14 Best 2D Animation Software and Programs (2026)

2D Animation Tools help you to create characters, backgrounds, storyboards, and apply effects. 2D animation stands for two-dimensional animation, meaning characters and backgrounds in these types of project are created in two-dimensional, flat space. These tools use vector and bitmap graphics to make and edit animated images.

Following is a handpicked list of Top 2D Animation Software and tools, with its popular features and website links. The list contains both open source(free) and commercial(paid) vector animation software. Read more…

Top FREE 2D Animation Software

Name	Supported platforms	Free Trial	Link
👍 Animate CC	Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS	7-Days Free Trial	Learn More
👍 Adobe Animation	Windows and macOS	7-Days Free Trial	Learn More
👍 Character Animator	Windows, Android and iOS	Lifetime Free Basic Plan	Learn More
Animaker	Web	Lifetime Free Basic Plan	Learn More
Cartoon Animator	Windows	30-Days Free Trial	Learn More

#1) Animate CC

Animate CC is a tool that helps you to design interactive bitmap and vector animations for games, apps, and the web. You can add action to infographics and tutorials.

Features:

• You can create new poses for vector images or figure.
• It enables you to arrange your layers in a parent-child hierarchy.
• It automatically matches mouth poses to voice inflections.
• You can export 360 VR animations.
• This tool allows you to create ads directly with Animate.
• Export images with the right resolution by bypassing the image optimization and using image settings.

Visit Animate CC >>

7-Days Free Trial

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#2) Adobe Animation

Adobe Animation is a powerful 2D animation program that helps you design interactive vector and bitmap animations for games, apps, and the web. It lets you bring cartoons, banner ads, and explainer videos to life using frame-by-frame drawing and a timeline-based workflow.

Features:

• It allows you to design interactive HTML5 Canvas and WebGL animations for the web.
• You can draw with vector brushes that support pressure and tilt for natural strokes.
• It provides layer parenting so you can rig characters and control their movement easily.
• Adobe Sensei automatically syncs mouth shapes to your audio for realistic lip-syncing.
• You can publish a single project to multiple platforms, including HTML5, video, and social media.
• It integrates seamlessly with Photoshop, Illustrator, and other Creative Cloud apps.

Visit Adobe Animation >>

7-Days Free Trial

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#3) Character Animator

Character Animator is a motion-capture animation tool that lets you animate 2D characters in real time using your webcam and microphone. It is one of the best 2D animation software options for creating live cartoons, YouTube characters, and animated explainer videos without manual frame-by-frame work.

Features:

• It uses your webcam and microphone to capture facial expressions and movements in real time.
• Automatic lip-sync matches your character’s mouth to your recorded voice.
• Puppet Maker lets you build custom characters from templates or Illustrator and Photoshop art.
• Body Tracker, powered by Adobe Sensei, animates the entire body from your movements.
• You can build triggers to save gestures and expressions to keyboard shortcuts.
• It allows you to livestream your animated character directly to your audience.

Visit Character Animator >>

Lifetime Free Basic Plan

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#4) Animaker

Animaker is an online 2D animation tool that provides numerous animated characters, icons, properties, BGs, maps, and charts. It is one of the best 2D animation software that helps you to create an ideal video for your organization, presentation, freelancing projects, as well as personal projects.

Features:

• You can create animated videos in 6 unique video styles like 2D, handcraft, whiteboard, infographics, 2.5 D, and typography.
• Beginners can make videos and use them as both animation and animated presentations.
• It is one of the best free 2D animation software that has 200 sound effects to choose.
• This tool provides 100 background music tracks.
• It enables you to record direct voice recordings.
• Animaker allows the team to collaborate.
• You can export video in full HD quality.

Download Link: https://www.animaker.com/

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#5) Cartoon Animator

Cartoon Animator is a 2D animation product that enables you to turn images to control characters and animated characters. With this software, you can easily to generate lip-sync animation from audio.

Features:

• It allows you to capture facial motion.
• You can convert photoshop layers into 2D characters.
• It provides motion path and timeline editing.
• You can create interactive compound animations.
• It supports up to 4K high definition monitors.
• Cartoon Animator helps you to transform existing content into 360 heads with motion.

Download Link: https://www.reallusion.com/cartoon-animator/

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#6) SketchBook

SketchBook is a 2D animation application that enables you to animate your ideas with minimal effort. It offers more than 140 brushes to design your art. This program allows you to add unlimited layers that can be blend together.

Features:

• Enables you to draw basic shapes like circle, rectangle, triangle, etc.
• You can adjust the rules as per your desire.
• Allows you to fill color into your artwork.
• It enables you to import or export the layer as PSD (Photoshop Document).

