Unity 2D
Unity 2D is a powerful and feature-rich game design solution built from the ground up to fulfill every basic and advanced need of the developer. Almost all the prominent and successful 2D creators use this ultra-fast and smooth game engine to develop, release their games and earn revenue. You can find out the quirks of the engine and their benefit in the long run.
The platform provides you unrestricted access to many essentials like resources, community, and tools. You can use these for the creation of quality content, maximize productivity, and engage with the audience. Everyone can become a part of a growing community and expand knowledge through training, documentation, forums, and tutorials.
You can browse the huge marketplace for tools and assets containing dozens of resources to boost the flow of projects. Everyone can get motivation from large groups of game developers, learn from peers, hire or get employment. The platform offers a completely extensible editor which accelerates the workflow for 3D, 2D, or the perfect mixture. You can use several tools for audio mixing, scene editing, particle system authoring, and animation. You can customize the tool based on the desired production requirements and workflow. The platform provides high performance and graphics with support for Vulkan and Metal.
Unity 2D Alternatives
#1 2D Toolkit
2D Toolkit contains a full set of UI layout helpers, widgets, and components, giving you a robust base to create customized mouse and multitouch-based UI. It is designed exclusively for Unity and integrates with Unity Pro with great ease. The toolkit is compatible with multiple systems like the Mac, PC, iOS, Android, Windows Store, and Windows Phone.
It is optimized to deliver exceptional results, and the lightweight codebase allows for a small runtime footprint. You can extend the toolkit as per requirements and gain complete source code for the product. Everyone can develop huge tilemap worlds with staggered isometric or rectangular tiles. The best aspect is that it generates ideal physics and renders meshes for in-game usage. You can link particular times with Unity game prefabs to utilize it as a level editor. The developers can make amazing fonts and sprites without hassle. There is support for multi-resolution, and you can utilize the powerful and efficient aliasing system with quite a lot of higher-level features like custom collider and dicing shapes.
#2 GAF:Flash to Unity
GAF:Flash to Unity is an asset that activates the use of Flash 2D animations in the Unity game engine. You merely have to build 2D animations in Adobe Flash Pro, transform the SWF files into GAF Format and then run them back in Unity. The plugins contain a robust SWF to GAF converter and GAF Playback library to run GAF animations.
The SWF to GAF converter is a handy tool that allows you to convert SWF animations into the GAF format with great ease. You can use it to convert almost all the animations designed in Adobe Flash Pro. Gafmedia servers handle the SWF to GAF conversion, leading to exceptional results for everyone. You also have the choice of converting the animations on the PC through the Standalone GAF converter.
#3 Creature
Creature is a plugin for Unity 2D that enables you to assign motors on bones for the generation of animations based on parameters on the motors. The benefit is that the Unity runtime is ket updated, making Unity the best and updated runtime, including the most recent features, a large number of samples, and flawless integration in the Unity editor.
The solution has a non-complex, easier-to-learn workflow which is ordered in three steps, namely meshing, animate, and rig. You will be given access to many wondrous tools to use during and after animation. You can zoom in and out of the editor and save the project upon completion with a single click.
#4 Synfig Studio
Synfig Studio is an open-source and free two-dimensional software designed for the designers and developers who need an industrial-strength system for creating high-quality animation work by way of bitmap and vector artwork. The best about this software is that it has eliminated the requirement for frame by frame graphing and sketching. That means the users can now easily create the 2D animation of higher quality by adopting few resources.
This software is freely available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux operating systems. The best about all editions for leading operating systems is that these contain the Cobra rendering engine that means the high possibility of rendering all Synfig Studio layers and new layer FreeTime. These will provide you the easy development of new projects and the availability of transparent integration with Papagayo.
Some features are full-featured bone system to create cutout animation, spatial resolution independence, and most elements are vector-based. It also offers temporal resolution independence, and animation keyframes, high dynamic range imaging, floating-point math in the image calculation, sound support by way of Sound Layer, pen tablet CrazyTalk Animator friendly tools, the advanced drawing tools, artist-oriented design, path-based gradients, etc.
