Blog
Best Stop Motion Animation Software for Mac and Windows 2023
Stop motion animation has seen a significant increase in its popularity in recent years. It is a very fun and engaging form of animation. In this form of animation physical objects are manipulated to create an illusion of motion. This is done with the help of stop motion animation software. The manipulated objects are photographed and played together which gives them the form of animation.
There are a number of stop motion software available for you to download. However, free software is relatively few. The paid ones have free versions or a free trial period that you can utilize. Anyways there is no point in comparing all these software one by one as all of them are pretty good at their job. Here we have listed for you some of the stop motion software freeware that you can use on windows and mac computers.
Before we take a look at these stop motion software freeware individually, you must know that they are not arranged in any particular order. We have randomly selected the software and included them in the list. You can use any of these stop motion animators for Mac and Windows depending on your requirements and expertise. Here is an overview of all the software included in the list.
- FilmoraPro
- FramebyFrame
- iStopMotion
- Frames Stop Motion Software
- iKITMovie
- qStopMotion
- Stop Motion Pro
- Movavi
- Stop Motion Studio
- MonkeyJam
FilmoraPro
Apart from being a stop motion animator, Filmorapro is also a powerful video editor. Being an intuitive software it can be used by almost all types of animators.
With Filmorapro you get the option to set keyframes in order to create smooth animations. Further, you can even adjust the duration as well as the speed of your animations.
Features like motion graphics and text effects can be customized on this software. But in the free version, your final animated work will have a watermark. You will need to get the paid version to remove the watermark.
It has a high quality audio mixer and a title or text editor. It also has a media library full with audio and images that you can use.
PROS:
- Drag and drop interface which is very intuitive.
- Gives good value compared to other software.
- Features text to speech functionality.
- Several uploading options including direct uploading to YouTube.
CONS:
- Windows 32 bit version and under 10.10 version of Mac is not supported.
- Videos can be exported only after logging in.
- Video effect is not available.
FramebyFrame
This free stop motion software for Mac has pretty standard features and functions. If you have an iSight camera then you must try FramebyFrame. You don't have to make any special adjustments as this software is extremely easy to use.
To start animating using FramebyFrame you will need to take a picture and then your webcam will capture the parts that you want. In your timeline you will be able to view the duplicate frames.
FramebyFrame doesn't have a lot of advanced features like iStopMotion and appears to be pretty basic.
PROS:
- A traditional form of animation.
- Characters can be animated in any way you want.
- You got more creative control.
CONS:
- Animation takes some time on this software.
- A bit on the expensive side.
- Doesn’t look very realistic.
iStopMotion
iStopMotion is a free stop motion software for Mac created by the house of Boinx. This featureful software can be used to make amazing stop motion animation clips. Its interface is pretty easy to navigate as it is neatly organized. Further, even if you produce HD videos this software functions smoothly.
You can easily integrate Final Cut Pro and iMovie with this software. If you have an iOS device you can use the mobile app version of iStopMotion. With the mobile app you can use your phone's camera to capture images and use this software for animating in real time. iStopMotion has a time lapse function and it also can be activated using voice. However, you will not find many video editing features on this stop motion animation software.
PROS:
- Very flexible software.
- Lots of powerful features.
- Option to connect your device camera and shoot remotely.
CONS:
- No option for manual focus.
- No option for copying and pasting frames.
Frames Stop Motion Software
Frames is a popular free stop motion software for Windows 10 as it combines animation tools with effective illustrations. With the help of images and illustrations, you can use this software to create amazing stop motion animation.
You can make use of images directly from your phone's camera, use your webcam to capture images and create clay animations. It lets you import a whole folder of images. After creating your digital story on this software you can even add a soundtrack to it.
On Frames you can use green screen for stop motion animation. You can combine multiple frames into a scene. Frames also support zooming and panning features. You cannot export your finished work outside of Frames. This is the only major drawback with this software for stop motion animation.
PROS:
- Use onion skinning for aligning frames.
- Frames can be grouped into scenes.
- Features character illustration.
- Option to import folders containing images.
- Use time-lapse to capture images.
CONS:
- There is a one time fee for licensing.
iKITMovie
iKITMovie is stop motion software freeware for Windows that is mostly used as a Lego animation maker and also for clay animation. This software is preferred by both kids and expert animators around the world. One of the best features of this software is that it has over 2200 audio tracks that you can use in your animation clips.
iKITMovie has a green screen feature that lets you change the background of your animated objects. If you are someone who has just started animation then this will be the perfect choice for you.
