Looking for the best programs for creating cartoons? Explore our top picks for versatile and powerful software that will bring your creative vision to life.
In a world where everyone can access technology and make the most of programs to create comics or solutions to create artistic projects without particular technical skills, many users also rely on more than one program to create cartoons, perhaps for fun, for children or simply because they want to make money from it.
Choosing a program to animate drawings is not easy, there are several components to consider and often you come across trivial errors that can cost you several hours of work. Today we will try to understand not only which are the best programs to obtain excellent results, but we will also investigate the best approach to adopt.
Free Cartoon Maker Software.
To create cartoons you can rely on free software that allows you to access a sufficient number of features. Let’s see which are the best that you can try after reading our guide.
Pencil2D (for frame-by-frame 2D animations)
Pencil2D is a free, open-source software that lets you create 2D animations, frames, vector drawings, bitmaps with great ease. If you have never made an animated clip, this software could be for you, as it has simple and intuitive drawing tools . It is a program to create cartoons in Italian compatible with Windows , Mac and Linux and is perfect for beginners and artists .
Pencil2D has a large community where user work and new features are shared. The official website also has complete documentation to get you started.
Pros:
- Intuitive and minimalist interface.
- Support for graphic pens.
- It’s free.
Against:
- Limited functionality
- It has no official technical support.
- Occasional bugs.
Synfig Studio (for 2D vector animations)
A program for animating drawings that is highly appreciated by semi-professionals is Synfig Studio ; an advanced and free open-source solution with which you can generate 2D vector animations, advanced timeline, keyframes and automatic interpolation . Its operation is linked to the keyframe , so even for complex projects you will have no problems managing all the drawings. It is compatible with Windows , Mac , Linux and is very valid for professionals .
Synfid Studio has an excellent Forum and complete documentation to learn the software’s features right away.
Pros:
- Vector support.
- Advanced tools.
- It’s free.
Against:
- Steep learning curve.
- Not very intuitive interface.
- Lower performance than alternatives.
Blender (for 3D animations)
Blender is an open source cartoon creation program that is very popular among those who are new to three-dimensional models . It offers advanced tools for very powerful and versatile 3D animation and graphics, rendering, and even VR content. It also supports GPU technology for rendering , using a good graphics card (such as NVIDIA or AMD ) significantly improves performance. It can be installed on Windows , macOS , and Linux , and is ideal for professionals and advanced hobbyists .
Blender provides all users with a section on the official website called Support with FAQs, Tutorials, Documentation and much more.
Pros:
- Complete program that goes from modeling to rendering and post-production.
- It is free and open source.
- Support and tutorials galore.
Against:
- Steep learning curve
- Requires powerful hardware.
- Complex interface.
Cartoon maker software for beginners
You may also consider starting with other cartooning programs if you are a beginner. Cartooning software designed for beginners provides a gentle learning curve and good drawing editing tools.
Animator (Online)
Among the most popular and appreciated cartoon programs by casual users and beginners there is certainly Animaker . This online cartoon program is cloud -based and offers a good range of intuitive tools , as well as predefined settings to create projects in just a few clicks. The simple interface, a large library of graphic elements and a drag and drop system make it a valid solution, but it requires a stable internet connection . You can opt for the free version or for subscriptions starting from the Basic version at 10 dollars per month .
Animaker has a YouTube channel with about 180k subscribers with many videos where you can learn how to make video animations with AI.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Large collection of templates, sounds and images.
- Export up to 4K.
Against:
- The basic version has limited functionality and watermarks.
- Not specifically in Italian, but the interface is intuitive and can be used in other languages as well.
- It works best in simple animations.
Powtoon (Online)
If you need a cartoon program that can make quick animations, then you might want to go with Powtoon . This is also a cloud-based cartoon software with tools to create animated clips and presentations in just a few minutes. It is easy to use and has a good library of elements, but it does have limitations in the free version. It is web browser-based and does not require any local installation. Subscriptions start at $19 per month .
Powtoon also offers a training section on its official website for beginners who want to start getting familiar with the software.
Pros:
- Ease of use.
- Wide range of templates for video marketing, HR and education.
- It offers free version to try the software.
Against:
- The free version has limitations with watermarks and limited export options.
- It does not support Italian, but offers options in English and other languages.
- High cost for Premium plans.
Cartooning software for professionals
But what if you already have skills in this sector? Then you could rely on programs to create cartoons developed specifically for professionals , perhaps creating cartoons in Italian.
Toon Boom Harmony (for 2D animations)
A very successful cartoon software among professionals is Toon Boom Harmony . A complete animation program that makes the most of the creation of 2D works . It has advanced tools for creating complex animations and supports rigging and skeletal animation very well , also integrating with other animation programs. Unfortunately, it is quite expensive and requires a lot of time to assimilate all its features. It is compatible with Windows , macOS and Linux . At the moment the costs start from 30 euros per month .
Toom Boom Harmony has a paid Training section but also a large community on Discord , a platform where you can use voice, text and video chats with friends and communities. For more information, you can read our guide on how Discord works .
Pros:
- Advanced tools for complex and high-quality creations.
- 2D and 3D integration.
