11 Best 2D Animation Software: Free and Paid

Price: $25/mo. (Essentials), $64.50/mo. (Advanced), $117.50/mo. (Premium)

OS: Linux, macOS, Windows

Level: Professionals

Toon Boom Harmony is an Emmy-winning, industry-leading 2D animation software designed for both beginners and professionals. The program lets you use traditional frame-by-frame animation or cut-out animation. It includes a variety of camera angles and post-production special effects, as well as vector drawing and a lip-syncing feature to match the voice with the animations. It’s also great for creating animatics for movies and TV shows. The program is available in three different versions: Essentials (for students and hobbyists), Advanced (for professionals), and Premium (for most advanced users).

Key features:

  • Wide variety of pro-level tools for Disney-like animation

  • Lighting and shading options for realistic depth and volume

Pros:

  • Used by professional animators

  • Loads of great features for beginners and professionals

Cons:

  • Has hefty system requirements

  • May be too expensive for hobbyists

Download Toon Boom Harmony