Stop motion animation is a special technique that implies physical manipulation of objects to bring them to life on the screen with the help of a stop motion software.
Each animation is an individually photographed frame. When the series of frames is played quickly, the objects turn out animated.
Your knowledge and creativity aren’t enough, you need the best stop motion software to produce a decent animation clip.
Verdict: Filmora is a widely-used web-based service for creating stop-motion animations and engaging videos. This software stands out for its intuitive tools suitable for creating all kinds of animations.
You can use the keyframing feature to give your stop-motion animations a professional feel. If you decide to use a free version, your videos will contain a watermark. To remove it and get access to a wider choice of tools, you can pay for an annual subscription or make a one-time purchase.
Verdict: Stop Motion Studio is one of the simplest but still powerful stop motion programs that will help you create first-class animated clips. It comes with broad functionality to help you bring your works to perfection.
Apart from supporting frame-by-frame previews, this software boasts sound and graphics editing capabilities.
With overlay mode, built-in video editor, and frame-by-frame view shows, creating a catchy motion video will be a breeze.
Moreover, it is possible to import images from the library, add sound effects, and record voice-overs. You can also embellish your animated clips with the help of awesome filters and captions.
Verdict: MonkeyJam is a feature-rich stop motion animator that allows you to recode images from a scanner, webcam or digital camera and assemble them as individual frames. You can also use the images and audio stored on your computer.
Even though MonkeyJam is developed for pencil and paper animations, it is also an excellent stop-motion video maker. It also has a neat and intuitive interface, so you can quickly figure out the functionality of the program.
Verdict: Movavi Video Editor is easy to use software that allows you to produce jaw-dropping animated clips.
You can upload video files either from your computer or external storage. It is also possible to import recordings right from your camera.
Movavi lets you save your clips in various video formats, including MP4, which is perfect for uploading videos to the web.
Even though this program is suitable for beginners, there are advanced features for those, who want to bring their works to the whole new level. Your animated clips can benefit from presets for mobile devices. Moreover, you can easily post your videos on YouTube.
Verdict: The Dragonframe stop motion software has achieved vast popularity for its powerful stop motion production capabilities. It was designed by numerous experts in the industry. To assist users, the Dragonframe team has organized first-class customer support and a forum where people can discuss their projects.
The newest version of the program features an easy to use keypad controller that allows you to stay focused on animating. DragonFrame is compatible with both Mac OS and Windows. Also, the program allows controlling digital still cameras.
Verdict: Stop Motion Pro is a stop motion program free that supports creation of still images and animated clips. To use the software, you need a camcorder or webcam and such Windows OS editions as 7, 8, Vista, and XP.
If you are a novice animator, Stop Motion Pro may seem somewhat difficult to master, especially it refers to its audio synchronization tool. Nevertheless, if you managed to understand all the functions of this program, you will get precise control over your animation.
To make your stop-motion clips stand out, you can use such features as auto time-lapse capture, frame-by-frame editor, and the ability to add multiple audio tracks to your works.
Verdict: qStopMotion is an excellent stop motion animator that is distributed for free and is aimed at Windows OS users. You can import the images from your camera or PC and create awesome animations. Once you’ve done your edits, you can save your clip in multiple video formats.
The strongest advantage of qStopMotion is that it comes with powerful Qt functionality that minimizes the need to use external tools. With the intuitive interface that includes only basic features, using this program will be a breeze.
Verdict: iKITMovie is a widely recognized stop motion animator. This software is sought after among kids and hobbyists across the world as a popular Claymation and LEGO Animation maker. This is the only stop motion program that comes with 2,200 soundtracks to complement your animation clips.
iKITMovie is compatible with multiple Windows editions such as 10, 7, 8, XP, and Vista. With Stop Motion Green Screen feature, you can animate your objects in front of a green screen and later change the background.
iKITMovie will be a perfect option for education purposes or for those, who just started out their artistic path in animation.
Verdict: Due to the combination of effective illustration and animation tools in one suite, Frames takes a decent place on the current market. This is one of the best free stop motion software that lets you create amazing animations using illustrations or images.
With Frames, you can create clay animations, capture images using a webcam, and even import pictures right from your camera. This program allows you to import the entire folder of images to the program, create your digital story, and complement it with the audio from iTunes.
Verdict: iStopMotion from Boinx includes all the features you may need to create amazing stop motion clips. It has a neat interface and high performance that allows the software to work fast even while producing HD videos.
The program can be integrated with iMovie and Final Cut Pro. Also, you can download a mobile version of iStopMotion, which is available for iOS. With the mobile app, you can use the camera of your device and work in with iStopMotion in real-time.
Verdict: FramebyFrame is free stop animation software with basic video editing capabilities. It will be especially useful for iSight camera owners. The program is extremely user-friendly and doesn't require any complex adjustments.
All you need to start creating an animated video is to take a photo and let the webcam capture what you want. You can see all the frame duplicates at the timeline.
FramebyFrame is inferior to the products like iStopMotion in terms of functionality, and it has a pretty basic look and feel.
