Year [Full Checklist]
• Part 3: Most Popular and Trending Photo & Video Apps for iPhone [+Review]

Part 1: The iPhone App of the Year: Spectre Camera

Social networks have made photography more popular than ever. However, the quality of pictures taken with Smartphones still cannot be compared to the quality of images produced on DSLR cameras .

The iPhone app of the year provides a solution to this issue by employing the latest computational photography techniques. The Spectre Camera is equipped with an AI that can easily create long-exposure photographs, remove crowds from images and detect scenes automatically . The app saves all pictures it takes during a long-exposure and generates live photos by merging all images into a single breathtaking shot.

Optionally, you can apply live effects to each image you take with Spectre Camera if you would like to enhance its colors or highlight a particular detail. Image stabilization features are designed to keep all photos you shoot handheld sharp, while Spectre Camera also offers the automatic tripod detection option. The app’s machine learning algorithms detect scenes and provide all the help you need to produce professional-looking photos with your iPhone.

As the popularity of social media platforms continues to grow, so does the demand for photo and video applications that are compatible with iOS devices. That’s why it is hardly surprising that Spectre Camera is the iPhone app of the year because it is packed with industry-leading technologies that simplify the image-taking process.

You can check the detailed review below of Spectre Camera App from YouTube Channel TinyShutter to learn more.

Part 2: Most Trending & Popular Apps for iPhone of the Year [Full Checklist]

Besides the best app for iPhone of the year, Apple also picked up some most trending apps for simplifying and empowering storytelling. Here is the complete list of these apps.

App Trend of 2024	Publisher	Category	App Size	Price	Ratings	User Rating	System Requirement
1 Second Everyday: Video Diary	1 Second Everyday Inc.	Photo & Video	132.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	30.6K	4.8	Requires iOS11.2 or later
24FPS - Video Filter & LUT	Polarr.Inc	Photo & Video	89.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	943	4.7	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Anchor	Anchor FM INC	News	109.6 MB	Free	40K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Canva: Stories & Video Maker	Canva Pty Ltd	Photo & Video	309.2 MB	Free	1.4K	4.8	Requiers iOS 11.03 or later
Filmr - Video Editor & Filter	Stei App,ltda	Photo & Video	203.6 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	4.9K	4.5	Requires iOS.11.0 or later
FlipaClip: Cartoon Animation	Visual Blasters LLC	Entertainment	109.5 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	51K	4.6	Requiers iOS 10.0 or later
快手 (Kwai - Video Social Network)	JOYO TECHNOLOGY PTE.LTD	Photo & Video	235.8 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	13.5K	4.5	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Lifecake Family & Baby Photos	Lifecake Ltd.	Lifestyle	114.3 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	27K	4.8	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Magisto Video Editor	Vimeo, Inc.	Photo & Video	194.2 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	79.4K	4.6	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Mojo - Stories Editor	Archery Inc.	Photo & Video	98.5 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	15.6K	4.9	Requires iOS 11.4 or later
Nizo	Image Mechanics Pty Ltd.	Photo & Video	29.5 MB	$4.99	78	4.5	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Noisy Book	Lunen Digital Ltd.	Books	244.5 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	20	3.8	Requires iOS 13.0 or later
Over: Design/Flyer/Story Maker	Over, Inc.	Photo & Video	262.8 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	59.3K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Spark Camera - Video Editor	Dayworks	Photo & Video	229.6 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	5.6K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.1 or later
Steller	Expedition Travel Advisor, Inc.	Photo & Video	74.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	773	4.8	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
StoryBoost: Story Editor	Lightricks Ltd.	Photo & Video	208.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	575	4.5	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Tayasui Sketches	Tayasui.com	Productivity	326.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	22.4K	4.6	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Typic 2: Fonts & Text on Photo	Hi Mom S.A.S	Photo & Video	408.7 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	588	4.5	Requires iOS 12.1 or later
Unfold — Create Stories	Unfold Creative, LLC	Photo & Video	152.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	89.5K	4.9	Requires iOS 10.0 or later
Vostok	Dmitry Mashkin	Photo & Video	121 MB	$0.99	4	5	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
VUE - Video Camera and Editor	VUE VIDEO CO., LTD.	Photo & Video	155.3 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	617	4.9	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Wattpad	Wattpad Corp	Books	154.2 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	286.4K	4.7	Requires iOS 10.0 or later
WIDE	Xiamen Meitu Technology	Photo & Video	158.6 MB	Free	10K	4.9	Requires iOS 9.0 or later

Part 3: 10 Most Popular and Trending Photo & Video Apps in 2024

Apps from gaming, entertainment, and books categories were gaining momentum throughout the year, but the photo and video category that makes the storytelling easier is by far the most popular. If you are looking to record voices , create podcasts , take photos or record videos, you’ll find the app that meets all your demands effortlessly. Here are some of the most popular apps from the Photo & Video category on the App Store in 2024.

1. Canva: Stories and Video Maker

Price: Free

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.03 or later

Building social media following can be a daunting task if you don’t have the right tools. Canva: Stories and Video Maker enables you to design stories you share on Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. The app offers a selection of more than 700 story templates that are organized into categories such as Food, Business or Travel and it lets you choose photo templates for all images you want to publish on social media. In addition, this iPhone app, features a set of video editing tools, so that you can use different templates to edit them or trim and preview each video before exporting it from the Canva: Stories and Video Maker.

2. Magisto

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later

In 2017, Magisto was selected as the number one video editing app for iPhones and a few years later it is still one of the best apps in this category on the App Store. Digital marketers who don’t have the skills or the time to edit their videos with professional video editing software can benefit from this AI-powered editor. In order to create a new video, you just have to choose a video editing style such as kids or pets, import the media assets into your project and let Magisto work its magic. If you opt for the monthly Business subscription plan you will gain access to more than 3 million stock videos and 25 million photos.

3. Mojo

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.4 or later

The 4.9 User Rating on more than 15.000 reviews speaks volumes about Mojo’s capabilities. Even the free version of the app lets you choose from more than a hundred fully customizable templates. So, once you pick an animated template you just have to add the video and audio files you want to include in the final version of the video and wait for Mojo to generate a new story you can share on social media. However, you must upgrade to the pro version of the app if you want to choose the aspect ratio for all videos you edit with this app or be able to use all of the text styles and templates Mojo offers.

4. Over: Design/Flyers/Story Maker

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later

Producing brand content that drives the sales of the products and services your company offers doesn’t have to take hours or even days of hard work. In fact, if you install Over on your iPhone you can add logos, text layers and other graphic elements to photos and videos in just a few quick taps. There are hundreds of templates and fonts to choose from, and you can use any of them to design a flyer, a poster or a social media post. Sharing your creations to social networks directly from the app won’t take much more than a few moments of your time, which makes Over a perfect choice if you want to produce and share new content regularly.

5. Spark Camera

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.1 or later

Apple included the Spark Camera app in their selection of the best storytelling apps in 2024, and a brief look at the app’s features shows why. Besides recording videos in Full HD and 4K resolutions you can also use Spark Camera to create voiceovers, remove any segment of a video clip you want or change a clip’s playback speed. In addition, you can set the preferred frame rate for each video you record with Spark Camera and utilize its image stabilization options while shooting under difficult light conditions. Applying a filter to a video you recorded with this app requires you to just swipe left or right while you can adjust their intensity by simply moving your finger up or down.

6. Steller

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later

It has already been five years since Steller was named as one of the best apps on the App Store by Apple, but very little has changed in the meantime. You don’t have to be a professional storyteller in order to create engaging visual stories with this app since you can select a theme you like and let Steller do all the heavy lifting for you. There just ten text styles to choose from and the app doesn’t offer even the basic video editing tools, which limits your options throughout the video editing process. Nonetheless, you can share all video content you edit with Steller directly to your Instagram Stories.

7. Unfold

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 10.0 or later

Creating Facebook or Instagram Stories that attract the attention of thousands of daily viewers is what Unfold does best. You can apply ten different filters and effects to all videos you record with this app and then choose from over 150 video templates. Unfold also grants you access to advanced text tools that enable you to customize the messages you want to distribute through social media channels. The free version of Unfold offers only a limited range of options, and you must upgrade to Unfold+ if you want to access all of the themes, fonts, and stickers this app provides. Despite the great user rating, Unfold still lacks video and audio editing tools that would allow its users to manipulate their footage without any restrictions.

8. 24 FPS – Video Filter & LUT

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 12.0 or later

iPhone owners in need of a video editing app that allows them to record and edit their footage with professional tools should consider installing 24 FPS. In addition to excellent video recording capabilities, this app features a plethora of options you can use to enhance the colors in the videos you edit. Importing LUTs into 24 FPS is a routine operation that can reduce the amount of time you have to spend on giving a video a particular cinematic style. Skin-thinning and skin smoothing filters enable you to beautify the people in your videos and make them more visually appealing to the online audience. The app’s video editor also contains audio editing options that make creating a video’s soundtrack fun and enjoyable.

9. VUE – Video Camera and Editor

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later

Recording and editing social media videos from your iPhone enables you to produce visually impressive content wherever you are. An app like Vue is a perfect option if you don’t want to post unedited footage on your social media accounts, but don’t have the time to use a professional video editing software. Besides offering more than twenty filters, Vue also lets you change a video’s playback speed, merge or split multiple clips and enhance the colors of each clip you edit. The seemingly endless library of royalty-free songs offers you all the resources you are going to need while creating a soundtrack for your video, and you can also control the volume of video’s original sound and audio files you added to a project.

10 1 Second Every Day: Video Diary

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS11.2

Simple, routine activities like capturing a single moment every day can help you create a collection of all the exciting things you do on a daily basis. 1 Second Every Day app is designed to help you create a video diary that sums up the most important moments of your day. You can either create Freestyle videos you take at different types of events and your journeys or capture standard Timeline videos that have the form of a classic video diary. The app can also auto-fill your timeline if you are struggling to find a good idea for your daily diary entry, and it supports unlimited mashing so that you can combine videos over a five-year or one-month period without any video length restrictions.

Conclusion

According to Apple, some of the most popular apps for the iPhone are built for storytellers, and this trend is going to continue in 2024 as the demand for video content can only increase. Consequently, some of the best iOS apps can be found in the Photo & Video category as they provide the tools that simplify the process of creating social media videos. Which app are you using to create your stories? Leave a comment and let us know.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Earlier this month, Apple has released its choices for the best app and video games of 2024 and revealed some of the hottest trends on the App Store. Over the years, we’ve seen how apps shape the everyday life of iPhone and iPad users, through innovation, entertainment and creativity.

The current trends on App Store show a growing interest in applications that unleash creativity and make recording images or sounds easier. So, if you are looking for an app that can take you a step closer to becoming a successful podcaster or video content creator , we have great news for you because currently, there are so many powerful apps to choose from. Let’s take a look at some of the best and most popular iPhone apps that left their mark in 2024.

• Part 1: Apple Pick: Best App for iPhone in 2024
• Part 2: Most Trending & Popular Apps for iPhone of the Year [Full Checklist]
• Part 3: Most Popular and Trending Photo & Video Apps for iPhone [+Review]

Part 1: The iPhone App of the Year: Spectre Camera

Social networks have made photography more popular than ever. However, the quality of pictures taken with Smartphones still cannot be compared to the quality of images produced on DSLR cameras .

The iPhone app of the year provides a solution to this issue by employing the latest computational photography techniques. The Spectre Camera is equipped with an AI that can easily create long-exposure photographs, remove crowds from images and detect scenes automatically . The app saves all pictures it takes during a long-exposure and generates live photos by merging all images into a single breathtaking shot.

Optionally, you can apply live effects to each image you take with Spectre Camera if you would like to enhance its colors or highlight a particular detail. Image stabilization features are designed to keep all photos you shoot handheld sharp, while Spectre Camera also offers the automatic tripod detection option. The app’s machine learning algorithms detect scenes and provide all the help you need to produce professional-looking photos with your iPhone.

As the popularity of social media platforms continues to grow, so does the demand for photo and video applications that are compatible with iOS devices. That’s why it is hardly surprising that Spectre Camera is the iPhone app of the year because it is packed with industry-leading technologies that simplify the image-taking process.

You can check the detailed review below of Spectre Camera App from YouTube Channel TinyShutter to learn more.

Part 2: Most Trending & Popular Apps for iPhone of the Year [Full Checklist]

Besides the best app for iPhone of the year, Apple also picked up some most trending apps for simplifying and empowering storytelling. Here is the complete list of these apps.

App Trend of 2024	Publisher	Category	App Size	Price	Ratings	User Rating	System Requirement
1 Second Everyday: Video Diary	1 Second Everyday Inc.	Photo & Video	132.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	30.6K	4.8	Requires iOS11.2 or later
24FPS - Video Filter & LUT	Polarr.Inc	Photo & Video	89.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	943	4.7	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Anchor	Anchor FM INC	News	109.6 MB	Free	40K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Canva: Stories & Video Maker	Canva Pty Ltd	Photo & Video	309.2 MB	Free	1.4K	4.8	Requiers iOS 11.03 or later
Filmr - Video Editor & Filter	Stei App,ltda	Photo & Video	203.6 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	4.9K	4.5	Requires iOS.11.0 or later
FlipaClip: Cartoon Animation	Visual Blasters LLC	Entertainment	109.5 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	51K	4.6	Requiers iOS 10.0 or later
快手 (Kwai - Video Social Network)	JOYO TECHNOLOGY PTE.LTD	Photo & Video	235.8 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	13.5K	4.5	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Lifecake Family & Baby Photos	Lifecake Ltd.	Lifestyle	114.3 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	27K	4.8	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Magisto Video Editor	Vimeo, Inc.	Photo & Video	194.2 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	79.4K	4.6	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Mojo - Stories Editor	Archery Inc.	Photo & Video	98.5 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	15.6K	4.9	Requires iOS 11.4 or later
Nizo	Image Mechanics Pty Ltd.	Photo & Video	29.5 MB	$4.99	78	4.5	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Noisy Book	Lunen Digital Ltd.	Books	244.5 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	20	3.8	Requires iOS 13.0 or later
Over: Design/Flyer/Story Maker	Over, Inc.	Photo & Video	262.8 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	59.3K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Spark Camera - Video Editor	Dayworks	Photo & Video	229.6 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	5.6K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.1 or later
Steller	Expedition Travel Advisor, Inc.	Photo & Video	74.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	773	4.8	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
StoryBoost: Story Editor	Lightricks Ltd.	Photo & Video	208.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	575	4.5	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Tayasui Sketches	Tayasui.com	Productivity	326.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	22.4K	4.6	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Typic 2: Fonts & Text on Photo	Hi Mom S.A.S	Photo & Video	408.7 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	588	4.5	Requires iOS 12.1 or later
Unfold — Create Stories	Unfold Creative, LLC	Photo & Video	152.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	89.5K	4.9	Requires iOS 10.0 or later
Vostok	Dmitry Mashkin	Photo & Video	121 MB	$0.99	4	5	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
VUE - Video Camera and Editor	VUE VIDEO CO., LTD.	Photo & Video	155.3 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	617	4.9	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Wattpad	Wattpad Corp	Books	154.2 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	286.4K	4.7	Requires iOS 10.0 or later
WIDE	Xiamen Meitu Technology	Photo & Video	158.6 MB	Free	10K	4.9	Requires iOS 9.0 or later

Part 3: 10 Most Popular and Trending Photo & Video Apps in 2024

Apps from gaming, entertainment, and books categories were gaining momentum throughout the year, but the photo and video category that makes the storytelling easier is by far the most popular. If you are looking to record voices , create podcasts , take photos or record videos, you’ll find the app that meets all your demands effortlessly. Here are some of the most popular apps from the Photo & Video category on the App Store in 2024.