#5 CrazyTalk Animator
CrazyTalk Animator is the new way of creating 2D images that are the replacement of the traditional 2D graphics and animation system. It contains innovative tools that will make you able to apply the 3D motions easily to 2D characters. This 2D software is the fine combination of functional and best-drawing features from the auto lip-sync system to the facial puppet.
For its advanced features and functions, CrazyTalk Animator is said to be the best one replacement of the traditional 2D software. The integration of new features in the CrazyTalk Animator has introduced the new level of possibilities for editing the 2D motions and even view them from any angle with a single click.
It is combined with the basic features of the creative character animation system. This software is favorable for movie & video creators, educators & students, web & game designers, and artists & illustrators. Production environment, character creation, motion & animation, stage & SFX, and proper input & output system are the main features and functions in the CrazyTalk Animator.
The other advanced features and functions of the CrazyTalk Animator are the creation of custom multi-dimension characters from scratch, design characters, etc. This 2D software support for the 3D motion as well by way of iMotion format. It will allow you to connect with any 3D motion source.
#6 Animation Paper
Animation Paper is a dedicated platform for 2D development. Being an advanced 2D software, it is designed for professional and experienced animators and designers. Simple and easy yet powerful and effortless to work with. It is loaded with a ton of features and functions that will allow you to train, learn and master the art of animation. Its features are limited but still very great for the professional level of projects. Some features include a superfast responsiveness interface, quality lines to build high-speed graphics, small to large format frames, real-time smooth rotation, zooming the view, and controlled work with gestures.
Furthermore, it also offers totally customizable onion skinning, layers system in multiple colors, easily reposition, clean up the smoothed lines, paint for simple coloring with an eyedropper and fill, many alternative ways of flipping, customizable toolbar bad, quick selection system, real-time full-frame reference on the second monitor, play scenes in sequence to check continuity, import and export for both videos, frame-stacks and much more.
#7 DigiCel FlipBook
DigiCel FlipBook is one of the best animation tools that has made this process really easy and simple. You can use this animation software to develop your projects. It has made animation easier to learn because it is easy to use and designed on the best systems’ principles. Its simple interface makes it easier for the users to learn different animation creation tips.
It is designed for professionals and beginners likewise. You don’t need to remember the complicated steps as it offers a step-by-step guide for its users, even for complex projects. You can focus on your animation instead of this software, and you will see results with amazing creativity. It will print your animation quickly and easily with features that go-to point and click to fill every little spot in the frame.
#8 Spriter
Spriter is a 2D animation character creation software that can create the optimized and flexible modular 2D. Using this 2D animation software, you can easily create bone-based sprite animators for games. It is basically designed for gamers. However, it can still be used by other animators and designers as well. It provides you with the modular method of creating a smooth and professional level of animations.
This system creates the animators and game developers to get advantages for several aspects of game development and the ready-to-use products. Some advantages of using it are to save time by delivering precise tools, instant creation of game characters, custom tweaking for the modular images, and unlimited character variations. It makes it very easy for professional gamers and animators to deal with whatever tweaks the designer needs to make. Spriter supports the unlimited character variations to get the superfast and painless creation of alternate characters.
#9 CelAction 2D
CelAction 2D is a powerful and highly advanced 2D animation program, which is known for being the most innovative animation software. Some of the features and functions of this software are that it is simple to use, fast in performance, ergonomic controls, handles massively complex projects with unlimited layers, both bitmaps, and vectors, definable user workspace, user-defined shortcut keys, multiplane camera features, store multiple named views of the scene and much more.
It is available for up to 8 versions of the Windows operating system, for both 32 and 64-bit. Simply select any element in a window and the rest of the windows will be updated automatically. There is a proper context for sensitive data as it is stored locally. Here you can create a palette from sixteen million colors, while the rest of the features and functions of this tool are related to workflow & collaboration, import & export in almost all leading formats.
