15 Best Free 2D Animation Software in 2026

• Unlimited Video Tracks.
• Audio Noise Reduction.
• Automatic Audio Sync.
• Motion Graphics animation support.
• Auto color correction.
• Available for Mac and Windows.

Free plan, One-time or Subscription

• Numerous preset options
• Both for beginners and professionals
• Quick video trim/edits

• Straightforward user interface
• Lacks various shortcuts
• May need high system requirements

"I am solving the problem of getting an easy-to-use, all-in-one video editor. In addition, the editor gives you the ability to command over your audio files, whereas other editors just give you the basic audio editing capabilities. Lastly, the fully editable text effects and the vast numbers too."

• GTS scanning tool
• Easy to modify picture styles
• Add light and distortion effects
• Works with black and white and colored scans

Price: Free

• Accessible plugin to automatically create animation effects
• Unique Xsheets & Timelines features
• Audio/Soundtrack Implementer

• Somewhat Limited drawing capabilities
• Intricate setup
• A bit outdated UI design

"Not a very self-explanatory 2D animation software. I had to look up some help, but it worked out in the end (youtube tutorials)."

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

Price: Free

• Easy to use
• Open sources
• Supports multiple languages

• It doesn't support shape tools
• Only for beginners
• It doesn't support 3D animation

"The main thing against Pencil2d is the lack of complicated tools. Some tools are not there to bring better color effects, curves, drawing tools, etc. But honestly, this is not a big problem, the intention to be the most robust in the world but to be a tool that provides you a great introduction to animation with vector drawing."

• A free downloadable app that assists on tablets and smartphones
• Simple software with tutorials
• Interactive user interface that beginners can use with ease

Price: Free

• Great for beginners
• Effective tools management
• Friendly price plan

• Differences in color correction
• Certain confusing tools
• Unable to erase unwanted frames

"Honestly, I love the app, but I wish there were an eraser, but other than that, it is great for everything from experimental clips to my YT videos that will be coming out in a few months."

• Compatible with multiple content layers
• The bone system assists for the cutout animations creation from bitmap images
• Consistent with sound support to allow for the addition and syncing of narration and music to the video

Price: Free

• Offers 50+ layers
• Easy to use layout
• Lots of technical tools and functions

• Difficult layout
• Hard learning curve
• Only a few tutorials available

"It is cumbersome. You will look for tutorials to understand it, even if you have the best 2D animation software Background. - Though, it's not famous so you may not wander for information about it as easily. - You do need high PC requirements to operate it, it is heavy. - You have to Constantly save because there are a few operations that make it crash."

• Quick and straightforward to use professionally
• Features ergonomic controls
• Simply manages complicated projects with different layers
• Compatible with all modern Windows machines - 32 and 64-bit Also runs with Macs through Boot Camp
• The multiplane camera helps you have more excellent controls

Price: $1300 Studio Edition (Single License Use)

• Fast to use
• Low system requirements
• Add-ons available

• Less dynamic
• Less in demand
• Time-Consuming to learn

"I found the software pretty responsive and may not be good for beginners. Being a beginner, I need easy-to-use free download 2D animation software with low learning, and it didn't fit my needs entirely."

• Improved freehand drawing tools
• Beizer manages to make it simpler for you to design your videos
• Brilliant warp feature assists in creating custom meshes to twist and bend your animations
• Realistic motion blur
• Best 2D Animation software for different layers at the same time

Price: $399 (Full Pack)

• Regular updates available
• Advanced features
• Also good for beginners

• Doesn't automatically sync
• Some functions are highly advanced
• Lacks flexibility

"I am freelance, and Moho12 has allowed me to give more character to animated characters that I can use for some clients. The compatibility that I get with Adobe Illustrator and the speed of the render makes it one of my central tools when it comes to working with character animations."

• Modifications will be active while you draw the animation, so FlipBook is pretty quick
• Easy to use the shift key to make speed painting
• Ten animation layers for adding extra touches
• Simple to use a scanner to import images

Price: $19.99 (FlipBook Lite); $49.99 (FlipBook Studio); $149.99 (FlipBook Pro); $199.99 (FlipBook Pro HD)

• Simple to draw
• Easy to import from a scanner
• Quick uploads

• No free version
• Challenging to make subtle changes
• May not be user-friendly features

"FlipBook does not contain a steep learning curve, and even first-time animators will be able to produce creative projects."