1. Canva: Stories and Video Maker

Price: Free

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.03 or later

Building social media following can be a daunting task if you don’t have the right tools. Canva: Stories and Video Maker enables you to design stories you share on Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. The app offers a selection of more than 700 story templates that are organized into categories such as Food, Business or Travel and it lets you choose photo templates for all images you want to publish on social media. In addition, this iPhone app, features a set of video editing tools, so that you can use different templates to edit them or trim and preview each video before exporting it from the Canva: Stories and Video Maker.

2. Magisto

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later

In 2017, Magisto was selected as the number one video editing app for iPhones and a few years later it is still one of the best apps in this category on the App Store. Digital marketers who don’t have the skills or the time to edit their videos with professional video editing software can benefit from this AI-powered editor. In order to create a new video, you just have to choose a video editing style such as kids or pets, import the media assets into your project and let Magisto work its magic. If you opt for the monthly Business subscription plan you will gain access to more than 3 million stock videos and 25 million photos.

3. Mojo

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.4 or later

The 4.9 User Rating on more than 15.000 reviews speaks volumes about Mojo’s capabilities. Even the free version of the app lets you choose from more than a hundred fully customizable templates. So, once you pick an animated template you just have to add the video and audio files you want to include in the final version of the video and wait for Mojo to generate a new story you can share on social media. However, you must upgrade to the pro version of the app if you want to choose the aspect ratio for all videos you edit with this app or be able to use all of the text styles and templates Mojo offers.

4. Over: Design/Flyers/Story Maker

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later

Producing brand content that drives the sales of the products and services your company offers doesn’t have to take hours or even days of hard work. In fact, if you install Over on your iPhone you can add logos, text layers and other graphic elements to photos and videos in just a few quick taps. There are hundreds of templates and fonts to choose from, and you can use any of them to design a flyer, a poster or a social media post. Sharing your creations to social networks directly from the app won’t take much more than a few moments of your time, which makes Over a perfect choice if you want to produce and share new content regularly.

5. Spark Camera

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.1 or later

Apple included the Spark Camera app in their selection of the best storytelling apps in 2024, and a brief look at the app’s features shows why. Besides recording videos in Full HD and 4K resolutions you can also use Spark Camera to create voiceovers, remove any segment of a video clip you want or change a clip’s playback speed. In addition, you can set the preferred frame rate for each video you record with Spark Camera and utilize its image stabilization options while shooting under difficult light conditions. Applying a filter to a video you recorded with this app requires you to just swipe left or right while you can adjust their intensity by simply moving your finger up or down.

6. Steller

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later

It has already been five years since Steller was named as one of the best apps on the App Store by Apple, but very little has changed in the meantime. You don’t have to be a professional storyteller in order to create engaging visual stories with this app since you can select a theme you like and let Steller do all the heavy lifting for you. There just ten text styles to choose from and the app doesn’t offer even the basic video editing tools, which limits your options throughout the video editing process. Nonetheless, you can share all video content you edit with Steller directly to your Instagram Stories.

7. Unfold

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 10.0 or later

Creating Facebook or Instagram Stories that attract the attention of thousands of daily viewers is what Unfold does best. You can apply ten different filters and effects to all videos you record with this app and then choose from over 150 video templates. Unfold also grants you access to advanced text tools that enable you to customize the messages you want to distribute through social media channels. The free version of Unfold offers only a limited range of options, and you must upgrade to Unfold+ if you want to access all of the themes, fonts, and stickers this app provides. Despite the great user rating, Unfold still lacks video and audio editing tools that would allow its users to manipulate their footage without any restrictions.

8. 24 FPS – Video Filter & LUT

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 12.0 or later

iPhone owners in need of a video editing app that allows them to record and edit their footage with professional tools should consider installing 24 FPS. In addition to excellent video recording capabilities, this app features a plethora of options you can use to enhance the colors in the videos you edit. Importing LUTs into 24 FPS is a routine operation that can reduce the amount of time you have to spend on giving a video a particular cinematic style. Skin-thinning and skin smoothing filters enable you to beautify the people in your videos and make them more visually appealing to the online audience. The app’s video editor also contains audio editing options that make creating a video’s soundtrack fun and enjoyable.

9. VUE – Video Camera and Editor

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later

Recording and editing social media videos from your iPhone enables you to produce visually impressive content wherever you are. An app like Vue is a perfect option if you don’t want to post unedited footage on your social media accounts, but don’t have the time to use a professional video editing software. Besides offering more than twenty filters, Vue also lets you change a video’s playback speed, merge or split multiple clips and enhance the colors of each clip you edit. The seemingly endless library of royalty-free songs offers you all the resources you are going to need while creating a soundtrack for your video, and you can also control the volume of video’s original sound and audio files you added to a project.

10 1 Second Every Day: Video Diary

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS11.2

Simple, routine activities like capturing a single moment every day can help you create a collection of all the exciting things you do on a daily basis. 1 Second Every Day app is designed to help you create a video diary that sums up the most important moments of your day. You can either create Freestyle videos you take at different types of events and your journeys or capture standard Timeline videos that have the form of a classic video diary. The app can also auto-fill your timeline if you are struggling to find a good idea for your daily diary entry, and it supports unlimited mashing so that you can combine videos over a five-year or one-month period without any video length restrictions.

Conclusion

According to Apple, some of the most popular apps for the iPhone are built for storytellers, and this trend is going to continue in 2024 as the demand for video content can only increase. Consequently, some of the best iOS apps can be found in the Photo & Video category as they provide the tools that simplify the process of creating social media videos. Which app are you using to create your stories? Leave a comment and let us know.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Earlier this month, Apple has released its choices for the best app and video games of 2024 and revealed some of the hottest trends on the App Store. Over the years, we’ve seen how apps shape the everyday life of iPhone and iPad users, through innovation, entertainment and creativity.

The current trends on App Store show a growing interest in applications that unleash creativity and make recording images or sounds easier. So, if you are looking for an app that can take you a step closer to becoming a successful podcaster or video content creator , we have great news for you because currently, there are so many powerful apps to choose from. Let’s take a look at some of the best and most popular iPhone apps that left their mark in 2024.

• Part 1: Apple Pick: Best App for iPhone in 2024
• Part 2: Most Trending & Popular Apps for iPhone of the Year [Full Checklist]
• Part 3: Most Popular and Trending Photo & Video Apps for iPhone [+Review]

Part 1: The iPhone App of the Year: Spectre Camera

Social networks have made photography more popular than ever. However, the quality of pictures taken with Smartphones still cannot be compared to the quality of images produced on DSLR cameras .

The iPhone app of the year provides a solution to this issue by employing the latest computational photography techniques. The Spectre Camera is equipped with an AI that can easily create long-exposure photographs, remove crowds from images and detect scenes automatically . The app saves all pictures it takes during a long-exposure and generates live photos by merging all images into a single breathtaking shot.

Optionally, you can apply live effects to each image you take with Spectre Camera if you would like to enhance its colors or highlight a particular detail. Image stabilization features are designed to keep all photos you shoot handheld sharp, while Spectre Camera also offers the automatic tripod detection option. The app’s machine learning algorithms detect scenes and provide all the help you need to produce professional-looking photos with your iPhone.

As the popularity of social media platforms continues to grow, so does the demand for photo and video applications that are compatible with iOS devices. That’s why it is hardly surprising that Spectre Camera is the iPhone app of the year because it is packed with industry-leading technologies that simplify the image-taking process.

You can check the detailed review below of Spectre Camera App from YouTube Channel TinyShutter to learn more.

Part 2: Most Trending & Popular Apps for iPhone of the Year [Full Checklist]

Besides the best app for iPhone of the year, Apple also picked up some most trending apps for simplifying and empowering storytelling. Here is the complete list of these apps.

App Trend of 2024	Publisher	Category	App Size	Price	Ratings	User Rating	System Requirement
1 Second Everyday: Video Diary	1 Second Everyday Inc.	Photo & Video	132.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	30.6K	4.8	Requires iOS11.2 or later
24FPS - Video Filter & LUT	Polarr.Inc	Photo & Video	89.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	943	4.7	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Anchor	Anchor FM INC	News	109.6 MB	Free	40K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Canva: Stories & Video Maker	Canva Pty Ltd	Photo & Video	309.2 MB	Free	1.4K	4.8	Requiers iOS 11.03 or later
Filmr - Video Editor & Filter	Stei App,ltda	Photo & Video	203.6 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	4.9K	4.5	Requires iOS.11.0 or later
FlipaClip: Cartoon Animation	Visual Blasters LLC	Entertainment	109.5 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	51K	4.6	Requiers iOS 10.0 or later
快手 (Kwai - Video Social Network)	JOYO TECHNOLOGY PTE.LTD	Photo & Video	235.8 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	13.5K	4.5	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Lifecake Family & Baby Photos	Lifecake Ltd.	Lifestyle	114.3 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	27K	4.8	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Magisto Video Editor	Vimeo, Inc.	Photo & Video	194.2 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	79.4K	4.6	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Mojo - Stories Editor	Archery Inc.	Photo & Video	98.5 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	15.6K	4.9	Requires iOS 11.4 or later
Nizo	Image Mechanics Pty Ltd.	Photo & Video	29.5 MB	$4.99	78	4.5	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Noisy Book	Lunen Digital Ltd.	Books	244.5 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	20	3.8	Requires iOS 13.0 or later
Over: Design/Flyer/Story Maker	Over, Inc.	Photo & Video	262.8 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	59.3K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Spark Camera - Video Editor	Dayworks	Photo & Video	229.6 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	5.6K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.1 or later
Steller	Expedition Travel Advisor, Inc.	Photo & Video	74.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	773	4.8	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
StoryBoost: Story Editor	Lightricks Ltd.	Photo & Video	208.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	575	4.5	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Tayasui Sketches	Tayasui.com	Productivity	326.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	22.4K	4.6	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Typic 2: Fonts & Text on Photo	Hi Mom S.A.S	Photo & Video	408.7 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	588	4.5	Requires iOS 12.1 or later
Unfold — Create Stories	Unfold Creative, LLC	Photo & Video	152.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	89.5K	4.9	Requires iOS 10.0 or later
Vostok	Dmitry Mashkin	Photo & Video	121 MB	$0.99	4	5	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
VUE - Video Camera and Editor	VUE VIDEO CO., LTD.	Photo & Video	155.3 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	617	4.9	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Wattpad	Wattpad Corp	Books	154.2 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	286.4K	4.7	Requires iOS 10.0 or later
WIDE	Xiamen Meitu Technology	Photo & Video	158.6 MB	Free	10K	4.9	Requires iOS 9.0 or later

Part 3: 10 Most Popular and Trending Photo & Video Apps in 2024

Apps from gaming, entertainment, and books categories were gaining momentum throughout the year, but the photo and video category that makes the storytelling easier is by far the most popular. If you are looking to record voices , create podcasts , take photos or record videos, you’ll find the app that meets all your demands effortlessly. Here are some of the most popular apps from the Photo & Video category on the App Store in 2024.

1. Canva: Stories and Video Maker

Price: Free

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.03 or later

Building social media following can be a daunting task if you don’t have the right tools. Canva: Stories and Video Maker enables you to design stories you share on Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. The app offers a selection of more than 700 story templates that are organized into categories such as Food, Business or Travel and it lets you choose photo templates for all images you want to publish on social media. In addition, this iPhone app, features a set of video editing tools, so that you can use different templates to edit them or trim and preview each video before exporting it from the Canva: Stories and Video Maker.

2. Magisto

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later

In 2017, Magisto was selected as the number one video editing app for iPhones and a few years later it is still one of the best apps in this category on the App Store. Digital marketers who don’t have the skills or the time to edit their videos with professional video editing software can benefit from this AI-powered editor. In order to create a new video, you just have to choose a video editing style such as kids or pets, import the media assets into your project and let Magisto work its magic. If you opt for the monthly Business subscription plan you will gain access to more than 3 million stock videos and 25 million photos.

3. Mojo

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.4 or later

The 4.9 User Rating on more than 15.000 reviews speaks volumes about Mojo’s capabilities. Even the free version of the app lets you choose from more than a hundred fully customizable templates. So, once you pick an animated template you just have to add the video and audio files you want to include in the final version of the video and wait for Mojo to generate a new story you can share on social media. However, you must upgrade to the pro version of the app if you want to choose the aspect ratio for all videos you edit with this app or be able to use all of the text styles and templates Mojo offers.

4. Over: Design/Flyers/Story Maker

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later

Producing brand content that drives the sales of the products and services your company offers doesn’t have to take hours or even days of hard work. In fact, if you install Over on your iPhone you can add logos, text layers and other graphic elements to photos and videos in just a few quick taps. There are hundreds of templates and fonts to choose from, and you can use any of them to design a flyer, a poster or a social media post. Sharing your creations to social networks directly from the app won’t take much more than a few moments of your time, which makes Over a perfect choice if you want to produce and share new content regularly.

5. Spark Camera

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.1 or later

Apple included the Spark Camera app in their selection of the best storytelling apps in 2024, and a brief look at the app’s features shows why. Besides recording videos in Full HD and 4K resolutions you can also use Spark Camera to create voiceovers, remove any segment of a video clip you want or change a clip’s playback speed. In addition, you can set the preferred frame rate for each video you record with Spark Camera and utilize its image stabilization options while shooting under difficult light conditions. Applying a filter to a video you recorded with this app requires you to just swipe left or right while you can adjust their intensity by simply moving your finger up or down.

6. Steller

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later

It has already been five years since Steller was named as one of the best apps on the App Store by Apple, but very little has changed in the meantime. You don’t have to be a professional storyteller in order to create engaging visual stories with this app since you can select a theme you like and let Steller do all the heavy lifting for you. There just ten text styles to choose from and the app doesn’t offer even the basic video editing tools, which limits your options throughout the video editing process. Nonetheless, you can share all video content you edit with Steller directly to your Instagram Stories.

7. Unfold

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 10.0 or later

Creating Facebook or Instagram Stories that attract the attention of thousands of daily viewers is what Unfold does best. You can apply ten different filters and effects to all videos you record with this app and then choose from over 150 video templates. Unfold also grants you access to advanced text tools that enable you to customize the messages you want to distribute through social media channels. The free version of Unfold offers only a limited range of options, and you must upgrade to Unfold+ if you want to access all of the themes, fonts, and stickers this app provides. Despite the great user rating, Unfold still lacks video and audio editing tools that would allow its users to manipulate their footage without any restrictions.

8. 24 FPS – Video Filter & LUT

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 12.0 or later

iPhone owners in need of a video editing app that allows them to record and edit their footage with professional tools should consider installing 24 FPS. In addition to excellent video recording capabilities, this app features a plethora of options you can use to enhance the colors in the videos you edit. Importing LUTs into 24 FPS is a routine operation that can reduce the amount of time you have to spend on giving a video a particular cinematic style. Skin-thinning and skin smoothing filters enable you to beautify the people in your videos and make them more visually appealing to the online audience. The app’s video editor also contains audio editing options that make creating a video’s soundtrack fun and enjoyable.

9. VUE – Video Camera and Editor

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later

Recording and editing social media videos from your iPhone enables you to produce visually impressive content wherever you are. An app like Vue is a perfect option if you don’t want to post unedited footage on your social media accounts, but don’t have the time to use a professional video editing software. Besides offering more than twenty filters, Vue also lets you change a video’s playback speed, merge or split multiple clips and enhance the colors of each clip you edit. The seemingly endless library of royalty-free songs offers you all the resources you are going to need while creating a soundtrack for your video, and you can also control the volume of video’s original sound and audio files you added to a project.

10 1 Second Every Day: Video Diary

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS11.2

Simple, routine activities like capturing a single moment every day can help you create a collection of all the exciting things you do on a daily basis. 1 Second Every Day app is designed to help you create a video diary that sums up the most important moments of your day. You can either create Freestyle videos you take at different types of events and your journeys or capture standard Timeline videos that have the form of a classic video diary. The app can also auto-fill your timeline if you are struggling to find a good idea for your daily diary entry, and it supports unlimited mashing so that you can combine videos over a five-year or one-month period without any video length restrictions.

