1. Free Stop Motion Software Windows
2. Free Stop Motion Software For Kids
3. Free Stop Motion Software For Chromebook

2-Dimentional Animation is the traditional way to creating videos from the images. Due to the latest technology, 3-D animation has been replaced 2-Dimention Animation. But still, it is the best way of creating animated videos from the photographs. In the start of the film industry, films were developed by capturing thousands of photos and combining them later for creating a video. In old era, work of combining photos was done manually but now some interesting software applications which have the facility to do this work automatically. These programs are called Stop Motion Software programs. Here is the list of Best Free Stop Motion Software that can be used to create best 2D animation videos of your favorite images.

Then MonkeyJam is the software for you. Available for both Windows and Mac powered systems, this is a 100% free stop motion software. The software comes with a simple user interface. Navigating through the various functions and learning and using the functionalities will be quick and easy. Heron Animation is one of the best free stop motion software that allows you to shoot a series of images from a connected webcam and gather every shot in actual time moving animation. It has a clean and user-friendly interface, which makes it perfect for beginners. You might be interested in: How to Make a Green Screen Video 7. JellyCam is one of the best stop motion software and it provides some very quality features to prove it. Some of the key features of this free stop motion animation software are: It can make the stop motion animation by capturing images from the webcam directly and by uploading images from the computer.

1. Purple Elephant

Purple Elephant is an open source software program that enables you to compose, edit, test, and play 2D traditional animations. This program has the facility to create stop motion animation by uploading pictures from your system with music or sound. It allows you to add multiple layers for each frame it utilizes in the animation. In addition, this program can set the frame rate of the animation. You can work with this application using the simple procedure. First, add photos in the animation frames. It facilitates you to add many layers for each frame and add music or sound in the animation. Later, you can set the frame rate of the animation using the bottom right corner of the interface. After that, you can play the animation by pushing the Play button. Overall it provides a number of handy tools for stop motion.

2. JellyCam

JellyCam is a straightforward software program that facilitates you to create stop motion movies with the help of capture frames, images, and sound files from your system. Using this program, you can create a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The program has a small interface that is easy to figure out by users of all types. You can easily create stop-motion movies with the aid of a web-cam or a bunch of pictures. It helps you to create films by turning on the webcam, loading or filming images. JellyCam offers support for all types of photo formats like PNG, GIF, and JPEG. Moreover, this program enables you to duplicate or reversed the created frames to create specific effects. Later, you can edit the animated films at any time and watch them view exactly how they progressed. This application provides you the facility to save files as JellyCam projects or converts them to video files. It only supports a single file format type, namely FLV.

3. SharpAnimator

SharpAnimator is a simple and user-friendly software program that enables the user to create animations by using the help of a webcam. It is a handy and easy to use animation program that has the aim to create traditional 2D animation using stop motion. So, you can create animation by capturing pictures from the webcam or by uploading photos from the system. Timed Snaps features is a handful tool for capturing photos from the webcam at a certain time. Moreover, it has the facility to set the frame rate and add music or sound in the animation. You have the option to save the animation in animated AVI and GIF file formats. SharpAnimator works with low computer resources and has a fast response time.

4. Stop Motion Animator

Stop Motion Animator is a comprehensive software application that is developed for creating stop motion videos. It provides you the ability to capture video through your webcam or any other digital or analog capture device. You can capture individual frames by pressing the “Grab” button. After finishing the video, you can save it an AVI file. You have the facility to set the number of frames the application will capture on each take, and how many frames per second the animation video will show when played back. It enables you to choose the video capture device for working. Moreover, you can adjust multiple parameters for optimal results like brightness, saturation, contrast, gamma, and sharpness, among others. The user can choose what palette to use for capturing the video. You can apply various grades of transparency to the live images by changing the “onion skin level”.

