About Adobe After Effects Adobe After Effects, After Effects single app, annual plan $263.88 USD a year
$347.88 CAD
Every pick below has a free version.
Key file formats .aep .mov .mp4 Filter alternatives 6 alternatives
Windows6 macOS6 Linux5 Self-hosted1
Open source4 Free tier2
Self-hostable1 No account needed5
Tool License Platforms Status
Top pick 1 tool The editor’s first choice for most people switching.
1 DR
Best for node-based compositing and tracking
License: Free tier
Status: Verified Oct 7, 2026 DRP DRP: opens and saves, full fidelity MP4 MP4: opens and saves, partial fidelity. The free version exports up to UHD at 60 fps; free Linux builds lack H.264 and H.265 support MOV MOV: opens and saves, full fidelity XML XML: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Final Cut Pro 7 XML carries cuts, transitions and basic effects, not Premiere effects FCPXML FCPXML: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Timelines and basic effects move across; Final Cut Pro effects do not , 0 people switched from Adobe After Effects to DaVinci Resolve DaVinci Resolve for changes This is the Fusion page, which composites with nodes instead of layers, so projects and habits differ from After Effects. AEP files do not open. Free version: Free covers editing, Fusion, color and Fairlight up to UHD 60 fps. Studio adds AI tools, more effects, noise reduction and higher output.
Strong 2 tools Covers most of the same work, with trade-offs noted on each card.
2 Bl
Best for 3D motion graphics and compositing
License: Open source
Status: Unknown
MOV MOV: opens and saves, full fidelity. Video through FFmpeg MP4 MP4: opens and saves, full fidelity. Video through FFmpeg FBX FBX: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Meshes, rigs and animation carry over; materials are simplified OBJ OBJ: opens and saves, full fidelity PNG PNG: opens and saves, full fidelity +2 more , 0 people switched from Adobe After Effects to Blender Blender for changes A 3D suite with a node compositor, so 2D motion graphics workflows differ from After Effects. AEP files do not open.
3 Ca
Best for procedural 2D motion design
License: Free tier
Status: Verified Oct 7, 2026 MOV MOV: saves only, partial fidelity. Video render; codec options are narrower than After Effects MP4 MP4: saves only, partial fidelity. Video render; codec options are narrower than After Effects , 0 people switched from Adobe After Effects to Cavalry Cavalry for changes Free for individuals with a Canva account on Windows and macOS. Built for 2D animation, so it does not do tracking, 3D or video compositing. Free version: Free for individuals with a Canva account. Organizations use it through a Canva Enterprise or Education plan (contact sales).
Situational 3 tools Right for specific needs, or not yet mature enough to recommend widely.
4 Ef
Best for testing an open-source After Effects clone
License: Open source
Windows macOS Linux Self-hosted Status: Unknown
MOV MOV: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Exports ProRes MOV with alpha; not independently checked MP4 MP4: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Exports HEVC and AV1 MP4; H.264 export is not listed , 0 people switched from Adobe After Effects to EffectCraft EffectCraft for changes Alpha (v0.4.0, first commit 1 October 2026). Its makers say it is not yet a replacement for client work and cannot open AEP files.
5 Na
Best for node-based compositing with OpenFX plug-ins
License: Open source
Status: Unknown
MOV MOV: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Video through FFmpeg; codec choices depend on the build MP4 MP4: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Video through FFmpeg; codec choices depend on the build , 0 people switched from Adobe After Effects to Natron Natron for changes The last stable release is 2.5.0 from November 2022, with only maintenance commits since. The macOS build is Intel only.
6 Fr
Best for open-source vector and raster animation
License: Open source
Status: Unknown
MOV MOV: saves only, partial fidelity. Renders video through FFmpeg MP4 MP4: saves only, partial fidelity. Renders video through FFmpeg , 0 people switched from Adobe After Effects to Friction Friction for changes Release candidate (1.0.0-rc.3). A 2D animation tool rather than a compositor, with no tracking or 3D.
Sponsor this page: $149 for 30 days. Sponsors appear above the ranking, labeled; the ranking itself is not for sale.
Feature parity How each alternative covers what people use Adobe After Effects for. Numbers link to editor notes.
