In today’s modern world, motion graphics software is used in a wide variety of fields. Advertising, social media, educational and scientific fields, game and entertainment products, and many other fields all benefit from what motion graphics have to offer.
The reason for this widespread use of motion graphics software is quite clear:
“Motion graphics allow users and their audiences to convey their meaning in the shortest, most useful, and most effective way possible.”
Users and business activists can put their websites and apps in front of their audience with more fun, clearer, and more effective motion graphics than ever before.
They can do this by using different branches of motion graphics. Various branches include symbols, typography, animations, and other products of the world of motion graphics.
But now with this rapid growth of technology, while we are faced with daily updates or the emergence of new software, how do we know what are the best motion graphics software in 2021?
The following is a list of the top 9 motion graphics software in 2021, and we will explain the popular and unique features of each of them that have caused their presence in this list.
List of the best motion graphics software in 2021
- Adobe After Effects: The best software for creating motion graphics and animations
- Cinema 4D: Selection of private designers and motion graphic design studios
- Adobe Premiere Pro: For working professionally and professionally on video and audio files
- Mocha Pro: A very powerful tracking tool for VFX and post generation
- Adobe Photoshop: To create a photo or video slideshow and move from one video or photo to the next video or photo
- Adobe Illustrator: Software that has the necessary standards for vector production.
- Maya: A medium software for making 3D graphic items
- Nuke: To create professional pixel effects
- Blender: Free open-source suite for creating 2D and 3D designs
The cycle of making a motion graphic consists of separate processes. From a simple and basic design of the elements that are to be moved in the next steps, to combining three different modes for each of these designs and elements to create a complex 3D image. Therefore, motion graphics software is responsible for providing everything a graphic designer needs.
Learn more about each of the options in the 2021 list
Now it is better to take a look at the explanations provided in this section to get better and more familiar with each of these 9 items in the list of the best motion graphics software in 2021.
1- Adobe After Effects:
Advantages
- It has 3D composite, VFX
- Simulator effects
- Slideshow design
- UX, UI, and web design
- Motion typography
Disadvantages
- There is no obvious or challenging case to explain.
More details
This software, which has been introduced as the first option in the list of the best motion graphics software in 2021, is layer-based. Adobe After Effects is compatible with other popular and graphic applications and can collaborate and integrate. Execution of designs and creation of 3D motion graphics are also available in this software.
After Effects is used to create promotional videos, animations, edit Real filmed videos, make stop motion, and other types of motion graphics products. Usually, the method of using this software is that first they design and layer the elements that they want to move in software such as Photoshop and Illustrator, and then open the motion-ready file in After Effects software. And begin to make kinetic changes on each layer.
2- Cinema 4D
Advantages
- Suitable for making a cover or work area
- Nodebase or node-based software
- UV unwrapping
- CAD loader
- Support for Alembic format
Disadvantages
- The cost of using all the features in the full and professional versions of this software is relatively high. (There are cracked versions of it)
- Design and modeling in this software require many and frequent updates.
More details
For all those who have a relative and comprehensive mastery of working with After Effects, working with Cinema 4D to create 3D animations and motion graphics is relatively simple. Designers and animators prefer to use Cinema 4D over other similar tools and software on the market. The reason for this is the simplicity of working with this software as well as the ability to integrate and collaborate with After Effects.
To design and build 3D models and execute elements in the best graphical mode from the third dimension, you can hardly find better and more efficient software than Cinema 4D and use it.
3- Adobe Premiere Pro
Advantages
- Simulation projects
- Ready-made and default motion graphics examples
- Editing capability
- Effects, labels, and transitions (various effects to move between different audio and video files)
- Ability to edit videos and graphic designs
Disadvantages
- Some of the icons and keys are small and hidden.
More details
The technology implemented by Adobe in the After Effects and Premiere software suites has created a unique and professional masterpiece. The combination of this two software together forms a superpower with which a large number of ultra-professional outputs in the field of motion graphics can be obtained.
Premiere is software in which designers upload all their videos and designers and work on combining them and arranging an audio file on it. One of the last steps that a motion graphics product goes through is to go through the Premiere software and make the final edits by this software on them.
Different parts of a video, different scenes from animation, and the juxtaposition of designs and turning them into a show or show with professional sound and the use of special sound and video effects, are all done in the Premiere.
4- Mocha pro
Advantages
- Advanced models; Stabilization, camera lens settings, 3D camera access
- GPU Tracking, object removal
- Convert elements to a sphere with the ability to musk
- Supports 360-degree stereo or VR
- Ability to output works to standard formats in the motion graphics industry
Disadvantages
- High cost of the original version
- Requires the presence of Adobe complementary products and developers
More details
One of the best tools for rotoscopic or staging activities is Moka Pro software. Also, in the list of the best motion graphics software in 2021, this software is the most suitable option for working with videos and pixel images.