Conclusion

According to Apple, some of the most popular apps for the iPhone are built for storytellers, and this trend is going to continue in 2024 as the demand for video content can only increase. Consequently, some of the best iOS apps can be found in the Photo & Video category as they provide the tools that simplify the process of creating social media videos. Which app are you using to create your stories? Leave a comment and let us know.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Earlier this month, Apple has released its choices for the best app and video games of 2024 and revealed some of the hottest trends on the App Store. Over the years, we’ve seen how apps shape the everyday life of iPhone and iPad users, through innovation, entertainment and creativity.

The current trends on App Store show a growing interest in applications that unleash creativity and make recording images or sounds easier. So, if you are looking for an app that can take you a step closer to becoming a successful podcaster or video content creator , we have great news for you because currently, there are so many powerful apps to choose from. Let’s take a look at some of the best and most popular iPhone apps that left their mark in 2024.

• Part 1: Apple Pick: Best App for iPhone in 2024
• Part 2: Most Trending & Popular Apps for iPhone of the Year [Full Checklist]
• Part 3: Most Popular and Trending Photo & Video Apps for iPhone [+Review]

Part 1: The iPhone App of the Year: Spectre Camera

Social networks have made photography more popular than ever. However, the quality of pictures taken with Smartphones still cannot be compared to the quality of images produced on DSLR cameras .

The iPhone app of the year provides a solution to this issue by employing the latest computational photography techniques. The Spectre Camera is equipped with an AI that can easily create long-exposure photographs, remove crowds from images and detect scenes automatically . The app saves all pictures it takes during a long-exposure and generates live photos by merging all images into a single breathtaking shot.

Optionally, you can apply live effects to each image you take with Spectre Camera if you would like to enhance its colors or highlight a particular detail. Image stabilization features are designed to keep all photos you shoot handheld sharp, while Spectre Camera also offers the automatic tripod detection option. The app’s machine learning algorithms detect scenes and provide all the help you need to produce professional-looking photos with your iPhone.

As the popularity of social media platforms continues to grow, so does the demand for photo and video applications that are compatible with iOS devices. That’s why it is hardly surprising that Spectre Camera is the iPhone app of the year because it is packed with industry-leading technologies that simplify the image-taking process.

You can check the detailed review below of Spectre Camera App from YouTube Channel TinyShutter to learn more.

Part 2: Most Trending & Popular Apps for iPhone of the Year [Full Checklist]

Besides the best app for iPhone of the year, Apple also picked up some most trending apps for simplifying and empowering storytelling. Here is the complete list of these apps.

App Trend of 2024	Publisher	Category	App Size	Price	Ratings	User Rating	System Requirement
1 Second Everyday: Video Diary	1 Second Everyday Inc.	Photo & Video	132.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	30.6K	4.8	Requires iOS11.2 or later
24FPS - Video Filter & LUT	Polarr.Inc	Photo & Video	89.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	943	4.7	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Anchor	Anchor FM INC	News	109.6 MB	Free	40K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Canva: Stories & Video Maker	Canva Pty Ltd	Photo & Video	309.2 MB	Free	1.4K	4.8	Requiers iOS 11.03 or later
Filmr - Video Editor & Filter	Stei App,ltda	Photo & Video	203.6 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	4.9K	4.5	Requires iOS.11.0 or later
FlipaClip: Cartoon Animation	Visual Blasters LLC	Entertainment	109.5 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	51K	4.6	Requiers iOS 10.0 or later
快手 (Kwai - Video Social Network)	JOYO TECHNOLOGY PTE.LTD	Photo & Video	235.8 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	13.5K	4.5	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Lifecake Family & Baby Photos	Lifecake Ltd.	Lifestyle	114.3 MB	Free,In-App Purchases	27K	4.8	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Magisto Video Editor	Vimeo, Inc.	Photo & Video	194.2 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	79.4K	4.6	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Mojo - Stories Editor	Archery Inc.	Photo & Video	98.5 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	15.6K	4.9	Requires iOS 11.4 or later
Nizo	Image Mechanics Pty Ltd.	Photo & Video	29.5 MB	$4.99	78	4.5	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Noisy Book	Lunen Digital Ltd.	Books	244.5 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	20	3.8	Requires iOS 13.0 or later
Over: Design/Flyer/Story Maker	Over, Inc.	Photo & Video	262.8 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	59.3K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Spark Camera - Video Editor	Dayworks	Photo & Video	229.6 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	5.6K	4.8	Requires iOS 11.1 or later
Steller	Expedition Travel Advisor, Inc.	Photo & Video	74.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	773	4.8	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
StoryBoost: Story Editor	Lightricks Ltd.	Photo & Video	208.4 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	575	4.5	Requires iOS 11.0 or later
Tayasui Sketches	Tayasui.com	Productivity	326.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	22.4K	4.6	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Typic 2: Fonts & Text on Photo	Hi Mom S.A.S	Photo & Video	408.7 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	588	4.5	Requires iOS 12.1 or later
Unfold — Create Stories	Unfold Creative, LLC	Photo & Video	152.9 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	89.5K	4.9	Requires iOS 10.0 or later
Vostok	Dmitry Mashkin	Photo & Video	121 MB	$0.99	4	5	Requires iOS 12.0 or later
VUE - Video Camera and Editor	VUE VIDEO CO., LTD.	Photo & Video	155.3 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	617	4.9	Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Wattpad	Wattpad Corp	Books	154.2 MB	Free, In-App Purchases	286.4K	4.7	Requires iOS 10.0 or later
WIDE	Xiamen Meitu Technology	Photo & Video	158.6 MB	Free	10K	4.9	Requires iOS 9.0 or later

Part 3: 10 Most Popular and Trending Photo & Video Apps in 2024

Apps from gaming, entertainment, and books categories were gaining momentum throughout the year, but the photo and video category that makes the storytelling easier is by far the most popular. If you are looking to record voices , create podcasts , take photos or record videos, you’ll find the app that meets all your demands effortlessly. Here are some of the most popular apps from the Photo & Video category on the App Store in 2024.

1. Canva: Stories and Video Maker

Price: Free

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.03 or later

Building social media following can be a daunting task if you don’t have the right tools. Canva: Stories and Video Maker enables you to design stories you share on Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. The app offers a selection of more than 700 story templates that are organized into categories such as Food, Business or Travel and it lets you choose photo templates for all images you want to publish on social media. In addition, this iPhone app, features a set of video editing tools, so that you can use different templates to edit them or trim and preview each video before exporting it from the Canva: Stories and Video Maker.

2. Magisto

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later

In 2017, Magisto was selected as the number one video editing app for iPhones and a few years later it is still one of the best apps in this category on the App Store. Digital marketers who don’t have the skills or the time to edit their videos with professional video editing software can benefit from this AI-powered editor. In order to create a new video, you just have to choose a video editing style such as kids or pets, import the media assets into your project and let Magisto work its magic. If you opt for the monthly Business subscription plan you will gain access to more than 3 million stock videos and 25 million photos.

3. Mojo

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.4 or later

The 4.9 User Rating on more than 15.000 reviews speaks volumes about Mojo’s capabilities. Even the free version of the app lets you choose from more than a hundred fully customizable templates. So, once you pick an animated template you just have to add the video and audio files you want to include in the final version of the video and wait for Mojo to generate a new story you can share on social media. However, you must upgrade to the pro version of the app if you want to choose the aspect ratio for all videos you edit with this app or be able to use all of the text styles and templates Mojo offers.

4. Over: Design/Flyers/Story Maker

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.0 or later

Producing brand content that drives the sales of the products and services your company offers doesn’t have to take hours or even days of hard work. In fact, if you install Over on your iPhone you can add logos, text layers and other graphic elements to photos and videos in just a few quick taps. There are hundreds of templates and fonts to choose from, and you can use any of them to design a flyer, a poster or a social media post. Sharing your creations to social networks directly from the app won’t take much more than a few moments of your time, which makes Over a perfect choice if you want to produce and share new content regularly.

5. Spark Camera

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 11.1 or later

Apple included the Spark Camera app in their selection of the best storytelling apps in 2024, and a brief look at the app’s features shows why. Besides recording videos in Full HD and 4K resolutions you can also use Spark Camera to create voiceovers, remove any segment of a video clip you want or change a clip’s playback speed. In addition, you can set the preferred frame rate for each video you record with Spark Camera and utilize its image stabilization options while shooting under difficult light conditions. Applying a filter to a video you recorded with this app requires you to just swipe left or right while you can adjust their intensity by simply moving your finger up or down.

6. Steller

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later

It has already been five years since Steller was named as one of the best apps on the App Store by Apple, but very little has changed in the meantime. You don’t have to be a professional storyteller in order to create engaging visual stories with this app since you can select a theme you like and let Steller do all the heavy lifting for you. There just ten text styles to choose from and the app doesn’t offer even the basic video editing tools, which limits your options throughout the video editing process. Nonetheless, you can share all video content you edit with Steller directly to your Instagram Stories.

7. Unfold

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 10.0 or later

Creating Facebook or Instagram Stories that attract the attention of thousands of daily viewers is what Unfold does best. You can apply ten different filters and effects to all videos you record with this app and then choose from over 150 video templates. Unfold also grants you access to advanced text tools that enable you to customize the messages you want to distribute through social media channels. The free version of Unfold offers only a limited range of options, and you must upgrade to Unfold+ if you want to access all of the themes, fonts, and stickers this app provides. Despite the great user rating, Unfold still lacks video and audio editing tools that would allow its users to manipulate their footage without any restrictions.

8. 24 FPS – Video Filter & LUT

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 12.0 or later

iPhone owners in need of a video editing app that allows them to record and edit their footage with professional tools should consider installing 24 FPS. In addition to excellent video recording capabilities, this app features a plethora of options you can use to enhance the colors in the videos you edit. Importing LUTs into 24 FPS is a routine operation that can reduce the amount of time you have to spend on giving a video a particular cinematic style. Skin-thinning and skin smoothing filters enable you to beautify the people in your videos and make them more visually appealing to the online audience. The app’s video editor also contains audio editing options that make creating a video’s soundtrack fun and enjoyable.

9. VUE – Video Camera and Editor

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later

Recording and editing social media videos from your iPhone enables you to produce visually impressive content wherever you are. An app like Vue is a perfect option if you don’t want to post unedited footage on your social media accounts, but don’t have the time to use a professional video editing software. Besides offering more than twenty filters, Vue also lets you change a video’s playback speed, merge or split multiple clips and enhance the colors of each clip you edit. The seemingly endless library of royalty-free songs offers you all the resources you are going to need while creating a soundtrack for your video, and you can also control the volume of video’s original sound and audio files you added to a project.

10 1 Second Every Day: Video Diary

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Requires iOS11.2

Simple, routine activities like capturing a single moment every day can help you create a collection of all the exciting things you do on a daily basis. 1 Second Every Day app is designed to help you create a video diary that sums up the most important moments of your day. You can either create Freestyle videos you take at different types of events and your journeys or capture standard Timeline videos that have the form of a classic video diary. The app can also auto-fill your timeline if you are struggling to find a good idea for your daily diary entry, and it supports unlimited mashing so that you can combine videos over a five-year or one-month period without any video length restrictions.

Conclusion

According to Apple, some of the most popular apps for the iPhone are built for storytellers, and this trend is going to continue in 2024 as the demand for video content can only increase. Consequently, some of the best iOS apps can be found in the Photo & Video category as they provide the tools that simplify the process of creating social media videos. Which app are you using to create your stories? Leave a comment and let us know.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Animation Mastery: The 10 Best 2D Software for Creators [Free & Paid]

10 Best 2D Animation Software in 2024 [Free/Paid]

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

When you are trying to make funny cartoons within seven steps , explainer videos, or informative shorts to post online, 2D animation software can come in handy. With access to a 2D animation maker, you can create intricate and interesting stories that will help you connect with your audience.

Whether you are turning photos into cartoons , teaching a group of kids , showing employees how to do their job, introducing a new product, or trying to elicit an emotional reaction from your audience, 2D cartoon animation can be very useful.

If you are new to the world of 2D animation as a beginner and want to be a professional animation maker, you will be interested in our review of the top 10 free download 2D animation software options that may prove useful to you.

• Part 1: Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners
• Part 2: Best Professional 2D Animation Software
• Part 3: How to Make 2D Animation
• Part 4: FAQ about Professional 2D Animation Software

Recommend free download animation maker Filmora

If you want to create a 2D animation video, we recommend using 2D animation software-Filmora.

It is a powerful and straightforward video maker for all levels from middle to advanced. With keyframing, you can make smooth 2D animation quickly. Auto color correction can save you a lot of time to make high-quality animation.

Now free download it on Windows and Mac to make 2D animated videos, and connect with other video creators in the Wondershare Video Community to get more creative ideas.

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

Have a Quick Look at The Best 10 Free/Paid 2D Animation Software to Download

No.	Product Name	Supported OS	Price	Best for
1	Synfig	Windows, Linux, and OSX	Free	Beginners
2	Opentoonz	Windows and OSX	Free	Beginners
3	Maefloresta	iPhone and Android	Free	Beginners
4	Pencil 2D	Windows, Linux, and OSX	Free	Beginners
5	Toon Boom Harmony	Windows, Linux, and OSX	$109 per month	Professionals
6	CelAction2D	Windows, Linux, and OSX	$1300 for one single license	Professionals
7	Moho (Anime Studio) Pro	Windows and OSX	$399.99 for the full package	Professionals
8	Stop Motion Studio	Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS	$59.99 for the full package	Professionals
9	FlipBook	Windows and OSX	$19.99/$49.99/$149.99/$199.99	Professionals
10	Reallusion CrazyTalk Animator	Windows and OSX	$199 for the pipeline, $99 for pro	Professionals

Part 1 Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners

01 Synfig - Open Source 2D Animation Software for Beginners

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It offers more than 50 layers to make simple or advanced animation, so you don’t need to worry about its limitation though it is free to use.

Con: Few tutorials are available in the market to start making an animation for beginners.

Synfig Studio is an open-source, free 2D animation software that is the perfect place for beginners to learn about 2D animation. There are two versions available for free download - stable and testing.

The testing version has some experimental features if users want to try those ahead of their introduction into the stable release.

Features:

• Supports multiple layers of content
• The bone system allows for the creation of cutout animations from bitmap images
• Has sound support to allow for the addition and syncing of narration and/or music to the video

02 Opentoonz - Free-to-Use Effects for 2D Animation

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: You can use a plug-in to make beautiful animation effects automatically without further editing.

Con: The UI design is outdated compared with other animation software, but it won’t affect user experience.

Based on the Toonz software, Opentoonz is the best free alternative that will help you create 2D animated content. Anyone can use the software, free of charge, and download it.

And users can modify the source code to add specific features to this simple animation software.

Features:

• GTS scanning tool
• Ability to change picture styles
• Add distortion and light effects
• Compatible with black and white and colored scans

03 Maefloresta - Easy-to-Use 2D Animation Software on Phone

Price: Free

Compatibility: iPhone and Android

Pro: It is free to use with easy to start introduction, even for kids.

Con: You need to email its staff to get the installer online, which is inconvenient sometimes.

The beauty of the Maefloresta app is that you can use your Android or iOS tablet and smartphone to create free 2D animated videos.

There is no need to pay for expensive software if you just want to create some fun videos to show your friends. It also offers school solutions for teachers and students.

Features:

• The free downloadable app that works on smartphones and tablets
• Easy animation software with tutorials
• Intuitive interface that beginners can use with ease

04 Pencil 2D - Cross-Platform Software with Intuitive Interface

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It offers English, Spanish, and Portuguese language tutorials to use.

Con: It doesn’t support the shapes tool. If you like to make shapes and draw something, you’d be disappointed.

Want an open-source and free 2D animation design software to help you create videos? Pencil2D animation is the type of program that can help beginners.