Feature parity with Adobe After Effects Feature DaVinci Resolve Blender Cavalry EffectCraft Natron Friction Animation Keyframes and graph editor Note 1Keyframes and a spline editor on every node input Note 2Graph Editor, Dope Sheet and F-curves Note 3Graph Editor, Easy Ease and Bezier keyframes Note 4Curve editor and keyframes on node parameters Note 5Animated properties on vector and raster layers Graphics Shape and text layers with animators Note 6Text+ and shape nodes, without After Effects-style text animators Note 7Text objects and curves; no layer-based text animators Note 8Shape and text layers with procedural animation Note 9Shape layers and text animators; behavior is not yet measured against After Effects Note 10Roto shapes; text comes from OpenFX plug-ins Note 11Vector shapes and text path effects Effects Effects and animation presets Note 12Fusion and Resolve FX; some effects are Studio only and there is no preset library Note 13Compositor nodes and sequencer effects; no preset library like After Effects Note 14Procedural behaviors; fewer video effects than After Effects Note 15306 effects listed, not yet compared with After Effects Note 16OpenFX plug-ins including G'MIC; no preset library Note 17Text and path effects; only a limited set of shader effects VFX Motion tracking and rotoscoping Note 18Tracker, planar tracker and spline masks; Magic Mask is Studio only Note 192D and 3D motion tracking, planar tracking and masks Note 20Roto Brush and face tracking use optional model downloads Note 212D tracker, roto and RotoPaint 3D 3D layers, cameras and lights Note 22Fusion 3D system with cameras, lights and imported models Note 232D only Note 243D layers with cameras and lights Note 252D compositor Automation Expressions and scripting Note 26Fusion expressions with Lua or Python scripting, in a different syntax Note 27Python drivers and expressions on properties Note 28JavaScript scripting and procedural tools Note 29JavaScript with the After Effects object model Note 30Python expressions on parameters Note 31ECMAScript expressions with a code editor Integration Dynamic Link with Premiere Note 32Fusion is a page inside the edit project; there is no live link to Premiere Output Render queue and delivery formats Note 33The free version exports up to UHD at 60 fps Note 34Video through FFmpeg and image sequences Note 35Video and Lottie export, with narrower options Note 36Render queue with ProRes MOV, HEVC and AV1 MP4, and WebM Note 37Image sequences and video through FFmpeg and OpenImageIO Note 38Video renders through FFmpeg and animated SVG Parity score 69% 69% 44% 50% 50% 31%
DaVinci Resolve, Keyframes and graph editor: Keyframes and a spline editor on every node input Blender, Keyframes and graph editor: Graph Editor, Dope Sheet and F-curves EffectCraft, Keyframes and graph editor: Graph Editor, Easy Ease and Bezier keyframes Natron, Keyframes and graph editor: Curve editor and keyframes on node parameters Friction, Keyframes and graph editor: Animated properties on vector and raster layers DaVinci Resolve, Shape and text layers with animators: Text+ and shape nodes, without After Effects-style text animators Blender, Shape and text layers with animators: Text objects and curves; no layer-based text animators Cavalry, Shape and text layers with animators: Shape and text layers with procedural animation EffectCraft, Shape and text layers with animators: Shape layers and text animators; behavior is not yet measured against After Effects Natron, Shape and text layers with animators: Roto shapes; text comes from OpenFX plug-ins Friction, Shape and text layers with animators: Vector shapes and text path effects DaVinci Resolve, Effects and animation presets: Fusion and Resolve FX; some effects are Studio only and there is no preset library Blender, Effects and animation presets: Compositor nodes and sequencer effects; no preset library like After Effects Cavalry, Effects and animation presets: Procedural behaviors; fewer video effects than After Effects EffectCraft, Effects and animation presets: 306 effects listed, not yet compared with After Effects Natron, Effects and animation presets: OpenFX plug-ins including G'MIC; no preset library Friction, Effects and animation presets: Text and path effects; only a limited set of shader effects DaVinci Resolve, Motion tracking and rotoscoping: Tracker, planar tracker and spline masks; Magic Mask is