- It is widely used in professional sectors and for large productions.
Against:
- Steep learning curve.
- Requires powerful hardware.
- High costs.
Autodesk Maya (for 3D animations)
Most professionals rely on Autodesk Maya as their quality animation software. Suitable for 3D animation, modeling and rendering , it is among the most complete animation programs and ideal for film and video game productions . If you want to model in three dimensions, Maya is exceptional, with advanced features, support for special effects and an infinite community . However, it requires very powerful hardware and subscriptions start at $235 per month . Full compatibility with Windows and macOS .
Pros:
- It is compatible with many 3D animation and design software.
- Advanced modeling and animation tools.
- Large supportive community.
Against:
- High costs.
- Steep learning curve.
- Requires powerful hardware.
Free vs Paid Software
You may have noticed that some programs for creating cartoons are free and others are paid , but what changes in concrete terms? Free animation programs, such as Synfig Studio , Blender and Pencil2D allow you to access many basic tools, but paid solutions such as Autodesk Maya and Toon Boom Harmony add additional professional tools and above all technical support.
- Free animationprograms have the advantage of having no cost and a large community , while the disadvantage is limited functionality and unguaranteed technical support . They are ideal for those who are not too demanding and just want to have fun generating a clip or an animated drawing .
- Paid programs for animating drawings, on the other hand, have full functionality , technical support and further integrations with professional programs , but are tied to a high cost and the need for powerful hardware. A professional will want to get the most out of his capabilities and will opt for a paid solution, if this will allow him to earn money.
Read also: How to turn photos into Anime
System Requirements
The choice of animation software is often linked to the hardware available. A powerful PC allows you to make the most of even programs to create professional animations , while a computer with a few years on its back could have some problems with the animation software. You must, therefore, check the minimum requirements.
Pencil2D , for example, is compatible with Windows , macOS and Linux operating systems (OS) and requires an i3 processor or higher, 4GB of RAM and 100MB of storage space . For free animated drawings with a program of this kind you will not need excessive resources.
Synfig Studio is also among the lightest free animation programs to download. All you need is a Windows , Linux or macOS OS and an Intel i5 or higher processor . For memory, 4GB of RAM and 200MB of ROM are sufficient , with an integrated video card .
Blender on the other hand requires a Linux , Windows or MacOS operating system and an Intel i7 processor or equivalent , with 16GB of RAM and 500MB of disk space. Integrated graphics are not recommended while an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or higher will give you good results.
If you have chosen Toon Boom Harmony among the animation programs then you will be able to use it on Linux (only for CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise distributions), Windows and macOS . You will need an Intel i7 processor or higher , 16GB of RAM and 1GB of storage space . The GPU in this case is even more important, an Nvidia GeForce Gtx 1070 GPU or higher is necessary .
For a professional program like Autodesk Maya you will need Windows or macOS , an Intel i7 processor or better , 16GB of RAM , and 4GB of disk space . An Nvidia Quadro M6000 graphics card or better is recommended.
Tutorials and useful resources
Whether you want to use free or paid animation software, you may need information about its features and the best techniques to speed up your work. Fortunately, there are several tutorials available on the dedicated web pages of some animation software companies. For example, you can take a look at Pencil2 Official Tutorials or Synfig Studio Official Tutorials . Blender Guru and Blender Cloud are also great resources to get information from.
While if you need to interact with the community and the forums , at the moment Blender Artists Forum and Toon Boom Forum would be the best resources. As well as Blender Guru YouTube Channel and Toon Boom Official are excellent YouTube channels from which to take inspiration and learn many drawing techniques. For Maya , the Autodesk site offers a real complete Tutorial , while for the community you can find everything on this page .
For Powtoon you can take a look at the page Teaching in the digital school, where you can find a collection of very interesting Tutorials on the software for creating cartoons or alternatively consult the official Tutorial in English . Finally, the YouTube channel Animaker , already mentioned in the previous chapters.
As you may have deduced, forums and digital channels are often linked to Blender and Toon Boom Harmony , real points of reference for those who want to approach programs for animating drawings.
Read Also: Best Sites to Watch Anime Streaming
Tips for getting started
Cartooning programs are just a tool to help you make your digital projects, but how do you get started with animation software?
First of all start with a simple idea that allows you to develop an animation with the program without too many complex elements . Then try to create a storyboard to plan all the sequences and scenes to be displayed in the story. PC animation allows you to control the scenes to be animated much better, while from a smartphone you will have more difficulties.
Once you have defined the idea and created the storyboard, you can experiment with one or more software , checking which tools are best suited to your animation. Try different solutions and all the integrated features, trying to relate them to your needs and what you want to achieve. Often, we limit ourselves to paid programs only to be sure of making the most of all the features, but maybe you just need to discover certain options already present in a free program.
Don’t be afraid to use online resources either; in fact, tutorials , videos , predefined elements to download can be very useful for your cartoons on PC.
Conclusions
Do you know these programs? Have you already tried using any program to create cartoons ? We would like to know your experience! Share with us which software you are using or which one you would like to try by writing to us from the Contact section . Your feedback is precious and can help others in choosing the right program. Continue to follow us by subscribing to our Newsletter .