You can get to grips with how 2D animation works, and you can create some very fun and interesting videos along the way.

Features:

• Minimalist design to let you make animation easily
• Raster and vector workflow switching
• Cross-platform compatibility to free download

Part 2: Best Professional 2D Animation Software

05 Toon Boom Harmony - Leading Animation Software for Professional

Price: The first 21 days of using the product are free. After the 21 days are up, you will need to pay $109 per month.

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: You can make 2D and 3D animation, both with models.

Con: It may take some time to learn how to make 2D animation for beginners.

Whether you are trying to create an art piece, showcase a story through 2D images, or craft a unique message for your audience, Toon Boom Harmony will help you immensely.

This professional 2D animation software may take time to learn, but it is worth using. It has bitmap and vector tools for creating art, 3D imported models for hybrid productions, and the option to create multiplane scenes with Z-depth.

You can also check the Toon Boom Harmony Advanced Review from the TopTenReview website for more information.

Features:

• Revolutionary vector and bitmap drawing technology - Brush Engine
• Advanced color palettes and paint options
• 2D and 3D integration to make professional animation
• Cut-out animation tools
• Traditional paperless animation.

06 CelAction2D - Low System Requirement for Professional 2D Animation

Price: If you go with the Studio Edition, it costs $1,300 to obtain a single license to use the product for a lifetime. Studio Edition is $1300 for one single license

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It is fast to use with low system requirements.

Con: You can draw animation in itself, so you need to import all words from third-party software.

Want to create unique and complex 2D animations for your upcoming projects? CelAction2D is the type of product that is going to help you create wonderful and professional animations.

While getting a full license is a financial commitment, you are getting a product that has all the features that you could need.

You can create a palette using up to 16 million colors, and you will have a very easy time getting to grips with the way the software works.

It is designed for beginners and intermediate users, but still has all the advanced features that a pro would want.

Features:

• Easy and fast to use for professional users
• Features ergonomic controls
• Easily handles complex projects with thousands of layers
• Works with all modern Windows machines - 32 and 64-bit Also work with Macs through Boot Camp
• The multiplane camera features let you have more controls

07 Moho (Anime Studio) Pro - All-In-One Professional 2D Animation Software

Price: $399.99 for the full package.

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: Its update is regular with advanced and newest features to use.

Con: It is not user-friendly for beginners as the functions are too advanced a little bit.

Anime Studio Pro is a fantastic option for anyone who is looking to get into professional 2D animation creation. It is affordable and designed for Flash-style animations.

While you cannot create frame-by-frame animations using this program, you will be able to create some fantastic videos nonetheless.

There is an Anime Studio Debut - simple animation software, which is targeted towards the beginner user and free download. But if you want all the features of a high-end 2D animation software, you will want to go with the Pro version.

Features:

• Enhanced freehand drawing tools
• Beizer handles to make it easier for you to design your videos the way that you want
• Smart warp feature helps create custom meshes to bend and twist your animations
• Realistic motion blur
• Animation for multiple layers at the same time

08 Stop Motion Studio - Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software

Price: $59.99 to download the software onto your PC.

Compatibility: Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS

Pro: You can use a built-in sound to make your animation unique. You can also record voice and use it in the video.

Con: You can only use it to make 2D stop motion animation.

Want to create fun, 2D animated videos? Hoping to impress your bosses with a 2D animated presentation to highlight a product’s features?

Using Stop Motion Studio will help you achieve all that you want in the world of 2D animation.

You can capture content with ease, whether you change up the focus, exposure, or white balance. There is DSLR support, so you can use your high-end camera in conjunction with this professional software.

And with a unique, frame-by-frame editor, you will be able to get the result that you want for your 2D stop animation movie.

Features:

• Onionskin allows you to view previous frames through a transparent overlay, which helps you create your next frame
• Comes with Chroma key and audio recording to better narrate and add voice effects to your videos
• Easy one-click uploading to YouTube and Facebook
• DSLR camera support for creating perfect 1080p recordings

09 FlipBook - Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software

Price: $19.99 for FlipBook Lite, $49.99 for FlipBook Studio, $149.99 for FlipBook Pro, $199.99 for FlipBook ProHD

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: From drawing, scanning to sound, this 2D animation software can make you powerful video.

Con: You can’t use it to make subtle changes as bone rigging is not available.

FlipBook is easy to use for beginners and pros who want to improve the editing experience. It is a powerful video editor that you can make 2D animation with various functions like syncing sound with animation, scanning cells, and more.

If you like to make a cartoon video like a pro, this 2D animation maker is best for you. It is free to download.

Features:

• Changes will be made while you change the animation, so FlipBook is fast to use
• You can use the shift key to make speed painting once you select one color
• Ten layers in animation for adding extra touches
• You can use a scanner to import images

10 Reallusion CrazyTalk Animator - Professional 2D Animation/Cartoon Software for Designers

Price: USD199 for the pipeline, USD99 for pro.

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: You can always find the feature you like for beginners and professionals. You can control characters even in expression levels.

Con: It integrates with PhotoShop to import and export video.

CrazyTalk is a 2D animation maker for professional users, so you can use this one if you don’t know which one to use. It supports controlling characters with your expression and lip-syncing. It is popular among YouTubers, educators and marketers.

Features:

• Capture real-time facial expression with precise changing
• Black magic to turn the image into a moving cartoon
• For advanced users, you can make 2D visual effects

Price: USD199 for the pipeline, USD99 for pro.

You may also like: Best Free Animated Logo Makers >>

Part 3: How to Make 2D Animation

Step 1 Put forward an idea

A story ides is priceless. It is always important to build an essential story frame. Sometimes it is in a blink to have come up with an idea.

It will help if you decide the gist of your 2D animation because the whole process of making animation is evolving. You may need to add or cut some scenes, but the overall concept and story ideas are always the same.

Step 2 Make a storyboard

After all the ideas are fixed, you need to make a storyboard for animation . You don’t need to produce every scene, but it is suggested to make a storyboard in some crucial scenes. Storyboarding is probably the best way to show 2D animation to other people and get feedback.

Thus, it is a step that you should not neglect during the preliminary.

Step 3 Produce materials

At this stage, you need to prepare all the 2D animation materials, including characters, background, and props. One thing you need to know is all the preparations in steps 2 and 3 should be ready before proceeding to step 3.

Step 4 Animation

After all, materials are ready, and you need to make animation alive. In this step, you need to make sure all the movements are natural. Stiff moves are not liked by the audience, so you need to think about how to design gestures, movements, and facial expressions.

Step 5 Animation editing

In this step, the software is the key to relive the 2D animation. Background audio is essential and needs to be added to the video. Color correction and grading are also necessary. Besides, scene transition, voiceover, and even text credit need to be added.

Above are the five 2D animation steps. If you think there are extra steps, you are free to add them according to your needs.

Bonus tip: Create an Animation Video with Anireel

Anireel provides a faster and smoother animated video creation experience with customizable elements to bring anyone’s imagination to life. All you have to do is choose your script, input the content, and Anireel will instantly match your script to rich animation explainer scenes, convert the text into voice-over, and generate a vivid, complete animation video.

Part 3 FAQ about Professional 2D Animation Software

01 What is the best 2D animation software?

It is hard to directly give you an answer and tell you which is the best 2D animation software. However, we can give you some recommendations based on your needs. If you are a beginner, Pencil 2D is a great start. You can use it to make minimalist animation to give you a quick-to-start 2D animation experience. If you are in the middle level, Stop Motion Studio is what we recommend. The interface is intuitive with powerful features like voiceover and Chroma key.

02 What is the best 2D animation software for beginners?

For 2D animation software for beginners, Pencil 2D would come to mind for many people. It is an excellent animation software for beginners. If you also want to try other tools, Synfig and FlipBook are also great choices. It is your call for the final decision.

03 Is there any free animation software?

For beginners, free animation software includes Synfig, Opentoonz, Maefloresta, and Pencil 2D. For advanced users, you can use Blender and Maya.

Conclusion

Creating a 2D animation video is a lot easier when you have the right software available to you. You already have a script and storyboard in mind, but now you can realize your vision in intricate and unique ways.

If you want to make 3D animation, there are also various 3D animation software options for you. If anyone of the products above will serve you well, you could use Filmora.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

When you are trying to make funny cartoons within seven steps , explainer videos, or informative shorts to post online, 2D animation software can come in handy. With access to a 2D animation maker, you can create intricate and interesting stories that will help you connect with your audience.

Whether you are turning photos into cartoons , teaching a group of kids , showing employees how to do their job, introducing a new product, or trying to elicit an emotional reaction from your audience, 2D cartoon animation can be very useful.

If you are new to the world of 2D animation as a beginner and want to be a professional animation maker, you will be interested in our review of the top 10 free download 2D animation software options that may prove useful to you.

• Part 1: Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners
• Part 2: Best Professional 2D Animation Software
• Part 3: How to Make 2D Animation
• Part 4: FAQ about Professional 2D Animation Software

Recommend free download animation maker Filmora

If you want to create a 2D animation video, we recommend using 2D animation software-Filmora.

It is a powerful and straightforward video maker for all levels from middle to advanced. With keyframing, you can make smooth 2D animation quickly. Auto color correction can save you a lot of time to make high-quality animation.

Now free download it on Windows and Mac to make 2D animated videos, and connect with other video creators in the Wondershare Video Community to get more creative ideas.

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

Have a Quick Look at The Best 10 Free/Paid 2D Animation Software to Download

No.	Product Name	Supported OS	Price	Best for
1	Synfig	Windows, Linux, and OSX	Free	Beginners
2	Opentoonz	Windows and OSX	Free	Beginners
3	Maefloresta	iPhone and Android	Free	Beginners
4	Pencil 2D	Windows, Linux, and OSX	Free	Beginners
5	Toon Boom Harmony	Windows, Linux, and OSX	$109 per month	Professionals
6	CelAction2D	Windows, Linux, and OSX	$1300 for one single license	Professionals
7	Moho (Anime Studio) Pro	Windows and OSX	$399.99 for the full package	Professionals
8	Stop Motion Studio	Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS	$59.99 for the full package	Professionals
9	FlipBook	Windows and OSX	$19.99/$49.99/$149.99/$199.99	Professionals
10	Reallusion CrazyTalk Animator	Windows and OSX	$199 for the pipeline, $99 for pro	Professionals

Part 1 Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners

01 Synfig - Open Source 2D Animation Software for Beginners

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It offers more than 50 layers to make simple or advanced animation, so you don’t need to worry about its limitation though it is free to use.

Con: Few tutorials are available in the market to start making an animation for beginners.

Synfig Studio is an open-source, free 2D animation software that is the perfect place for beginners to learn about 2D animation. There are two versions available for free download - stable and testing.

The testing version has some experimental features if users want to try those ahead of their introduction into the stable release.

Features:

• Supports multiple layers of content
• The bone system allows for the creation of cutout animations from bitmap images
• Has sound support to allow for the addition and syncing of narration and/or music to the video

02 Opentoonz - Free-to-Use Effects for 2D Animation

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: You can use a plug-in to make beautiful animation effects automatically without further editing.

Con: The UI design is outdated compared with other animation software, but it won’t affect user experience.

Based on the Toonz software, Opentoonz is the best free alternative that will help you create 2D animated content. Anyone can use the software, free of charge, and download it.

And users can modify the source code to add specific features to this simple animation software.

Features:

• GTS scanning tool
• Ability to change picture styles
• Add distortion and light effects
• Compatible with black and white and colored scans

03 Maefloresta - Easy-to-Use 2D Animation Software on Phone

Price: Free

Compatibility: iPhone and Android

Pro: It is free to use with easy to start introduction, even for kids.

Con: You need to email its staff to get the installer online, which is inconvenient sometimes.

The beauty of the Maefloresta app is that you can use your Android or iOS tablet and smartphone to create free 2D animated videos.

There is no need to pay for expensive software if you just want to create some fun videos to show your friends. It also offers school solutions for teachers and students.

Features:

• The free downloadable app that works on smartphones and tablets
• Easy animation software with tutorials
• Intuitive interface that beginners can use with ease

04 Pencil 2D - Cross-Platform Software with Intuitive Interface

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It offers English, Spanish, and Portuguese language tutorials to use.

Con: It doesn’t support the shapes tool. If you like to make shapes and draw something, you’d be disappointed.

Want an open-source and free 2D animation design software to help you create videos? Pencil2D animation is the type of program that can help beginners.

You can get to grips with how 2D animation works, and you can create some very fun and interesting videos along the way.

Features:

• Minimalist design to let you make animation easily
• Raster and vector workflow switching
• Cross-platform compatibility to free download

Part 2: Best Professional 2D Animation Software

05 Toon Boom Harmony - Leading Animation Software for Professional

Price: The first 21 days of using the product are free. After the 21 days are up, you will need to pay $109 per month.

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: You can make 2D and 3D animation, both with models.

Con: It may take some time to learn how to make 2D animation for beginners.

Whether you are trying to create an art piece, showcase a story through 2D images, or craft a unique message for your audience, Toon Boom Harmony will help you immensely.

This professional 2D animation software may take time to learn, but it is worth using. It has bitmap and vector tools for creating art, 3D imported models for hybrid productions, and the option to create multiplane scenes with Z-depth.

You can also check the Toon Boom Harmony Advanced Review from the TopTenReview website for more information.

Features:

• Revolutionary vector and bitmap drawing technology - Brush Engine
• Advanced color palettes and paint options
• 2D and 3D integration to make professional animation
• Cut-out animation tools
• Traditional paperless animation.

06 CelAction2D - Low System Requirement for Professional 2D Animation

Price: If you go with the Studio Edition, it costs $1,300 to obtain a single license to use the product for a lifetime. Studio Edition is $1300 for one single license

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It is fast to use with low system requirements.

Con: You can draw animation in itself, so you need to import all words from third-party software.

Want to create unique and complex 2D animations for your upcoming projects? CelAction2D is the type of product that is going to help you create wonderful and professional animations.

While getting a full license is a financial commitment, you are getting a product that has all the features that you could need.

You can create a palette using up to 16 million colors, and you will have a very easy time getting to grips with the way the software works.

It is designed for beginners and intermediate users, but still has all the advanced features that a pro would want.

Features:

• Easy and fast to use for professional users
• Features ergonomic controls
• Easily handles complex projects with thousands of layers
• Works with all modern Windows machines - 32 and 64-bit Also work with Macs through Boot Camp
• The multiplane camera features let you have more controls

07 Moho (Anime Studio) Pro - All-In-One Professional 2D Animation Software

Price: $399.99 for the full package.

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: Its update is regular with advanced and newest features to use.

Con: It is not user-friendly for beginners as the functions are too advanced a little bit.

Anime Studio Pro is a fantastic option for anyone who is looking to get into professional 2D animation creation. It is affordable and designed for Flash-style animations.

While you cannot create frame-by-frame animations using this program, you will be able to create some fantastic videos nonetheless.

There is an Anime Studio Debut - simple animation software, which is targeted towards the beginner user and free download. But if you want all the features of a high-end 2D animation software, you will want to go with the Pro version.

Features:

• Enhanced freehand drawing tools
• Beizer handles to make it easier for you to design your videos the way that you want
• Smart warp feature helps create custom meshes to bend and twist your animations
• Realistic motion blur
• Animation for multiple layers at the same time

08 Stop Motion Studio - Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software

Price: $59.99 to download the software onto your PC.

Compatibility: Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS

Pro: You can use a built-in sound to make your animation unique. You can also record voice and use it in the video.

Con: You can only use it to make 2D stop motion animation.

Want to create fun, 2D animated videos? Hoping to impress your bosses with a 2D animated presentation to highlight a product’s features?

Using Stop Motion Studio will help you achieve all that you want in the world of 2D animation.

You can capture content with ease, whether you change up the focus, exposure, or white balance. There is DSLR support, so you can use your high-end camera in conjunction with this professional software.