Furthermore, it also includes a vectors-based imaging system, use bitmaps, availability of libraries to store and reuse animation/effects/function/color palette, best animation support system, rigging, dope sheet, rendering of multiple cameras, and even support for the 3D. This software is designed for 2D rendering but supports various 3D functions as well, which then further includes the availability of effects in all frame by frame, real-time feedback, distortion.
#10 Spine
Spine is a 2D animation program for game and software development. The programmers, artists, and animators should bring their projects alive. This program is designed for multiple users; however, gamers will remain at the primary edge because most of the features and tools listed here are for the assistance of the players.
It contains only those features that regarded as the must-have for getting an efficient workflow for creating amazing and best animation for the games. Smaller in size, art requirements, smoothness, attachments of images, mixing of animations, and procedural animation are the best advantages of the Spine.
Some of the great features are dope sheet for best animation, free-form deformation for moving the individual mesh vertices, graph editors for Bezier curves, and inverse kinematics for defining animating using inverse kinematics. It also offers export formats in various formats, skins for allowing switching between sets of attachments, bounding boxes, texture packer to pack images into a texture atlas or sprite sheets, meshes for specifying a polygon inside your image, etc.
Designing amazing animations is still a problem in much 2D software. You need to render those animations in your games. The libraries in the Spine will provide you a toolkit to load and make animations in the games.
#11 PowToon
PowToon is a multiple animation and presentation-making software for people in designing business. It is an easy-to-use and free animation software that contains an animated explainer that will allow you to make animations of all levels. The availability of dozens of templates will make your work easier. This is the best way to create animated videos, images, and presentations in an engaging, explaining, and selling point of view. It is proven to be more efficient than any other form of video or text communications to grab attention in the workplace. These ready-to-use templates support the fast and drag-and-drop system that you can use for your next presentation.
If you want to enjoy the features of PowerPoint and other 2D animation software in one place, this is the one you should look for. PowToon is available as an online tool that requires no installation. In addition to a free version, there are two paid versions as well, and they are PowToon Pro and PowToon Business, with per month prices of both are $89 and $197. PowToon Business delivers the highest level of features and functionalities as compared to the PowToon Pro.
#12 Animata
Animata is a highly advanced open source and real-time animation program to create animations and interactive background projections for concerts, games, films, and much more. For the same reason, it is said to be the multifunctional animation software designed for almost all animation functions. The puppets’ movement, the background changes, and generating everything in real-time are its best qualities.
Physical sensors, cameras, or other environmental variables can be attached to the animation of characters or other environmental variables. It is effortless to create a virtual puppet band reacting to live audio input or set up a scene of drawn characters controlled by the dancers’ movement. Animata is different from most traditional 2D and 3D animation programs, and creating characters is simple, taking only a few minutes.
#13 Toon Boom Animation
Toon Boom Animation is a highly advanced 2D animation software developed to deal with mega designing and development projects. It is like a storyboard for gamers, designers, and developers to create the best animation and publishing materials. It is an all-in-one animation studio for different animation purposes. The best about this tool is that it is a fine combination of high-quality content creation capabilities with the best creative expression. Two main products of the Toon Boom Animation are Storyboard Pro and harmony, and both feature a different set of animations.
When it comes to digital production and creating an advanced level of animations, this is the name of a global standard by which all 2D animation software is judged. It is the most creative, efficient, and easiest way to create an animation. All these are based on the highly advanced industry standard. Sketch, draw, print, and animate are the basic features of Toon Boom Animation. You can apply classic animation principles to your projects with modern tools to speed up the production process. The efficient and creative environment for artists delivers you the ability to create your entire project in one tool.
#14 Moho Debut 13
Moho Debut 13 is a power pack of features and functions designed for both professionals and beginners to make you able to create animation easily and excitingly. Either start with the existing tools or import the digital images and artwork to get started. It delivers vector-based designing tools to the animators to manipulate their inventive work. It’s a first-rate instrument for artistic expression and ultimate for any age group.
This tool works in an effortless style. Add a skeleton to any image by pointing and clicking to create bones that overlay your photo elements to manipulate palms or legs. Then bring your image to life by creating a pose or motion you wish to use. The latest version of Moho Debut 13 is feature-rich and less complicated, providing a comfortable interface for users.
