Best Visual Effects (VFX) Software for Freelancers

Craft stunning cinematic titles and captivating intros, while seamlessly transitioning between scenes. Remove unwanted elements from your footage, ignite flames, or conjure up a rainstorm. Bring your logo or character to life with animation, all through After Effects, the leading software for motion graphics and visual effects. You can animate titles, credits, and lower thirds, either by starting from scratch or utilizing the extensive presets available within the application. Whether through spins, swipes, or slides, your text will dynamically engage the audience. Merge videos and images to turn your creative visions into reality, selecting from a plethora of thrilling effects and effortlessly eliminating unwanted objects or characters. Dive into immersive VR experiences that transport your viewers directly into the heart of the action. With the power of keyframes and expressions, you can set any element in motion, or simply begin with presets for distinctive outcomes. Additionally, create intricate compositions in Premiere Pro, leveraging Dynamic Link to streamline your workflow without the need for intermediate rendering. Import assets from a variety of Adobe applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, Character Animator, Adobe XD, and Animate to enrich your projects further. The possibilities for innovation and creativity are boundless, waiting for you to explore them.

Blender is an open-source 3D creation suite available for free, encompassing the entire 3D production process—covering modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, motion tracking, video editing, and even 2D animation. Its integrated Cycles engine is a powerful unbiased path-tracer that delivers breathtakingly realistic renders. The extensive modeling capabilities of Blender simplify the creation, transformation, and modification of models efficiently. VFX experts proclaim it to be “probably the best tracker in the market.” Additionally, Blender features robust camera and object tracking functionalities that allow users to import raw video, track it, create masks, and visualize camera movements in real time within the 3D environment, thus removing the need for frequent software switching. With its exceptional rigging and animation tools, Blender has gained popularity among filmmakers, leading to its use in various short films, commercials, television series, and feature-length movies. This versatility has made it an essential tool for artists and creators striving to bring their visions to life.

Creative Cloud encompasses over 20 applications and services for desktop and mobile that cater to photography, design, video, web development, user experience, and beyond. With tools like Photoshop available on the iPad, and the ability to illustrate and paint through Adobe Fresco, your creative vision can flourish in innovative ways. Engage with a worldwide community of creatives and collaborate to elevate your projects. Dive into a diverse array of applications such as Photoshop, InDesign, and Premiere Rush, all designed to fuel your inspiration. Within Creative Cloud, you can seamlessly access thousands of fonts tailored for your assignments. Discover and showcase creative masterpieces while efficiently managing your assets through integrated libraries. Additionally, you can create and personalize your own portfolio website, ensuring your work stands out. With 100GB of cloud storage available, file sharing and teamwork become effortless. Enhance collaboration with features for sharing, reviewing, and providing feedback. Whether your focus is on photography, video production, design, UI/UX, 3D and AR, or social media content, Creative Cloud provides all the necessary tools to bring your imagination to life and embark on limitless creative journeys.

VideoPad Master's Edition Windows allows you to create movies and edit videos in many formats, including avi, MP4,.3gp and.divx. The intuitive user interface makes it easy to create videos and movies. Drag and drop video clips. You can choose from more than 50 visual effects and transitions, including chroma keys or green screen technology. Fine tune color and visual effects. Send your friends a video and burn it to DVD.

DaVinci Resolve serves as a comprehensive post-production software that combines high-end editing, color correction, visual effects, and audio post-production within a single application. The user-friendly interface caters to novices while also providing sophisticated tools for industry professionals, making it a favored choice among filmmakers, television editors, and content creators alike. Renowned for its Emmy-winning color grading functionalities and superior audio processing through Fairlight, DaVinci Resolve stands out in the industry. The software is designed with specialized workspaces for various tasks—editing, color grading, visual effects, and audio—allowing users to transition effortlessly between different aspects of their projects. Additionally, its robust features are augmented by AI-driven tools and real-time collaboration options, which enable teams to work together on the same project simultaneously, eliminating the hassles of file transfers or conversions. With regular updates and a growing community, DaVinci Resolve continues to evolve, ensuring that it meets the ever-changing needs of digital content production.

Forget about motion capture, complex 3D applications, and costly production equipment—all that an artist requires is a camera. They can upload either a character model or an entire scene, and the system will intelligently identify cuts while tracking the actor throughout the sequence. Utilizing single-camera footage, it analyzes the actor's performance and seamlessly transfers that to the chosen CG character, resulting in an automatically animated, lit, and composed final product. Wonder Studio AI streamlines 80% to 90% of the "objective" visual effects tasks, allowing artists to focus on the more nuanced "subjective" aspects, which are easily exportable to their familiar software. This innovative approach not only saves time but also empowers creators to enhance their storytelling capabilities.