And with a unique, frame-by-frame editor, you will be able to get the result that you want for your 2D stop animation movie.

Features:

• Onionskin allows you to view previous frames through a transparent overlay, which helps you create your next frame
• Comes with Chroma key and audio recording to better narrate and add voice effects to your videos
• Easy one-click uploading to YouTube and Facebook
• DSLR camera support for creating perfect 1080p recordings

09 FlipBook - Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software

Price: $19.99 for FlipBook Lite, $49.99 for FlipBook Studio, $149.99 for FlipBook Pro, $199.99 for FlipBook ProHD

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: From drawing, scanning to sound, this 2D animation software can make you powerful video.

Con: You can’t use it to make subtle changes as bone rigging is not available.

FlipBook is easy to use for beginners and pros who want to improve the editing experience. It is a powerful video editor that you can make 2D animation with various functions like syncing sound with animation, scanning cells, and more.

If you like to make a cartoon video like a pro, this 2D animation maker is best for you. It is free to download.

Features:

• Changes will be made while you change the animation, so FlipBook is fast to use
• You can use the shift key to make speed painting once you select one color
• Ten layers in animation for adding extra touches
• You can use a scanner to import images

10 Reallusion CrazyTalk Animator - Professional 2D Animation/Cartoon Software for Designers

Price: USD199 for the pipeline, USD99 for pro.

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: You can always find the feature you like for beginners and professionals. You can control characters even in expression levels.

Con: It integrates with PhotoShop to import and export video.

CrazyTalk is a 2D animation maker for professional users, so you can use this one if you don’t know which one to use. It supports controlling characters with your expression and lip-syncing. It is popular among YouTubers, educators and marketers.

Features:

• Capture real-time facial expression with precise changing
• Black magic to turn the image into a moving cartoon
• For advanced users, you can make 2D visual effects

Price: USD199 for the pipeline, USD99 for pro.

You may also like: Best Free Animated Logo Makers >>

Part 3: How to Make 2D Animation

Step 1 Put forward an idea

A story ides is priceless. It is always important to build an essential story frame. Sometimes it is in a blink to have come up with an idea.

It will help if you decide the gist of your 2D animation because the whole process of making animation is evolving. You may need to add or cut some scenes, but the overall concept and story ideas are always the same.

Step 2 Make a storyboard

After all the ideas are fixed, you need to make a storyboard for animation . You don’t need to produce every scene, but it is suggested to make a storyboard in some crucial scenes. Storyboarding is probably the best way to show 2D animation to other people and get feedback.

Thus, it is a step that you should not neglect during the preliminary.

Step 3 Produce materials

At this stage, you need to prepare all the 2D animation materials, including characters, background, and props. One thing you need to know is all the preparations in steps 2 and 3 should be ready before proceeding to step 3.

Step 4 Animation

After all, materials are ready, and you need to make animation alive. In this step, you need to make sure all the movements are natural. Stiff moves are not liked by the audience, so you need to think about how to design gestures, movements, and facial expressions.

Step 5 Animation editing

In this step, the software is the key to relive the 2D animation. Background audio is essential and needs to be added to the video. Color correction and grading are also necessary. Besides, scene transition, voiceover, and even text credit need to be added.

Above are the five 2D animation steps. If you think there are extra steps, you are free to add them according to your needs.

Bonus tip: Create an Animation Video with Anireel

Anireel provides a faster and smoother animated video creation experience with customizable elements to bring anyone’s imagination to life. All you have to do is choose your script, input the content, and Anireel will instantly match your script to rich animation explainer scenes, convert the text into voice-over, and generate a vivid, complete animation video.

Part 3 FAQ about Professional 2D Animation Software

01 What is the best 2D animation software?

It is hard to directly give you an answer and tell you which is the best 2D animation software. However, we can give you some recommendations based on your needs. If you are a beginner, Pencil 2D is a great start. You can use it to make minimalist animation to give you a quick-to-start 2D animation experience. If you are in the middle level, Stop Motion Studio is what we recommend. The interface is intuitive with powerful features like voiceover and Chroma key.

02 What is the best 2D animation software for beginners?

For 2D animation software for beginners, Pencil 2D would come to mind for many people. It is an excellent animation software for beginners. If you also want to try other tools, Synfig and FlipBook are also great choices. It is your call for the final decision.

03 Is there any free animation software?

For beginners, free animation software includes Synfig, Opentoonz, Maefloresta, and Pencil 2D. For advanced users, you can use Blender and Maya.

Conclusion

Creating a 2D animation video is a lot easier when you have the right software available to you. You already have a script and storyboard in mind, but now you can realize your vision in intricate and unique ways.

If you want to make 3D animation, there are also various 3D animation software options for you. If anyone of the products above will serve you well, you could use Filmora.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

When you are trying to make funny cartoons within seven steps , explainer videos, or informative shorts to post online, 2D animation software can come in handy. With access to a 2D animation maker, you can create intricate and interesting stories that will help you connect with your audience.

Whether you are turning photos into cartoons , teaching a group of kids , showing employees how to do their job, introducing a new product, or trying to elicit an emotional reaction from your audience, 2D cartoon animation can be very useful.

If you are new to the world of 2D animation as a beginner and want to be a professional animation maker, you will be interested in our review of the top 10 free download 2D animation software options that may prove useful to you.

• Part 1: Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners
• Part 2: Best Professional 2D Animation Software
• Part 3: How to Make 2D Animation
• Part 4: FAQ about Professional 2D Animation Software

Recommend free download animation maker Filmora

If you want to create a 2D animation video, we recommend using 2D animation software-Filmora.

It is a powerful and straightforward video maker for all levels from middle to advanced. With keyframing, you can make smooth 2D animation quickly. Auto color correction can save you a lot of time to make high-quality animation.

Now free download it on Windows and Mac to make 2D animated videos, and connect with other video creators in the Wondershare Video Community to get more creative ideas.

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

Have a Quick Look at The Best 10 Free/Paid 2D Animation Software to Download

No.	Product Name	Supported OS	Price	Best for
1	Synfig	Windows, Linux, and OSX	Free	Beginners
2	Opentoonz	Windows and OSX	Free	Beginners
3	Maefloresta	iPhone and Android	Free	Beginners
4	Pencil 2D	Windows, Linux, and OSX	Free	Beginners
5	Toon Boom Harmony	Windows, Linux, and OSX	$109 per month	Professionals
6	CelAction2D	Windows, Linux, and OSX	$1300 for one single license	Professionals
7	Moho (Anime Studio) Pro	Windows and OSX	$399.99 for the full package	Professionals
8	Stop Motion Studio	Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS	$59.99 for the full package	Professionals
9	FlipBook	Windows and OSX	$19.99/$49.99/$149.99/$199.99	Professionals
10	Reallusion CrazyTalk Animator	Windows and OSX	$199 for the pipeline, $99 for pro	Professionals

Part 1 Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners

01 Synfig - Open Source 2D Animation Software for Beginners

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It offers more than 50 layers to make simple or advanced animation, so you don’t need to worry about its limitation though it is free to use.

Con: Few tutorials are available in the market to start making an animation for beginners.

Synfig Studio is an open-source, free 2D animation software that is the perfect place for beginners to learn about 2D animation. There are two versions available for free download - stable and testing.

The testing version has some experimental features if users want to try those ahead of their introduction into the stable release.

Features:

• Supports multiple layers of content
• The bone system allows for the creation of cutout animations from bitmap images
• Has sound support to allow for the addition and syncing of narration and/or music to the video

02 Opentoonz - Free-to-Use Effects for 2D Animation

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: You can use a plug-in to make beautiful animation effects automatically without further editing.

Con: The UI design is outdated compared with other animation software, but it won’t affect user experience.

Based on the Toonz software, Opentoonz is the best free alternative that will help you create 2D animated content. Anyone can use the software, free of charge, and download it.

And users can modify the source code to add specific features to this simple animation software.

Features:

• GTS scanning tool
• Ability to change picture styles
• Add distortion and light effects
• Compatible with black and white and colored scans

03 Maefloresta - Easy-to-Use 2D Animation Software on Phone

Price: Free

Compatibility: iPhone and Android

Pro: It is free to use with easy to start introduction, even for kids.

Con: You need to email its staff to get the installer online, which is inconvenient sometimes.

The beauty of the Maefloresta app is that you can use your Android or iOS tablet and smartphone to create free 2D animated videos.

There is no need to pay for expensive software if you just want to create some fun videos to show your friends. It also offers school solutions for teachers and students.

Features:

• The free downloadable app that works on smartphones and tablets
• Easy animation software with tutorials
• Intuitive interface that beginners can use with ease

04 Pencil 2D - Cross-Platform Software with Intuitive Interface

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It offers English, Spanish, and Portuguese language tutorials to use.

Con: It doesn’t support the shapes tool. If you like to make shapes and draw something, you’d be disappointed.

Want an open-source and free 2D animation design software to help you create videos? Pencil2D animation is the type of program that can help beginners.

You can get to grips with how 2D animation works, and you can create some very fun and interesting videos along the way.

Features:

• Minimalist design to let you make animation easily
• Raster and vector workflow switching
• Cross-platform compatibility to free download

Part 2: Best Professional 2D Animation Software

05 Toon Boom Harmony - Leading Animation Software for Professional

Price: The first 21 days of using the product are free. After the 21 days are up, you will need to pay $109 per month.

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: You can make 2D and 3D animation, both with models.

Con: It may take some time to learn how to make 2D animation for beginners.

Whether you are trying to create an art piece, showcase a story through 2D images, or craft a unique message for your audience, Toon Boom Harmony will help you immensely.

This professional 2D animation software may take time to learn, but it is worth using. It has bitmap and vector tools for creating art, 3D imported models for hybrid productions, and the option to create multiplane scenes with Z-depth.

You can also check the Toon Boom Harmony Advanced Review from the TopTenReview website for more information.

Features:

• Revolutionary vector and bitmap drawing technology - Brush Engine
• Advanced color palettes and paint options
• 2D and 3D integration to make professional animation
• Cut-out animation tools
• Traditional paperless animation.

06 CelAction2D - Low System Requirement for Professional 2D Animation

Price: If you go with the Studio Edition, it costs $1,300 to obtain a single license to use the product for a lifetime. Studio Edition is $1300 for one single license

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It is fast to use with low system requirements.

Con: You can draw animation in itself, so you need to import all words from third-party software.

Want to create unique and complex 2D animations for your upcoming projects? CelAction2D is the type of product that is going to help you create wonderful and professional animations.

While getting a full license is a financial commitment, you are getting a product that has all the features that you could need.

You can create a palette using up to 16 million colors, and you will have a very easy time getting to grips with the way the software works.

It is designed for beginners and intermediate users, but still has all the advanced features that a pro would want.

Features:

• Easy and fast to use for professional users
• Features ergonomic controls
• Easily handles complex projects with thousands of layers
• Works with all modern Windows machines - 32 and 64-bit Also work with Macs through Boot Camp
• The multiplane camera features let you have more controls

07 Moho (Anime Studio) Pro - All-In-One Professional 2D Animation Software

Price: $399.99 for the full package.

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: Its update is regular with advanced and newest features to use.

Con: It is not user-friendly for beginners as the functions are too advanced a little bit.

Anime Studio Pro is a fantastic option for anyone who is looking to get into professional 2D animation creation. It is affordable and designed for Flash-style animations.

While you cannot create frame-by-frame animations using this program, you will be able to create some fantastic videos nonetheless.

There is an Anime Studio Debut - simple animation software, which is targeted towards the beginner user and free download. But if you want all the features of a high-end 2D animation software, you will want to go with the Pro version.

Features:

• Enhanced freehand drawing tools
• Beizer handles to make it easier for you to design your videos the way that you want
• Smart warp feature helps create custom meshes to bend and twist your animations
• Realistic motion blur
• Animation for multiple layers at the same time

08 Stop Motion Studio - Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software

Price: $59.99 to download the software onto your PC.

Compatibility: Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS

Pro: You can use a built-in sound to make your animation unique. You can also record voice and use it in the video.

Con: You can only use it to make 2D stop motion animation.

Want to create fun, 2D animated videos? Hoping to impress your bosses with a 2D animated presentation to highlight a product’s features?

Using Stop Motion Studio will help you achieve all that you want in the world of 2D animation.

You can capture content with ease, whether you change up the focus, exposure, or white balance. There is DSLR support, so you can use your high-end camera in conjunction with this professional software.

And with a unique, frame-by-frame editor, you will be able to get the result that you want for your 2D stop animation movie.

Features:

• Onionskin allows you to view previous frames through a transparent overlay, which helps you create your next frame
• Comes with Chroma key and audio recording to better narrate and add voice effects to your videos
• Easy one-click uploading to YouTube and Facebook
• DSLR camera support for creating perfect 1080p recordings

09 FlipBook - Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software

Price: $19.99 for FlipBook Lite, $49.99 for FlipBook Studio, $149.99 for FlipBook Pro, $199.99 for FlipBook ProHD

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: From drawing, scanning to sound, this 2D animation software can make you powerful video.

Con: You can’t use it to make subtle changes as bone rigging is not available.

FlipBook is easy to use for beginners and pros who want to improve the editing experience. It is a powerful video editor that you can make 2D animation with various functions like syncing sound with animation, scanning cells, and more.

If you like to make a cartoon video like a pro, this 2D animation maker is best for you. It is free to download.

Features:

• Changes will be made while you change the animation, so FlipBook is fast to use
• You can use the shift key to make speed painting once you select one color
• Ten layers in animation for adding extra touches
• You can use a scanner to import images

10 Reallusion CrazyTalk Animator - Professional 2D Animation/Cartoon Software for Designers

Price: USD199 for the pipeline, USD99 for pro.

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: You can always find the feature you like for beginners and professionals. You can control characters even in expression levels.

Con: It integrates with PhotoShop to import and export video.

CrazyTalk is a 2D animation maker for professional users, so you can use this one if you don’t know which one to use. It supports controlling characters with your expression and lip-syncing. It is popular among YouTubers, educators and marketers.

Features:

• Capture real-time facial expression with precise changing
• Black magic to turn the image into a moving cartoon
• For advanced users, you can make 2D visual effects

Price: USD199 for the pipeline, USD99 for pro.

You may also like: Best Free Animated Logo Makers >>

Part 3: How to Make 2D Animation

Step 1 Put forward an idea

A story ides is priceless. It is always important to build an essential story frame. Sometimes it is in a blink to have come up with an idea.

It will help if you decide the gist of your 2D animation because the whole process of making animation is evolving. You may need to add or cut some scenes, but the overall concept and story ideas are always the same.

Step 2 Make a storyboard

After all the ideas are fixed, you need to make a storyboard for animation . You don’t need to produce every scene, but it is suggested to make a storyboard in some crucial scenes. Storyboarding is probably the best way to show 2D animation to other people and get feedback.

Thus, it is a step that you should not neglect during the preliminary.

Step 3 Produce materials

At this stage, you need to prepare all the 2D animation materials, including characters, background, and props. One thing you need to know is all the preparations in steps 2 and 3 should be ready before proceeding to step 3.

Step 4 Animation

After all, materials are ready, and you need to make animation alive. In this step, you need to make sure all the movements are natural. Stiff moves are not liked by the audience, so you need to think about how to design gestures, movements, and facial expressions.

Step 5 Animation editing

In this step, the software is the key to relive the 2D animation. Background audio is essential and needs to be added to the video. Color correction and grading are also necessary. Besides, scene transition, voiceover, and even text credit need to be added.

Above are the five 2D animation steps. If you think there are extra steps, you are free to add them according to your needs.

Bonus tip: Create an Animation Video with Anireel

Anireel provides a faster and smoother animated video creation experience with customizable elements to bring anyone’s imagination to life. All you have to do is choose your script, input the content, and Anireel will instantly match your script to rich animation explainer scenes, convert the text into voice-over, and generate a vivid, complete animation video.