#15 Antics 2-D Animation
Antics 2-D Animation is a vector-based 2D program for graphic designers and animators. It is a uniquely simple to use and versatile tool for producing animations and graphics of all kinds. It supports both simple and full-scale cartoon character animation. It is integrated with many features and designing tools to let animators, artists, and designers create an advanced level of animated projects. The best part about this animation tool is that it requires no technical knowledge to get started.
It is a cel-based system related to traditional techniques but with unlimited potential for automatically creating animation effects and movements. Some of the features and functions are that it is designed for all type of projects, easy to use, requires no technical knowledge at all, output direct to digital video at any chosen resolution, drawing can be composed of any number of separate, versatile drawing tools, contouring tool automatically converts photos images into drawn lines, clean, uncluttered screen layout, easy to navigate the system, drawing tools for all type of drawings, texture mapping system, versatile color selection, alter any aspect or detail of a drawing instantly, fully-illustrated tutorial and context-sensitive help pages, create compositions and patterns, etc.
#16 Express Animator
Express Animator is a 2D animation tool for creating animations, presentations, cartoons, game characters, and sound and music. Most of its features are similar to the Adobe Flash MX with some additional tools like skeletal animation and exporting to HTML5 Canvas and Silverlight. Its latest version supports the Actionscript to get the genre of vector-based graphics programs where it stores the coordinates of the shape’s vertices. You can fill the shapes created with either bitmaps, colors, or gradients.
It also supports complex scripts, improved renderers, and various wizards to speed up tasks like creating charts and buttons. The best part is that it provides the skeletal animation that is considered the simplest way of linking multiple shapes like legs or arms to design the animation like a puppet. It also lets the users create moveable characters. Tweening is part of this tool that makes the animators specify the position, orientation, and color of the first and last animation frames and fills in all the intermediate positions. It also features morphing that will let you animate smooth transformation between two shapes.
#17 Autodesk Animator
Autodesk Animator is a 2D animation program for both beginners and professionals to create interesting animations. It is the best tool for all kinds of continuous and stop animations. It is one of the oldest 2D animation programs designed for creating all levels of projects. This tool has the ability to do frame-by-frame animation. A must-have feature that is a part of this amazing tool is Tweening.
This feature lets the animators specify the position, orientation, and color of an animation’s first and last frames, and then PC fills in all the intermediate positions. Its features and functions are similar to another similar software known as Deluxe Paint. However, at the same time, it is also a bit different from the other traditional 2D animations software as its supports direct keyboard control over animation functions, Sprite animation mode, and creating animation in a scripting language named PocoScript.
#18 Vixeo
Vixeo is a fun, fast, and easy to use augmented reality movie maker that allows you to capture short clips with virtual characters easily. The application is created by an expert artist team who contains almost all the leading tools and features. Using this app, you can create videos with more than a hundred custom animated characters, control several characters simultaneously, and even add dialogs that make it better than others.
The app’s interface is easy to understand where you can easily start capturing movies by using both front and back cameras. There are also has lots of animated objects like animals, birds, and items that you can use in your movies to make a more realistic experience. One of the most interesting facts about this app is that it also allows you to edit movies with filters, effects, and other editing tools.
#19 GroupClip
GroupClip is an advanced level video maker application that allows you to capture synchronized video clips with your friends. It is a comprehensive app with almost all the leading tools and features to make it a unique video maker. The application is best for those how want to create stories for those social media platforms with friends.
The best thing about this app is that it comes with multiple video capturing modes, and each mode has its own setting and features. You can easily choose and starting capturing videos with just a single click. GroupClip is also best for those who want to edit their videos with a range of advanced filters, effects, and animation objects, etc.
#20 Viddyoze
Viddyoze is one of the most leading full-auto video animation software that allows you to create breathtaking animation videos in three clicks. With this, you can easily create all kinds of animation videos, including studio-grade intro, logo stings, social actions, and live-action magic, etc. It is a cloud-based solution that allows you to create, edit, and save your animated video anywhere around the world.