You can create videos in just one click. You can add subtitles and transcribe audio. All your content, logos and color palettes can be kept in one place. Your own personal Brand Kit will help you increase productivity. To organize your content, create workspaces. You can collaborate on projects in the cloud and create your own workflows. This is a great tool for sharing files and reviewing projects. Let us help you grow your audience, increase engagement, improve your video editing skills, and build your network. This proven framework will help you grow your online presence.

HitFilm Pro stands out as the premier software for artists and video editors around the globe. There's no need to switch between different applications for video editing and visual effects, as HitFilm combines editing, compositing, titling, and 3D capabilities all in one comprehensive package. Everything essential for video creation is conveniently located in a single platform. Our video editing software is recognized as industry-leading, featuring robust chroma key, particle effects, and text tools, alongside the largest toolkit for visual effects available. We collaborate with top industry names to provide you with cutting-edge technology and innovative tools, including Foundry’s advanced 3D camera tracking, Boris FX’s professional titling tools, and compatibility with VideoCopilot’s After Effects plugins. Experience the efficiency of our powerful video editing software that propels your projects forward with speed. With a blend of industry-standard features and our proprietary technology, HitFilm Pro’s video editing suite equips you with all the necessary resources to produce engaging and vibrant edits, ensuring you can unleash your creativity without limitations.

VivaCut is a sophisticated video editing software tailored for the creative needs of young social media users around the world. It empowers individuals to craft distinctive video styles while staying at the forefront of social media trends. This tool is especially beneficial for creating innovative dynamic effects, moving beyond the limitations of standard templates. Key features of VivaCut include user-friendly drag-and-drop editing and the ability to manage unlimited audio and video tracks, enabling real-time operations such as video segmentation, trimming, adjusting speed, reverse playback, and scaling across multiple tracks. Users can take advantage of intuitive keyframe tools to fine-tune the motion, selection, scaling, transparency, and various other parameters for each animated element. Additionally, the overall animation fluidity can be improved with adjustable curves, achieving results comparable to those seen in blockbuster films. With VivaCut, users can even create their own green screen videos effortlessly, utilizing a straightforward drag-and-drop keying feature that simplifies the process. This makes it an indispensable tool for anyone looking to elevate their video editing skills and create professional-quality content.

HitFilm offers a no-cost video editing platform that comes equipped with high-quality VFX capabilities, enabling users to produce stunning videos, films, or gaming content. It's an ideal solution for novices, aspiring filmmakers, gamers, YouTubers, and any creative individual operating on a budget. With your talent and passion, we provide the essential tools you require, completely free of charge. Our philosophy is simple: you shouldn’t have to pay to express your creativity. By doing so, we become a part of your creative journey, which is truly exciting. Access the most robust free video editing and VFX software available for both Mac and PC, and become a member of our thriving network of 6 million filmmakers and content creators. Interested in enhancing your skills? Our masterclass tutorials on editing and VFX cater to every type of creator. You can design your own 3D superhero characters or transport your audience to a uniquely twisted Wild West adventure. We are committed to fostering opportunity and equality within the creative sector, and alongside our community, we continuously develop effective, accessible tools, comprehensive training, and reliable support for all creators. Together, we can redefine what is possible in the world of content creation.

Already in a serious partnership with your editor? No worries at all. Ignite Pro offers an impressive collection of 190 professional plugins designed to enhance your experience in After Effects, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or any other major editing software. Dive into a vast selection of over 565 visual effects, presets, and a comprehensive suite of 360° filters that are second to none. There are no hidden strings attached, no arbitrary limitations, and absolutely no time constraints to worry about. Ignite Pro seamlessly integrates with Adobe After Effects, FCPX, or any compatible host, ensuring a smooth editing process whether you're working on a Mac or PC. Each license provides you with access for up to 3 users, allowing you to utilize Ignite Pro at home, in your studio, or while relaxing on the beach—effortlessly. The extensive range of customizable plugins available in Ignite Pro is unparalleled, giving you over 565 professional visual effects and presets that can elevate any project, from imaginative sci-fi shorts to adrenaline-pumping action films and more. If you seek a touch of drama, you can infuse your short films with Hollywood flair; with plugins like Blood Spray, Gunfire, and Witness Protection, your action sequences are guaranteed to impress and captivate. This level of versatility and creativity ensures that your projects will stand out in any competitive landscape.