This software can be used as a plugin in Aftereffect software. In fact, in the middle of a huge project in the After Effects program, you can easily enter the Moka Software Tracking environment as a plugin, perform the desired edits and tracking, and then save them and return them to the After Effects work environment.
5- Adobe Photoshop
Advantages
- Ability to rotoscope and create gif animations
- Create cheek drawing designs, work with textures and textures
- Ability to visualize and merge different images to create a seamless scene
- Layering-based animation
Disadvantages
- Many of the features of this software are not available in countries that Adobe does not provide services.
- It Is a pixel and bitmap application.
More details
Although Photoshop is a bitmap software, it can do a lot of professional work and prepare the files needed in other motion graphics software.
All elements in an animation or motion graphics product can be designed in Photoshop and prepared in separate layers to enter other software such as After Effects.
Photoshop software also can animate images and create gif files. Using this software, you can design concise and efficient advertising gifs. This issue has caused that we do not to need to open professional and heavy animation software on our system to create simple animations and short gifs.
Resizing images, cropping unnecessary parts, merging images into one image, and many more are some of the things that can be done in Photoshop.
6- Adobe Illustrator
Advantages
- Create vivid and vector images, design from pixel images, and increase their quality and vivid appearance
- Existence of predefined examples and capabilities in the program
- Professional illustration capability and use of Path tools
- Perspective illustration capability due to the benefit of anchor points property
Disadvantages
- Like Photoshop, this software has either prevented access to professional facilities in some countries, or the cost of providing a monthly subscription for it is high.
- It is only suitable for working on vectors and is not used for pixel images.
More details
To design motion logos or special effects in the field of motion graphics, we will need to work with Illustrator. The high quality of this software in designing logos, the necessary elements in visual effects, vivid and beautiful scenes, and many other factors that we need in creating a motion graphic, have caused before entering a software Motion graphics and video editing, use this software to prepare primary files.
Illustrator is layered software. Therefore, we can layer the files that we want to enter into a layered motion graphics software, first in Illustrator in the way we want, and then import the Ai file into another software such as After Effects.
Another interesting point about Illustrator working with software such as After Effects is that while working on an Ai file in After Effects, you can make changes to Illustrator back on that file and then without having to close that file. In After Effects, he saw the same change.
7- Maya
Advantages
- Dynamic and ready-to-use graphs and charts
- Liquid simulator
- Capable of playing in cache for a variety of animations, bookmarks, and tools
- Use professional matrices to design different shapes
- Equipped with Wrap Deformer
Disadvantages
- Not suitable for beginners and amateurs in the field of motion graphics.
- The original and professional versions have a high annual cost.
More details
Wherever we talk about the 3D design industry and the best motion graphics software, we will come across the name Maya. In Hollywood and the making of many famous and prestigious animations in the world, Maya must have been used in parts of enduring projects.
Maya is a very professional modeling software so we will need to make a lasting and popular animation. For efficient 3D outputs alongside competitors like Cinema 4D, Maya is a great application.
Of course, the appearance and working environment of this software are a bit complicated and incomprehensible for beginners in the field of motion graphics and 3D design, but this software is in the category of Full-Featured software or all features.
Maya’s output is easily and imaginatively displayed in major media such as television and used to make best-selling video and computer games.
8- Now
Advantages
- It Has more than 200 creative and predefined nodes.
- Ability to model, build VR
- Ability to deepen the elements
- It has a 3D Camera Tracker
- Ability to create three-dimensional scenes
Disadvantages
- The additional features of this software are costly.
- Working with this software requires technical skills and equipment (including a suitable graphics system)
More details
Nuke and After Effects are both the best options for working on composite projects. The list of the best motion graphics software in 2021 introduces Nuke to the audience because of its efficiency in creating 3D projects and professional motion graphics.
Nuke is used in the construction of many global motion graphics projects and videos that can be played on major media such as television. So this software is suitable for 2D and 3D modeling. Many of the plugins that run on After Effects software are also compatible with Nuke software.
The difference between this software and After Effects is in its node-based structure. A nuke is a node-based software, while After Effects is a multi-lever software.
9- Blender
Advantages
- Suitable for modeling and sculpture
- Equipped with Grease Pencil
- Suitable for animation branch
- Simulator and VFX
- Suitable for editing Real filmed videos
Disadvantages
- High skill is required to receive usage approvals and to install the software.
- Not suitable for beginners and amateurs in the field of motion graphics.
More details
One of the free and suitable software for VFX is Blender software. The fact that this software is free compared to other expensive software in this field, has caused the name Blender to be included in the list of the best motion graphics software in 2021.
Learning Blender, like learning Maya, is a bit difficult and time-consuming. This software is suitable for many projects of animation, simulation, motion tracking, editing real movies, and working on 2D elements.