Updated 13 Nov 2026 · prices read on vendor pages

9 best Adobe After Effects alternatives in 2027

Reviewed by Mehmet Elmicenni, founder of Zekai•Prices checked 13 Nov 2026•How we check

The short answer

The best Adobe After Effects alternatives in 2027 are DaVinci Resolve (best overall), Cavalry (best free plan) and Blender (best open source). Adobe After Effects itself starts at $22.99/mo. Zekai checked these prices on vendor pages on 13 Nov 2026; 6 more are compared below.

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Best overallSee in table →

DaVinci Resolve

$236 one-time (Studio) · free plan

9.2

Best free planSee in table →

Cavalry

Free plan; paid price not published · free plan

Best open sourceSee in table →

Blender

Free to self-host · GPL-3.0 (some files under compatible licences)

8.9

9alternatives compared

4with a free plan

4open source

$12.99/mocheapest paid · Apple Motion

$22.99/moAdobe After Effects starts at

01 · Zekai Price Ledger

Which Adobe After Effects alternatives are worth it in 2027?

The After Effects alternatives worth weighing in 2027 are DaVinci Resolve for node-based compositing inside an editor, Cavalry for free procedural motion design, Apple Motion for Mac users, Jitter for quick browser animation, Hera for prompt-driven motion graphics, and Blender, Natron and Synfig as open source. After Effects costs $22.99 a month.

Zekai Cost Finder · team1 person

Tool	Type	Starting price	Free plan limit	Best for	Cost for your team	Checked
Adobe After EffectsThe tool you are replacing	You are here	$22.99/moAfter Effects single app, annual plan billed monthly; Creative Cloud Pro $69.99/mo (introductory $34.99/mo for the first 3 months, new subscribers); teams $37.99 per licence	No free plan	Layer-based motion graphics and compositing	—	13 Nov 2026	Pricing ↗
DaVinci Resolve Zekai score 9.2Best overall	Free	$236 one-time (Studio)Studio, one-time purchase (page shows $236, reduced from $295); the free version costs $0	Free version: Ultra HD at up to 60fps, 8-bit	Compositing inside a full video editor	$0	13 Nov 2026	Pricing ↗
Cavalry Not yet reviewed by ZekaiBest free plan	Free	Free plan; paid price not publishedFree for individuals; Pro for legacy customers was replaced by the free version	Free for individuals, no restrictions stated	Procedural 2D motion design for free	$0	13 Nov 2026	Pricing ↗
Apple Motion Not yet reviewed by ZekaiCheapest paid	Paid	$12.99/moApple Creator Studio, $12.99 monthly or $129 yearly for new subscribers, 30-day free trial; Motion is also sold as a one-time Mac App Store purchase (price not on the page)	No free plan	Titles and effects for Final Cut Pro users	—	13 Nov 2026	Pricing ↗
Jitter Not yet reviewed by Zekai	Free	Free plan; paid price not publishedPaid plans (Pro, Max, Ultra) are billed per editor with 15% off yearly; prices not shown on the page read	3 workspace files, 720p 30fps export, Jitter watermark, 20MB uploads	Quick animated social and product visuals	$0	13 Nov 2026	Pricing ↗
Hera Zekai score 5.6	Free	Free plan; paid price not publishedPrices and free-plan limits not shown on the page read; a Get started for free link opens the app	Free start link; limits not shown on the page	Prompt-driven motion graphics and explainers	$0	13 Nov 2026	Pricing ↗
Blender Zekai score 8.9Best open source	Open source	Free (self-hosted)	No limit, self-hosted (GPL-3.0 (some files under compatible licences))	3D motion graphics with built-in compositing	$0	14 Nov 2026	Code ↗
Natron Zekai score 7.4	Open source	Free (self-hosted)	No limit, self-hosted (GPL-2.0)	Node-based compositing, rotoscoping and tracking	$0	14 Nov 2026	Code ↗
Synfig Studio Zekai score 8.0	Open source	Free (self-hosted)	No limit, self-hosted (GPL-3.0)	2D vector and bitmap animation without frame-by-frame work	$0	14 Nov 2026	Code ↗
Friction Zekai score 7.3	Open source	Free (self-hosted)	No limit, self-hosted (GPL-3.0)	Vector and raster motion graphics for web and video	$0	14 Nov 2026	Code ↗

Every price was read on the vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. The Cost Finder assumes one entry plan per person, so it multiplies by your team size; yearly prices are shown per month, and team or business plans can cost more per seat. "Not checked" means we could not confirm a public price.

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02 · Free plan

Is there a free version of Adobe After Effects?

No. After Effects has a 7-day free trial, then the single app is $22.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly. Free alternatives include DaVinci Resolve's free version, Cavalry for individuals, Jitter's limited free plan, and open-source Blender, Natron, Synfig and Friction.

Source: Adobe After Effects pricing page, read 13 Nov 2026.

FreeNone

No free plan on the pricing page

Paid from$22.99/mo

After Effects single app, annual plan billed monthly; Creative Cloud Pro $69.99/mo (introductory $34.99/mo for the first 3 months, new subscribers); teams $37.99 per licence

03 · Free alternatives

What are the best free Adobe After Effects alternatives?

The best free After Effects alternative is DaVinci Resolve, whose free version includes the Fusion page and supports Ultra HD at up to 60fps. Cavalry is free for individuals on macOS and Windows, and Jitter has a free plan with a watermark and 720p exports. After Effects offers only a 7-day trial.