Media Composer continuously evolves, introducing fresh features and enhancements to improve user experience. With an active subscription, you receive these updates immediately upon release. Explore the latest advancements in Media Composer, which include innovative time-saving tools and usability improvements designed to streamline your editing process and reduce stress. You can easily navigate clip details and commands within bins, create rolling credits, customize your interface with new skins and highlight colors, and produce IMF supplemental packages for seamless delivery to OTT streaming platforms—all thanks to Media Composer's ongoing enhancements. The advanced Avid Media Engine offers increased power and speed, allowing you to maintain focus on your core narrative. Engage in the efficient, collaborative workflows that leading video professionals trust. Additionally, bolster your production team and kickstart new projects in no time with a comprehensive virtual cloud editing suite, which features cloud-optimized Media Composer software alongside Avid NEXIS storage solutions that enhance your editing capabilities even further. The combination of these tools ensures that you are always equipped to tell your story effectively.

Join the revolution with Alight Motion, the premier motion design application tailored for smartphones and tablets. This innovative app enables you to craft videos featuring high-quality animations, striking visual effects, and captivating motion graphics. With support for multiple layers of graphics, video, and audio, Alight Motion also boasts a vast library of vector shapes, as well as options for custom vector and freehand illustrations. By utilizing over 100 customizable effects from our extensive library, you can generate a limitless array of distinctive and sophisticated visual effects that cater to your specific needs and artistic expression. Alight Motion equips you with all the necessary tools to achieve professional-quality outputs directly on your mobile device. You can easily combine over 100 basic effect components to design intricate visual effects, while animation easing options allow for smoother motion—choose from presets or create your own timing curves. Additionally, the app provides various export formats, including MP4 video in H.264 and HEVC, GIF animations, and PNG sequences, ensuring that your creations can be shared seamlessly across different platforms. Whether you're a seasoned designer or just starting out, Alight Motion empowers you to bring your creative visions to life effortlessly.

Natron serves as a highly capable digital compositor, adept at fulfilling all your 2D and 2.5D requirements. Its advanced OIIO file formats and OpenFX framework contribute to its reputation as the most adaptable open-source compositor available for the visual effects industry. The software boasts a consistent interface and functionality across various operating systems, including MacOS, Linux, and Windows. With its robust keying, roto/rotopaint, and 2D tracking tools, Natron has become a foundational asset for contemporary film projects that incorporate visual effects. At first glance, Natron presents a sophisticated graphical user interface that operates on a flexible and intuitive multi-platform node-based system. While it may initially appear as a straightforward compositing tool, Natron is rich with complexity, enabling your creative vision to flourish in unprecedented ways. Additionally, its versatile Roto and Rotopaint toolkit allows for the creation of limitless layers of masks, mattes, and shapes, further enhancing its functionality for artists and designers. In essence, Natron is not just a software solution; it is a gateway to unlocking new realms of visual storytelling.

Lightworks 2022 - There's a Lightworks for everyone! Free: For anyone taking their first steps into video editing and creative content creation. Lightworks Free is a powerful and highly featured, yet easy-to-use, editing platform for small or one-off projects. Create: A brand new editing product for content creators, corporate marketers and educators. With hundreds of titles, effects & motion graphics built-in, Lightworks Create is built to make awesome looking videos with ease. Pro: Hollywood-level editing for broadcasters and filmmakers, post houses and video pro. Lightworks Pro has been used to create some of the best films in cinema history and is used by A-list editors to this day.

Stay updated on the newest offerings in Red Giant Complete, where Trapcode integrates advanced 3D particle systems directly into After Effects. You can utilize particle emitters to simulate effects like fire, water, smoke, and snow, or design futuristic visuals and interfaces using particle grids and three-dimensional shapes. By subscribing to Red Giant, you gain additional options for inputting 3D geometry through the import of Cineware .c4d files. This allows you to incorporate Cinema 4D files, including animations, into your particle systems or as 3D models within After Effects. Additionally, Magic Bullet provides a comprehensive suite of plugins for color correction, finishing touches, and achieving cinematic looks. Equipped with powerful real-time color grading, video denoising, and cosmetic retouching tools, you can elevate the quality of your footage directly on your editing timeline. Furthermore, Universe includes a range of video transition and effects plugins tailored for both editors and motion graphics designers, expanding your creative possibilities even further.