5. MonkeyJam

MonkeyJam is a compact program that is useful to capture images from multiple devices and save the streams to AVI file format. This program helps you to capture pictures from scanners, webcams, camcorders, or other devices, and separate frames. So you have the facility to save the individual photographs to a file and preview that file in an exposure list. In addition, you can preview the animation, import WAV or MP3 audio files, print the sheet, edit the exposure sheet by adjusting the timing option, cut, copy, paste or trash the chosen information, insert or delete frames, undo or redo your actions, add or delete layers, and edit the layer properties. Moreover, the program allows the user to alter the FPS, choose the captured color, pick the layer color, and select the image format just like BMP, JPEG, and PNG. You can save the created animations to AVI file format.

6. qStopMotion

qStopMotion is one of the best stop motion applications that helps you to create stop motion animation by capturing photos from the webcam and uploading images from the system. This program offers support for JPG, BMP, and TIFF image file formats. In addition, it provides you the facility to save the animated video in AVI and MP4 video file formats having HD quality. The application has a multilingual interface just like French, English, Dansk, German, and Svenska. To create a new stop motion video, open the program and create a new project. First, add a scene in the project and then add pictures to the scene. You have the possibility to add captured images from the webcam and later add them to the animation. After that, you can start playing the animation by pushing the Play button on its interface. Furthermore, you can export the 2D animation in video format in your system.

Many feared that the inception of 3D animation would eliminate stop-motion animation in some day. While animation stop-motion animation still shines with its unique charm and the help of stop motion software that simplifies the process of making stop-motion animation.

But what exactly is stop-motion animation?

Stop motion, also referred to stop-frame animation, is a kind of animation technique that objects are photographed with a small amount of movement between each frame, and the whole series of photos are finally combined and played continuously.

You might hear of representative works of the world-class stop motion animation company, such as Chicken Run, Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep by Aardman Animations; Coraline, ParaNorman by Laika. And this article has collected 7 best stop motion software that help you make stop motion animation like a pro. Without further ado, let's dive in!

#1. Dragonframe

Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux

Dragonframe is full-fledged and professional stop motion software that has the tools needed for the highest quality stop-motion animation production, and is ideal for projects aimed for digital cinema, television broadcast, and commercials.

When shooting and editing stop motion animation with Dragonframe, there are lots of helpful tools available. It can provide a video assist for animator to ensure whether you are doing right with movements, lights and others, but you need to have a camera, webcam, or smart phone that comes with Live View capabilities. If you're unhappy with camera settings made previously, you can regulate ISO, shutter speed, exposure, temperature, etc. directly from the program. More so, you can view the change between frames in real-time using the onion skin feature.

Key Features:

• It uses Live View and onion skin as a video assist for shooting stop motion.
• Frame-based timeline editing. You can reshoot frames in the middle, restore deleted frames, and move frames to any position with ease.
• Animation tools include chroma key, drawing tools, playback/looping marker, configurable hotkeys, etc.
• Rotoscope layer help you yield a better result.
• Export stop motion animation using MOV, MP4, AVI and other formats.

#2. iStopMotion

Platform: macOS

iStopMotion by Boinx is one of the best stop motion software out there. It does not cost too much and requires a low system to run, which is the perfect balance between power and ease of use. A core benefit with iStopMotion is that it makes it possible to have your iPhone /iPod as the cameras and iPad as the controller, so that you can easily switch one camera source from another on your iPad and photograph objects with multiple camera angles. That makes iStopMotion well worth the investment. It should be noted that it is still not available to macOS Catalina currently, which might be prohibitive to some.

Key Features:

• It works with stop motion animation as well as time-lapse videos.
• Compatible with a wide range of cameras, such as Nikon DSLRs, Canon DSLRs, WiFi Cameras, Firewire Cameras and many more.
• Instant playback allows you to watch your projects anytime you want.
• Tight integration with Final Cut Pro X and iMovie. You can export your projects and retouch in other video editing software.

