11+ Best Chromebook Animation Software [Reviewed for 2024]
Chromebooks are all about portability, efficiency, and affordability. But that doesn’t mean they can’t create some serious animations.
There are tons of Chromebook animation software that you can use to create eye-catching animations and slideshows.
Some are free, and others are paid, but each animation software offers a unique set of tools. As a filmmaker and content creator, I’ve tried out so many of these video and animation tools! I’ll let you know which ones are worth your time and money, and what each can help you create.
If you’re having trouble deciding which one to use, here’s a comprehensive guide on the best animation software for Chromebooks!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means Iโll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.
What Are the Best Chromebook Animation Software Programs?
Chromebook animation software programs are tools that allow you to create 2D and 3D animations, cartoons, stop-motion animation, and more. They’re either web-based (online) apps or downloadable programs for your Chromebook.
These programs are perfect for creating digital animation for educational purposes, marketing, branding, entertainment, and more. Here are some of the top ones you can use.
1. Vyond
Vyond is one of the best whiteboard animation software programs for creating educational and training videos.
Itโs aimed at three company departments: sales, marketing, and HR. In addition, itโs an excellent software for making internal communications videos that inform staff and stakeholders.
Overview
Vyond users create animations perfect for marketing, e-learning, or training courses. It’s also used for creating animated videos for social media channels and business websites.
Top Features
- Cloud-based and compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux
- You can create animated presentations, training courses, explainer videos, sales pitch videos, and marketing content
- Huge library for creating digital art and several animation styles
- The Automatic Lip-Sync function lets you sync your own voice recordings to animated characters
Pricing
Vyond has four premium plans: Essential, Premium, Professional, and Enterprise.
- The Essential plan costs $49/month ($25/month when billed annually) but comes with a watermark on the bottom left of the videos.
- The Premium plan costs $89/month ($54/month when billed annually) and removes the watermark.
- The Professional plan costs $179/month ($83 per month when billed annually) and gives access to the most premium features, including collaborations and branding options.
- The Enterprise plan is customizable according to your business needs.
Vyond Pros
Vyond Cons
Bottom Line
Vyond is one of the best animation software for anyone looking to educate, engage, or sell. It can help you communicate your message with animated explainer videos or presentations.
It’s expensive, so it’s probably best for businesses who have the budget and want to make lots of cute animated videos!
2. Adobe Animate
Adobe Animate is Adobeโs animation software, which is the company that created Photoshop and Illustrator.
You can use it to create animations for games, banners, cartoons, whiteboard presentations - just about any kind of animated video you can dream up. The software supports publishing to any platform, allowing you to reach audiences on any screen.
Overview
Adobe Animate stands out with unique character animation features such as gesture detection and face recognition.
Top Features
- Drawing tools for creating doodles and avatars before the animation
- Ability to export to HTML5 Canvas, WebGL, Flash/Adobe AIR, and SVG
- Animation software supports macOS, ChromeOS, and Windows
- Creative control integrations
Pricing
Adobe charges $54.99 per month for access to all of its Creative Cloud products or $20.99 for a single app like Adobe Animate.
The business price is $35.99 monthly for one app or $84.99 for all apps.
Adobe Animate Pros
Adobe Animate Cons
Bottom Line
Adobe Animate is best for advanced animation because it offers a wide range of animation tools. Pair it with the Creative Cloud apps and you won’t need any other animation software.
3. WeVideo
WeVideo is one of the best animation software for beginners who want to create and edit videos. It's quite reasonably priced, so it's a great option for people new to animation!
Overview
With WeVideo, you can use all kinds of handy tools, such as animated text, templates, images, music tracks, and video effects.
Top Features
- Over 600 graphic media formats
- Easy-to-use video themes and video-enhancing filters
- Blurred background feature
- Collaborative features available with some premium plans
Pricing
WeVideo offers five subscription plans: Power, Unlimited, Professional, Business, and Enterprise.
- The Power plan costs $4.99/month (billed annually at $59.88), supports 720p resolution, and only allows 30 minutes of video per month
- The Unlimited plan costs $7.99/month (billed annually at $95.88) with 4K resolution and unlimited publish time
- The Professional plan costs $19.99/month (billed annually at $239.88) and offers exclusive premium templates
- The Business plan costs $36.99/month (billed annually at $443.88) and gives you an assortment of collaborative tools
- The Enterprise plan is customizable based on your business needs
WeVideo Pros
WeVideo Cons
Bottom Line
WeVideo is best for beginners who want intuitive animation software for Chromebook. With its simple user interface, you can create animated videos in minutes.
4. Autodesk Maya
Autodesk Maya is a 3D computer animation and modeling software that uses AI animation technology to bring characters to life.
You can use Autodesk Maya's intuitive modeling tools for ultra-realistic renders that go into animated films, TV shows, video games, and VFX. This is an amazing program for professional 3D animators!