Flame® offers a comprehensive suite of tools for 3D visual effects (VFX), finishing, and color grading. This advanced software facilitates 3D compositing and editorial finishing, allowing for an efficient and integrated creative workflow. With its powerful capabilities, users can achieve faster compositing, cutting-edge graphics, and precise color correction. AI-driven tools enable the extraction of mattes for the human body, head, and face, streamlining color adjustments, relighting, and digital beauty enhancements. Quickly isolate skies and key objects, which enhances grading and VFX tasks considerably. Users can edit, composite, and color correct all within a singular environment, eliminating the need to switch between different software applications. This fosters rapid creation and iteration, leading to more productive interactions during client sessions. Additionally, Flame provides tools designed for swift and engaging visual effects finishing alongside 3D compositing. It features a timeline-centric assistant station fully compatible with Flame, which is essential for collaborative VFX workflows. Furthermore, the software supports real-time color grading, facilitating creative look development with ease and precision. This cohesive environment ultimately elevates the quality and efficiency of visual storytelling.

3ds Max provides an extensive and adaptable suite of tools that empowers designers with complete artistic freedom to create exceptional works. You can construct expansive game worlds, visualize stunning architectural projects, and design intricately detailed interiors and objects. Additionally, it allows you to animate characters and features, enhancing them with visual effects. The integrated Arnold renderer enriches your experience by effectively managing complex characters, scenes, and effects. With centralized creative tools, you can save time on interactive light mixing, color correction, and lens effects applied to rendered images. The user-friendly interface and intuitive controls enable you to work more efficiently, producing high-quality renders and variations at a quicker pace. 3ds Max supports workflow scalability through automation, which allows you to dedicate more time to your creative endeavors. Furthermore, it can function as a compute engine to optimize content production and offers extendable workflows through easy-to-use APIs, enhancing overall productivity. By leveraging these features, you can elevate your design projects to new heights.

Artists and designers who want total creative freedom and flexibility can instantly access 15 Chaos®, products with one license. V-Ray®, Collection allows you to freely move between 3D applications. You can apply your own blend of fluid simulation, photorealistic rendering, and real-time scene exploration to any given project. You can move freely between 3D applications. You can easily share content and collaborate seamlessly with others. You can instantly access the latest releases and take advantage technology. There's no need to manage multiple versions or expiration dates. A single license is the easiest and most cost-effective way to have everything. Revolutionary designs. Moving stories. Amazing art. V-Ray can help you realize your vision. V-Ray is the industry's best 3D renderer. Create photorealistic imagery or animation. V-Ray Collection includes V-Ray to these top 3D modeling and design programs: 3ds Max. Maya. SketchUp. Rhino. Revit. Modo. Cinema 4D. Unreal. Houdini. Nuke. Blender.

For more than two decades, Nuke has enabled teams to collaborate effectively to achieve precise results swiftly, all while maintaining high standards of creativity and quality. Whether you are working on blockbuster films, short content, or binge-worthy series, Nuke provides the power, versatility, and comprehensive toolkit necessary for entire teams to produce top-notch content, utilizing the same technology as premier studios. Discover what studios globally have to say about the advantages of using Nuke. This is the go-to solution for completing tasks, regardless of your working style. With advanced node-based compositing, 3D tracking, model construction, and review capabilities, the range of Nuke adapts to fit your specific requirements. The Nuke suite delivers exceptional power and performance to fulfill the demands of contemporary production environments. Featuring a node graph and resolution-independent processing, Nuke allows you to manage an unparalleled scope of projects. Collaborate seamlessly with colleagues whether you're in the same room or continents apart. Nuke accelerates your workflow with state-of-the-art tools, GPU enhancements, and smooth processes, ensuring efficiency at every stage of production. Ultimately, Nuke stands as a cornerstone for professionals aiming to elevate their creative work to new heights.

Sapphire plug-ins enable the creation of breathtaking organic aesthetics that surpass the capabilities of any built-in effect tools provided by host applications. Among the prominent features are more than 270 effects and over 3000 presets, a robust effect and transition builder, alongside integrated tracking and masking powered by the award-winning Mocha software. The exceptional image quality, control, and rapid rendering speed of Sapphire contribute to significant time efficiency, allowing creators to concentrate on what truly matters: making an impactful impression that keeps viewers engaged. Mac users will be thrilled with the arrival of Metal GPU acceleration in Sapphire 2021, which enhances over 60 effects. With Metal acceleration, dramatic improvements in speed are possible; for instance, S_Rays can render more than four times faster compared to CPU-only processing. Although performance can fluctuate based on the specifications of the GPU, host application, operating system version, and specific Sapphire effects, Sapphire 2021 with Metal acceleration typically achieves rendering speeds that are 20% quicker than when using CPU alone, making it an essential tool for professionals aiming to elevate their work. This makes Sapphire an indispensable asset in the toolkit of any creative professional.

