2D Animation Software Comparison: Which One is Right for You?

Choosing the right 2D animation software can be overwhelming, especially with so many options available. Whether you're an aspiring animator or a seasoned professional, finding the perfect tool for your workflow is crucial. In this guide, we'll compare five popular 2D animation software programs: Cartoon Animator 5, Moho, Toon Boom Harmony, TVPaint, and Clip Studio Paint. We'll look at their pricing, features, ease of use, and more, so you can decide which one suits you best.

Cartoon Animator 5 (formerly CrazyTalk Animator) is known for its ease of use, making it ideal for beginners and professionals alike. It's a great choice for character animation, motion capture, and lip-syncing.

• Pricing: $149 (Perpetual license)

• Recommended Specs: Windows 10/macOS 10.15+, 8GB RAM (16GB recommended), multi-core CPU, and a dedicated GPU.

• Drawing Inside the Software? No, you need a third-party drawing tool like Photo Shop, Affinity Designer or Clip Studio Paint

• Frame-by-Frame Animation? No, Cartoon Animator is focused on puppet-based animation.

• Notable Productions: Mainly used by YouTubers, educators, and indie animators.

• Ease of Learning: Beginner-friendly with an intuitive interface.

• Official Tutorials? Yes, Reallusion provides extensive tutorials.

• External Plugins? Yes, motion capture (mocap) plugins are available to enhance animation.

Moho is a powerful vector-based animation software, great for cut-out animation and rigging.

• Pricing:

  • Moho Debut 14: $59.99 (One-time purchase)

  • Moho Pro 14: $399.99 (One-time purchase)

• Recommended Specs: Windows 10/macOS 10.13+, 8GB RAM, OpenGL-enabled GPU.

• Drawing Inside the Software? Yes, vector-based drawing tools included.

• Frame-by-Frame Animation? Yes, available in Moho Pro 14.

• Ease of Learning: Moderate learning curve, but great for character rigging.

• Official Tutorials? Yes, official and community tutorials available.

• External Plugins? Some user-created scripts and tools are available for enhanced functionality.

Toon Boom Harmony is an industry-standard animation software used in TV shows and films.

• Pricing:

  • Essentials: $29/month or $250/year

  • Advanced: $58/month or $490/year

  • Premium: $117/month or $990/year

• Recommended Specs: Windows 10/macOS 10.15+, 16GB RAM (32GB recommended), high-end GPU.

• Drawing Inside the Software? Yes, with advanced bitmap and vector drawing tools.

• Frame-by-Frame Animation? Yes, full support for traditional hand-drawn animation.

• Notable Productions: Rick and Morty, The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers.

• Ease of Learning: Steeper learning curve due to extensive features.

• Official Tutorials? Yes, comprehensive official training available.

• External Plugins? Harmony integrates with third-party software like Storyboard Pro but has limited external plugins.

TVPaint is a high-end software designed for traditional frame-by-frame animation.

• Pricing:

  • Standard Edition: €500 (~$540)

  • Professional Edition: €1250 (~$1350)

• Recommended Specs: Windows 10/macOS 10.14+, 16GB RAM, powerful GPU recommended.

• Drawing Inside the Software? Yes, designed specifically for digital hand-drawn animation.

• Frame-by-Frame Animation? Yes, perfect for traditional 2D animators.

• Notable Productions: Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner.

• Ease of Learning: Advanced, requires animation knowledge.

• Official Tutorials? Limited official tutorials, but a strong user community.

• External Plugins? No official plugins, but supports external brushes.

Clip Studio Paint is primarily a drawing software, but it includes frame-by-frame animation features.

• Pricing:

  • Pro: $49.99 (One-time)

  • EX: $219 (One-time) or $2.49/month

• Recommended Specs: Windows/macOS, 8GB RAM, pen tablet recommended.

• Drawing Inside the Software? Yes, excellent drawing tools.

• Frame-by-Frame Animation? Yes, but with timeline limitations (Pro: 24 frames, EX: unlimited frames).

• Notable Productions: Mostly used for webcomics and indie animations.

• Ease of Learning: Beginner-friendly.

• Official Tutorials? Yes, detailed tutorials provided.

• External Plugins? Custom brushes available, but limited animation plugins.

Final Thoughts

Each of these software programs has its strengths and is suited for different types of animators:

• For beginners: Cartoon Animator 5 and Moho Debut are great starting points.

• For industry-standard animation: Toon Boom Harmony is widely used in professional studios.

• For traditional hand-drawn animation: TVPaint and Clip Studio Paint offer frame-by-frame animation tools.

• For vector-based animation: Moho Pro is a solid option.

No matter which software you choose, the most important thing is to start animating! Each of these programs has a free trial or demo, so test them out and find the one that fits your workflow best.

Happy animating!