Download Link: https://www.sketchbook.com/

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#7) Synfig

Synfig is an open-source 2D vector graphics and animation program. This software works on three OS platforms Windows, OSX, and Linux.

Features:

• It allows you to transform any image containing a vector shape into another.
• You can link parameters of layers through mathematical expressions.
• This free 2D animation software provides more than 50 layers to create animation.
• You can create a cutout animation effect using bitmap images.

Download Link: https://www.synfig.org

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#8) Krita

Krita is a simple 2D animation tool that allows you to customize your workflow. This free animation software offers more than 100 professionally made brushes.

Features:

• This animation maker software enables you to add a stabilizer to brush to smooth it.
• Customize brush with 9 unique brush engines.
• You can create comic panels using built-in vector drawing tools.
• Create seamless textures and patterns by making image reference on the x and y-axis.
• It allows you to import texture and brush packs from other artists.
• You can combine, flatten, or order layers to organize your artwork.
• You can highlight the drawing portion.
• Krita helps you to incorporate it into your current color management pipeline.

Download Link: https://krita.org/en/features/

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#9) Pencil2d

Pencil2d is a 2D hand-drawn animation software. It is easy to use and lightweight. It is a 2D animation software for free which allows you to sketch ink and paint on the go.

Features:

• Pencil2D is a cross-platform tool that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.
• It can be used freely for commercial business.
• You can quickly review work using flipping or rolling techniques.
• This free 2D animation software provides support for TIFF format (Tagged Image File Format).
• You can import image as new layers on particular frames.

Download Link: https://www.pencil2d.org

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#10) Opentoonz

Opentoonz is an open-source animation production application. It is compatible with 4 types of scanning. It allows you to save settings of scanning.

Features:

• It is compatible with TWAIN (Technology Without an Interesting Name) standards.
• It allows you to use anti-aliased lines.
• This tool provides an easy way to paint with provisional colors.
• You can synthesize effects with the Graphic User Interface (GUI) via the node tree.
• Images can be managed with the actual scale resolution.
• This 2D animation software for free is compatible with both raster and vector images.
• You can use more effects using plug-ins.

Download Link: https://opentoonz.github.io/e/

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#11) Celaction

Celaction is a professional 2D animation application for films, ad-commercials, and TV series. This tool helps you to handle complex projects with numerous layers with ease.

Features:

• You can use bitmaps or vectors or both simultaneously.
• It offers floating and dockable panels and user-definable workspace.
• This tool provides the user to define shortcut keys.
• You can create palate from more than 16 million colors.
• It works on Windows 7, Vista, Windows XP, Windows 8 and Windows 10.
• You can convert vector shapes into deformable, morphable objects.

Download Link: https://www.celaction.com

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#12) harmony

Harmony is an all-in-one tool for efficient animation, from drawing to final production. It allows you to create artwork, animate, and add sounds and special effects into animation.

Features:

• Stabilizer for smooth lines.
• It is one of the best software for 2d animation that provides 3, 4, and 5-point curved perspective guides.
• This application allows you to create cut-out animation.
• You can integrate it with software available in the production pipeline.
• It offers 2D or 3D integration.
• Harmony helps you to create 2D animation for the game.
• You can import multilayer PSB and PSD files, Illustrator, PDF, bitmaps, and media files.

Download Link: https://www.toonboom.com/products/harmony

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#13) Blender

Blender is a 2D computer graphics software application for developing visual effects, animated movies, games, and more. This tool allows you to import or export videos in MPEG, QuickTime, and AVI file formats.

Features:

• This tool Provides Python API for scripting and customization.
• You can customize shortcuts.
• It provides a path tracer for realistic rendering.
• You can create, transform, sculpt, and edit your models.
• It provides a real time preview of the 3D scene and tracked footage.
• You can turn still characters into impressive animations.

Download Link: https://www.blender.org

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#14) FlipBook

FlipBook is a 2D animation tool that is used in converting pdf files to HTML flipping books. It can run on Microsoft Windows or Mac OS X.

Features:

• It allows you to customize the toolbar.
• You can insert and delete frames to remove time.
• FlipBook helps you to shoot your pencil test drawing by just clicking on the capture icon.
• Import 4 types of images into this software like backgrounds, overlays, movies, and cels.
• You can add up to three soundtracks.
• It enables you to paint the scene in less time.
• You can use the number keys to determine the total number of frames you like to paint.

Download Link: https://digicel.net/

If you need 3D Animation Software, here’s our list of the Best 3D Animation Software for Windows PC, Mac & Linux.

What is 2D Animation?

2D Animation, also called two-dimensional animation is a technique to create a movement or image in a two-dimensional space. Two individual images are rapidly sequenced on two-dimensional space for creating a lifelike motion illusion in traditional animation or computer vector graphics. 2D animation includes creating characters, creatures, backgrounds, FX, etc.