It is very user friendly. You get a large collection of backgrounds and layers to choose from. Further, you can use this software with almost all major webcams. However, there is no option to go full screen with the user interface.
PROS:
- Green screen feature lets you change the background of objects.
- Best for beginners into stop motion animation.
CONS:
- There is a lack of stability and performance.
- Limited options with the free version.
qStopMotion
qStopMotion is another popular free stop motion software for Windows 10. This software lets you import images and objects directly from your camera or PC for the purpose of animation. There are also several video formats that you can use to save your finished animation work.
With the help of an advanced Qt function this software reduces the need for external tools. An intuitive interface with really basic settings makes it very easy to use software.
This software can easily grab negative frames. Its camera control system is also really good. qStopMotion is compatible with MPEG and AVI formats of video. Only drawback with this software is that you don't get to make use of external software.
PROS:
- Tools for project management.
- Features onion skinning.
- Existing features can be imported.
- Camera pictures can be viewed in real time.
CONS:
- No option for using external software.
Stop Motion Pro
Stop Motion Pro is a stop motion animation software free for Mac and Windows users. This software requires you to have a camcorder or webcam.
This software has an advanced audio synchronization tool that can be a bit difficult for beginners to master. However, just understanding the functions of this software is enough to have control over your animations work. Features like the ability to add multiple audio tracks, automatic time lapse capturing and frame by frame editing can help you to make your animation work stand out.
You can use this software with almost all major webcams. It also has the feature to frame the thumbnails. You can zoom or adjust your angles with this software. There is an option to edit on multiple tracks. But sometimes the playback tends to skip some of the animation frames.
PROS:
- Tons of tools available for free.
- Can be used on devices on more than one platform.
CONS:
- No advanced editing option.
- Lacks some of the additional features.
Movavi
Movavi is a free stop motion software that can be used to create some fine animations. Video files on your computer or any external drives can be easily uploaded directly into the software. You can also import any recordings from your camera. This software supports multiple video formats in which you can save your animation work including Mp4, which is best for uploading to the web.
Even though Experts can use this software to get their animation work to another level, the beginners can also easily use this software. There are presets for mobile devices that you can use for your animation work. Moreover, it is very easy to upload finished work to YouTube from this software.
Rendering speed for videos is pretty high in this software. The interface is neatly designed which makes it easy to navigate. You can make use of tutorials or guides to get started with this software. There are also options for using titles and effects. But this software doesn't support any LUTS. In addition to that the designs are also blank. Its color grading feature is also pretty basic.
PROS:
- It is very easy to learn and use this software.
- The interface is very responsive.
- Great options for adding effects and titles.
- There is an export option.
CONS:
- Importing function is not very easy to use.
- The design is also not very consistent.
- Audio meters are not available.
Stop Motion Studio
Stop Motion Studio is a simple yet powerful stop motion software freeware. You can create high-quality animation using its wide range of functions and features.
In addition to editing sound and graphics, you can also preview all frames one after another. Features like an overlay mode and built-in video editor can help you create visually appealing stop motion animated video very easily. Further, there are additional features like a library full of images and soundtracks and also the option to record voiceovers.
When getting started with this software you can take the help of tutorials. There are various editing and recording tools for creating animations. It also features an overlay mode. You can only use limited features and functions with its free version.
PROS:
- The easy to use tools makes the process of stop motion less difficult.
CONS:
- Bone-rigging tools are not available.
- No in-built designs or templates.
MonkeyJam Stop Motion Animation Software
This is a featureful stop motion animation software free for Windows and Mac computer users. On MonkeyJam you can edit your images from a webcam or digital camera by assembling them in the form of individual frames. Further, you can even use the audio or images on your computer.
This free stop motion software was developed as a pencil and paper animator. But it performs well enough as a stop motion animator. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to navigate and thereby easy to learn.
You don't need to configure MonkeyJam. You get the options to export your images in various formats. However, there are no panning options available and you cannot compose any real layers.
PROS:
- Best for people with no experience in stop motion animation.
- No configuration required to capture pictures, put them together and create videos.
CONS:
- The developers have stopped supporting the software. So, no updates or bug fixing will occur.
- Animation will play in a loop even after saving into a video file.
Conclusion
We hope you get the right stop motion animation software for yourself from the above list. As this software is free to use they are not likely to have many advanced features. If your project demands powerful features or functions then you should go for the paid versions. Also, consider your expertise and requirements for animation before using any of the software mentioned above.