• Assists real-time facial expression with precise modification
• Black magic to transform the image into a moving cartoon
• You can make 2D visual effects for professionals

Price: $199 (Pipeline); $99 (Pro)

• Large library of appealing templates
• Both for beginners and professionals
• Easy to control characters

• No drawing tools
• A bit high learning curve
• Hard to sync voice

"This is a 2D animation maker online that makes sense. CTA makes sense in everything it does. One will find the tools exactly where they are supposed to be, and things work exactly the way one expects them to work."

• Onionskin helps you to view previous frames via a transparent overlay
• Audio recording and Chroma key and audio recording to better narrate and add voice effects
• Simple
• one-click upload to Facebook and YouTube
• DSLR camera assistance for creating perfect 1080p recordings

Price: $59.99

• Inbuilt sound editor
• Easy to schedule
• Not free

• Certain hoops
• No bone ringing tools or template designs
• Only for 2D stop motion, 2D animation online

"So I am in high school, Considering an animation class. Currently, we use this to make a claymation. I have noticed a few complexities with it. The camera does not aim well, which is a big hassle. It also Consists of a glitch where sometimes, if you hit the undo frame, it will delete all your other projects. When that happened to me, I was not happy. Now, this last part may just be nitpicking, but when I saw the official company's animation, I saw their fingers in it, and the animation was not smooth."

• Smooth lines
• Stabilizer 
• It offers 3, 4, and 5-point guides for curved perspectives.
• It helps create cut-out animation.
• Easy integration with software available in the production pipeline.
• It offers 2D or 3D integration.

Price: $25.50/month (Harmony Essentials); $64.50/month (Harmony Advanced); $117.50/month (Harmony Premium)

• Lots of animation and drawing tools
• Offers various color controls
• Flexible 2D animation

• Complicated to learn
• High system requirements
• Not free

"I have created really powerful 2D animations with Harmony; it offers almost every tool to be precise and creative in the artworks and the advanced tools for paperless animations, which they helped me a lot."

• This online 2D animation maker software allows you to add a stabilizer to the brush to smooth it.
• Personalized brush with nine different brush engines.
• Create comic panels with built-in vector drawing tools.
• Create seamless patterns and textures by making image reference on the x and y-axis.
• Import brush packs and texture from other artists.
• You can flatten, combine, or order layers to organize your artwork.

Price: Free

• Completely free
• Easy to use
• High compatibility

• No dedicated support
• Use only on desktop
• Outdated UI

"Krita helps me with my advertising videos as well as logos and other image editing use cases. I mainly use it to make thumbnails for my youtube channel and featured images for the articles on my website. I also use it to make some quick logos for my youtube channel and website."

• Create animated videos in 6 unique video styles like 2D, handcraft, infographics, whiteboard, 2.5 D, and typography.
• Beginners can create videos and use them as both animation and animated presentations.
• Best free download 2D animation software has 200 sound effects to choose from.
• It offers 100 background music tracks.
• It helps you to record direct voice recordings.
• Animaker allows the team to collaborate.
• Export video in full HD quality.

Price: $10/mo (Basic); $19/mo (Starter); $49/mo (Pro); Custom Pricing (Enterprise)

• Helpful app
• Able to make beautiful videos
• Tons of features

• May not work on specific systems
• Chunky UI
• Time-Consuming

"Firstly, it displays that you are limited to the materials that you can use. If you want it, you can go for its paid version, which I think is ideal for a company but still hard. Secondly, I am trying to execute a project for my science class, and so far, I've had three days to work on it."

• It helps you draw basic shapes like circles, triangles, rectangles, etc.
• Adjust the rules as per your desire.
• Fill color into your artwork.
• Also, import or export the layer as PSD.

Price: Free

• Many options of pencils, brushes etc.
• Various color options
• Ideal for quick inspirations

• It may be hard to enlarge projects
• Lack of usability in some features
• Some functions are confusing

"Sketchbook has helped us in mobility. Since it is also available for tablets like iPad, it can be used to create quick artworks and concept arts and be used as a notebook to take notes. The different features also come in real handy, and the artwork created can be used to display professionally with a good amount of details."

• Create new poses for vector images or figures.
• It helps you to arrange your layers in a parent-child hierarchy.
• Automatically matches mouth poses to voice inflections.
• Easy to export 360 VR animations.
• Create ads directly with Animate.
• Export images with the correct resolution by bypassing the image optimization and using image settings.

Price: $20.99/mo

• Helpful user interface
• Various essential modules
• Extremely smooth

• High battery utilization
• Steep learning curve
• Lack some tools for handling sound

"We use Animate to make educational videos, but we also use some of the drawing tools to create vector-based illustrations, and we can export them out from Animate to use them in printed products."