The solution is designed for marketers and businesses and offers all the core services and features to make it a one-stop-shop. It offers more than 200 professionally created templates, and you can freely choose and customize each one without any limit to match your brand in seconds. With this, you can also get outstanding animation and next-generation live-action animation that helps you easily explore your products and services.
As compared to all the other similar software, Viddyoze is a fast, simple, and stunning animation software that makes you trudge fifty-eight different options and read a user manual the size and peace. Its most prominent feature includes choosing, edit and download videos without any limit, create alpha dynamic intros, professional lover thirds, apply movie filters, compelling CTAs, etc.
#21 Video Highlight Reel Maker
Video Highlight Reel Maker is a free to use online video maker and editing application that helps you make highlight video takes only a few simple steps. The software uses artificial intelligence to find the most interesting moments in videos and clip them into an easily consumable reel. It is a comprehensive solution that comes with some advanced editing tools and features to make it a one-stop solution.
This powerful online solution integrates with all-powerful editing features like changing video speed, add text, trimming, and much more. One of the most interesting facts about this software is that it comes with special effects like animation, dynamic texts, transitions, etc. You can free choose and apply each one without any limit.
Video Highlight Reel Maker also allows you to mix multiple short videos and add images that make it better than others. It also an option to add voice to your video and have a massive music library. Its most interesting feature includes add music, widget, mute, rotate, screen record, and much more.
#22 V360 – Video Editor
V360 – Video Editor is a free to use mobile application that allows you to create 360 videos from your phone camera. It is a comprehensive solution with almost all the leading tools and features, such as combining multiple videos, trim, sort, add music, and save your video in 4K resolution. The most interesting facts about this solution are that it allows you to edit your simple video with a range of 360 editing tools.
Like other similar video editing solutions, V360 – Video Editor also comes with built-in libraries of unique stuff that save you a lot of time and effort. With this, you can easily combine unlimited video clips to create a professional mashup video. There is also a feature that allows you to add music into your video or add your own voice to make it better than others.
V360 – Video Editor is free to use the app, and you can download it on Android and iOS devices. Its most prominent feature includes a simple editor, capture video with your phone camera, editing any video size, adding voice and directly sharing your video with others, etc.
#23 Quikit Video Editor
Quikit Video Editor is a web and mobile-based application that allows you to create social videos using a range of professional editing tools. The software is specially designed for those who love to share their stories on social media platforms. With this, you can capture the best moment in your video, create a mashup, and combine several videos.
This online video editing solution also allows you to create video ads and promo videos with text, animations, and sounds. It also has a range of templates that are uniquely designed by a professional team. You can freely choose and modify each one without any limit. The editor of the solution is simple and easy, where you can access all tools and features.
Quikit Video Editor’s most prominent feature includes creating a video with animation, sounds library, using your own voice, capturing the best moment in your videos, combining multiple videos, creating remixes and directly sharing your creativity with others, etc.
#24 Athenascope
Athenascope is one of the leading web-based applications that allow you to capture your top gaming moments using AI technology. The solution is specially designed for professional gamers who want to record their gameplay and find the best moments in their games. The solution comes with an advanced-level artificial intelligence system that analyzes and automatically surfaces the most important parts and information in your video. With this, you can create highlights in your gameplay and edit them using various tools.
Like other similar platforms, Athenascope also offers all-in-one video editing tools like effects, filters, add text, and other things that make it one of the best video highlight makers for gamers. It is not just a video highlight maker, but it is an online community where gamers around the world share their gameplay, guide, and tips. Athenascope’s most prominent features are easy to understand, free for everyone, meeting with gamers worldwide, professional editing tools, and many more.
#25 Melodist
Melodist is a magic music application that composes a unique melody for all your photos. It is an amazing app designed for those who love to listen to music and want to turn their photos into a piece of beautiful music. By analyzing the changes in hues, saturation, and brightness, the application generates several modes, chord progression, and melody automatically that turn your photo into music.