Part 3 FAQ about Professional 2D Animation Software

01 What is the best 2D animation software?

It is hard to directly give you an answer and tell you which is the best 2D animation software. However, we can give you some recommendations based on your needs. If you are a beginner, Pencil 2D is a great start. You can use it to make minimalist animation to give you a quick-to-start 2D animation experience. If you are in the middle level, Stop Motion Studio is what we recommend. The interface is intuitive with powerful features like voiceover and Chroma key.

02 What is the best 2D animation software for beginners?

For 2D animation software for beginners, Pencil 2D would come to mind for many people. It is an excellent animation software for beginners. If you also want to try other tools, Synfig and FlipBook are also great choices. It is your call for the final decision.

03 Is there any free animation software?

For beginners, free animation software includes Synfig, Opentoonz, Maefloresta, and Pencil 2D. For advanced users, you can use Blender and Maya.

Conclusion

Creating a 2D animation video is a lot easier when you have the right software available to you. You already have a script and storyboard in mind, but now you can realize your vision in intricate and unique ways.

If you want to make 3D animation, there are also various 3D animation software options for you. If anyone of the products above will serve you well, you could use Filmora.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

When you are trying to make funny cartoons within seven steps , explainer videos, or informative shorts to post online, 2D animation software can come in handy. With access to a 2D animation maker, you can create intricate and interesting stories that will help you connect with your audience.

Whether you are turning photos into cartoons , teaching a group of kids , showing employees how to do their job, introducing a new product, or trying to elicit an emotional reaction from your audience, 2D cartoon animation can be very useful.

If you are new to the world of 2D animation as a beginner and want to be a professional animation maker, you will be interested in our review of the top 10 free download 2D animation software options that may prove useful to you.

• Part 1: Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners
• Part 2: Best Professional 2D Animation Software
• Part 3: How to Make 2D Animation
• Part 4: FAQ about Professional 2D Animation Software

Recommend free download animation maker Filmora

If you want to create a 2D animation video, we recommend using 2D animation software-Filmora.

It is a powerful and straightforward video maker for all levels from middle to advanced. With keyframing, you can make smooth 2D animation quickly. Auto color correction can save you a lot of time to make high-quality animation.

Now free download it on Windows and Mac to make 2D animated videos, and connect with other video creators in the Wondershare Video Community to get more creative ideas.

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

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Try It Free

* Secure Download

Have a Quick Look at The Best 10 Free/Paid 2D Animation Software to Download

No.	Product Name	Supported OS	Price	Best for
1	Synfig	Windows, Linux, and OSX	Free	Beginners
2	Opentoonz	Windows and OSX	Free	Beginners
3	Maefloresta	iPhone and Android	Free	Beginners
4	Pencil 2D	Windows, Linux, and OSX	Free	Beginners
5	Toon Boom Harmony	Windows, Linux, and OSX	$109 per month	Professionals
6	CelAction2D	Windows, Linux, and OSX	$1300 for one single license	Professionals
7	Moho (Anime Studio) Pro	Windows and OSX	$399.99 for the full package	Professionals
8	Stop Motion Studio	Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS	$59.99 for the full package	Professionals
9	FlipBook	Windows and OSX	$19.99/$49.99/$149.99/$199.99	Professionals
10	Reallusion CrazyTalk Animator	Windows and OSX	$199 for the pipeline, $99 for pro	Professionals

Part 1 Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners

01 Synfig - Open Source 2D Animation Software for Beginners

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It offers more than 50 layers to make simple or advanced animation, so you don’t need to worry about its limitation though it is free to use.

Con: Few tutorials are available in the market to start making an animation for beginners.

Synfig Studio is an open-source, free 2D animation software that is the perfect place for beginners to learn about 2D animation. There are two versions available for free download - stable and testing.

The testing version has some experimental features if users want to try those ahead of their introduction into the stable release.

Features:

• Supports multiple layers of content
• The bone system allows for the creation of cutout animations from bitmap images
• Has sound support to allow for the addition and syncing of narration and/or music to the video

02 Opentoonz - Free-to-Use Effects for 2D Animation

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: You can use a plug-in to make beautiful animation effects automatically without further editing.

Con: The UI design is outdated compared with other animation software, but it won’t affect user experience.

Based on the Toonz software, Opentoonz is the best free alternative that will help you create 2D animated content. Anyone can use the software, free of charge, and download it.

And users can modify the source code to add specific features to this simple animation software.

Features:

• GTS scanning tool
• Ability to change picture styles
• Add distortion and light effects
• Compatible with black and white and colored scans

03 Maefloresta - Easy-to-Use 2D Animation Software on Phone

Price: Free

Compatibility: iPhone and Android

Pro: It is free to use with easy to start introduction, even for kids.

Con: You need to email its staff to get the installer online, which is inconvenient sometimes.

The beauty of the Maefloresta app is that you can use your Android or iOS tablet and smartphone to create free 2D animated videos.

There is no need to pay for expensive software if you just want to create some fun videos to show your friends. It also offers school solutions for teachers and students.

Features:

• The free downloadable app that works on smartphones and tablets
• Easy animation software with tutorials
• Intuitive interface that beginners can use with ease

04 Pencil 2D - Cross-Platform Software with Intuitive Interface

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It offers English, Spanish, and Portuguese language tutorials to use.

Con: It doesn’t support the shapes tool. If you like to make shapes and draw something, you’d be disappointed.

Want an open-source and free 2D animation design software to help you create videos? Pencil2D animation is the type of program that can help beginners.

You can get to grips with how 2D animation works, and you can create some very fun and interesting videos along the way.

Features:

• Minimalist design to let you make animation easily
• Raster and vector workflow switching
• Cross-platform compatibility to free download

Part 2: Best Professional 2D Animation Software

05 Toon Boom Harmony - Leading Animation Software for Professional

Price: The first 21 days of using the product are free. After the 21 days are up, you will need to pay $109 per month.

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: You can make 2D and 3D animation, both with models.

Con: It may take some time to learn how to make 2D animation for beginners.

Whether you are trying to create an art piece, showcase a story through 2D images, or craft a unique message for your audience, Toon Boom Harmony will help you immensely.

This professional 2D animation software may take time to learn, but it is worth using. It has bitmap and vector tools for creating art, 3D imported models for hybrid productions, and the option to create multiplane scenes with Z-depth.

You can also check the Toon Boom Harmony Advanced Review from the TopTenReview website for more information.

Features:

• Revolutionary vector and bitmap drawing technology - Brush Engine
• Advanced color palettes and paint options
• 2D and 3D integration to make professional animation
• Cut-out animation tools
• Traditional paperless animation.

06 CelAction2D - Low System Requirement for Professional 2D Animation

Price: If you go with the Studio Edition, it costs $1,300 to obtain a single license to use the product for a lifetime. Studio Edition is $1300 for one single license

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It is fast to use with low system requirements.

Con: You can draw animation in itself, so you need to import all words from third-party software.

Want to create unique and complex 2D animations for your upcoming projects? CelAction2D is the type of product that is going to help you create wonderful and professional animations.

While getting a full license is a financial commitment, you are getting a product that has all the features that you could need.

You can create a palette using up to 16 million colors, and you will have a very easy time getting to grips with the way the software works.

It is designed for beginners and intermediate users, but still has all the advanced features that a pro would want.

Features:

• Easy and fast to use for professional users
• Features ergonomic controls
• Easily handles complex projects with thousands of layers
• Works with all modern Windows machines - 32 and 64-bit Also work with Macs through Boot Camp
• The multiplane camera features let you have more controls

07 Moho (Anime Studio) Pro - All-In-One Professional 2D Animation Software

Price: $399.99 for the full package.

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: Its update is regular with advanced and newest features to use.

Con: It is not user-friendly for beginners as the functions are too advanced a little bit.

Anime Studio Pro is a fantastic option for anyone who is looking to get into professional 2D animation creation. It is affordable and designed for Flash-style animations.

While you cannot create frame-by-frame animations using this program, you will be able to create some fantastic videos nonetheless.

There is an Anime Studio Debut - simple animation software, which is targeted towards the beginner user and free download. But if you want all the features of a high-end 2D animation software, you will want to go with the Pro version.

Features:

• Enhanced freehand drawing tools
• Beizer handles to make it easier for you to design your videos the way that you want
• Smart warp feature helps create custom meshes to bend and twist your animations
• Realistic motion blur
• Animation for multiple layers at the same time

08 Stop Motion Studio - Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software

Price: $59.99 to download the software onto your PC.

Compatibility: Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS

Pro: You can use a built-in sound to make your animation unique. You can also record voice and use it in the video.

Con: You can only use it to make 2D stop motion animation.

Want to create fun, 2D animated videos? Hoping to impress your bosses with a 2D animated presentation to highlight a product’s features?

Using Stop Motion Studio will help you achieve all that you want in the world of 2D animation.

You can capture content with ease, whether you change up the focus, exposure, or white balance. There is DSLR support, so you can use your high-end camera in conjunction with this professional software.

And with a unique, frame-by-frame editor, you will be able to get the result that you want for your 2D stop animation movie.

Features:

• Onionskin allows you to view previous frames through a transparent overlay, which helps you create your next frame
• Comes with Chroma key and audio recording to better narrate and add voice effects to your videos
• Easy one-click uploading to YouTube and Facebook
• DSLR camera support for creating perfect 1080p recordings

09 FlipBook - Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software

Price: $19.99 for FlipBook Lite, $49.99 for FlipBook Studio, $149.99 for FlipBook Pro, $199.99 for FlipBook ProHD

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: From drawing, scanning to sound, this 2D animation software can make you powerful video.

Con: You can’t use it to make subtle changes as bone rigging is not available.

FlipBook is easy to use for beginners and pros who want to improve the editing experience. It is a powerful video editor that you can make 2D animation with various functions like syncing sound with animation, scanning cells, and more.

If you like to make a cartoon video like a pro, this 2D animation maker is best for you. It is free to download.

Features:

• Changes will be made while you change the animation, so FlipBook is fast to use
• You can use the shift key to make speed painting once you select one color
• Ten layers in animation for adding extra touches
• You can use a scanner to import images

10 Reallusion CrazyTalk Animator - Professional 2D Animation/Cartoon Software for Designers

Price: USD199 for the pipeline, USD99 for pro.

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: You can always find the feature you like for beginners and professionals. You can control characters even in expression levels.

Con: It integrates with PhotoShop to import and export video.

CrazyTalk is a 2D animation maker for professional users, so you can use this one if you don’t know which one to use. It supports controlling characters with your expression and lip-syncing. It is popular among YouTubers, educators and marketers.

Features:

• Capture real-time facial expression with precise changing
• Black magic to turn the image into a moving cartoon
• For advanced users, you can make 2D visual effects

Price: USD199 for the pipeline, USD99 for pro.

You may also like: Best Free Animated Logo Makers >>

Part 3: How to Make 2D Animation

Step 1 Put forward an idea

A story ides is priceless. It is always important to build an essential story frame. Sometimes it is in a blink to have come up with an idea.

It will help if you decide the gist of your 2D animation because the whole process of making animation is evolving. You may need to add or cut some scenes, but the overall concept and story ideas are always the same.

Step 2 Make a storyboard

After all the ideas are fixed, you need to make a storyboard for animation . You don’t need to produce every scene, but it is suggested to make a storyboard in some crucial scenes. Storyboarding is probably the best way to show 2D animation to other people and get feedback.

Thus, it is a step that you should not neglect during the preliminary.

Step 3 Produce materials

At this stage, you need to prepare all the 2D animation materials, including characters, background, and props. One thing you need to know is all the preparations in steps 2 and 3 should be ready before proceeding to step 3.

Step 4 Animation

After all, materials are ready, and you need to make animation alive. In this step, you need to make sure all the movements are natural. Stiff moves are not liked by the audience, so you need to think about how to design gestures, movements, and facial expressions.

Step 5 Animation editing

In this step, the software is the key to relive the 2D animation. Background audio is essential and needs to be added to the video. Color correction and grading are also necessary. Besides, scene transition, voiceover, and even text credit need to be added.

Above are the five 2D animation steps. If you think there are extra steps, you are free to add them according to your needs.

Bonus tip: Create an Animation Video with Anireel

Anireel provides a faster and smoother animated video creation experience with customizable elements to bring anyone’s imagination to life. All you have to do is choose your script, input the content, and Anireel will instantly match your script to rich animation explainer scenes, convert the text into voice-over, and generate a vivid, complete animation video.

Part 3 FAQ about Professional 2D Animation Software

01 What is the best 2D animation software?

It is hard to directly give you an answer and tell you which is the best 2D animation software. However, we can give you some recommendations based on your needs. If you are a beginner, Pencil 2D is a great start. You can use it to make minimalist animation to give you a quick-to-start 2D animation experience. If you are in the middle level, Stop Motion Studio is what we recommend. The interface is intuitive with powerful features like voiceover and Chroma key.

02 What is the best 2D animation software for beginners?

For 2D animation software for beginners, Pencil 2D would come to mind for many people. It is an excellent animation software for beginners. If you also want to try other tools, Synfig and FlipBook are also great choices. It is your call for the final decision.

03 Is there any free animation software?

For beginners, free animation software includes Synfig, Opentoonz, Maefloresta, and Pencil 2D. For advanced users, you can use Blender and Maya.

Conclusion

Creating a 2D animation video is a lot easier when you have the right software available to you. You already have a script and storyboard in mind, but now you can realize your vision in intricate and unique ways.

If you want to make 3D animation, there are also various 3D animation software options for you. If anyone of the products above will serve you well, you could use Filmora.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

From Clips to Masterpiece: A Beginner’s Guide to Video Editing in Windows

How to Edit Videos in Windows Live Movie Maker

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Microsoft has released Windows Live Movie Maker on August 19, 2009 as part of a refresh to their Windows Live Essentials download. Windows Live Movie Maker is the first application designed for Windows 7 and is built to make beautiful movies from your photos and videos. And the latest version is Windows Live Movie Maker 2011.

Update in 2017: Microsoft has stopped the Windows Essentials Suite support on January 10, 2017. It is claimed that it is no longer available for download. If you are looking for an alternative to windows essentials movie maker, or windows movie maker, try Filmora video editor, which is available on both Windows7, Windows8 and Windows 10.

---

Part 1: Best Alternative to Windows Movie Maker: Filmora [Windows7/8/10 & Mac]

Windows Live Movie Maker is a little bit limiting for video editing. In most cases, you need to run Windows 7. Fortunately, you do have other options. There is plenty of software which will do the same thing but better than Windows Live Movie Maker for you to edit your videos and burn videos to DVD. Among many of them, we recommend one Wondershare Filmora. You may wonder what’s so special with this Video Editor. First of all, it supports almost all kinds of video formats, such as AVI, MP4, MPG, MPEG, 3GP, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, DAT, MOV, MKV and HD video formats: MTS, M2TS(AVCHD ), TS(MPEG-2), HD MKV(, MPEG-2 HD), HD WMV(VC-1), and HD MOV(, MPEG-4). Secondly, it provides powerful video editing function, such as crop, trim, adjust video effect, add watermark, etc. Also, there are various title and text templates, filter/transition and effects presets for you to choose from. Thirdly, Windows Live Movie Maker can only generate WMV files directly, but this video editor supports burn video to DVD disc, DVD Folder and ISO file or save the video to most of the popular formats.

---

Part 2: How to Edit Videos in Windows Live Movie Maker [Step by Step]

1.Add Videos and Photos

While you are adding videos to Windows Live Movie Maker, you may encounter a problem like 3GP files can’t be added to Windows Live Movie Maker. Or it can’t be played in Window Live Movie Maker. And many other video files as well, such as RM, RMVB, DAT and HD video formats: MTS, TS, HD MKV, HD WMV, and HD MOV, etc. It’s quite necessary to get familiar with what all those files that could be imported to Windows Live Movie Maker.