Top Features
- AI animation software for virtual reality, UV mapping, and motion graphics
- Used by filmmakers to create high-quality visual effects and stunning animations
- Simple animation object setup and realistic game environments
- Several applications, including film, business, advertising, and gaming
Pricing
Autodesk Maya offers a free version with limited features. You can upgrade to a premium subscription that costs $225 paid monthly, $1,785 annually, or $5,085 every three years.
Autodesk Maya Pros
Autodesk Maya Cons
Bottom Line
Autodesk Maya is best for professional animators who want to create expansive worlds, complex characters, and dazzling visual effects. Its capacity for 3D modeling makes the possibilities endless.
5. Toontastic 3D
Toontastic 3D is a free animation software developed by Google for kids and teachers. It encourages creative expression through animated film creation.
Overview
Toontastic 3D is designed to teach children digital animation and storytelling using preset characters or by developing their own characters.
Top Features
- Available on the Google Play Store and compatible with Chromebooks and any device that runs Android apps
- Great in-app support and sharing options
- Allows import of 2D artwork and building animation on top of it
- 3D animation tools with customizable characters, audio, and backgrounds
Pricing
Toontastic 3D is free to use.
Toontastic 3D Pros
Toontastic 3D Cons
Bottom Line
Toontastic is best for kids and teachers who want to create digital stories using animation software for Chromebook.
6. Powtoon
PowToon is a free or paid whiteboard animation software that aims to simplify the creation process for corporate video presentations and educational videos.
Itโs excellent for making training videos, internal communications, and more. Fortune 500 companies like IBM, Unilever, and Cisco use it to create whiteboard animations for company use.
Overview
With Powtoon, you won’t need any technical skills or knowledge because it provides ready-to-go templates for animated content and business presentations.
You can merge audio tracks and images into the perfect animated video presentation and then insert background music.
Top Features
- Can create quality animated videos in minutes
- Intuitive animation timeline
- There’s an offline mode available for download
- User-friendly interface integration
Pricing
Powtoon comes with three premium plans: Lite, Professional, and Business.
- The Lite plan costs $50/month (or just $15/month billed annually!) and allows 5 monthly exports of videos up to 10 minutes each
- The Professional plan costs $190/month (or $40/month billed annually) and allows unlimited exports of up to 20 minutes
- The Business plan gives you custom animation characters, logos, and fonts. It costs $1,500/year (equal to $125/month) and is only available in annual payments
PowToon Pros
PowToon Cons
Bottom Line
Powtoon is one of the best animation software for slideshows and presentations. It gives you ready-made templates and tools for making animated content quickly and efficiently.
7. Blender
Blender is one of the best free animation software for 3D modeling, character animation, and video editing.
VFX professionals use it to create high-quality animations and for rendering professional films.
Overview
But keep in mind that Blender software struggles a bit on low-end computers, being complex software, so make sure your PC is up to it.
Top Features
- Powerful animation tools for realistic rendering
- Tools for sculpting, rigging, simulation, retopology, modeling, and scene design
- Stop motion animation software that supports both 3D and 2D pipelines
- Flexible video creation with several animation layers
- It can be used to make computer games
Pricing
It’s free and open source!
Blender Pros
Blender Cons
Bottom Line
Blender is a professional animation software best used to render and create animated videos. It’s perfect for creating digital art, VFX, and 3D modeling.
8. Simpleshow
SimpleShow is an AI-powered animation software for Chromebook that lets you create simple animations in seconds.
It's expensive, but it has tons of templates, and it's great for business explainer videos.
Overview
SimpleShow is trusted by hundreds of global brands, including Audi, HP, McDonald’s, and Bayer.
Top Features
- Text-to-video animation tool
- Guided workflow feature and simple user interface
- Used to create simple animations for corporate branding, marketing, and e-learning
- Drag-and-drop feature
Pricing
SimpleShow comes with a free version, but you’ll be stuck with a watermark. You can get rid of it by upgrading to Business or Pro plans, which have unique premium features.
- The Business plan costs $129/month and gives you unlimited video lengths
- The Pro plan costs $499/month and gives you access to corporate branding tools
Simpleshow Pros
Simpleshow Cons
Bottom Line
SimpleShow is one of the simplest animation software for Chromebooks. It’s for anyone who wants to create high-quality videos for marketing, e-learning, or branding without a steep learning curve.
9. Animaker
Animaker is an excellent animation software for Chromebook.
Beginners and professionals can both utilize this video animation tool to create professional-looking videos in seconds.
Overview
Animaker comes with thousands of templates for animation videos and allows you to resize the final product to suit different social media platforms.
Top Features
- Integrated with Giphy and Getty with access to tons of GIFs, animated characters, images, and royalty-free background music
- Drag-and-drop tool and intuitive user interface
- Cloud-based and utilizes HTML5 and Adobe Flash
- Offers a lite version if you want to create simple animated presentations
- Massive preset and template library
Pricing
Animaker comes with a limited free version, but you can upgrade to one of four premium plans: Basic, Starter, Pro, and Enterprise.