#3. MonkeyJam

Platform: Windows

MonkeyJam is a Windows-exclusive and free stop motion software that lets you capture still images separately from your camera and compiles them into a stop motion movie. What you need to do is to hook up a camera to your Windows PC through a cable, to launch MonkeyJam and set up video as well as camera settings. And you are good to start capturing stop motion. Though it doesn't have onion skin to compare the movement changes between two frames, the limitation, to be honest, isn't a deal-breaker for me as it's completely freeware.

Free Stop Motion Software Windows

Key Features:

• Easy to use and sheet-driven interface.
• Images are captured in BMP, JPG, or lossless PNG with or without color.
• Customizable FPS rate.
• Export videos as AVI formats.

#4. Stop Motion Pro

Platform: Windows, macOS

Stop Motion Pro is a tool developed for creating stop-motion animation and other forms of animated movies. A host of cameras can be used with Stop Motion Pro, including webcams from Microsoft or Logitech, Canon DSLRs, as well as Nikon DSLRs. Of course, you can either use supported capture cards, scanners, video cameras to shoot the images you want to animate. When it comes to its editing features, you can use drawing tools to create many special effects, or use multiple sound tracks to make your movie vivid.

Key Features:

• Onionskinning adds a transparent overlay of your previous frame so that you can get the movement right.
• The focus tool lets you check focus of your camera easily and accurately.
• Erase wires, supports, holders with amazing rig removal tools.
• Customizable shortcuts let you fly through your workflow.

#5. iKITMovie

Platform: Windows

iKitMovie is not a one-trick pony in terms of creating stop motion animation. It has a powerful sound library which contains 2200 high quality sound effects, such as Motors, Explosions, Forest Ambiences, Earthquakes, Clocks, Coins and many more. This way, you can totally rely on iKITMovie's built-in sound library and don't need to pay for copyrighted sound effects anymore. You are allowed to record voice-overs for your animation via headsets or microphone in iKITMovie as a matter of course. If you want to turn your stop motion Lego, claymation into a blockbuster, iKitMovie is a good choice.

Key Features:

• Onion skin is a must.
• Green screen/blue screen. It can replace your backdrop in a click.
• Enhance your stop-frame animation with various sound effects and visual effects.
• Export your image sequences to various movie video formats needed.

#6. Zu3D

Platform: Windows, macOS

Having Zu3D stop-motion animation software gives you the opportunity to get pretty good results with your stop action movies. Not only does it allow you to photograph still images of an object, it also provides a variety of tools to enhance your animation. Moreover, it uses a very simple operation philosophy so you'll likely feel comfortable pretty quickly even as a new-comer.

One other important tidbit to know is that it can remotely control webcams, mobiles, and tablets to capture images, which is useful when you've got your hand full.

Key Features:

• Support unlimited video tracks and audio tracks.
• You can add texts, speech bubbles, and credits to your movies.
• Emulate the lip-sync effect with drawing tools.
• Remove unwanted strings, wires, supports with the rig-removal tool.

Free Stop Motion Software For Kids

#7. qStopMotion

Platform: Windows, Linux

Let's say would like to make high quality stop-motion movies with the help of a piece of decent stop motion software, yet you might have a tight budget to spend on professional stop motion software. You can go out with qStopMotion. Once you've experienced this free stop motion software, you will find that qStopMotion to not just complete, but surpass some paid programs in both simplicity and flexibility. It packs with features like onion skin, Live View, camera controls and more.

Key Features:

Free Stop Motion Software For Chromebook

• Create stop motion animation videos by importing images from a camera live or your hard drive.
• It's possible to control your camera settings in the program.
• Basic editing tools like adding, inserting, deleting, previewing, etc.
• Helpful keyboard shortcuts to help you navigate the program.

Final Words

Every character, every expression, every scene in a stop motion animation video needs to be fabricated and built according to a certain ratio, which is time-consuming and has huge labor costs. The good is that the development of stop motion software brings convenience to stop motion animation photographing. It would be challenging to make effective creative decisions for your projects if without stop motion software. Then go and choose one needed from this article.