Notes

• Video and music files that are protected with digital rights management (DRM) can’t be used in Windows Live Movie Maker.
• Support for using MPEG-2 and Microsoft Recorded TV Show video files in your movie is available only if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows Vista or Windows 7: Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
• AVCHD video files that contain Dolby Digital audio can be used in Windows Live Movie Maker if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows 7: Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
• MPEG-4 video files that contain audio can be used if you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows 7.
• Some MPEG-4 video files can be used when you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows Vista if the necessary audio and video codecs are installed.

After adding your photos or videos, you can also add audio or background music to your video clips by clicking the Add music option.

Learn details about How to Add and Edit Music in Windows Movie Maker

2. Video Editing

As we said before, Windows Live Movie Maker (later named Windows Movie Maker) is a simple and easy video editing software for Windows, it can complete some basic video editing and become a good choice for novices. Here, I will share with you about the basic video editing tutorial in the Movie Maker.

Cut & Trim & Split video in Windows Movie Maker

After adding videos and photos to the storyboard, you can now keep the useful sections and remove unwanted parts. To trim video, just place the playhead to the target position and right click the clip to select the Trim Set Start Point and move the playhead again to then end point and right click to select Set End Point. You can also go to the Edit tab and click the Split menu to split the video into parts. You can then delete and cut out unwanted sections or move it to the proper position.

Add Audio to Video: Record and add voiceover or Music

Windows Movie Maker also allows you to add narrations and background music to video footage. Just click the Add Music option and you can add music from online music libraries such as AudioMicro, Free Music Archive, and Vimeo or add music from the computer.

Add auto movie themes to Video

There is a built-in AutoMovie themes library in Movie Maker. You can use some popular themes such as Contemporary, Cinematic, Fade, Pan and Zoom, Black and White and Sepia.

Add texts &titles to Video

You can add titles, captions, and credits to video with windows movie maker, but it seems hard to add subtitles and customize its position. For more details about the text and title editing, check

Learn more details about How to Add Text to Video with Windows Movie Maker

Apply transitions & animations to video

The Movie Maker features lots of transitions under Animations tab. You can choose from wipes, cinematics, shatters, sweeps and curls, patterns and shapes, reveals, diagonals and dissolves.

Note: if you use the default themes, you won’t see all these transitions. Check the detailed steps about How to Add Transitions in Windows Movie Maker

Apply visual effects to video

We’ve introduced some of the best visual effects software before, but in Windows Movie Maker, you can also add effects such as 3D Ripple, Black and White, Blur, pixelate, mirrors, motions and fade effects.

Change video speed of video

The Movie Maker Edit tab allows you to adjust video volume, add fade in and fade out effects to video, or change video speed.

Learn more details about How to Speed Up Video in Windows Movie Maker

3. Save Video

After finish editing, you can upload your video clips to Facebook, YouTube, and other social media, or burn your videos to DVD with Windows DVD maker. You can also save your video clips on your computer.

You may also like: Windows Movie Maker VS Windows Live Movie Maker: What’s the Difference

While, if you find the windows movie maker editing features are limited based on your editing skills, you can try Wondershare Filmora. Below is a video tutorial about how to edit videos with Filmora.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Microsoft has released Windows Live Movie Maker on August 19, 2009 as part of a refresh to their Windows Live Essentials download. Windows Live Movie Maker is the first application designed for Windows 7 and is built to make beautiful movies from your photos and videos. And the latest version is Windows Live Movie Maker 2011.

Update in 2017: Microsoft has stopped the Windows Essentials Suite support on January 10, 2017. It is claimed that it is no longer available for download. If you are looking for an alternative to windows essentials movie maker, or windows movie maker, try Filmora video editor, which is available on both Windows7, Windows8 and Windows 10.

---

Part 1: Best Alternative to Windows Movie Maker: Filmora [Windows7/8/10 & Mac]

Windows Live Movie Maker is a little bit limiting for video editing. In most cases, you need to run Windows 7. Fortunately, you do have other options. There is plenty of software which will do the same thing but better than Windows Live Movie Maker for you to edit your videos and burn videos to DVD. Among many of them, we recommend one Wondershare Filmora. You may wonder what’s so special with this Video Editor. First of all, it supports almost all kinds of video formats, such as AVI, MP4, MPG, MPEG, 3GP, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, DAT, MOV, MKV and HD video formats: MTS, M2TS(AVCHD ), TS(MPEG-2), HD MKV(, MPEG-2 HD), HD WMV(VC-1), and HD MOV(, MPEG-4). Secondly, it provides powerful video editing function, such as crop, trim, adjust video effect, add watermark, etc. Also, there are various title and text templates, filter/transition and effects presets for you to choose from. Thirdly, Windows Live Movie Maker can only generate WMV files directly, but this video editor supports burn video to DVD disc, DVD Folder and ISO file or save the video to most of the popular formats.

---

Part 2: How to Edit Videos in Windows Live Movie Maker [Step by Step]

1.Add Videos and Photos

While you are adding videos to Windows Live Movie Maker, you may encounter a problem like 3GP files can’t be added to Windows Live Movie Maker. Or it can’t be played in Window Live Movie Maker. And many other video files as well, such as RM, RMVB, DAT and HD video formats: MTS, TS, HD MKV, HD WMV, and HD MOV, etc. It’s quite necessary to get familiar with what all those files that could be imported to Windows Live Movie Maker.

Notes

• Video and music files that are protected with digital rights management (DRM) can’t be used in Windows Live Movie Maker.
• Support for using MPEG-2 and Microsoft Recorded TV Show video files in your movie is available only if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows Vista or Windows 7: Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
• AVCHD video files that contain Dolby Digital audio can be used in Windows Live Movie Maker if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows 7: Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
• MPEG-4 video files that contain audio can be used if you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows 7.
• Some MPEG-4 video files can be used when you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows Vista if the necessary audio and video codecs are installed.

After adding your photos or videos, you can also add audio or background music to your video clips by clicking the Add music option.

Learn details about How to Add and Edit Music in Windows Movie Maker

2. Video Editing

As we said before, Windows Live Movie Maker (later named Windows Movie Maker) is a simple and easy video editing software for Windows, it can complete some basic video editing and become a good choice for novices. Here, I will share with you about the basic video editing tutorial in the Movie Maker.

Cut & Trim & Split video in Windows Movie Maker

After adding videos and photos to the storyboard, you can now keep the useful sections and remove unwanted parts. To trim video, just place the playhead to the target position and right click the clip to select the Trim Set Start Point and move the playhead again to then end point and right click to select Set End Point. You can also go to the Edit tab and click the Split menu to split the video into parts. You can then delete and cut out unwanted sections or move it to the proper position.

Add Audio to Video: Record and add voiceover or Music

Windows Movie Maker also allows you to add narrations and background music to video footage. Just click the Add Music option and you can add music from online music libraries such as AudioMicro, Free Music Archive, and Vimeo or add music from the computer.

Add auto movie themes to Video

There is a built-in AutoMovie themes library in Movie Maker. You can use some popular themes such as Contemporary, Cinematic, Fade, Pan and Zoom, Black and White and Sepia.

Add texts &titles to Video

You can add titles, captions, and credits to video with windows movie maker, but it seems hard to add subtitles and customize its position. For more details about the text and title editing, check

Learn more details about How to Add Text to Video with Windows Movie Maker

Apply transitions & animations to video

The Movie Maker features lots of transitions under Animations tab. You can choose from wipes, cinematics, shatters, sweeps and curls, patterns and shapes, reveals, diagonals and dissolves.

Note: if you use the default themes, you won’t see all these transitions. Check the detailed steps about How to Add Transitions in Windows Movie Maker

Apply visual effects to video

We’ve introduced some of the best visual effects software before, but in Windows Movie Maker, you can also add effects such as 3D Ripple, Black and White, Blur, pixelate, mirrors, motions and fade effects.

Change video speed of video

The Movie Maker Edit tab allows you to adjust video volume, add fade in and fade out effects to video, or change video speed.

Learn more details about How to Speed Up Video in Windows Movie Maker

3. Save Video

After finish editing, you can upload your video clips to Facebook, YouTube, and other social media, or burn your videos to DVD with Windows DVD maker. You can also save your video clips on your computer.

You may also like: Windows Movie Maker VS Windows Live Movie Maker: What’s the Difference

While, if you find the windows movie maker editing features are limited based on your editing skills, you can try Wondershare Filmora. Below is a video tutorial about how to edit videos with Filmora.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Microsoft has released Windows Live Movie Maker on August 19, 2009 as part of a refresh to their Windows Live Essentials download. Windows Live Movie Maker is the first application designed for Windows 7 and is built to make beautiful movies from your photos and videos. And the latest version is Windows Live Movie Maker 2011.

Update in 2017: Microsoft has stopped the Windows Essentials Suite support on January 10, 2017. It is claimed that it is no longer available for download. If you are looking for an alternative to windows essentials movie maker, or windows movie maker, try Filmora video editor, which is available on both Windows7, Windows8 and Windows 10.

---

Part 1: Best Alternative to Windows Movie Maker: Filmora [Windows7/8/10 & Mac]

Windows Live Movie Maker is a little bit limiting for video editing. In most cases, you need to run Windows 7. Fortunately, you do have other options. There is plenty of software which will do the same thing but better than Windows Live Movie Maker for you to edit your videos and burn videos to DVD. Among many of them, we recommend one Wondershare Filmora. You may wonder what’s so special with this Video Editor. First of all, it supports almost all kinds of video formats, such as AVI, MP4, MPG, MPEG, 3GP, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, DAT, MOV, MKV and HD video formats: MTS, M2TS(AVCHD ), TS(MPEG-2), HD MKV(, MPEG-2 HD), HD WMV(VC-1), and HD MOV(, MPEG-4). Secondly, it provides powerful video editing function, such as crop, trim, adjust video effect, add watermark, etc. Also, there are various title and text templates, filter/transition and effects presets for you to choose from. Thirdly, Windows Live Movie Maker can only generate WMV files directly, but this video editor supports burn video to DVD disc, DVD Folder and ISO file or save the video to most of the popular formats.

---

Part 2: How to Edit Videos in Windows Live Movie Maker [Step by Step]

1.Add Videos and Photos

While you are adding videos to Windows Live Movie Maker, you may encounter a problem like 3GP files can’t be added to Windows Live Movie Maker. Or it can’t be played in Window Live Movie Maker. And many other video files as well, such as RM, RMVB, DAT and HD video formats: MTS, TS, HD MKV, HD WMV, and HD MOV, etc. It’s quite necessary to get familiar with what all those files that could be imported to Windows Live Movie Maker.

Notes

• Video and music files that are protected with digital rights management (DRM) can’t be used in Windows Live Movie Maker.
• Support for using MPEG-2 and Microsoft Recorded TV Show video files in your movie is available only if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows Vista or Windows 7: Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
• AVCHD video files that contain Dolby Digital audio can be used in Windows Live Movie Maker if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows 7: Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
• MPEG-4 video files that contain audio can be used if you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows 7.
• Some MPEG-4 video files can be used when you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows Vista if the necessary audio and video codecs are installed.

After adding your photos or videos, you can also add audio or background music to your video clips by clicking the Add music option.

Learn details about How to Add and Edit Music in Windows Movie Maker

2. Video Editing

As we said before, Windows Live Movie Maker (later named Windows Movie Maker) is a simple and easy video editing software for Windows, it can complete some basic video editing and become a good choice for novices. Here, I will share with you about the basic video editing tutorial in the Movie Maker.

Cut & Trim & Split video in Windows Movie Maker

After adding videos and photos to the storyboard, you can now keep the useful sections and remove unwanted parts. To trim video, just place the playhead to the target position and right click the clip to select the Trim Set Start Point and move the playhead again to then end point and right click to select Set End Point. You can also go to the Edit tab and click the Split menu to split the video into parts. You can then delete and cut out unwanted sections or move it to the proper position.

Add Audio to Video: Record and add voiceover or Music

Windows Movie Maker also allows you to add narrations and background music to video footage. Just click the Add Music option and you can add music from online music libraries such as AudioMicro, Free Music Archive, and Vimeo or add music from the computer.

Add auto movie themes to Video

There is a built-in AutoMovie themes library in Movie Maker. You can use some popular themes such as Contemporary, Cinematic, Fade, Pan and Zoom, Black and White and Sepia.

Add texts &titles to Video

You can add titles, captions, and credits to video with windows movie maker, but it seems hard to add subtitles and customize its position. For more details about the text and title editing, check

Learn more details about How to Add Text to Video with Windows Movie Maker

Apply transitions & animations to video

The Movie Maker features lots of transitions under Animations tab. You can choose from wipes, cinematics, shatters, sweeps and curls, patterns and shapes, reveals, diagonals and dissolves.

Note: if you use the default themes, you won’t see all these transitions. Check the detailed steps about How to Add Transitions in Windows Movie Maker

Apply visual effects to video

We’ve introduced some of the best visual effects software before, but in Windows Movie Maker, you can also add effects such as 3D Ripple, Black and White, Blur, pixelate, mirrors, motions and fade effects.

Change video speed of video

The Movie Maker Edit tab allows you to adjust video volume, add fade in and fade out effects to video, or change video speed.

Learn more details about How to Speed Up Video in Windows Movie Maker

3. Save Video

After finish editing, you can upload your video clips to Facebook, YouTube, and other social media, or burn your videos to DVD with Windows DVD maker. You can also save your video clips on your computer.

You may also like: Windows Movie Maker VS Windows Live Movie Maker: What’s the Difference

While, if you find the windows movie maker editing features are limited based on your editing skills, you can try Wondershare Filmora. Below is a video tutorial about how to edit videos with Filmora.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Microsoft has released Windows Live Movie Maker on August 19, 2009 as part of a refresh to their Windows Live Essentials download. Windows Live Movie Maker is the first application designed for Windows 7 and is built to make beautiful movies from your photos and videos. And the latest version is Windows Live Movie Maker 2011.

Update in 2017: Microsoft has stopped the Windows Essentials Suite support on January 10, 2017. It is claimed that it is no longer available for download. If you are looking for an alternative to windows essentials movie maker, or windows movie maker, try Filmora video editor, which is available on both Windows7, Windows8 and Windows 10.

---

Part 1: Best Alternative to Windows Movie Maker: Filmora [Windows7/8/10 & Mac]

Windows Live Movie Maker is a little bit limiting for video editing. In most cases, you need to run Windows 7. Fortunately, you do have other options. There is plenty of software which will do the same thing but better than Windows Live Movie Maker for you to edit your videos and burn videos to DVD. Among many of them, we recommend one Wondershare Filmora. You may wonder what’s so special with this Video Editor. First of all, it supports almost all kinds of video formats, such as AVI, MP4, MPG, MPEG, 3GP, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, DAT, MOV, MKV and HD video formats: MTS, M2TS(AVCHD ), TS(MPEG-2), HD MKV(, MPEG-2 HD), HD WMV(VC-1), and HD MOV(, MPEG-4). Secondly, it provides powerful video editing function, such as crop, trim, adjust video effect, add watermark, etc. Also, there are various title and text templates, filter/transition and effects presets for you to choose from. Thirdly, Windows Live Movie Maker can only generate WMV files directly, but this video editor supports burn video to DVD disc, DVD Folder and ISO file or save the video to most of the popular formats.

---

Part 2: How to Edit Videos in Windows Live Movie Maker [Step by Step]

1.Add Videos and Photos

While you are adding videos to Windows Live Movie Maker, you may encounter a problem like 3GP files can’t be added to Windows Live Movie Maker. Or it can’t be played in Window Live Movie Maker. And many other video files as well, such as RM, RMVB, DAT and HD video formats: MTS, TS, HD MKV, HD WMV, and HD MOV, etc. It’s quite necessary to get familiar with what all those files that could be imported to Windows Live Movie Maker.