- The Basic plan costs $10/month and comes with HD quality videos, 2 GB storage, and 5 min-video lengths.
- The Starter plan costs $19/month and comes with FHD quality videos, 10 GB storage, and 15 min-video lengths.
- The Pro plan costs $49/month and comes with 4K resolution, 100 GB storage, and videos of up to 30 mins.
- The Enterprise plan is customizable based on your business needs.
Animaker Pros
Animaker Cons
Bottom Line
Animaker is best for beginners or professional-level animators who want to create marketing videos, GIFs, and brand-specific content.
10. Animatron
Animatron is a powerful animation software for Chromebook that helps you create animated web banners, explainer videos, and presentations.
Overview
Animatron features a wide range of presets and templates you can use to speed up the animation process. Animatron lets you create whiteboard-style animation and is actually one of the best whiteboard animation software out there.
Top Features
- The drag-and-drop feature helps you create animations without technical knowledge
- Free marketplace with tons of videos, pre-animated characters, props, and backgrounds
- Offers whiteboard-style animations (learn more about how to create whiteboard animations here!)
- Useful animation tools, such as keyframe animation, motion paths, and easing effects
Pricing
Animatron comes with a free version, although it offers limited features. There are two premium plans: Pro and Business.
- The Pro plan costs $30/month ($15/month billed annually) and offers collaborative features and up to 720p quality exports.
- The Business plan costs $60/month ($30/month billed annually) and gives you access to all features as well as 1080p resolution.
Animatron Pros
Animatron Cons
Bottom Line
Animatron is best for creating animated web banners and explainer videos for teachers, marketers, and developers. You can get started in a pinch with ready-to-go templates.
11. FlipaClip
FlipaClip is a simple animation software for Chromebooks.
It lets you create hand-drawn animations and bring them to life using animation tools.
Overview
FlipaClip is relatively easy to use, with customizable canvas sizes and tons of drawing tools, including brushes, pencils, erasers, and lassos.
Top Features
- Frame-by-frame animation
- Up to 10 separate layers per frame
- Dark/light modes
- Downloadable from the Chrome Web Store
- GIFs and MP4 video exports supported
Pricing
FlipaClip has a free version, but you’re limited to three animation layers and six audio tracks per animation.
You can upgrade to FlipaClip Plus with an in-app purchase of $29.99/month.
FlipaClip Pros
FlipaClip Cons
Bottom Line
FlipaClip is best for simple, frame-by-frame animations using drawing tools. It’s highly intuitive and doesn’t have a steep learning curve.
12. Scratch
Scratch is a free animation software made especially for kids, but adults can enjoy it too.
It was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and helps you create interactive stories, games, and animations.
Overview
Scratch has tons of ready-made templates, characters, and backdrops for 2D animations.
Top Features
- Collaboration and sharing options in real-time
- Inspirational templates, characters, and backdrops to get you started
- Library of pre-made graphics and sound effects
- Animations created in Scratch can be shared with the Scratch community
Pricing
Scratch is completely free.
Scratch Pros
Scratch Cons
Bottom Line
Scratch is an animation software that’s best for kids, educators, and parents who want to make and share simple animations.
14. Clarisketch
Clarisketch is a free animation software that lets you make educational animations and tutorial videos.
You can take a picture, draw or edit it, record voiceovers, and turn it into an animated video.
Overview
Clarisketch is a quick and easy way to communicate a concept or idea with visual and auditory tools.
Top Features
- Compatible with tablets, Chromebooks, and smartphones with Chrome or Android OS
- Image and video annotation
- Voiceover feature
- For educational videos and concept demonstrations
Pricing
Clarisketch is completely free.
Clarisketch Pros
Clarisketch Cons
Bottom Line
Clarisketch is best for anyone who wants to make instructional and animated videos using images and voiceovers. It can help you demonstrate a concept or idea in seconds.
What Is Chromebook Animation Software?
It’s software that runs on the Chrome OS platform and allows you to create stunning animated content using your Chromebook.
Final Thoughts
Chromebook animation software helps you create visually-appealing content in minutes. Whether you’re doing it for corporate branding, entertainment, training purposes, or simply for fun, there’s bound to be animation software to suit your needs.
Hopefully, with this guide, you’re one step closer to choosing the perfect animation software for Chromebook for you.
Common Questions (FAQs)
Can you get Pivot Animator on Chromebook?
Pivot Animator is currently only available for Windows OS. You’d need a Windows emulator such as Wine to run it.
Does Google have an animation tool?
Yes. Google Web Designer is a free animation tool used to create HTML5 content. Toontastic 3D is another Google animation tool made especially for kids and teachers.
Can Flipaclip Be used on a Chromebook?
Yes. FlipaClip can be used on a Chromebook and is available on the Google Play Store.
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