11 Best Free VFX Software in 2024 (2024)

More and more people are searching for the best free VFX software, since the sphere of visual effect is rapidly developing. VFX stands for visual effects that are created in films and commercials by combining real footage and computer graphics.

In fact, VFX artists have several animation tools at their disposal and frequently switch between them to create a really nice-looking visualized composition.

Verdict: After Effects is the top-grade program, which you can use to spice up you footage with interesting effects. However, you need to devote some time to figure out how each separate function and tool works. Here you can find instruments to create awesome broadcast, film-ready animations and titles and the overall toolset deserves special praise.

Another remarkable feature is the rotoscoping, which become indispensable when you want to add fantastic visual effects to your clips. This special effect program is compatible with Windows and Mac OS, but you can get it on your compute only through Adobe’s Creative Cloud.

In addition to its video prowess, Adobe has an excellent reputation for providing the best UI design software, Adobe XD. This powerful combination of After Effects and Adobe XD enables users to seamlessly integrate cutting-edge animations and visual effects into user interfaces, creating dynamic and engaging digital experiences.

• Find out how to get Adobe After Effects for free.

Verdict: One of the main advantages of the program is its cross-platform nature. Blender has a large arsenal of tools for creating 3D graphics. Here you can manage particle systems, control the weights of individual particles while texturing, perform Blender animation manipulations and use external phenomena, such as wind.

The software boasts of object tracking, which speed up the work with 3D graphics a lot. Thus, you can import RAW footage, track it, mask certain parts and reconstruct the camera movements live in the 3D scene.

Moreover, Blender boasts an active and passionate community of artists and developers who continually contribute to its growth. This vibrant community results in regular updates and enhancements, ensuring Blender stays at the cutting edge of VFX technology.

Its seamless integration of modeling, animation, rendering, and compositing tools makes it a one-stop solution for VFX projects. Whether it's creating jaw-dropping explosions, realistic character animations, or breathtaking environments, Blender's capabilities rival even the most expensive VFX software on the market.

• Check the list of the best Adobe Animate alternatives.

Verdict: If you are fond of video editing and want to advance your skills by mastering visual effects, you should start with HitFilm Express. Just download the program, study the intuitive UI and you are sure to produce amazing visual content.

The software has a rich collection of visual effects (more than 140 options) and allows performing compound video editing. The interface is straightforward, while the huge variety of video tutorials and guides help learn the program even quicker.

All the above-mentioned characteristics make HitFilm Express one of the best free VFX software out there. So, you can shoot a video or use the existing one, download the software, upload footage, install VFX freebies and start producing epic visual effects that won’t leave anyone indifferent.

• Complete Hitfilm Express Review.

Verdict: If you have just started your career and are looking for a simple VFX editing program, Krita seems to be a perfect variant. The program is resource-tolerant, so you can install it even on old PCs.

People regularly using Krita admire its uncluttered interface, stable operation and handy, customizable tools. Here, you can perform all standard operations with photos and graphics in an efficient and hassle-free manner. There are tools designed specifically for artists doing 3D and VFX editing. For instance, you can make one-of-a-kind textures and overlays, and further export them to other programs.

The set of painting tools is truly admirable and you can use it to make straight lines, points of vanishing and intricate forms. There is also support for layers and HDR, diverse transformation tools, masks, and a hefty set of options. Though Krita is distributed for free, it has robust functionality and can easily compete with paid analogs.

• Complete Krita Review.

Verdict: When specialists are asked about the most powerful and feature-packed program for photo manipulations, most of them name Photoshop without hesitation. It has been a reference program in many ratings and for good reason. However, if your budget is limited and the price for Adobe product is too high for you, you can substitute it with GIMP.

The latter has been rapidly expanding the community of devotees, and is highly popular because of its open source, free architecture. GIMP offers lots of creative tools for photo manipulations and post-processing.

• Complete GIMP Review.

Verdict: The list of companies and individual video editing specialists, who use Nuke for their projects, is very long. Among them, there are such famous names as Walt Disney Animation Studios, Blizzard Entertainment, and DreamWorks Animation. This node-based VFX software used in Hollywood has shown awesome results even with the most demanding tasks.

A distinctive feature of Nuke Studio if compared with other compositing programs is the ability to work not only with video layers and the effects mode, but also to perform basic video editing, color grading and add interesting effects.

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Verdict: This is one of the best free VFX software with a very powerful toolkit. When it comes to color gradation, there is nothing like DaVinci Resolve. The program can correct colors like no other software.

DaVinci Resolve is oriented on professional users engaged in post-production, so its toolkit is so diverse, that you can easily find a suitable tool to work with image and sound. A free version has some limitations such as lower 4K definition, watermarks on several files, and impossibility to work cooperatively on the project, but they are of no importance for beginner users.

• Have a look at the best free video editing software.

Verdict: Once you open this visual effect software, you understand how powerful and universal it is. Here you can find tools for 3D modeling, animation, rendering and texturing all conveniently arranged on the toolbar. Besides, there is a huge collection of scenes, object presets and materials. 3D artists will absolutely like sculpting tools as well as Polygon and Parametric modeling features.

Many users praise the Splines tool, which allows creating sophisticated 3D models, and Deformers meant for compressing and twisting elements without worrying about their geometric proportions. 4D Cinema is wonderful VFX software for Mac and Windows users, but remember that it can lag on weak computers. To buy the program, you need to get in touch with an official distributor.

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Verdict: If you are on the lookout for the best VFX software for movies, Autodesk Maya comes with all the necessary features. It was used for producing such films as Ice Age, The Matrix, Avatar and many more. Of course, this testifies to its rich functionality and amazing capabilities. Frankly speaking, there is hardly a world-known VFX studio that has never resorted to this 3D modeling software. That’s why it is often referred to as the benchmark VFX editing program.

The most notable features of Autodesk Maya include polygon and symmetry modeling, interactive grooming workflow, and a hefty sculpting toolkit. This makes the program a go-to tool for pro-level 3D artists. You can use the software on Linux, Mac and Windows platforms.

Verdict: The program was released over 30 years ago and over time has been upgraded to such an extent that nowadays, it is called one of the best VFX editing and digital compositing software in the world. If you doubt its capabilities, just check the list of movies that have been produced with the help of this software. There you will see such famous titles as Spider-Man 3, Sin City and Game of Thrones among others.

This program has such features as Camera and Planar Tracking, Virtual Reality and Planar Rotoscoping, which allow creating professional movies. Fusion is node-based software, which works smoothly on Mac, Windows and Linux devices.

Verdict: While working on a new project, artists typically start with a sketch, storyboard, screenplay or script. Celtx contains all the necessary tools for that task. This software is ideal if you want to develop your script-writing skills.

The interface contains built-in terms and styles necessary for a professional script. In such a way, you can create elaborate and detailed screenplays. Another interesting function is integrated project coordination, allowing you to share the result of your intellectual work with your team.

The only minor disadvantage of this program is that you are obliged to use a free trial of the paid version when you log in to the service for the first time. When the trial period finishes, you can return to a free version.

• Check the best free screenwriting software.