Studio only Blender, Motion tracking and rotoscoping: 2D and 3D motion tracking, planar tracking and masks EffectCraft, Motion tracking and rotoscoping: Roto Brush and face tracking use optional model downloads Natron, Motion tracking and rotoscoping: 2D tracker, roto and RotoPaint DaVinci Resolve, 3D layers, cameras and lights: Fusion 3D system with cameras, lights and imported models Cavalry, 3D layers, cameras and lights: 2D only EffectCraft, 3D layers, cameras and lights: 3D layers with cameras and lights Natron, 3D layers, cameras and lights: 2D compositor DaVinci Resolve, Expressions and scripting: Fusion expressions with Lua or Python scripting, in a different syntax Blender, Expressions and scripting: Python drivers and expressions on properties Cavalry, Expressions and scripting: JavaScript scripting and procedural tools EffectCraft, Expressions and scripting: JavaScript with the After Effects object model Natron, Expressions and scripting: Python expressions on parameters Friction, Expressions and scripting: ECMAScript expressions with a code editor DaVinci Resolve, Dynamic Link with Premiere: Fusion is a page inside the edit project; there is no live link to Premiere DaVinci Resolve, Render queue and delivery formats: The free version exports up to UHD at 60 fps Blender, Render queue and delivery formats: Video through FFmpeg and image sequences Cavalry, Render queue and delivery formats: Video and Lottie export, with narrower options EffectCraft, Render queue and delivery formats: Render queue with ProRes MOV, HEVC and AV1 MP4, and WebM Natron, Render queue and delivery formats: Image sequences and video through FFmpeg and OpenImageIO Friction, Render queue and delivery formats: Video renders through FFmpeg and animated SVG Not covered by any free alternative yet: Effects and animation presets, Expressions and scripting, Dynamic Link with Premiere. See all feature gaps
File formats Can each alternative open and save Adobe After Effects files?
Opening and saving Adobe After Effects files Format DaVinci Resolve Blender Cavalry EffectCraft Natron Friction .aep Note 1After Effects projects do not open; Fusion has its own comp files Note 2After Effects projects do not open Note 3After Effects projects do not open Note 4Saves its own .ecproj JSON files; After Effects projects and plug-ins do not open Note 5After Effects projects do not open Note 6After Effects projects do not open .mov Note 7Video through FFmpeg Note 8Video render; codec options are narrower than After Effects Note 9Exports ProRes MOV with alpha; not independently checked Note 10Video through FFmpeg; codec choices depend on the build Note 11Renders video through FFmpeg .mp4 Note 12The free version exports up to UHD at 60 fps; free Linux builds lack H.264 and H.265 support Note 13Video through FFmpeg Note 14Video render; codec options are narrower than After Effects Note 15Exports HEVC and AV1 MP4; H.264 export is not listed Note 16Video through FFmpeg; codec choices depend on the build Note 17Renders video through FFmpeg
DaVinci Resolve, .aep: After Effects projects do not open; Fusion has its own comp files Blender, .aep: After Effects projects do not open Cavalry, .aep: After Effects projects do not open EffectCraft, .aep: Saves its own .ecproj JSON files; After Effects projects and plug-ins do not open Natron, .aep: After Effects projects do not open Friction, .aep: After Effects projects do not open Blender, .mov: Video through FFmpeg Cavalry, .mov: Video render; codec options are narrower than After Effects EffectCraft, .mov: Exports ProRes MOV with alpha; not independently checked Natron, .mov: Video through FFmpeg; codec choices depend on the build Friction, .mov: Renders video through FFmpeg DaVinci Resolve, .mp4: The free version exports up to UHD at 60 fps; free Linux builds lack H.264 and H.265 support Blender, .mp4: Video through FFmpeg Cavalry, .mp4: Video render; codec options are narrower than After Effects EffectCraft, .mp4: Exports HEVC and AV1 MP4; H.264 export is not listed Natron, .mp4: Video through FFmpeg; codec choices depend on the build Friction, .mp4: Renders video through FFmpeg Switching saves about $264 USD / $348 CAD a year. Prices checked Oct 7, 2026 .
Based on After Effects single app, annual plan. Price source .
Adobe After Effects is a product of Adobe, named here for comparison only. Platforms listed for Adobe After Effects: Windows, macOS.