Silhouette, an award-winning VFX tool recognized by both the Academy and Emmy Awards, is a top-tier, GPU-accelerated compositing software that offers unparalleled non-destructive paint and roto capabilities tailored for feature films and visual effects teams. Since its inception in 2005, Silhouette has played a crucial role in the production of some of Hollywood’s most iconic film and television projects, such as Avatar, Black Panther, and Stranger Things, among others. It is proudly endorsed by the Netflix Post Technology Alliance in the VFX category, positioning itself as the go-to artist tool for Roto, Paint, and Tracking. The latest release, Silhouette 2020.5, transcends conventional roto and cleanup methods, providing a professional stereoscopic-enabled node-based compositing environment with an impressive array of 146 nodes specifically crafted for various finishing tasks. Available as a standalone application for macOS, Windows, and Linux, Silhouette also offers flexible floating license options for enterprises. Additionally, the introduction of the new Silhouette Paint plug-in enhances the functionality of the paint tools, which are now seamlessly integrated into a multi-host plug-in compatible with Adobe and OFX platforms, and is provided free of charge to all owners of Silhouette 2020. This advancement underscores Silhouette's commitment to evolving and meeting the dynamic needs of visual effects professionals in the industry.

Optics serves as the ultimate digital toolkit for photography enthusiasts. Developed by expert visual effects artists from the film industry, it aims to replicate various optical camera filters, unique lenses, different film stocks and their accompanying grain, lens flares, optical lab techniques, color correction methods, as well as effects related to natural light and photography. By utilizing Optics, you can elevate your images to new heights, with the software currently available as a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, as well as a standalone application compatible with both macOS and Windows platforms. With Optics, users can explore a vast library of 160 filters and an extensive range of presets that enhance creative possibilities. The software allows for film-style color grading and the transformation of images from realistic to otherworldly with stunning lighting effects. Moreover, all filters can be applied selectively to specific areas of the image through user-friendly yet advanced masking controls. It also features a layering system for utilizing multiple filters simultaneously, along with a built-in painting tool for precise touch-ups, making it an indispensable resource for anyone looking to refine their photographic artistry. This comprehensive functionality ensures that every user can achieve their desired aesthetic with ease and precision.

Streamlining tight deadlines has become more manageable than ever before. The most comprehensive collection of plugins in the post-production sector offers nearly 350 creative effects across 20 categories, over 4000 presets, integrated Academy Award-winning Mocha for advanced planar tracking and masking, a beat reactor that syncs visual effects with music, and an FX Browser for easy navigation. Editors and creative professionals depend on Continuum to efficiently complete their projects. The 2021 iteration marks the largest release in the collection's extensive history, introducing over 80 new effects, more than 1000 professionally-crafted presets, 3 additional Unit categories, substantial enhancements to particle illusion, a new keying effect, improved Mocha planar tracking, and additional features. The Cinematographer’s Toolkit offers users 80 new effects, 3 fresh Continuum Units, and an impressive array of over 1000 new presets that evoke the classic charm of shooting on film. With the user-friendly FX Editor, artists can easily browse through presets and craft personalized options directly within the interface, making it a breeze to replicate iconic Hollywood aesthetics with just a single click. This innovative approach not only enhances efficiency but also inspires creativity among users.

INSYDIUM Fused is a comprehensive collection that encompasses all of our plugins and products, providing everything necessary to produce breathtaking particle effects, create lifelike terrains, and complete modeling projects up to the final render. This package also includes a wealth of 3D resources, extensive training materials, dedicated technical support, and a repository of content files. By acquiring INSYDIUM Fused, you gain access to X-Particles, which is the premier particle engine designed for Cinema 4D, alongside TerraformFX, Mesh Tools, Cycles 4D, and a variety of other tools. X-Particles stands as a vital element in any artist's toolkit, adept at addressing diverse particle requirements such as cloth, smoke, fire, fluids, grains, and dynamics. This seamless integration allows designers to transition effortlessly between motion graphics and VFX, all within a singular cohesive system. With INSYDIUM Fused, you can craft exceptional ParticleFX ranging from solar systems and FUI to holograms, medical visualizations, and even abstract art. The multitude of options for combining emitters and modifiers expands your creative possibilities, enabling you to push boundaries and explore new artistic dimensions. Whether you're a seasoned professional or an aspiring creator, this collection is designed to elevate your workflow and inspire your projects.