Notes

• Video and music files that are protected with digital rights management (DRM) can’t be used in Windows Live Movie Maker.
• Support for using MPEG-2 and Microsoft Recorded TV Show video files in your movie is available only if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows Vista or Windows 7: Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
• AVCHD video files that contain Dolby Digital audio can be used in Windows Live Movie Maker if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows 7: Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
• MPEG-4 video files that contain audio can be used if you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows 7.
• Some MPEG-4 video files can be used when you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows Vista if the necessary audio and video codecs are installed.

After adding your photos or videos, you can also add audio or background music to your video clips by clicking the Add music option.

Learn details about How to Add and Edit Music in Windows Movie Maker

2. Video Editing

As we said before, Windows Live Movie Maker (later named Windows Movie Maker) is a simple and easy video editing software for Windows, it can complete some basic video editing and become a good choice for novices. Here, I will share with you about the basic video editing tutorial in the Movie Maker.

Cut & Trim & Split video in Windows Movie Maker

After adding videos and photos to the storyboard, you can now keep the useful sections and remove unwanted parts. To trim video, just place the playhead to the target position and right click the clip to select the Trim Set Start Point and move the playhead again to then end point and right click to select Set End Point. You can also go to the Edit tab and click the Split menu to split the video into parts. You can then delete and cut out unwanted sections or move it to the proper position.

Add Audio to Video: Record and add voiceover or Music

Windows Movie Maker also allows you to add narrations and background music to video footage. Just click the Add Music option and you can add music from online music libraries such as AudioMicro, Free Music Archive, and Vimeo or add music from the computer.

Add auto movie themes to Video

There is a built-in AutoMovie themes library in Movie Maker. You can use some popular themes such as Contemporary, Cinematic, Fade, Pan and Zoom, Black and White and Sepia.

Add texts &titles to Video

You can add titles, captions, and credits to video with windows movie maker, but it seems hard to add subtitles and customize its position. For more details about the text and title editing, check

Learn more details about How to Add Text to Video with Windows Movie Maker

Apply transitions & animations to video

The Movie Maker features lots of transitions under Animations tab. You can choose from wipes, cinematics, shatters, sweeps and curls, patterns and shapes, reveals, diagonals and dissolves.

Note: if you use the default themes, you won’t see all these transitions. Check the detailed steps about How to Add Transitions in Windows Movie Maker

Apply visual effects to video

We’ve introduced some of the best visual effects software before, but in Windows Movie Maker, you can also add effects such as 3D Ripple, Black and White, Blur, pixelate, mirrors, motions and fade effects.

Change video speed of video

The Movie Maker Edit tab allows you to adjust video volume, add fade in and fade out effects to video, or change video speed.

Learn more details about How to Speed Up Video in Windows Movie Maker

3. Save Video

After finish editing, you can upload your video clips to Facebook, YouTube, and other social media, or burn your videos to DVD with Windows DVD maker. You can also save your video clips on your computer.

You may also like: Windows Movie Maker VS Windows Live Movie Maker: What’s the Difference

While, if you find the windows movie maker editing features are limited based on your editing skills, you can try Wondershare Filmora. Below is a video tutorial about how to edit videos with Filmora.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

MacOS Video Editing Solution: AVS Video Editor

AVS Video Editor for Mac: Video Editing Tool for Mac (Mountain Lion included)

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

AVS Video Editor is a real-time, timeline-based video editing software application for Windows besides the free Windows Movie Maker. However, if you’re a Mac user, you may be a little disappointed because AVS Video Editor only works in Windows.

Since you’re here, you probably need a video editor similar to AVS editor on your Mac, Filmora for Mac is the best alternative to AVS video editor for Mac. Check the video tutorial about how to edit videos on Mac first.

Best AVS Video Editor for Mac Alternative -Filmora for Mac

The best option of AVS Video Editor for Mac alternative is Wondershare Filmora for Mac , which is a intuitive video editing software like AVS Video Editor but designed for Mac OS X 10.12 and later. Don’t worry, if your Mac is equipped with eariler OS like macOS Catalina, Mountain Lion, Lion, Snow Leopard, you can still download compatible version here .

With it, you can edit all popular video formats with the handy editing functions, such as split, join, rotate, transition, titles, intro/credits. etc. To turn photos and videos into gorgeous home videos with background music for sharing on YouTube, tablets, DVD, or watching on TV. Give it a try.

Stylish Interface with Broad Format Support

Filmora for Mac designs a stylish interface that is easy for everyone to use. It gives comprehensive supports to all popular media formats, which means no prior conversion required to keep the best quality and save time and energy greatly when importing them. The following formats are fully compatible with this AVS Video Editor for mac alternative:

• Video Formats: MP4, FLV, AVI, WMV, MKV, VOB, MOV, F4V, M4V, MPG, M2TS, MTS, 3GP, ASF, DV, MOD, TOD, TS, TRP etc.
• Audio Formats: MP3, AC3, FLAC, M4A, AIF, AIFF, APE, AU, MKA, MP2, OGG, WAV, WMA,etc.
• Image Formats: PG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIF, ICO

Edit Easily & Precisely

Besides basic video editing like trimming, cropping and merging, this AVS Editor Mac alternative also provides a great solution for popular advanced video editing features, including motion tracking , key framing, green screen and amazing video effects like AR stickers etc. Just highlight the video and click the editing image icon in the toolbar to choose the function you want.

Moreover, you can edit audio directly in your videos. For example, add background music, combine audio tracks with video, record and apply voice-over or live music, or mute unwanted irritating noises.

Enhance Your Media Files Like a Pro

With this alternative to AVS Video Editor for Mac, you can add many free filters and text effects to bring your videos to the next level instantly. Highlight the video clip in the timeline and add audio, titles, effects in the tab “Audio”, “Title”, “Filter”, “Effects”, “Elements”, etc.

Export Your Created Files Anywhere

AVS video editor equivalent for Mac allows you to export your videos to virtually anywhere. You can choose to upload newly made video files to YouTube directly from Filmora for Mac ‘s interface, or export them directly to configured presets for your devices, or even burn them to DVD for long-time preservation.

Final Words

AVS Video Editor is only available on Windows system, and it can only conduct basic video editing. But AVS Video Editor for Mac alternative - Filmora for Mac can do more for you. From basic editing like video trimming, splitting and cropping to advanced editing includes motion tracking, key framing and audio ducking, Filmora won’t let you down. Most of all, it is easy to start with, you don’t need to spends hours even days to learn how to edit with it. Try it now to personalize your video.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

AVS Video Editor is a real-time, timeline-based video editing software application for Windows besides the free Windows Movie Maker. However, if you’re a Mac user, you may be a little disappointed because AVS Video Editor only works in Windows.

Since you’re here, you probably need a video editor similar to AVS editor on your Mac, Filmora for Mac is the best alternative to AVS video editor for Mac. Check the video tutorial about how to edit videos on Mac first.

Best AVS Video Editor for Mac Alternative -Filmora for Mac

The best option of AVS Video Editor for Mac alternative is Wondershare Filmora for Mac , which is a intuitive video editing software like AVS Video Editor but designed for Mac OS X 10.12 and later. Don’t worry, if your Mac is equipped with eariler OS like macOS Catalina, Mountain Lion, Lion, Snow Leopard, you can still download compatible version here .

With it, you can edit all popular video formats with the handy editing functions, such as split, join, rotate, transition, titles, intro/credits. etc. To turn photos and videos into gorgeous home videos with background music for sharing on YouTube, tablets, DVD, or watching on TV. Give it a try.

Stylish Interface with Broad Format Support

Filmora for Mac designs a stylish interface that is easy for everyone to use. It gives comprehensive supports to all popular media formats, which means no prior conversion required to keep the best quality and save time and energy greatly when importing them. The following formats are fully compatible with this AVS Video Editor for mac alternative:

• Video Formats: MP4, FLV, AVI, WMV, MKV, VOB, MOV, F4V, M4V, MPG, M2TS, MTS, 3GP, ASF, DV, MOD, TOD, TS, TRP etc.
• Audio Formats: MP3, AC3, FLAC, M4A, AIF, AIFF, APE, AU, MKA, MP2, OGG, WAV, WMA,etc.
• Image Formats: PG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIF, ICO

Edit Easily & Precisely

Besides basic video editing like trimming, cropping and merging, this AVS Editor Mac alternative also provides a great solution for popular advanced video editing features, including motion tracking , key framing, green screen and amazing video effects like AR stickers etc. Just highlight the video and click the editing image icon in the toolbar to choose the function you want.

Moreover, you can edit audio directly in your videos. For example, add background music, combine audio tracks with video, record and apply voice-over or live music, or mute unwanted irritating noises.

Enhance Your Media Files Like a Pro

With this alternative to AVS Video Editor for Mac, you can add many free filters and text effects to bring your videos to the next level instantly. Highlight the video clip in the timeline and add audio, titles, effects in the tab “Audio”, “Title”, “Filter”, “Effects”, “Elements”, etc.

Export Your Created Files Anywhere

AVS video editor equivalent for Mac allows you to export your videos to virtually anywhere. You can choose to upload newly made video files to YouTube directly from Filmora for Mac ‘s interface, or export them directly to configured presets for your devices, or even burn them to DVD for long-time preservation.

Final Words

AVS Video Editor is only available on Windows system, and it can only conduct basic video editing. But AVS Video Editor for Mac alternative - Filmora for Mac can do more for you. From basic editing like video trimming, splitting and cropping to advanced editing includes motion tracking, key framing and audio ducking, Filmora won’t let you down. Most of all, it is easy to start with, you don’t need to spends hours even days to learn how to edit with it. Try it now to personalize your video.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

AVS Video Editor is a real-time, timeline-based video editing software application for Windows besides the free Windows Movie Maker. However, if you’re a Mac user, you may be a little disappointed because AVS Video Editor only works in Windows.

Since you’re here, you probably need a video editor similar to AVS editor on your Mac, Filmora for Mac is the best alternative to AVS video editor for Mac. Check the video tutorial about how to edit videos on Mac first.

Best AVS Video Editor for Mac Alternative -Filmora for Mac

The best option of AVS Video Editor for Mac alternative is Wondershare Filmora for Mac , which is a intuitive video editing software like AVS Video Editor but designed for Mac OS X 10.12 and later. Don’t worry, if your Mac is equipped with eariler OS like macOS Catalina, Mountain Lion, Lion, Snow Leopard, you can still download compatible version here .

With it, you can edit all popular video formats with the handy editing functions, such as split, join, rotate, transition, titles, intro/credits. etc. To turn photos and videos into gorgeous home videos with background music for sharing on YouTube, tablets, DVD, or watching on TV. Give it a try.

Stylish Interface with Broad Format Support

Filmora for Mac designs a stylish interface that is easy for everyone to use. It gives comprehensive supports to all popular media formats, which means no prior conversion required to keep the best quality and save time and energy greatly when importing them. The following formats are fully compatible with this AVS Video Editor for mac alternative:

• Video Formats: MP4, FLV, AVI, WMV, MKV, VOB, MOV, F4V, M4V, MPG, M2TS, MTS, 3GP, ASF, DV, MOD, TOD, TS, TRP etc.
• Audio Formats: MP3, AC3, FLAC, M4A, AIF, AIFF, APE, AU, MKA, MP2, OGG, WAV, WMA,etc.
• Image Formats: PG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIF, ICO

Edit Easily & Precisely

Besides basic video editing like trimming, cropping and merging, this AVS Editor Mac alternative also provides a great solution for popular advanced video editing features, including motion tracking , key framing, green screen and amazing video effects like AR stickers etc. Just highlight the video and click the editing image icon in the toolbar to choose the function you want.

Moreover, you can edit audio directly in your videos. For example, add background music, combine audio tracks with video, record and apply voice-over or live music, or mute unwanted irritating noises.

Enhance Your Media Files Like a Pro

With this alternative to AVS Video Editor for Mac, you can add many free filters and text effects to bring your videos to the next level instantly. Highlight the video clip in the timeline and add audio, titles, effects in the tab “Audio”, “Title”, “Filter”, “Effects”, “Elements”, etc.

Export Your Created Files Anywhere

AVS video editor equivalent for Mac allows you to export your videos to virtually anywhere. You can choose to upload newly made video files to YouTube directly from Filmora for Mac ‘s interface, or export them directly to configured presets for your devices, or even burn them to DVD for long-time preservation.

Final Words

AVS Video Editor is only available on Windows system, and it can only conduct basic video editing. But AVS Video Editor for Mac alternative - Filmora for Mac can do more for you. From basic editing like video trimming, splitting and cropping to advanced editing includes motion tracking, key framing and audio ducking, Filmora won’t let you down. Most of all, it is easy to start with, you don’t need to spends hours even days to learn how to edit with it. Try it now to personalize your video.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

AVS Video Editor is a real-time, timeline-based video editing software application for Windows besides the free Windows Movie Maker. However, if you’re a Mac user, you may be a little disappointed because AVS Video Editor only works in Windows.

Since you’re here, you probably need a video editor similar to AVS editor on your Mac, Filmora for Mac is the best alternative to AVS video editor for Mac. Check the video tutorial about how to edit videos on Mac first.

Best AVS Video Editor for Mac Alternative -Filmora for Mac

The best option of AVS Video Editor for Mac alternative is Wondershare Filmora for Mac , which is a intuitive video editing software like AVS Video Editor but designed for Mac OS X 10.12 and later. Don’t worry, if your Mac is equipped with eariler OS like macOS Catalina, Mountain Lion, Lion, Snow Leopard, you can still download compatible version here .

With it, you can edit all popular video formats with the handy editing functions, such as split, join, rotate, transition, titles, intro/credits. etc. To turn photos and videos into gorgeous home videos with background music for sharing on YouTube, tablets, DVD, or watching on TV. Give it a try.

Stylish Interface with Broad Format Support

Filmora for Mac designs a stylish interface that is easy for everyone to use. It gives comprehensive supports to all popular media formats, which means no prior conversion required to keep the best quality and save time and energy greatly when importing them. The following formats are fully compatible with this AVS Video Editor for mac alternative:

• Video Formats: MP4, FLV, AVI, WMV, MKV, VOB, MOV, F4V, M4V, MPG, M2TS, MTS, 3GP, ASF, DV, MOD, TOD, TS, TRP etc.
• Audio Formats: MP3, AC3, FLAC, M4A, AIF, AIFF, APE, AU, MKA, MP2, OGG, WAV, WMA,etc.
• Image Formats: PG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIF, ICO

Edit Easily & Precisely

Besides basic video editing like trimming, cropping and merging, this AVS Editor Mac alternative also provides a great solution for popular advanced video editing features, including motion tracking , key framing, green screen and amazing video effects like AR stickers etc. Just highlight the video and click the editing image icon in the toolbar to choose the function you want.

Moreover, you can edit audio directly in your videos. For example, add background music, combine audio tracks with video, record and apply voice-over or live music, or mute unwanted irritating noises.

Enhance Your Media Files Like a Pro

With this alternative to AVS Video Editor for Mac, you can add many free filters and text effects to bring your videos to the next level instantly. Highlight the video clip in the timeline and add audio, titles, effects in the tab “Audio”, “Title”, “Filter”, “Effects”, “Elements”, etc.

Export Your Created Files Anywhere

AVS video editor equivalent for Mac allows you to export your videos to virtually anywhere. You can choose to upload newly made video files to YouTube directly from Filmora for Mac ‘s interface, or export them directly to configured presets for your devices, or even burn them to DVD for long-time preservation.

Final Words

AVS Video Editor is only available on Windows system, and it can only conduct basic video editing. But AVS Video Editor for Mac alternative - Filmora for Mac can do more for you. From basic editing like video trimming, splitting and cropping to advanced editing includes motion tracking, key framing and audio ducking, Filmora won’t let you down. Most of all, it is easy to start with, you don’t need to spends hours even days to learn how to edit with it. Try it now to personalize your video.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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