There are also has lots of animations displayed when playing music. One of the most interesting facts about this application is that it allows you to combine unlimited music, images, and animations to create your own multimedia art form. As compared to all the other similar apps, Melodist is quite easy and simple, and after completing the installation, you can enjoy all its tools and features.
It comes with more than five high-quality tones that you can freely use in your music. Melodist’s other prominent feature includes up to five animation effects, sleep timers, exporting music into audio and video, a simple interface, and much more.
#26 Puppet2D
Puppet2D is a highly useful and easy-to-use 2D Skeletal Animation Tool for the Unity game engine. The prominent feature is AUTORIG, which enables you to rig in less time and makes the process of rigging a biped a piece of cake and less time-consuming. You can add existing and completed animations onto the AUTORIG. These work on all bipeds, no matter the shape. This also holds true for a walk and idle animation.
Another great feature is the introduction of the Blend Shapes, which were added in the latest release. You can experiment with Free Form Deformation and use it in your projects. Other highlights of the solution include Pose Saving and Loading, Rendering with Alpha, Parent and Orient Controls, Instant Sprite To Mesh Conversion, Pose Saving and Loading.
#27 SmoothMoves
SmoothMoves is a prominent and feature-rich 2D Skeletal Animation Editor that runs flawlessly with multiple versions of the Unity Game Engine. It is compatible with Unity 3, so anyone using Unity 5 can take a look at the documentation for further instructions. The editor comes in handy for developing 2D animations straight inside Unity.
You can mix and blend animations and switch textures or materials at runtime to modify the look of the character. Everyone can animate colors based on keyframe, mesh, or bone. It is also possible to use the triggers and colliders to kick start events in the code. You can utilize several materials for each character, and every bone builds a quad, leading to a minimal vertext count. It is capable of generating a skinned mesh for use in existing code and workflow. The solution runs flawlessly on different systems like WP8, PC, iOS, Mac, WebGL, Unity Webplayer, and Android.
#28 ex2D
ex2D is a highly-optimized, lightweight, and handy 2D-related sprite development extension that aims to deliver a blazing-fast 2D sprite solution for your needs. It mainly emphasizes the creation of dozens of high-performance sprite animations and other content in sophisticated Unity scenes while not impacting the results on mobile devices. The asset is lightweight in size and works flawlessly. The major highlight is the font editor with which you can handle and customize the fonts in the project.
The key attributes include support for fonts export from tools like Hiero and Bmfont, easier management of fonts, and unifying several fonts in a single texture atlas to save draw calls. You can also place fonts next to each other to save draw calls. There is also a robust clipping system that lets you clip text, sprite, and other types of sprite in a rectangle. Other highlights include previewing results of the animation in the editor, scrolling and scaling the enabled timeline editor, and customizing single frame length to make animation more flexible.
#29 Anima2D
Anima2D is an easy-to-use, high-level 2D skeletal animation designed for the unity game engine. You can use the plugin for use with multiple versions of Unity 5. The game engine assists you with the enhancement of the 2D animation workflow. This is accomplished by introducing various features like the inclusion of C# source code, sprite to mesh conversion, SpriteMesh Editor, Automatic weights, Weight Editor, Inverse Kinematics, Save/Load Poses, compatibility with atlas, and the ability to create masks for an avatar.
These highlights are what make the plugin attractive to game developers. They can use all these modules in their projects for the creation of a marketable and successful project.
#30 KToon
KToon is an open-source animation creator software that allows the artists to create 2D animations. The platform’s primary focus is on the creation of animations for the cartoons and other uses. It comes with a comprehensive toolset that enables the artists to create amazing and exciting 2D animations.
The layout of the software is user-friendly, and it contains a toolbar on the top and the right side of the screen. All the layers and frames are present on the right side, and artists can select the number of frames that they want; moreover, they can add or delete frames in between their work.
KToon comes with a documentation portal that is related to both the use and development of the program. The platform has the ability to store a.SWF file in a bitmap format. It requires a system with a CPU speed of 800 MHz, and the software so far is free.